# Anajet, DTG HM-1 or Sawgrass Direct Advantage



## JaneG (Jun 17, 2008)

Hello

I have a Screen Printing and Embroidery business, but I will probably have to a get Direct to Garment printer in the next two months. 

I've been reading the different posts on this forum the last two days, and I have narrowed my search to Anajet, DTG MH-1 and Sawgrass Direct Advantage.

I need my printing to last at least 6 months, based on an avrg. of wearing the t-shirt 2 or 3 times a week. I actually made a test with an Anajet sample, I put it in the washing machine everytime I do my laundry, I actually lost the count, and the printed design is still there.

These 3 printers fit into my budget, but I still can't decide between them.

Can someone help me? I would like to know about the printing quality, comments about the customer service of the dealers, maintenance, parts, CONS and PROS of these models.


----------



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

Welcome to the forums!

The big issue between the three are ink costs. With the HM1, you are not stuck with cartridges from the manufacturer. It uses a bulk ink system with ink costs that are CONSIDERABLY less.

You can do the math yourself. Take the cost of a 110ml Anajet cart and multiply by 9. That is the cost per liter for their ink. Do the same with the Sawgrass. Compare that number with the cost of a liter of bottled ink from one of the many suppliers ($225-$285). You will see that the ik is 2 to 3 times as much.

I personally think that you should be comparing the HM1 with the Flexi and Tjet, as they offer the most cost effective solutions for ink.


----------



## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

Good afternoon,
Although I do not own any of these machines I do know of two people that own the t-jet and cannot get any good prints, so the cheaper ink is really not making a difference to them as they are ruining more shirts, bags, etc.
I do own a brother and even though some may say the ink costs are more (have not paid much attention to that, so I cannot say) being in cartridges I believe that you should really focus on a good machine and not the ink costs as you can always change your pricing to include ink cost if it is that big of deal. I would rather pay more for ink and have a machine that prints than to focus on ink costs and get a machine that cannot print, because at that point it doesn't matter if the ink is cheaper if you are ruining more shirts or the machine will not print.

Of course that is just my opinion

good luck on your purchase


----------



## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

I did also want to mention that although I do not own any of these 3 machines
I have gotten shirts at the shows and done wash tests on 2 of them

The Anajet, washed very well and looked nice as well
The Sawgrass, washed horribly, and 2 of the companies that were selling the advantage did not even offer white ink because they said and I quote :we do not believe the white ink is where it needs to be so we do not recommend using it and that is why we do not have it in the machine"

The HM!, I know Bobbie Lee has one and loves it, so you might want to talk to here about that machine

Thanks again


----------



## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

I think any machine can be a good machine depending on the operator. I have the HM1 and I think it is a fantastic machine. I totally agree with mark that anajet and direct advantage are not comparable for the fact that the HM1 is a bulk ink system and they are cartridge based. Big difference in ink pricing there  Also if I am not mistaken the direct advantage also does not print white at the moment. I could swear I remember them advertising it but then it wasnt available when I seen it at the show in long beach.

The hm1 for me prints great and I am able to print any color garments I want with no limits. That to me is very important. There are a few other options that the HM1 has that the others dont. Such as the white ink agitator that keeps the white ink mixed. this is a great option to have because it keeps your white ink mixed and you dont have to take out a cartridge to shake it everyday. It also has the auto height adjustment with the laser gap sensor. This works well for getting the perfect height for printing, I dont beleive even the brother has this.
If I recall correctly you have to adjust the height on the platens on the brother by turning screws to adjust. This to me seems like it would be a total complete pain, it seems this would be difficult keeping everything level also.

Those were some of the reasons I picked my hm1 over the others. I would say go see them all print, get samples and find out what type of options they come with. Compare all of those variables and decide what fits your plan for the machine the best. I myself could not except printing only on light garments, as that is a big part of my business (printing on darks).


----------



## drfcajun (Jun 18, 2008)

I just got rid of my old T-Jet and the headaches associated with it. Just couldn't get any good tech support with it. Even talked with THE president of the company. I am now demo-ing ??? an Anajet and I have a dealer just 4 hours away for help. Haven't bought it yet but the washability surpasses the T-Jet on white and dart shirts!!! Even one of my customers last week commented about how the T-Jet shirts faded. Price on ink can be tolerated with pricing shirts properly. Anajet has me sold. The RIP software is very easy and user friendly. I am printing from it rather than CorelDraw or Illustrator. Couldn't get ANYONE to answer emails at USSCREEN and Anajet answered me the same day. Give them a try.


----------



## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

Hmm it is strange that you would get less fading from anajet then you would from the tjet as they both use the same ink set. It sounds like maybe the curing process you are using with the anajet maybe improved from the curing you were doing with the tjet. Both inks should hold the same as far as fading as they are the same.


----------



## paw.apparel (Jun 17, 2008)

I have been reading many forums but am new to posting. I have been researching Direct to Garment printers for a little while now and will also be ready to buy in few months.
I saw the Brother machine at a show in Orlando and it does have a screw adjustment to move the platen. It did not seem difficult and the machine seem sturdy to me.
I recently saw a publication for a mod printer that looks interesting and designed to print onto other things. 
As anyone seen or heard anything about a new mod printer?


----------



## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

Most dtg printers can print on other substrates. My machine has a 5 1/2 in deep print bed, so if something fits in 12 1/2"w X 18"L X 5 1/2"D I can print on it  the brother print bed is only 1 1/2" deep.


----------



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

sunnydayz said:


> Hmm it is strange that you would get less fading from anajet then you would from the tjet as they both use the same ink set. It sounds like maybe the curing process you are using with the anajet maybe improved from the curing you were doing with the tjet. Both inks should hold the same as far as fading as they are the same.


DING DING DING We have a winner! Both use the same ink and the exact same ink depositing technology (read Epson piezo electric heads). I will bet any amount of money you can count that I could print a shirt on my tjet, my kiosk, or my flexi-jet (yes I have all three!) and you could not tell me which came from which. And if I had an Anajet I would include it, although i would have to charge you for that shirt as the ink costs so much.  Just poking a little fun.


----------



## drfcajun (Jun 18, 2008)

Printzilla said:


> DING DING DING We have a winner! Both use the same ink and the exact same ink depositing technology (read Epson piezo electric heads). I will bet any amount of money you can count that I could print a shirt on my tjet, my kiosk, or my flexi-jet (yes I have all three!) and you could not tell me which came from which. And if I had an Anajet I would include it, although i would have to charge you for that shirt as the ink costs so much.  Just poking a little fun.


YOU WIN THE PRIZE!!! Yes they use the same ink set. And if that is so, then why do the T-Jet people advocate dark shirts to be cured longer than the Anajet folks??? I am using the same heat press with SHORTER settings on the Anajet and the shirts look better and aren't fading. I just washed AND dried 2 shirts last night. A red one and a dark blue one. I know you are a T-Jet advocate Printzilla and that is o.k. T-Jet made money for me but there is bigger and better out there with newer technology and better tech support. How do you like the Flexi??? I haven't bought the Anajet YET...
thanks and have a great day.


----------



## Belquette (Sep 12, 2005)

> As anyone seen or heard anything about a new mod printer?


To answer your question the mod1 printer is a new series of printers developed by Belquette Inc. 

Belquette Inc


----------



## JaneG (Jun 17, 2008)

THANKS GUYS FOR YOU HELP!

It has been interesting reading your comments, I will definitely leave out of my mind the Sawgrass.

Now I'm between the Anajet and the HM-1..hehe...

Bobbie Lee, is the HM-1 easy to use, and does it requires more maintenance because of its bulk system?


----------



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

drfcajun said:


> I know you are a T-Jet advocate Printzilla and that is o.k. .



uhhhh - no I'm not. Not at all. I have not purchased a T-jet, or any US Screen product in almost two years. Please do not put words in my mouth. 

As far as the different press and curing times, you could ask all the manufacturers and get different answers. Heck, for that matter you can go to a trade show and ask sales people in the same booth the same questions and get entirely different answers. Which is why I said it comes down to the operator and not the machine.

I still would not buy a machine with 2-3x the ink costs, as the average machine.


----------



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

JaneG said:


> THANKS GUYS FOR YOU HELP!
> 
> It has been interesting reading your comments, I will definitely leave out of my mind the Sawgrass.
> 
> ...


I also have an HM1. It is just as easy to use as any other Epson based machine, and requires the same maintenance. They all function basically the same. You ned to shake your ink, clean your capping stations, clean your wiper blade, etc....you need to periodically flush the system out to keep everything running at its best. I have daily, weekly, and monthly service routines that I perform on all of my machines.


----------



## drfcajun (Jun 18, 2008)

Marc,
How do you feel about the HM-1 and the Flexi? How is the output quality? And yes, the maintenance is a must...

later


----------



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

It really comes down to the size print you need and whether you want white ink or not. Once you have those questions answered, and are willing to assume responsibility for learning how to properly produce shirts (this includes time as well as a substantial amount of money in testing supplies), and maintain the machine, it is easy to pick one. I can do it in seconds based on a small questionnaire to be ompleted by the prospective buyer.

I am in the unique position of having owned several machines, and had relationships with most of the manufacturers. I often offer my services to consult people on the buying decision.


----------



## TurnMike (Jun 22, 2010)

I have the anajet. It prints on white t-shirts fantastic. It also prints well using white ink. The white ink printing takes time to learn as it is more of an art-form than a science. It does have ink that comes in cartridges so it should always be good and the technical support is fantastic. One way to save money is to buy used machine instead of a new one. You would still be able to take the dealer training to ensure you are trained on the system for any issues you may have. It is a quality printer.


----------

