DTG Printer Rebuild

DTG: Direct to garment.

So in my adventures I have come across this….. a DTG printer, basically you can print to t-shirt, hoodies, canvases, coats, bag, cats, boxes and well just about anything. There are a lot of machines on the market and I would recommend supporting this brand. I’ve gotten to work with other machines and they just waste ink, waste, waste and waste some more. I have come to find out that this does the opposite, yes it does waste ink and solvent like the others, but not in the same amounts. After rebuilding the machine I’ve kicked out about 60 t-shirt and had ink left over.

Ok before I start going on a rant. When I first found this machine it was kind of dead, “not working.” So i did a total rebuild, lucky me the all the boards, pumps and motors where ok. The ink lines, print head, and pump line where all clogged like my arteries if i don’t stop eating taco bell. Part where easy to get, from different ink dealers. But hidden secret just goto a local medical supply store and you can find most parts you’ll need. Also if you have a 3D printer, you can make your own and save more…. but i’m not that frugal.

One thing I found to help clean out the clogged ink was to let parts soak in solution. Just like engine parts you would soak them in gasoline to clean them. I was able to save most of the original parts, including the print head. Unfortunately my print head was damage, some how someone managed to scrap the bottom of the copper plate and it threw off the blue.

I also recommend “Print Head 911” I found this to be the best for clearing clogged parts and heads. Now the instructions say to microwave the solution and then clean your parts. I found a better solution to just microwaving it, use a candle warmer with a circular baking dish that has a lid or use aluminum foil. If you keep constant head on the item and solution. The ink will eventual come off and scrubbing with foam brushes helps a lot too.