What machine do you own?
Flexi Jet L model.
What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Online forums, discussion boards, visiting shops, watching videos, reviewing business model.
What is your business model?
Contract printing first and foremost, selling retail at events, helping my friends get off their feet with design concepts and t-shirt/canvas lines, fulfillment printing for photographers (some of which are friends) along with other t-shirt shops, making a central ebay store/website for my friends designs/slogans, maybe starting a line of my own.
It's all about contract/fulfillment printing first, then not forgetting about my friends who need some help.
Are you happy with your decision?
All and all yes, although the Brother is a solid machine and sometimes I would like to have one. But when it comes down to it, can I print from top to bottom with a brother? Not without lining up prints. Does ink cost more on a brother? Yes, much more. Do print heads cost more on a brother? Yes much more. For retail sales, this may not be that much of an issue but, for contract/fulfillment printing, it effects my everyday profit. Labor cost is cheaper than ink cost.
What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
Large printing area 17"x54", I get many requests for top to bottom printing. Now if it were only 24" wide...
Pretty easy to use and maintain, though don't just think anybody can do it!
I can print on anything!!!!!!!!!
What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
Crooked as can be, and I dont mean ddm, lol. The platens, the carriage, the bed. I, personally, have fixed all of these problems, and it was A PAIN!!! I don't really blame belquette either, I'm sure the engineering was there (one of the reasons I went with the flexi), something in the manufacturing/assembly went cuckoo. From one platen to the next the design must be moved a 1/4" this way or that, but I have both the software and hardware figured out much later!
What type of maintenance do you do?
Everything! Clean it all! It really saves on the ink.
How long have you owned your machine?
Sept, 07
How long did it take you to learn to use?
Tough question, 1 day, but then doing my first top 2 bottom print took almost a day in itself. Certain colors were hard to achieve, like silver, I never printed a silver until I got a request for it (none of my designs or most customers designs have any silver). It took maybe 30 prints to get a solid silver. Same with non garments, that took about the same, then a new RIP was released, better for t-shirts but through off all of my non garment experimentation.
Like I said too, a little crooked. Printing off the first platen in 5 minutes, printing off of 4 platens...another story. All is good now though!!!
Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
Not really, though I wish I would have waited and got a credit for the white ink and pretreatment until I was ready to use it!!! Now I have a $400 trash pile. I still wish ddm would hook me up with some new white (hint)...
Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
Get ready to experiment, no matter what machine you choose. Be ready to waste some money. It almost made me cry when we got a new RIP and I had a canvas order to print, the old settings were not the same. Magenta and black needed pulled waaaaaayyy back. About 30 canvas later I was happy.
Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yep, wait, I like the money, maybe not, lol. Just know what you're doing and getting into. Can anyone load a shirt, push print, and press? Yes. Can I (or any pro) get better colors/results than a newbie, probably so!