# I'm lost! Epson Eco Tank



## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

I have an epson Eco Tank 4550 I think is the model. Anyways, what kind of ink can I use to print on T-shirts? I hear from my brother the best Shirt printing is Screen Printing and will last many washes. I want to use my printer and not sure how to go about doing this with my printer sa I'm a very unskilled person. 

I understand I will have to use heat transfer paper? No way to put a shirt in the printer?

What is the best ink I can use compared to screen printing? And what paper do I get and etc.

Thanks


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

You can't put screen print ink in it if that is what you're asking.

There are 3 types of inks an inkjet printer can use; dye, pigment, and sublimation. The ink that came with your printer is dye. 

I raised this question in another thread the other day but I wonder if pigment ink is too thick to work in a printer designed for dye ink.

I've heard of people use sublimation ink in the Ecotanks. But sublimation ink only works on white/very light colored polyester garments. 

Whatever ink you use, you will need transfer paper. There is no way to put a shirt in that printer.


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

BillMan2002 said:


> I have an epson Eco Tank 4550 I think is the model. Anyways, what kind of ink can I use to print on T-shirts? I hear from my brother the best Shirt printing is Screen Printing and will last many washes. I want to use my printer and not sure how to go about doing this with my printer sa I'm a very unskilled person.
> 
> I understand I will have to use heat transfer paper? No way to put a shirt in the printer?
> 
> ...


No way to put a shirt in THAT printer. There are printers that you could though.

Your brother is right as far as screen printing will last a long time (when done right). The BEST print for a shirt is dyesub....but that only works in white or light colored shirts. For all shirt colors screen printing would be best, but that does require some skill to learn the process and produce great quality, long lasting, multi color prints. 

Inkjet papers is what you most likely are going to settle on, JPSS (jetpro soft stretch) is great on white and light colors, 3g opaque is going to be what you want for dark colors. If you want dark colors to not have a "box" (just think of a whole sheet of paper on a shirt front) then you will need to cut it with scissors, an exact o knife (hobby knife), or a plotter that reads crop marks (also known as registration marks).

As for what ink, pigment ink...dont use dye ink.
Try cobra ink or do a search on here for pigment ink suppliers.


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

I just bought sublimation ink. I heard people using the pigment ink though. Isn't screen printing just paint?
If there is a really cheap printer I could buy to print directly on the shirts, that would be the easiest. but I don't got the big bucks to spend, as this is just to print out work shirts on all kinds of different colored shirts.
ECO Tank printers are the best to me as I can just dump the ink right in it. I had pigment ink in my printer already and didn't seem to affect it, I just thought sublimation ink would be the best?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Printers that print directly to a shirt start at $5,000 or so and goes up from there. 

Sublimation is a transparent ink so it doesn't work on darker garments. Ink color has to be darker than the shirt. So no black/navy garments for example. Most ink colors on a red shirt won't show, as another example. Because of color mixing science, you can't print blue ink on a yellow shirt because the color will turn to green(yellow + blue = green), as a final example. 

How easy is it to clean out those Ecotanks of ink when you are switching?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

With a DTG printer, what ink do they use? Is that as good as screen printing ink or is Sublimation ink that I ordered? Maybe I should not use it? I understand I can't print on cotton which sucks, but is what it is.

So, what is the best possible ink I can use for a printer that compares to screen printing ink?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

BillMan2002 said:


> With a DTG printer, what ink do they use? Is that as good as screen printing ink or is Sublimation ink that I ordered? Maybe I should not use it? I understand I can't print on cotton which sucks, but is what it is.
> 
> So, what is the best possible ink I can use for a printer that compares to screen printing ink?


DTG's use pigment ink. DTG printing does not last as long as screen print.

Sublimation is the most vibrant and longest lasting ink. It wont crack, fade, or peel. It literally dyes the garment. But it's rare you find any of us whose only printing method is sublimation-because of its limitations. You'll face its limitations with garment type pretty quickly. Sublimation is great to have - but as an add-on to other printing methods. 

It has a higher learning curve, and is more expensive to get into, but screen printing is the most versatile method for garment decoration. 

If you don't want the fuss and mess of screen printing, you can always have others do it for you on transfer paper:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-crossover-diary-heat-press-newbie/t13454.html
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/plastisol-transfers/t77081.html


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

splathead said:


> Printers that print directly to a shirt start at $5,000 or so and goes up from there.
> 
> Sublimation is a transparent ink so it doesn't work on darker garments. Ink color has to be darker than the shirt. So no black/navy garments for example. Most ink colors on a red shirt won't show, as another example. Because of color mixing science, you can't print blue ink on a yellow shirt because the color will turn to green(yellow + blue = green), as a final example.
> 
> How easy is it to clean out those Ecotanks of ink when you are switching?





cleaning is the easy part, I can take a syringe and get out most of the ink and just have it dump the rest. Printer is self priming so not a problem. I was planning on just using it as regular printer ink as well.

But I need a perm ink that will work, I will be printing on multi colored shirts. So, now I'm at a loss again for what I should do? Am I better off printing this on vinyl and having that heat pressed to the shirt? Thats what all them kits are aren't they?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

I really need an ink I can print on any kind of shirt. it will be multi colored. Aren't the heat transfer papers what gives you the white where you need it and you just cut the white off that you don't want on? I thought Sublimation ink was supposed to be perfect for that? So now I'm at a loss agian what ink should I use and what paper?


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

BillMan2002 said:


> I really need an ink I can print on any kind of shirt. it will be multi colored. Aren't the heat transfer papers what gives you the white where you need it and you just cut the white off that you don't want on? I thought Sublimation ink was supposed to be perfect for that? So now I'm at a loss agian what ink should I use and what paper?


If you are doing a lot of the same design then using screen printed transfers will be your best bet.
For example you could buy 100 screen printed transfers and press them to whatever shirt colors you want. You also also only press the number needed at that time and store the rest for a later date.

If you are doing different designs then you could use an opaque paper for all shirt colors (and you trim what is not needed, either by hand or plotter). Keep in mind on white shirts you WILL want to use JPSS as it has very little hand (feel) and holds up pretty good. These both use pigment ink.

There is no cheap printer that is going to print directly to a shirt.


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Amw said:


> If you are doing a lot of the same design then using screen printed transfers will be your best bet.
> For example you could buy 100 screen printed transfers and press them to whatever shirt colors you want. You also also only press the number needed at that time and store the rest for a later date.
> 
> If you are doing different designs then you could use an opaque paper for all shirt colors (and you trim what is not needed, either by hand or plotter). Keep in mind on white shirts you WILL want to use JPSS as it has very little hand (feel) and holds up pretty good. These both use pigment ink.
> ...


Screen printing is not an option due to the graphics being used and the amount of colors. I want another method that is better.

How are the Iron on Transfers, do they leave teh white background? Do they put on that vinyl feel? What is the best I can use to print on?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Can I use Sublimation Ink on opaque paper? Reason I want to use Sublimation is because it can handle machine washing no problem.

YOu can also print on mugs and etc too?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Will something like this work on cotton shirts with sublimation ink?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Sheet-...577230&hash=item2ef420d86d:g:cW4AAOSwBkRaRihj


Can I use the Opaque paper with sublimation ink?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

BillMan2002 said:


> Will something like this work on cotton shirts with sublimation ink?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Sheet-...577230&hash=item2ef420d86d:g:cW4AAOSwBkRaRihj
> 
> ...


You are missing the point of why sublimation wears well. With a polyester shirt, the sublimation ink directly dyes the fabric. That ONLY works that way on polyester.

Yes, it is possible to print sublimation onto a different type of transfer and then press that onto a cotton shirt. But guess what? The ink is *not on the shirt;* it is on the plastic layer from the transfer that is _stuck_ on the shirt. So it will only last and wear like a normal transfer, not like a sublimation transfer.


There is NO easy, inexpensive, low-hand, high-color way to print on dark garments. Period. If there were, we would all be using it 


For doing your own high-color transfers for cotton garments, you want a printer that can use pigment inks and for which there are aftermarket refillable cartridges and/or CIS available. Once you use up the OEM pigment ink that comes with the printer, buy pigment ink from a company with a decent track record, like Cobra--as it is a _lot_ less expensive that way.

For light/white garments use JPSS paper. For dark garments use one made for darks and get a plotter to cut away the extra (else any part of the paper that is not printed with a color, will be white).

The paper for dark garments will feel a bit heavy and may not wear all that well. YMMV. Transfers for dark garments is one of those things that needs improvement.


Another option is weedless laser transfers. These can have their own problems, including requiring expensive printers with white capability and being too finicky for some people to get consistent results with.


Direct To Garment printers are highly glorified inkjet printers that use entirely different inks. The current Epson model starts at around $15k, I believe. People have clogging problems with DTGs if they don't use them everyday, and replacement printheads are expensive, as is the ink you waste keeping the heads clean.


The answer is that there is not a perfect solution. Pick the compromise that best fits your reality.


As to the EcoTank ... I believe a great deal of the cost of that printer is the year's worth of ink that comes installed in it. Whether or not there is a way to use pigment ink with it, it would be a waste to toss all that ink$$$. If you have a use for a regular inkjet printer, fine, use it for that. You don't want to be switching back and forth with inks all the time as that wastes ink and the stuff costs a lot more over time than a printer.


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Mine is at the empty stage right now. so sublimation ink would be the best, what is the best paper to print on to put that ink directly on the shirt?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Also, what is the best vinyl stuff to use on a shirt that puts that plastic feeling on it? That Irons on? 
And what is the best one that just Irons on the ink if I use a white shirt?


Thanks.
With Sublimation, I can print on Coffee Mugs and etc, as I understand it too?


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## BillMan2002 (Jan 31, 2018)

Also, with sublimation ink, I want to put these on my kids coats. What kind of paper would be the best for that? They are more plasticy than anything so I hope that is good? But they are not white and the images have some white on them.


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## webtrekker (Jan 28, 2018)

You can't use just ANY printer for sublimation. It must have piezo heads thant can handle the sublimation ink which, fortunately, your model does. You'll need new carts or a CIS system, and your printer will need to be flushed to get rid of every trace of the original ink. 

You'll need the correct ICC profile installed in your printing software (PS, Corel, etc) too. This is essential to be able to print the correct colours. 

You will also need sublimation paper to print to, and a press. 

The real beauty of a sublimation setup is that you can easily branch out into other areas: mugs, coasters, jigsaws, slate pictures, aluminium sheet prints and clocks, caps, aprons, bags, to name just a very few. You may need a mug press or halogen oven in addition to your flat press, but these won't break the bank, and the opportunity to make additional income far exceeds the amount required for startup.


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

BillMan2002 said:


> With Sublimation, I can print on Coffee Mugs and etc, as I understand it too?


Yes, but only mugs prepared for sublimation. You can not just go to your local dollar store and pick up mugs to sublimate.


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

BillMan2002 said:


> Also, with sublimation ink, I want to put these on my kids coats. What kind of paper would be the best for that? They are more plasticy than anything so I hope that is good? But they are not white and the images have some white on them.


More or less this will only work if the coats are polyester. 
You also will only see the colors in your design that are darker then the color of the coat.
For a coat you would use a opaque paper or have someone print it on htv vinyl using a solvent (or eco solvent) printer. This is the only way you will get white in your design and have the colors be bright and look to be the right color.


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

splathead said:


> You can't put screen print ink in it if that is what you're asking.
> 
> There are 3 types of inks an inkjet printer can use; dye, pigment, and sublimation. The ink that came with your printer is dye.
> 
> ...


I have similar questions. I'm new to this but have been doing research on sublimation and printers and ink to use for that purpose. My question is why could a person not use a dgt ink in a epson ecotank printer? Also there are talk about printing white with dgt printers but that's it. I'm not doing enough to consider purchasing a dtg as they are very expensive.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Douglasmv said:


> I have similar questions. I'm new to this but have been doing research on sublimation and printers and ink to use for that purpose. My question is why could a person not use a dgt ink in a epson ecotank printer? Also there are talk about printing white with dgt printers but that's it. I'm not doing enough to consider purchasing a dtg as they are very expensive.


Then what would you do if you could put dtg ink in your epson? How would you get your print to your shirt?

DTG ink is pigment ink. Epson, and others, make a pigment ink that can go into an ecotank.


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

splathead said:


> Then what would you do if you could put dtg ink in your epson? How would you get your print to your shirt?
> 
> DTG ink is pigment ink. Epson, and others, make a pigment ink that can go into an ecotank.


great question. I asked a crazy question. lol


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

Douglasmv said:


> great question. I asked a crazy question. lol


I just purchased an Epson eco tank 2750 to start should I start with a large format printer for doing sublation?


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

Douglasmv said:


> I have similar questions. I'm new to this but have been doing research on sublimation and printers and ink to use for that purpose. My question is why could a person not use a dgt ink in a epson ecotank printer? Also there are talk about printing white with dgt printers but that's it. I'm not doing enough to consider purchasing a dtg as they are very expensive.


yes but what do you recommend if I want to do dark shirts?


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

Douglasmv said:


> great question. I asked a crazy question. lol


is there a way to get pigment ink into a shirt with printing directly to the shirt? The purpose is I have a small mission that I do and I need to be able to print a few t-shirts and hats and maybe mugs. I tried to do if with a regular printer with ink and the transfer paper and turned out horrible. I want to be able to print my logo on a black t-shirt. I also understand a big issue is not having white ink. Some forums say you can trick it to print white I don't know.


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## into the T (Aug 22, 2015)

Douglasmv said:


> is there a way to get pigment ink into a shirt with printing directly to the shirt? The purpose is I have a small mission that I do and I need to be able to print a few t-shirts and hats and maybe mugs. I tried to do if with a regular printer with ink and the transfer paper and turned out horrible. I want to be able to print my logo on a black t-shirt. I also understand a big issue is not having white ink. Some forums say you can trick it to print white I don't know.


check here if you don't have the cash for a manufactured dtg

if it is just a small left-chest logo you can use 3g opaque paper and a pigment ink printer
or buy plastisol transfers since you are not doing that many 

for mugs you should just farm them out, unless you plan on making this your business

you can buy certain laser printers and add a white ink drum where the black ink drum goes, print the white and replace the black drum and then print your colors
or pay mucho dineros and buy a printer with the white ink pre-installed

what heat press are you using?


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## Douglasmv (Jan 24, 2021)

into the T said:


> check here if you don't have the cash for a manufactured dtg
> 
> if it is just a small left-chest logo you can use 3g opaque paper and a pigment ink printer
> or buy plastisol transfers since you are not doing that many
> ...


Right now I'm using a cricket heat press but I'm trying to get my ducks in a row so I can decide what I'm going to do. I think if I just use a regular printer and transfer paper which seems like what most people out here are doing they go with the large format printer add sublation ink and use the transfer paper with a heat press. The only problem you can only print on light fabric.


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## into the T (Aug 22, 2015)

Douglasmv said:


> Right now I'm using a cricket heat press but I'm trying to get my ducks in a row so I can decide what I'm going to do. I think if I just use a regular printer and transfer paper which seems like what most people out here are doing they go with the large format printer add sublation ink and use the transfer paper with a heat press. The only problem you can only print on light fabric.


i think some people on here have incorporated sublimation into their product offerings, but i am not sure most here only use dye-sub
some use pigment ink as you can at least use it on cotton and dark garments, but you sacrifice feel on the tee and longevity to the customer (except for jpss for light garments)
plus you should have a cutter to remove unused transfer material (unless all your designs are square/round/etc. that can be cut reasonably well by hand)

don't forget dye-sub is for 100% polyester garments, and that being mainly white as any other light color will affect the design's final colors
(using 65/35 blends will give a vintage look, as 35% of the ink is gone after the first wash by customers)

if you do decide to do dyesub (or even pigment) you need a decent press with even heat (swing-away gives more even pressure for dyesub)


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

Douglasmv said:


> I also understand a big issue is not having white ink. Some forums say you can trick it to print white I don't know.


There is no white sublimation ink, so how are you going to trick it to print some white ink if it doesn't exist?


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