# Which Direction to Go...DTG?



## luismatos (Aug 9, 2007)

Hi all, this is my first ever post on here. I am just starting an online business and I am trying to figure out which machinery is best for me to buy for the business. I really like DTG because it requires that I not know any techniques in terms of the actual making of the shirts. In this sense it is certainly best for me. However, I don't know if I have the funds to buy one without dipping into the loan world. Would it be better to take out a loan with a DTG HM1 in mind? OR should I look toward using some other technique? If so, which would you suggest and why? 

Take into consideration that I am working out of my basement, I have roommates, so no smell or loud noise is preferable. I also think I will be limited to approximately 7-8k to start. 

Thanks for your input.


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

you wont find a dtg for 7 to 8k, you could do a lease with a buy out at the end though and that way the machine is totally tax deductable, that is what I am doing.


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

Welcome to the forum. There are plenty of used machines out in your price range or even less. If you do not want to lease consider used.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> I am just starting an online business and I am trying to figure out which machinery is best for me to buy for the business.


Specifically what kind of online t-shirt business?

Are you going to start your own clothing line?

Are you going to be selling printing services?

What color garments will you want to print on?

What type of graphics (complexity, colors, photographic,etc) will you be printing?

Have you seen the prints from the various printing methods to compare?

Have you searched around the forums to read up on the various printing types (to see what you like and don't like)

Those questions will help us guide you into what printing method you should pursue.


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## zhenjie (Aug 27, 2006)

7-8K? Not a chance. You'll also need to factor in $1k for a good heatpress and computer/software to compliment the Kiosk. But since your home based you can probably just use your normal PC.

If you invest in a DTG, make sure you have the business to back it up with. Any downtime = clogs and its a nightmarish experience when that happens. I wouldn't recommend DTG for any homebased business unless you can guarantee business will be coming in.


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## luismatos (Aug 9, 2007)

Rodney said:


> Specifically what kind of online t-shirt business?
> 
> Are you going to start your own clothing line?
> 
> ...


I will be in the mold of tshirthell. 

I was hoping for royal blue, red, green, and white as the colors to print on.

The graphics will be more cartoon-like.

I own several shirts that were screen-printed and I went to a convention, although it was too early for me to be asking the right questions, and got a couple sublimation shirts, and one dtg shirt. I was amazed at the DTG and was like, that is what I want. However, I didn't see the sublimation being done, so I don't know how that works and when I left I thought they were the same thing, actually. How are they different? What is the process like for making sublimation? There is some sort of transfer paper that you print on? and then press that transfer paper onto the shirt? Is that right? Am I missing anything? Because it seems like because there are so many problems with DTG, especially with the white ink, that it might be better and more economically feasible for me to go with sublimation. It also seems like there are fewer problems with Sublimation. Is that true?


And I realize that I could never buy a DTG with 7-8k, but I was considering taking out a loan to do that, but would y'all suggest that I not take out a loan for equipment that isn't necessarily fool-proof yet?


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

uuummmmm you can totally buy a used dtg for 7-8k. as a matter of fact you could probably buy one of mine for 7k. The good thing about buying used is if your business does not work out, you do not lose as much on resell of the equipment.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> However, I didn't see the sublimation being done, so I don't know how that works and when I left I thought they were the same thing, actually. How are they different? What is the process like for making sublimation? There is some sort of transfer paper that you print on? and then press that transfer paper onto the shirt? Is that right? Am I missing anything?


That's the correct process for dye sublimation.

Remember that dye sublimation only works best on 100% cotton or 50/50 t-shirts on WHITE or LIGHT colored garments only. It's not really designed for printing on dark colors. 

For the type of designs you want to do, I wouldn't recommend dye sublimation.

Also, make sure that you understand the different terms.

Dye sublimation has the same "process" as heat transfers, the main difference is that the dye sub ink actually bonds to the fibers of the shirts and is embedded in the t-shirt fabric.

Heat transfers are printed on a transfer sheet of paper and then heat pressed to the shirt, but the finished design can go on light garments AND dark garments (depending on what kind of transfers you use).




> Because it seems like because there are so many problems with DTG, especially with the white ink, that it might be better and more economically feasible for me to go with sublimation. It also seems like there are fewer problems with Sublimation. Is that true?


In my opinion, from your description and from the type of shirts you want to do, it sounds like you should go with heat transfers.

One piece of equipment you need would be a heat press. Here's a good thread that describes what to look for: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-crossover-diary-heat-press-newbie/t9682.html

Here's a video that shows the different styles of presses in action: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-articles/t11246.html

Then, depending on the designs, they could be done with a vinyl cutter or with plastisol transfers.

You can read about plastisol transfers here: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-crossover-diary-heat-press-newbie/t13204.html

And read more about them here: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/tags/plastisol-transfers/

You can read about a vinyl cutter here: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-crossover-diary-heat-press-newbie/t10363.html

And more about how vinyl cutters and vinyl transfers work here:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/vinyl-cutters-plotters-transfers/


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## mrkoob (Jul 11, 2007)

Unless you know for a fact your business model could support a DTG system, and you could actually make money at it, (IMHO forget about printing on dark shirts until you've perfected the white shirt marketing), you might want to consider something like the "Hybrid" system from Sawgrass, I mention them because it lets you transfer to both Polyester and Cotton fabrics, if you think you'll just be working with poly then there are many other Mfgr's besides them. For this system you'll pay about $5,095 (maybe a bit less) for the printer, inks and heat press. I've used their products in the past, and haven't had too many issues. There are of course other choices besides them. If you do a YouTube search for Sawgrass or Chromablast you can see how it works. I'm somewhat familiar with their processes which is why I suggest them


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