# A reply to a recent e-mail - What machine to buy?



## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

I received an e-mail from an individual asking me what machine I felt might be right for their business model. Although I received these types of e-mails on a regular basis, and I love to help people out as much as possible, I felt it might benefit some if I posted my response publicly, to avoid covering the same information again and again. Keep in mind, each business model needs to be looked at individually, from the small garage or apartment shop printers, to the larger industrial printers who want to be a 100% digital shop. Each will have its own concerns and interests, so no one machine will be right for everybody.

------------- BELOW IS MY RESPONSE TO THIS INDIVIDUAL -------------

Hey there! To be quite honest, you are coming into this industry at a great time. There are so many companies which are offering affordable, quality printers that you really have very little to worry about.

My advice to you is to check out the DTG HM1 Kiosk - DTG HM1 Kiosk- Digital Garment Printer

This particular printer is fast (actually prints an image FASTER than most 4800 based machines, due to the smaller print space), reliable, and it has a very solid company backing it up. The downsides? As I mentioned, slightly smaller print area, and it is based on the Epson 2400 which might not last as long as some of the larger units. The good news is, the print heads are very inexpensive. Also, the droplet sizes are larger, so it lays more ink down in one pass, creating a more vibrant image. I-Proof makes the RIP for this machine (as well as many others), and their color profiles can not be beat.

After that, try looking into a Flexi-Jet - Welcome to Direct Digital Master - Home of the Flexi-Jet direct to garment digital printer

The Flexi is based off of an Epson 4800 printer, and has a much wider print area. The speeds are comparable to any other Epson based printer, with print heads that are rated for a great deal more prints than the smaller Epsons. The downsides? Support is very weak, and they are often "beta testing" new things in the field. Meaning, when something new comes out, they do very little testing on it before releasing it to the public. They have certainly come a long way since they debuted the machine. I was one of the first few people to own a Flexi Jet, and I kept mine for about a year before selling it. The early models simply gave me too many headaches and frustrations, although they have gotten much better. Bottom line - support is still an issue (the good news is - they have a FANTASTIC group of users who will help you in any way they can, and it often takes the place of real support from the company). Additionally, they use a RIP created by I-Proof as well, and their color profiles are awesome!

Another great option is the Brother GT 541 - Brother International - Digital Garment Printers

The Brother is NOT based on an Epson printer, which gives it a slight advantage in some areas. For instance, it is much faster than any Epson based printer (if you are printing at comparable quality settings). Also, it requires a great deal less maintenance than any of the other small format printers. I owned a Flexi-Jet, and spent alot of time maintaining my machine. Nothing ridiculous, but certainly had alot of issues to deal with (like cleaning the capping station and encoder strip regularly, cleaning the encoder disk, etc). It was nothing that took more than 10 minutes per day, but it is something to be aware of. A friend of mine owned a Brother GT 541 before purchasing his Flexi-Jet some time ago, and told me that he liked the Brother alot more when only considering LIGHT garment printing.

Although the Brother, like any printer, can print on a variety of substrates, it does not have the larger print area that the Flexi has. Therefore, you are limited in certain regards if you choose to print on non-light garment substrates, such as 16x20 art canvas (which any 4800 based printer can do very well!). The worst part is the ink cost, which can routinely be 2-4 times that of most other printers, depending on your print settings. This increased cost is easily absorbed into your business model if you price your services right, so it is a much smaller issue than I used to think it was.

Something that alot of people tend to take into consideration is the possibility of printing dark garments with their DTG printers. Sadly, I feel that the technology is not currently at a point where it is ready for volume production. The cost per print can be considerably higher than one might expect (try $3-$7 per print depending on coverage), the process of pretreating the shirts is inconsistent and often difficult to master, and the pretreatment itself can leave a stiff square around your printed image that only comes out after one or two washings. These are just some of the hurdles to consider. I know many many DTG printer owners who have opted to get rid of white ink entirely, and convert their machines to Dual CMYK only printers. There are some people making good money printing on dark garments, but consider carefully that it is NOT FOR EVERYONE.

As I see it, those three printers are the major players at this time. There are lots more printers out there, but each one can be compared to one of the main three. For instance, many of the Epson based machines will have comparable print quality to the above mentioned, as well as comparable print speeds. There is also the Kornit line of printers, which is easily considered the premier digital garment printer on the planet. Because of its industrial quality build, low ink costs, and ability to automate the dark garment printing process, it is second to none in this industry. The downside? The hefty price tag of $100,000-$200,000 depending on the model you choose. It is usually not a viable option for smaller business models.

I hope I covered everything here - I know I probably missed some key points, and please keep in mind that these are simply my suggestions based on exposure to these machines in person. Each one has its positives and negatives, and the industry is changing each day with new machines being added and new inks becoming available. If you have any other questions, you can always e-mail me.

Justin


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## tomtv (Feb 6, 2007)

good info justin.

I might add that you did leave out the facts about the other 2 machines that I mentioned to you are hitting the market in July/August. I think people looking now would really benefit from waiting to see these units hit the streets. 

I have been pretty impressed that the manufacturer has been able to keep these quiet, do beta testing & be ready for market without there being some kind of leak out there.

Not trying to throw gas on a fire but the high quality options and advancements that have been learned over the first couple years of this market. Upgrades and changes from the current models are starting to surface in the newer units.

Stay tuned as I am sure we will all here more very soon,

Tom


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

Thanks, Feels like the response was for me Justin. Tom, this early, I want to know what those 2 machines are. New generation Flexis?


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## tomtv (Feb 6, 2007)

I know nothing about the flexis and what they have coming.

I just know of 2 more units coming on the market by summer that could be real options for people.

We will all have to stay tuned.

Tom


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## PinkFreud (Mar 8, 2007)

Justin is an articulate advocate for digital garment printing as is evidenced by his many posts on this and other forums......Some of you may have noticed that he did not mention the T-Jet from U.S. Screen Printing Institute ....Unfortunately he let his bias resulting from a personal argument with the owner of the T-Jet company inspire him to ignore the company largely responsible for first bringing these machines to the market ...
...the first company to print successfully with white ink and the company that has sold more machines internationally then all the other companies combined ...as a matter of fact 2 of the 3 companies Justin mentions worked for..U.S. Screen Printing Institute .....they used the knowledge they gained from their T-Jet experiance as a model and went on to develop competing machines....This happens all the time in business....why work for someone else when you can work for yourself and keep all the money.....but the fact is USSPI set the standard we now see in this industry..U.S. Screen Printing Institute ..had the first open forum for digital garment printing...In the beginning because of unexpected astronomical sales they grew too quickly....There were not enough technicians available to help the few customers who had problems....some of these disgruntled customers were able to use the open forum to publicly criticize and in many cases slander U.S. Screen Printing Institute ...these posts have been reposted,cut and pasted and used by people often with a financial agenda with the purpose of discrediting the company....The fact is that these early growth problems have long been resolved...I have 3 T-Jets that have been running smooth and making me money for close to 2 years now....U.S. Screen Printing Institute is still the top dog in the industry....offers the best technical support....the best price deals...and are first with new innovations in the industry...People love to try to knock down the top dog...its human nature...Just go to their website U.S. Screen Printing Institute ...or better yet go to any of the many trade shows around the country and around the world....USSPI and the T-jet have the largest most prominent booth in almost every show.....I understand that great websites and big booths prove nothing but the fact is USSPI has the best and most established line of machines in the market in fact many people agree that the T-Jet produces the best color and detail quality print compared to any other machine in its price-range.....Justin is a valuable asset to this industry and I will be the first to admit that I have learned things from him....however...the fact that he did not include the biggest and most established Digital Garment company in his recommendation letter tends to discredit him....He will probably say since he has nothing good to say he chose to say nothing....those of us out there reading this stuff should not be influenced by people with agendas or who have a personal bias....The power of the internet for communications can be easily abused making it all the more important for us to be as open and honest as possible ...to make it a better world...for peace and justice...and the American way ...for liberty and the home of the brave ....!!!!....ok I'll shutup now


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## csquared (Sep 8, 2006)

I also wondered why the T-jet3 was not mentioned as at its price point it is a very strong competitor. the show I recently went to did not have a DTG HM1 Kiosk present so I cannot comment on that but the things that impressed me about the T-jet3 was the speed and how much white ink it lays down...and the fact it is made in America by the company that sells it.


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## tomtv (Feb 6, 2007)

I agree with you guys on many of these things. I am not sure of Justins intentions as only he can really know that.

The 3 seems to be a solid machine in my opinion. The 1800 format is working very well for them. The 1800 actually can lay a larger drop size than the 2400 in the HM series printer. They have a great rip that allows the microweaving to be adjusted for better 1 pass coverage but the cost is speed on that layer. Another nice speed advantage these smaller printers have is the issue of the print head having to move all the way across the print on the 4800 based units and above. The 2400 and below models do not function the same way. Kind of weird that Epson would do that but I am sure they feel it makes for better quality on photographic and proof type work.

Pink, I admire your conviction for your product just like I admire it from Justin and others. Keep up the fight and let us know how that possible overseas thing goes.

Tom


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## GRH (Apr 25, 2007)

Pink is correct. If you buy a T-Jet you will be able to print faster than a speeding locomotive, stop bullet's with your bare hands and leap over tall buildings with a single bound. Yeah Super Pink. 

I had to do that. I own a T-Jet and it works fine.

Regards,
GRH


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## tomtv (Feb 6, 2007)

and you can print on the bullet too!

tom


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## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

Don't worry Pink - you are only dwelling on leftover animosity from quite some time ago regarding me and Scott. I do not like him. That is a true statement. But that is not why I left out the T-Jet. The early model T-Jet had a plethora of issues that caused me to personally receive call after call for most of last year from people who wanted to sell their T-Jets, or use them as boat anchors. They would routinely ask me what a suitable replacement would be.

Now, I AM aware that the T-Jet 3 is a whole different animal than the earlier models, and I can respect that. Heck, were I to check it out, there is no doubt that I would be impressed. But the bottom line is, Scott's abrasive nature keeps me as far away from the T-Jet booths as possible, therefore I have absolutely no firsthand experience with the machine. I will only ever recommend a product that I have firsthand experience with, such as the ones previously listed. There are LOTS of other machines I did not list - heck, Tom still sells the Direct Advantage and I didn't mention that. You do not see him getting his panties in a twist. He knows that it is simply because I have not had hardly any direct contact with the machine, save for a brief period of time at the Long Beach show. Additionally, I was only giving people a starting point.

The fact that I did not mention your precious T-Jet, the DA, the Arakis, the AnaJet, or a HOST of other machines, does not mean I have an "agenda". It means I haven't been paying close enough attention to list the pluses and minuses of each particular model with any amount of credibility. That is where people like you come in, Pink. Instead of pointing out why I am not credible or why I am biased, how about you help me further educate the public by sharing YOUR experiences with the T-Jet 3 from what you have seen, and where you see the pluses and minuses developing.

Now, as for what Tom was mentioning... He is correct. I have heard of two new machines coming out, and I look forward to seeing them more in action. I have only seen one of them in person, however. I liked.


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## GRH (Apr 25, 2007)

Tom,

You are right about printing on the bullets but first you need to buy the special bullet platen for $299.95. Also you must have the special lead pre-treatment and post-treatment.

Prints that have been fired from a gun may not hold up well. 

Regards,
GRH


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## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

$299.95 for a platen?? Boy, I miss those days.... All my platens NOW are over $2,000 each!


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## PinkFreud (Mar 8, 2007)

Ok Justin....no sense in pickin at old scabs....I also get alot of emails from people who want advise as to which machine to buy....It is hard to be completely objective since I own T-Jets but I have definate opinions as to what the strengths of each machine are..I find that most people are beginners looking for an entry level machine...I feel that all the machines I am familiar with can do the job...that is printing full color photographic images easily on white/light shirts and with a bit of a learning curve for black/dark shirts*...Without going into details here is what I think is the most significant factors that set them apart.

T-Jet....Largest tech staff with extended support hours including weekends....
....widest network of distributors....

Flexi-Jet....Capable of printing larger size....good for printing fine art images on canvas

DTG......entry level machine is the lowest price

*Brother....probably the most robust machine but does not print with white ink

Sorry if I didnt mention all the machines that are out there but the ones I listed are the ones that seem to have the highest visibility within the industry


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## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

Good points! Very nice.


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## csquared (Sep 8, 2006)

Justin I think Tom you Pink and I would have a good time at one of these conventions.


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## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

Its a date, then. We will meet for beers at the next major function!  I'm in.


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## PinkFreud (Mar 8, 2007)

Why wait?....I am flying out west today to check out a retail location in Venice Beach Ca......I'll be at the drum circle on the beach sunday at sunset

ps...seriously

wont be back here till wed night cause I dont think Im bringing my laptop


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## tomtv (Feb 6, 2007)

guys,

i am sorry to say that i cannot make it for drinks.

i really don't like to have fun or anything so i must pass... 


tom


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## Justin Walker (Dec 6, 2006)

PinkFreud said:


> Why wait?....I am flying out west today to check out a retail location in Venice Beach Ca......I'll be at the drum circle on the beach sunday at sunset



For real? I will make the trip out there and we can sit down for some drinks and light conversation.


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