# Consitent positioning of chest prints on a DTG printer



## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

One of the more common questions we get from DTG users is how to consistently position chest prints on their printer. Here are a couple of ways to achieve consistent placement.

If your printer has shirt boards that are removable this can be done with a system you can build fairly inexpensively. First off you will need to build a base from a piece of plywood and four pieces of wood (2" x 2" or 1" x 2" work best). Build a frame on the plywood that exactly fits the base of your shirt board - so that you can place your shirtboard in it and it won't move. Second you will need some sort of lasers to project a crosshair onto the shirt board (one such system can be purchased from Laser Targeting Systems). Print your logo on a scrap t-shirt - roughly placing it where you think the logo should go. Remove the shirtboard from your printer and place it in your jig. Now, line up the laser crosshair to center on the logo you just printed. This will be the spot where the printer is going to print your logo. To align shirts before printing simply place the garment on the shirt board and move the shirt until it crosshair centers where you want to logo printed. You will now get consistently placed prints.

Another method works for both fixed and removable platens and doesn't really cost much. Generate a 4" square (outline only) in your software in the areas where you think that your graphic should go on your platen. Print the image directly on to your shirtboard. (save this file - name it something like chest-template) Let the ink dry and then go over it with an indelible marker (like a Sharpee). Now, cut out a piece of an old mouse pad (the old, thick neoprene type) that is 4" x 4". Position the mouse pad square on the square you marked for on your shirtboard (you can place a small amount of spray tack on the back to help hold it in place). Lay your shirt on the shirtboard and position the area you want printed so that it is centered on the square piece of mouse pad. Use the template you created to position your image in your design software. Center your graphic in the 4" square. Turn off the layer with the square on it and print your image. You now have consistently placed graphics.

Hope this helps!


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## 135367 (Mar 10, 2011)

Can't you just position the design in the RIP software, once you find the sweet spot? Like 3" down and at 10"?


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## Don-ColDesi (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi Jackie,

Yes you can, however that would require that you place the garment on the shirtboard exactly the same way every time without the benefit of a visual reference (raised area or crosshair). 

The key is not having the printer print to the same spot on the shirtboard every time - it is about having the proper spot on the shirt in correct position every time.

Hope this helps!


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