# DTG for transfer printing?



## davidkanderson (Feb 7, 2008)

Can DTG produce transfers?

Sometimes we find that it's best to screen print transfers, rather than right on the item (for example, we create screen printed transfers for caps, sometimes for inside tag prints).

I'm wondering if I can use my DTG machine (an iDot, which prints white ink) to produce transfers similar to my screen printed transfers? This way, I could put a DTG-type design on, say, a black cap front.

How would we go about this?


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

No, DTG uses Textile ink which is formulated to print (*D*IRECT *T*O *G*ARMENT). You would need to continue using screen printed transfers or digital prints from someone who prints on printable vinyl.


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## allamerican-aeoon (Aug 14, 2007)

davidkanderson said:


> Can DTG produce transfers?
> 
> Sometimes we find that it's best to screen print transfers, rather than right on the item (for example, we create screen printed transfers for caps, sometimes for inside tag prints).
> 
> ...


Strange concept why do you want to make transfer while you can print direct on hat? All you need is hat Platen.
If you really want to whatever reason
1. I will pretreat your dark hat and cured it.
2. Use TR paper coat (screen print) with release clear base first (1/2-3/4 cure at 275F)
3. Use your idot print on paper with 1440x1440 mirror image.
4. do not cure or anything and try heat press on it. If it spreads ink dry 1/4 way. we call touch dry.
Concept is DuPont ink will contact pretreated hat direct. And hope clear base will release Dupont ink 100% to the hat. If there are money I will spend some time on it but I do not see any.
Many years ago my nick name was Dr. Transfer and market shrunk. I gave up and took next train DTG.
Good luck.


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## davidkanderson (Feb 7, 2008)

I do print-and-cut transfers, I do screen printing and screen printed transfers all in house. But some art is just not suitable for print-and-cut transfers, especially at a small size like a cap. Also, it's not worth getting a screen printing cap platen for 6 cap orders of full color designs. I will try allamerican's idea and see how it goes.

FYI, there are plenty of good reasons to do a screen printed transfer - for example, I do DTG on shirt fronts for a customer, about 25/day on many different colors of shirts. He wants his one-color logo imprinted inside the tag along with the shirt size. It's not cost effective to use screen printing for this, but I can pre-print the screen printed transfers and do this cheaply. His design would be unweedable if we used vinyl or print-and-cut transfers.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

I can see some times when this would be beneficial. The challenge with using the screen print release paper and the clear base is you still need to make a screen or you will have clear ink on every part of the paper. Plus, you would need to align the paper exactly up... not a huge thing, but another step. Seems like if you wanted to test the method you would be better off using a weedable, light transfer paper (red grid paper for example) and dtg print the artwork with registration dots that you could use with your vinyl cutter. Just weed the large parts and don't worry too much about the internal parts. I have seen this done, but the quality is not at the same level as direct printing - whether digital or screen.

Good luck with your testing. Best wishes,

Mark


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## allamerican-aeoon (Aug 14, 2007)

It is raining hard here in Philly. I hate this kind of weathers. No golf no nothing just keep open and close refrigerator. Actually I am very boring now.
I know all the benefit of Heat Transfer. I visit and sold 95% of Major heat transfer companies.
Air wave, Art Brand, F&M, Sun art, global impress ----------------.
Now you are facing harder task. You have to print Color first and apply white later on paper.
Two pass. I am sure you do understand this. It will be reverse.
1. color print on coated TR paper (cuz this already has some release agent and made in Korea,haha)
2. white print over the color. Make sure your first application do not move. Since iDot do not have vacuum table not as NeoFlex. Recommend scotch tape (heat registrant) because you will use your flash cure to make it touch dry. Paper has good chance to be moved. Once it moved you are screwed. Mark with magic maker on top of platen 3 corners. In case.
3. if you want to save for future use. cover with plastic (cut off air drying process) and keep it real cool(freeze is better)


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## allamerican-aeoon (Aug 14, 2007)

I heard Triangle come up with great clear base. It is oil base so it will not mix with water base dupont. Benefit to you. Good luck!
I will lose my hair if that is my task to do. But when I think about it, it is possible. Where is beef?


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## vertigosystems (Jul 10, 2008)

this is a necropost, but I'm wondering if anyone involved tried making white only transfers by printing with white ink onto a sheet of screen printing transfer paper and coating with the adhesive powder and seeing if that gives a usable transfer. I don't have a white ink machine so I can't really try this.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Te answer is can't do it...different inks involved


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## cavedave (Dec 5, 2006)

I spent an hour once playing with a concept of DTG transfer using a standard Epson, the idea was relativly simple, produce a DTG print with white and color on an Epson using transfer paper and then heat press it onto a black shirt.
The idea being if it worked it would be a lot cheaper than buying a DTG machine as you could use a normal Epson printer. Poor mans alternative....

The Epson printer was configured ink wise like a DTG machine CMYK+4xWhite and the media would be feed through the printer first for the color and then for the white (as you want white first when going to the shirt).
Epson printers (like the 4880) have a sensor you can enable to find the edge of the paper and you can also check for skew and other issues with paper feed. When all enabled you get very good registration printing on the same media multiple times.

We preteated (same pretreatment as used on a balck shirt) some sublimation paper first printed CMYK let it dry and then printed the white. First attempt we scapped as 1440x1440 white was too much for the media.
Second attempt we did two coats of white at 1440x720 and let it dry in between and then preteated a shirt and heat pressed it on.

This was just messing about, it wasnt serious and just seeing ifyou could sort of combin DTG and sublimation as a process.

The final result on the 2nd attempt wasnt sellable, but also wasnt a complete failure. The white was weak and color therefore was poor, but you could certainly recognise the image and it was only two attempts.

I dont know if this really could ever be developed into a working system and I had to go and get on a plane and never messed about with it again. But the result for an hours messing about was better than I expected and someone with more knowledge on media, pretreaments etc may be able to get something working.

Best regards

-David


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## cubedecibel (Nov 1, 2009)

Has this been tested again with better results? The ability to print on a transfer paper with a dtg would be dope for advanced small chest pockets prints. You could print 20-30 on each paper, do a rough edgy cut and heat apply each design to the shirts (or caps, polos, whatever)

Edit; I find it hard to get the chest pocket placement right on the dtg. Way easier to line it up on the press!


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