# DTG vs. Cad Cut



## AKSTS (Jun 10, 2015)

I haven't been able to find any recent information (info that's less than 12 months old), so figured I'd start a thread.

Looking at purchasing a Roland Versacamm to be able to print and cut stickers and those types of things.

We have an Epson F2000, and looking at the cad cut options...what am I missing.

If cad cut is so great, why do people deal with DTG and pre-treats and all of that?


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## smacity (Jun 24, 2012)

I think for light garments printable vinyl can compete with dtg for feel and softness. They are especially good for poly and nylon. On dark garments not the same case pretty heavy hand. Weeding and using transfer tape for dark garments can be time consuming. It seems the versatility of the versacamm makes it useful. You can do canvas prints stickers posters banners. I have a roland versacamm vp300 that is in great shape.
Pm me if interested.

Steve

Sent from my SM-N910P using T-Shirt Forums


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## ayukish (Aug 18, 2005)

Print/Cut gives you the ability to go on a wider variety of fabrics. You're not limited with Print/cut technology. As Steve said, you're also able to print "non apparel" as well.


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## cavedave (Dec 5, 2006)

These are different and there isn't any reason why both shouldn't be used in the same shop.

Cad Cut Pros
Opaque White - Always
Cheaper than DTG (certainly for dark shirts)
For simple designs higher production rates than DTG
Can be used with most garments (poly, cotton) and doesn't care about good or bad cotton.
No pre treatment and less mess
Washes great

Cad Cut Cons
Complex design can be difficult to weed
Cant blend design into shirt color as you can DTG
Doesn't have as soft a feel (some vinyls now are very good)
Large areas on a shirt can be hot in the sun (its vinyl at the end of the day)

DTG Pros
Generally better soft / feel to end product
Can print any complexity and no weeding
Blend images into garment color (black shirts is the big one), looks better


DTG Cons
Higher maintenance of machines
Pre-treatment - messy
Ink costs
Limited garment types, Cotton and there are good and bad cotton shirts

I see these as complimentary products, printing black cotton shirts you can create some awe sum prints with DTG that you couldn't get close to the same kind of finish with Cad Cut.
But doing a football team, name an number on the back of polyester sports shirts I would always go for Cad Cut.

We have for demo purposes even combined the two, DTG print on a black shirt with gold vinyl cut and pressed on as a spot color.

Best regards

-David


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## artlife (Jan 15, 2010)

AKSTS said:


> I haven't been able to find any recent information (info that's less than 12 months old), so figured I'd start a thread.
> 
> Looking at purchasing a Roland Versacamm to be able to print and cut stickers and those types of things.
> 
> ...


Because DTG is full color/photo type graphics, and cad cut is simple designs or lettering. So it's really about the imagery.


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## Qminati (Jun 3, 2014)

I started with DTG and when I started doing cad-cut it opened a whole new world of possibilities. Once you decorate jackets, gym bags, women's dresses, underwear, sweat suits, etc... you will realize how small the DTG world is. Not to mention its 10 times easier and no daily maintenance at all. It makes it a lot more fun with time to get creative.


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## marzatplay (May 25, 2014)

Qminati said:


> I started with DTG and when I started doing cad-cut it opened a whole new world of possibilities. Once you decorate jackets, gym bags, women's dresses, underwear, sweat suits, etc... you will realize how small the DTG world is. Not to mention its 10 times easier and no daily maintenance at all. It makes it a lot more fun with time to get creative.


Elaborate on "easier". Isn't the weeding the slowest method? Even pretreating is faster then weeding. Small detail and weeding is such a chore. If weeding didn't exist, I'd own a Roland BN 20.


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## smacity (Jun 24, 2012)

I would agree that the roland printer plotters are easy to maintain and as long as they are plugged in they split a little ink ery day. This does not include the newer models with white and silver ink they have similiar headaches like dtg. I am split on the weeding part as I have a dtg printer and a versacamm. For one shirt dtg is hands down quicker because the software is easier to use for dtg no cut lines are needed and the software is more straightforward. Now if you are setting up for say 10 shirts I would say even with weeding a printer plotter is much faster than dtg. I have heard that the bn20 is somewhat slow on printing but my vp300 prints and cuts at a blasing speed and will print all 10 images by the time you are done with one dark dtg shirt. Weeding is tedious but you get better with practice and pressing time is much less for heat transfer material. So a printer plotter is a great addition to DTG but definitely not a replacement.

Steve


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## Qminati (Jun 3, 2014)

marzatplay said:


> Elaborate on "easier". Isn't the weeding the slowest method? Even pretreating is faster then weeding. Small detail and weeding is such a chore. If weeding didn't exist, I'd own a Roland BN 20.


I guess its different for me personally. Due to a my horrible kiosk II, DTG has been a bad experience for me its a hassle to do one shirt only. If i get an urge to make a cadcut shirt i just need to make sure the heatpress is on. Im one of those who don't mind weeding. I put background music and its therapeutic.


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## acca (Jun 25, 2006)

We recommend both machines but if I had to choose one, I would pick a Print and cut machine first. Banners, stickers, caps, dri-fit apparel and signage, all this opens a company up to offering a customer a one stop shop. You really don't want to be a one trick pony these days, versatility is the key.

We have a versacamm and a brother gt3 and depending on the design and the garment, determines what printing method we use. Currently we price CAD cut and DTG the same but are thinking CAD cut should be cheaper because it is cheaper to produce? Anyone have experience and or insight on this matter?


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## cavedave (Dec 5, 2006)

marzatplay said:


> Elaborate on "easier". Isn't the weeding the slowest method? Even pretreating is faster then weeding. Small detail and weeding is such a chore. If weeding didn't exist, I'd own a Roland BN 20.


The level of difficulty in weeding depends on the complexity of the graphics. Numbers and names are easy, but complex graphics can be tricky.

Weeding is a lot easier when you have weed borders and Power weed lines you can add, so its also about having good software.

Same as creating those contour cut lines, creating them in software that isn't designed to do it can be painful.
But it can be easy.

Best regards

-David


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## AKSTS (Jun 10, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Keep them coming. Great info here.


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## woohooguy (Dec 23, 2012)

marzatplay said:


> Elaborate on "easier". Isn't the weeding the slowest method? Even pretreating is faster then weeding. Small detail and weeding is such a chore. If weeding didn't exist, I'd own a Roland BN 20.


i would rather weed all day than pumping inks trying to get my DTG to print white ink.

with print/cut or cut, you are almost certain that the machine will work and wont fail you. you just have to figure out how to weed faster.

with DTG, you have to expect trouble and nuisances.

i skip small details, i print them with outline, some people are ok with it, some people are not.


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