# Spectra DTG printers



## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

*Spectra's website*
Spectra 3000 Digital Garment Printer...the affordable DTG solution

I recently found out about the $8,000 "entry level" Spectra 3000 DTG printer which was described to me as well engineered by a member here. as there's no Spectra brand thread yet, I thought it a good idea to start one, especially for everyone to share their experiences with the brand.

as I'm looking to start my own graphics company and need to buy EVERYTHING including computers and software from scratch, a decent DTG printer for just $8,000 when most START at $18,000 would be a real help to being able to get started doing tees on the side.

I hope that more info comes to light on these units as there are a lot of us here that don't have unlimited funds to work with. my TOTAL budget is $18k. what good would a DTG printer be to me if I don't have a computer to even run it off?


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

the silence was deafening


LOOK! a tumbleweed!


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Did you notice the warranty only applies when you attend training and excludes printhead, encoder strip etc. I would not touch this period. There is another thread that discusses the printer. This is also listed on eBay.


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

bentcycle said:


> the silence was deafening
> 
> 
> LOOK! a tumbleweed!


Hello Bentcycle. 
I think the "silence" is a great testament to the printers reliability. Unfortunately a greater percentage of customers come to the forum to vent about something bad than to praise a product. I can assure you there are many printers out there and growing and they work well. A good gauge is to look at past companies that sell a printer in this price range and you will find complaints here within a month or two, Spectra has a clean bill of health  you might hear insight from folks that own a competing machine or frequently promote a competing product, but you will have to be wise enough to weed those post out, bottom line is to ask those that oppose if they have ever used the machine  

"Charles" 
as far as the warranty there are two options for the customer full price unit with full warranty and a lower price without which the customer signs off on at there choice. The only thing not covered on warranty is what touches ink, print head etc which is typical for the industry, because you cant control the way a customer maintains there unit. 

As far as "training" spectra highly recommends/enforce training. this helps the customer and spectra in the long run. would you hand a teenager the keys to car that's never driven before and say have at it? same concept for dtg, training is in the best interest of everyone to protect your investment.. hope that helps a bit. If you have questions bentcycle call Spectra and they will sort any tech/questions,warranty/ training you might have.


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

"no news is good news"... hmm... i hadn't thought about it that way as i haven't really browsed the specific brand threads. most DTGs are simply out of my price range. if i get into it, i'll only have $18 to start with, and have to buy EVERYTHING with that including my computer, graphics monitor, software & blanks etc. so the affordability of a spectra is very appealing to me.

i was a bit concerned though after seeing some warnings against fast t-jet (i think) & kiosk systems at the cheaper end of the spectrum.

as to working flawlessly, i wouldn't expect that from any printer as even kornits break, but something that at least works decently would be nice.

i was hoping at least a few people have at least seen one in person at a trade show if not worked with one hands on. i guess if i eventually do get one, it will be my responsibility to share my experience with it and help the community. if it really does work reasonably well, people should know about it as a lot of members here are smaller businesses i'm sure.

i was thinking that the product is so new that maybe no one has even heard of it yet. i got a heads up on it by a member i was already talking to about DTG FAQs and he gave the impression that he was impressed with spectra's craftsmanship, especially for the price.

hopefully, i'll be getting a sample shirt as i've requested one along with literature to see if it produces decent images.

i bought some custom shirts myself somewhere and was disappointed in the quality. i had fonts done in yellow on blue and green shirts, and it looked like someone did a bad job top coating a gallon of plastisol. it had to be DTG though as each shirt was a 1 off. i won't mention where i got them as they were under $15 each, and when i simply commented on a color "correction" the shop did on a dark gray i wanted over black and some slightly annoying repositioning done on my art, they sent me 3 more free earning my respect for customer service at the very least.

i wouldn't really want to invest anything though in any DTG that produces blotchy "poorly mixed" looking colors.

thanks for adding your 2 cents. i thought i'd go for a laugh if nothing else when i saw this thread going nowhere


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

bentcycle said:


> "no news is good news"... hmm... i hadn't thought about it that way as i haven't really browsed the specific brand threads. most DTGs are simply out of my price range. if i get into it, i'll only have $18 to start with, and have to buy EVERYTHING with that including my computer, graphics monitor, software & blanks etc. so the affordability of a spectra is very appealing to me.
> 
> i was a bit concerned though after seeing some warnings against fast t-jet (i think) & kiosk systems at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
> 
> ...


Bentcycle,

First, let me say that whoever gave you a heads up has great taste  Spectra does not use the original Epson motor that was designed for paper, they use an upgraded powerful version designed specifically for moving a platen (check out how many other dtgs in its class do this  what you see produced in the videos of the shirts is what you get. Spectra uses a customized version of Eukon digital rip software (same rip brand used on the Anajet Epson modified printers, ie fp 125, and sprint). 

there are many facets to dtg. pretreat process is important to avoid any flaws in print quality (on dark shirts especially). we highly recommend the Viper One pretreat machine along with the printer. It sprays in both directions and has the highest quality uniform spray for a pretreat machine, Imho 

Best of luck on your search, hopefully you can go see the machines your considering in person to make comparison!


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

yes, i thought i'd read that upgrade to the OEM motor feature regarding the spectra 3000 somewhere and was really impressed by that. taking a more expensive route for higher quality and reliability is a good indicator that someone's building gear with pride over profits.

i could go on a brief tirade about a couple companies i despise for their open hostility to customers in that regard, one, besides making my $80 soundcard i bought with a used computer a coaster by breaking it's drivers and suing a guy who used to provide working ones planned obsolescence style as well as LYING about 2 mp3 players they made. the 1st one was supposed to be w98 compatible but wasn't and the other supposedly played WAVs, but only lofi mono ones it recorded itself. oh did i ever hate the customer dis-service rep that argued with me about it with an attitude, telling me to convert all of my files to flac which i had no interest in doing and ONLY authorized a return after i caught his lie in print, and showed him his own tech proving him (and the companies packaging) to be lies. oh i really really hate that company now!

so now i've seen two nods of approval for spectra as well as knowing they put at least some upgraded durability into their product. maybe the motor only costs $20 more, but it's $20 (???) they'd rather spend on their customers than filet mignon.

even at that "affordable price", $8k could still buy me 4 used cars, not that i want anything to do with cars, so i'm trying to do some research to set my mind at ease. it will be a huge step if i get into DTG.


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

I can understand certain misgivings about a DTG at this price range being viable. However the Spectra has caught the attention of many high end mfgs and consumable supply companies. This is not because its a tinker toy. As for warranty, it is common, the rule not the exception that print heads, dampers, encoder strips, capping station, tubes and ribbon cables are not covered under warranty. Tech support can also be a costly item for most companies and is in the price somewhere. Spectra is the first, that I know of, low cost viable DTG entering the market with state of the art electronic programming and a higher end epson engine, which sports a pressurized ink system which will prove to be a major ingredient in reducing white ink issues. I think they deserve a good look, get some sample prints, remember washability is determined by the chemistry not the printer. Charles comment I believe came from a lack of knowledge of this printer and more from experiences with other low cost printers that have been sold on ebay. There are pretty high end printers on ebay. Also in reference to the K brand. My exposure to it is anything but stellar. Not exactly a bench mark for one to use. But JMHO.


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

Oh and BTW, I am very familiar with EK rip, the Version Anajet uses was an early version with very limited capabilities compared to the powerhouse it is today sporting pretty much every feature you could ask for in a Rip. Monstrous control of ink and output.


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

> Spectra is the first, that I know of, low cost viable DTG entering the market with state of the art electronic programming and a higher end epson engine, which sports a pressurized ink system which will prove to be a major ingredient in *reducing white ink issues*.


hey, thanks for teaching me something new! i know that white ink on dark tees is one of the challenges of DTG and knowing that presurized ink systems improve the process is seriously important knowledge. +rep for that. 

i haven't even begun to research ink formulations yet. i hope that spectra has an open ended system that lets users chose the inks they prefer. i'm not a fan of propietary systems where you're stuck using the manufacturer's ink only.

a couple years ago i bought a regular printer because i wanted to print on CDs. it sucked for inks though. it used cartridges with chips that not only refuse to let you refill the carts, but that also went dead as soon as ONE color is empty instead of allowing you to swap out just the empty color.

quality and eco friendliness are my two top concerns with doing DTG.

totally unrelated...
how do you switch your avatar's teeshirt color to black here? i could not find the option in my control panel where the update avatar feature is and where it should be and found nothing with a keyword search except threads about printing on black


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

You will be able to use the ink of your choice, be it good or bad, as long as it is a textile ink. To print on cd dvd etc you need a solvent ink. Solvent inks would probably melt certain components. Textile and solvent are not interchangeable.
Currently Dupont ink is at its lowest price ever if you shop around, so why go for second chair.


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

i don't plan on printing on CDs. i was planning on doing that when i was trying to build a DJ system and wanted to produce slick looking demos.

as to the teeshirt ink(s) i go with, they will be whatever is most durable as long as it's non-toxic eco friendly.

it's nice to know i won't be stuck with "spectra cartridges"

white inks really seem to be the most critical aspect of DTG between cracking and clogging and fading. it's too bad no-one has done a shootout between brands all printed on the same machine and compare them after a bunch of washes directly. it's hard to compare tests when each one is separate.


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

bentcycle said:


> hey, thanks for teaching me something new! i know that white ink on dark tees is one of the challenges of DTG and knowing that presurized ink systems improve the process is seriously important knowledge. +rep for that.
> 
> i haven't even begun to research ink formulations yet. i hope that spectra has an open ended system that lets users chose the inks they prefer. i'm not a fan of propietary systems where you're stuck using the manufacturer's ink only.
> 
> ...


Spectra recommends and carries DuPont Artistri brand ink, they will also direct you to known (Verified) DuPont Oem ink dealers closest to your location (which is referenced thru DuPont). You can use any flavor ink you like but DuPont is the recommended brand and what the rip is profiled to..


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## EricDeem (May 7, 2011)

There isn't that many DTG ink manufactures out there. 98% of the DTG printer manufacturers use/sell DuPont. Some just relabel it and call it something different. The other thing to remember with inks are that the RIP color profiles are developed using a specific ink set to create the correct color replication. Using a different ink could result in undesirable print quality.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

bentcycle said:


> totally unrelated...
> how do you switch your avatar's teeshirt color to black here? i could not find the option in my control panel where the update avatar feature is and where it should be and found nothing with a keyword search except threads about printing on black


Your tee shirt color depends on the number of posts. I"think"you get a black tee after 1000 posts. After 3000 or so (I forget the exact number) you can choose the color of your tee


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## EricDeem (May 7, 2011)

charles95405 said:


> Your tee shirt color depends on the number of posts. I"think"you get a black tee after 1000 posts. After 3000 or so (I forget the exact number) you can choose the color of your tee


Totally random post?!?!


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

bentcycle said:


> totally unrelated...
> how do you switch your avatar's teeshirt color to black here? i could not find the option in my control panel where the update avatar feature is and where it should be and found nothing with a keyword search except threads about printing on black


Yes any posts except I don't think posts under membership introduction such as welcoming a new member count toward your posts count . Or I think that was the procedure 7 years or so ago. Not sure if the new owners have changed this. Perhaps Rodney will chime in.


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## EricDeem (May 7, 2011)

Not sure if that is the case still or not. I had to go back and read the thread again to even figure out what you were talking about in regards to the avatar colors lol. I thought you might've just posted in the wrong thread


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## jgabby (Mar 29, 2007)

What is the max printing size of the Spectra Pro and Spectra 3000 ?

On the real time black t-shirt video, what are the white underbase resolution and color resolution ?

Cheers


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

jgabby said:


> What is the max printing size of the Spectra Pro and Spectra 3000 ?
> 
> On the real time black t-shirt video, what are the white underbase resolution and color resolution ?
> 
> Cheers


Spectra 3000 Max size 12.9x18 

Black shirt vid was printed 720x720 res.. 

Spectra pro is a rebranded machine based on an r1900 Epson print engine. spectra doesn't sell many of these, the spectra 3000 print engine (Epson r3000) is a much better engine and 99.9% of customers who demo both chose the spectra 3000. I think there looking to stop advertising the pro in the near future.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

No Eric.....I was responding to a question in this thread. My answer is based on how I got black shirt and later given choice as to color. Also we used to have voting for most helpful member and that person had "MHM" on the bottom right of the tee. That may have been discontinued


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

regarding avatar colors, bummer! i designed my avatar with the plan of having it on a black tee. i thought it was a choice thing



> Spectra 3000 Max size 12.9x18


cool. i was wondering about that myself as the only spec i could get was a max resolution of 1,440x1,440 which is really arbitrary when you're looking for image size. if that's the max size, then the "pixels" or "dpi" if you prefer are slightly rectangular.

13x18 isn't exactly the largest image area, but it sure beats the 12x12 i wasn't impressed by on a $14k unit. for the price, it's acceptable for sure.


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## EricDeem (May 7, 2011)

bentcycle said:


> regarding avatar colors, bummer! i designed my avatar with the plan of having it on a black tee. i thought it was a choice thing


Get 1000 posts and you will get a black shirt avatar like me . 

This is where the NeoFlex M.I.B. in my signature comes from.



> cool. i was wondering about that myself as the only spec i could get was a max resolution of 1,440x1,440 which is really arbitrary when you're looking for image size. if that's the max size, then the "pixels" or "dpi" if you prefer are slightly rectangular.
> 
> 13x18 isn't exactly the largest image area, but it sure beats the 12x12 i wasn't impressed by on a $14k unit. for the price, it's acceptable for sure.


13x18 is bigger than the standard size platen on the new Epson F2000 and it's also bigger than the standard size platen on the NeoFlex. Most customers will find 13x18 to be sufficient for their designs.


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

yeah... 13x18 is a pretty decent size. it sounds a little small when some units will do 14x28, but i saw a print that i think was 12x14 and was surprised by how much bigger it was than i thought. 

large size images sell. i've bought about half a dozen mountain design tees because i've always liked the way the inks don't crack like plastisol as well as the giant sized graphics that i've always gotten remarks about.

the days of puny iron on size designs are over!

13x18 is workable. larger would be nicer, but it's a perfectly acceptable "compromise" for an affordable printer


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

back to the ink topic...

"dupont" doesn't exactly conjure up images of eco friendly to me and i was reading one thread on inks where another manufacturer came out with a white in that was supposed to be revolutionary, but that wasn't


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

Epson F2000 print area is 14x16 on medium platen. Maximum print area is 16x20.


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

Maximum print area on Neo Flex. Is 17x42. Just depends how you split up your workspace.


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

Epson and Dupont have the highest percentage of water. Others may have as much as 48% glycols of one type or another.


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

The 12.9 x 18 platen is pretty much standard.. (12.5x 16 standard is common as well).. Spectra has a variety of platen sizes other than the adult to chose from as well.. contact spectra for specifics.. Regarding the ink, DuPont is water based..


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## bentcycle (May 1, 2014)

> Others may have as much as 48% glycols of one type or another.


glycol is plant based

i'm not talking about dupont's DTG inks, but the rest of the mostly petroleum based paints they do


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## absignshop (Jun 25, 2014)

With a limited budget you might want to consider something like the OKI Pro920WT. You can print white. It is a heat transfer process but it might be a stepping stone until you can afford a DTG printer.


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## estrada (Jun 5, 2009)

Actually the spectra is only $8,000 which makes it cheaper than the OKI. Furthermore, DTG has a much cheaper print cost, specially on white and light shirts.


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## spiderx1 (Oct 12, 2009)

I thought they had an option of limited warranty or tech support that was less than that? Not sure. I tested the OKI stuff, several methods, I was not at all pleased.


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## 102557 (Mar 6, 2010)

spiderx1 said:


> I thought they had an option of limited warranty or tech support that was less than that? Not sure. I tested the OKI stuff, several methods, I was not at all pleased.


Spectra has no tech support limited warranty units priced at 6k same cost with training/demo units usually with less than 200 prints.


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