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What DTG machine do you own and how did you make your decision on it :)

221K views 239 replies 146 participants last post by  PiratePolos 
#1 · (Edited)
I have seen alot of good and bad about Dtg machines recently on here and I thought it would be nice to learn a little about each members experience with their machine and how they made the choice they did on the machine they own. If you can, cut and paste the questions below and fill in the answers for your machine. That way when others are researching, they can get real info from real users :) I will go first and answer in the next post as to leave the questions empty to make it easier to cut and paste :) Please lets keep this post friendly so it can be good research for others out there :)



What machine do you own?


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?

What is your business model?

Are you happy with your decision?

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?

What type of maintenance do you do?

How long have you owned your machine?

How long did it take you to learn to use?

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?

Would you recommend this machine to others?
 
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#28 ·
What machine do you own?
T-jet Blazer Express


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Internet, talking to current owners, and this forum


What is your business model?
Started as a laser engraving shop, about 2 years later moved into print&cut vinyl. 1 year later looked at garment printing and took the plunge. Most sales are online but local sales are also picking up


Are you happy with your decision?
Yes


What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
Allows you to print those full color graphics onto garments that the local screen print shops can't. I like the idea that someone can walk in, order a shirt or two and walk back out the door with their product in less than 1 hour.


What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
I wish it was faster. For small orders it is great, large orders I turn down.


What type of maintenance do you do?
Daily head cleaning, nozzle checks, clean the capping station and give the white ink bottles a shake or two.


How long have you owned your machine?
Purchased in Feb of '08


How long did it take you to learn to use?
Uncrated the machine at 9am and was printing shirts by 1pm. Still don't have the white ink printing down to a science but learning. I have been running a Roland sp300 for quite some time so the software came pretty easy to me along with operation of the printer.


Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
No, I can't say there is. I had given serious thought if I really wanted the white ink ability and don't regret that decision at all.


Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
Just do your research before you purchase as you are putting out a BIG chunk of change. These machines, as like any other brand of DTG do have a steep learning curve to them. Don't expect to be selling shirts the first or 2nd day you get up and running. It was 2 weeks and 20+ shirts later before I felt confident that I was now able to print and offer for sale my product. Don't forget about the daily maintenance, if you do, your going to have nothing but problems. Don't get frustrated when things don't go your way. I read some forums where people are very disappointed with the DTG machines and I honestly believe 99% of that is operator error. These machines are not plug in and go folks, they take time and patience to learn.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yes I would, but keep an eye on this technology as it is changing as you read this article.
 
#29 ·
In order to keep this thread on track, please post any new questions as a new topic in this section of the forum. Let's let this thread focus on "which DTG do you own and why did you make your decision on it" with the answers from Bobbielee's survey in the first post. I think it gives a great overview from actual DTG operators on the machines they own.​
 
#30 ·
What machine do you own?
Flexi-jet L


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Talked to distributors, read forums, and went to see the machine at Printwear Show


What is your business model?
We have been doing embroidery for many years, added laser engraving a few years ago, bought the Flexijet about 2 years ago and just added the VersaCam about a month ago.

Are you happy with your decision?
Yes


What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
We can print t-shirts, bags, hats, and numerous other items which adds to our overall business

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
I wish it had a better white ink for a more softer feel on the dark shirts.


What type of maintenance do you do?
Daily cleanings, flush lines and carts about every 2 or 3 months and have replaced the printhead about 8 months ago.


How long have you owned your machine?
Purchased in June 2006


How long did it take you to learn to use?
Mostly only about 2 to 3 months, but we always learn some new tips or tricks as we go along.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
No, I just wish the white inks were better.


Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
Figure out what you want from a machine, do the research and pick the machine that fits your needs best.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yes, it is a good machine and Belquette is a good manufacturer.
 
#32 ·
What machine do you own?
T-Jet Blazer Pro

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?

Internet, US Screen website

What is your business model?
Retail Websites

Are you happy with your decision?
Very happy... 300 shirts into owning this machine with less than 2% waste(All operator error).

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
Loading 3 shirts at a time is alot more efficient. The machine just works as its supposed to. Print quality is amazing. We do 65% of our business in black shirts and they look great.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
None at the moment.

What type of maintenance do you do?
Standard manufacturer recommended.

How long have you owned your machine?
1 month

How long did it take you to learn to use?
I previously had a t-jet 2 so I picked it up fast. A new person might take a couple weeks.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
It doesn't fit through a regular door. We had to take the bottom cart off and tip it on it side which was easy.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
There is a lot of negative stuff on the forum about US Screen products, but with this machine it looks like they have finally gotten there stuff together.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yes, after having the hassles with the t-jet 2 this machine is a dream come true. You turn it on and it just works like it is supposed to. To me reliability is worth alot and this printer seems to be made very well. Also, US Screen has given great support anytime I had some questions.
 
#34 ·
What machine do you own?
Kiosk II

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Visited some trade shows, reading the forums.

What is your business model?
I sell from an online store.

Are you happy with your decision?
Very happy.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
I find it very easy to use. It was a bit intimidating before buying it but it's really so straight forward.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
I wish the box the platten sits in didn't have walls like on new models. Also, I wish there were more platten sizes but that's a problem with all of the brands.

What type of maintenance do you do?
Moisten the capping station at night, keep the machine clean.

How long have you owned your machine?
Just a few weeks.

How long did it take you to learn to use?
A few hours. I was heat pressing and didn't want to switch over yet but I ran out of transfer paper and was in a jam. I had to switch over and it took me a long time that night, especially because I only had one size platten but I'm glad to be using it now.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
I spent so much time researching the pros and cons to finally realize there aren't any major differences. There are slight variations in teh brands but it's not like one is horrible and one is great.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
I'm glad I went with a refurbished DTG Kiosk and didn't spend the money I almost did on a Brother. I also thought about a T-Jet Blazer Express but ultimately I didn't want to part with all that cash especially never having used one of these before. I'd love to have the problem down the road that I'm so busy that I'll need a second machine or faster machine. For now I saved money and got a great printer.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Definately and I do often. For under 10k it can't be beat.
 
#35 ·
Just wanted to let everyone know, I have moved several posts out of this thread as we are trying to keep it on topic as a resource for people looking for reviews of machines from machine owners. If you have other DTG questions please feel free to post them in a new post. Thanks so much :)
 
#36 ·
What machine do you own?
AnaJet

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Read a lot of Forums, Ask people who own one and compare all of the info I could

What is your business model?
Full service sign shop branching out into the garment printing field, this will be a subdivision of the parent company

Are you happy with your decision?
Very happy.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
I find it very easy to use. The Forums helped a ton.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
I wish someone would make a machine with automatic height adjust, have gone through a few shirts due to platten not set right between hoodies to shirts, just have to get into the habit of checking this, have placed a note on the machine already to remind to check the height

What type of maintenance do you do?
Have the machine clean ever 8 hrs if we are not using it, other than that just basic cleaning and shake the white ink

How long have you owned your machine?
Just a few weeks.

How long did it take you to learn to use?
A few hours.
Very straight forward

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
I researched it enough that I knew the pros and cons of each machine, about the only difference is being able to print white ink and the weight of each machine. I went with Anajet because of the weight and I wanted to be able to move it around and to take places.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
I went with a dealer demo unit and saved at least 4 grand, have the extended warranty, 2 more plattens and new print head and lines. Couldnt help but buy it for that cost. And shipped to me as well.
Matt @ Advanced Color Solutions, great guy. Highly recommend him if you want to buy a Anajet
Would you recommend this machine to others?
Definately would if they dont live in my town. Dont need competition.
 
#38 ·
I think this is a great thread to start, especially for people who are considering purchasing a DTG machine. Each DTG machine is a bit different & has it quirks. Different brands offer different levels of support which should be considered as well.

What machine do you own? I had a TJet 3, and now own a TJet Blazer Express

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision? Going to several trades shows to see how each one worked. Bring your own art that you are familiar with & whichever brand of t-shirts that you think you want to use. Each DTG machine can print a bit differently on different brands, this is important if beautiful print quality is necessary. We picked the machine that gave us the quality that we were looking for on the shirts that we wanted to offer.


What is your business model? We provide contract work for businesses, local shirt designers, & have a retail location for personalized apparel along with Embroidery services.

Are you happy with your decision? We are content with our decision now. We have done orders as large as 500 shirts printed both sides w/ full large prints and were very happy w/ the outcome.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine? Our equipment provides wonderful print quality & a larger print area then the norm which is great for long tees. We have learned to adapt to our machine instead of fighting it. That's a big Key to the the success of the DTG machines. It's not your every day normal Ink Jet printer.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? Where would I begin. We started out with a TJet 3 that was lemon, was handed a new one, that seemed to go okay for awhile. Moved up to a Blazer Express due to the increase need for larger print area. The machines can have a mind and attitude of their own (kinda like a boat or old car). Which can make you want to pull the hair out of your head. Now my only issue is the lag or pause time during print passes, some days when I am in a rush it can make me crazy, but I just take a step back & breathe.

What type of maintenance do you do? General clean-up - capping station, encoder stripe & occasionally we wipe down the print head itself. I find the Blazer Express much easier maintenance wise.

How long have you owned your machine? We got our TJet 3 last year, and our Blazer this year after they were released about April.

How long did it take you to learn to use? The initial learning curve took some time, especially since we had a bunch of customers that were looking for really crazy things to be done with their designs right out of the gate. I would safely say it takes a true 6 months to learn everything, all the different modes that are available especially were underbasing is involved and how each one works with different artwork, skin tones, etc.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
There isn't really anything that would have prepared me for DTG printing. I knew going into this it was a realtively new printing process and that it would be a learning process.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? Be patient, be deligent, be patient (yes again)...Do your research & choose carefully... Don't be in a rush, take your time & practice & learn. Always ask the tech support lots of questions, any time you have a chance.

Would you recommend this machine to others? yes, I would.

Thanks for this great thread!!
 
#39 ·
What machine do you own?
HM1

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Mostly this forum, went to a show here in South Africa, met up with Martin from Printa T. He printed a sample and gave us more info on the printer.

What is your business model?
Starting a home based business with 2 reps (daughter and friend) that will go out and find business.

Are you happy with your decision?
Yes, but still in baby shoes, lots and lots to learn. Very excited even if it is a little painful to mess up a good quality shirt in the learning process.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
White shirts are so easy and really good quality prints.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
At this stage I think the printer must think the user does not know what the heck he is doing :) I think the printer is right, but we will get there soonest.

What type of maintenance do you do?
We do headclean before switch off at night, clearning of capping station and general clearing of machine. Do nozzle check in morning befor we print. Still need to finetune our maintenance routine.

How long have you owned your machine?
1 Week.

How long did it take you to learn to use?
Still learning. White is so easy and the prints come out really nice. Coloured shirts are a challange though. High quality black shirts seem not not work as well with some of the settings. Printing at 1440x720 2 passes works for one shirt, but not for the other. Will post a question on this later.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
One can never know too much. One thing maybe was to be able to spend a day or two at a dtg printer owner to see how the printer prints on various cotton "makes" and quality and to see how they do thinks.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
Thanks to all of you (a good couple of names comes to mind) on this forum that helped us make the dicission to select and buy our machine. Now it is up to us to make it work for us, but it is nice to know that there is a forum like this where one can find, ask and suggest ideas.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yes
 
#40 ·
What machine do you own?
Kiosk2

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
This Forum and going to shows taking my own art work and having them print it and comparing!

What is your business model?
I have sign business and offer promotional product and had clients ask about shirts

Are you happy with your decision?
Yes, there is a learning curve even if you have run plotter and printers.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
White and light color shirts are easy money!

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
Nothing at this time, before I purchased this machine I knew there would be time spent on maintenance. And as far as I am concerned as long as you do it daily dosen't seem to have any problems

What type of maintenance do you do?
I follow the schedule I was given by SWF East, with one exception I place a few drops of distilled water on caping station every night and I do the cleaning after use!

How long have you owned your machine?
5 Weeks.

How long did it take you to learn to use?
After the training I was printing Light shirts and dark shirts. Some of the dark shirts seemed to have slight problem on washability all seem fine now!

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
No surprises here!

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
Make sure you do your research and yes the maintenamce is more than a printer printing just CYMK. White ink to keep working correctly does require daily maintenance!

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Yes
 
#41 ·
What machine do you own? T-jet balzer express


What were the sources of information you had researched to make your decision? i had been working at the convention center prior to getting into the t-shirt biz,so i had the chance to see earlier models in action at the SGIA show a couple of times


What is your business model?custom design,web store,full service printing embroidery & vinyl graphics

Are you happy with your decision? yes very much so

What are the pros you have learned of your machine? i love the feel and the amazingly viberant images i am able to produce,even on black garments,also the versitility it gives you to do non-textile objects

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? if you don't keep a tight maintenance schedule you can experience serious prodution problemes

What type of maintenance do you do? all component that need attention recieve it on a daily basis from cleaning nozzles to making sure there is no lint accumulation

How long have you owned your machine?6month

How long did it take you to learn to use?i opted for the training class that the manufacturer offers so i got tha hang of it pretty quick

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? all in all it's a great investment

Would you recommend this machine to others?most definitely
 
#42 ·
What machine do you own?
Brother gt541
What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
tradeshows, demos from vendors and this forum.
What is your business model?
walk in t-shirt store in bussy area , fast turnout and mostly "one of a kind" or small runs.Vinyl, laser transfer ,embroidery and now dtg.
Are you happy with your decision?
yes
What are the pros you have learned of your machine? Speed, this machine is fast enough to make the client wait while you print the t-shirt in front of him, and very high clearance in platten so uneven surfaces are printed with just definition loss in the lowest parts.
Over the neck, pocket or zipper prints,allows for eyecatching effects.
The build quality, this thing has big R&D written all over it.
Last but not least, being able to run this printer from an 8 year old computer.
What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? is not a negative, but baby plattens from brother are a bit expensive, and necesary if you are doing small sizes ( most vendor second size platens are expensive anyhow)
What type of maintenance do you do?
Machine's own "strong head cleaning" whenever noozle chack fails ( usually once after a while without being used), and brother includes a head cleaning pack if manual cleaning is required.
How long have you owned your machine? Mine over a week, the demo machine i tried for 3 weeks ( around 100 prints)
How long did it take you to learn to use?
1/2 day
Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
No, I try to get as much info as possible, and this machine has not given me any surprises.
Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? Always try to buy at tradeshows or during one ( my distributor gives me the trade show price without having to go there phisically), getting discounts and extras is a lot easier.
Would you recommend this machine to others?
If it fits their business model, absolutely,
 
#43 ·
What machine do you own?
KORNIT 931

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
MESSAGE BOARDS AND TRADESHOWS and lots of sleepless nights thinking about it.

What is your business model?
WE DO CONTRACT PRINTING FOR SOME LARGE COMPANIES AND NEW INTERNET WEBSITE STORES

Are you happy with your decision?
5 MONTHS IN - YES- ITS MADE OUR WORKLOAD EASIER AND WE GET ORDERS OUT QUICKER

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
I AM PRINTING SOME AMAZING SHIRTS WITHOUT BURNING SCREENS AND DOING SEPERATIONS - it is a learning process to do this though.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
It waste lots of ink. This could be avoided I am sure, I also think the ink should cost about $10 a bottle, Do to the cost of the machine. Also the fixative should cost you around 5.00. This would enable you to recover your initial cost quicker and enable you to buy more machines.

What type of maintenance do you do?
daily cleaning and lots of tinkering with the dryer to figure out the correct time and temp. Plus every shirt brand and country that its made in changes the fixation spray settings...This also changes the way your shirt prints.

How long have you owned your machine? about 5 months

How long did it take you to learn to use?
STILL LEARNING. - this also could be better. We were suppose to get 3 to 4 days training... (at about $1000.00 a day cost)... we got maybe a day if that.


Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
Yea, that it wasted so much ink, That needs to be factored into the shirt cost. Plus it takes forever for them to send you stuff..parts and what not. To many loops to jump through.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
I hope you have patience, you will need it for every stage of owning this machine, from getting it in, installing it, learning how to use it, communication with them..(on the phone with tech support).. But I think it will be worth... If you have the time to waste they are their for you!

Would you recommend this machine to others?
If you have a good business already, and this will help you improve it.
or if you already have the money that it takes to get this without putting you in a bind. YES!!!!


Also you need to be computer savvy. Learn how to use Photoshop really well first!! If you need to rely on others to get your artwork and if you are starting a business.. It would be hard for you to get everything going and pay for the machine... I would think long and hard about it.

In Summary, I love the machine and I think it was a wise decision for my company. It was a bad time economy wise to purchase this but We are counting on this to give us the edge over our competition to set our prices lower and our output quicker. So far this has worked.

I will keep you posted. KORNIT ROCKS!!:eek:
__________________
 
#44 ·
Just got back from the Long Beach Show, did some checking on these machines. Their are so many to choose from. The ones that did really stick out where the the DTG, Brother and the Tjet. I was impressed with the white ink circulating to keep an even consistacey with the DTG. The Brother I heard great things about from owners and talking to them directly, they all say the same thing, they miss the ability to do black, the Tjet was not so impressive, and did leave me with more questions. Right now the prices are very good. From 13 to 20 thousand depending on the size of the machine. We did find that doing the same design on the smaller and one on the larger machines (same brand) the larger machines did print a more colorful design. The spread of ink is larger, about two fingers and the smaller is about one finger.

I was wondering if everyone could mention the price they paid for their machines in their discriptions. Like I had mentioned I saw so much it was kind of hard to keep everything so straight.

And yes the show was actually amazing! Seems that with the economy like it is, they are really wanting to work with you, which means work for them.
 
#45 ·
Hi,
This really is a great thread! I just returned from the Orlando ISS show and am at the smae crossroads, which company and modelo to choose from. I am new to all of the technical, but am an experienced designer.
If anyone would like to share any of their opinions and/or experiences with me, I would be very grateful!
Thanks!
 
#46 ·
What machine do you own?
Direct Advantage by Sawgrass Technologies

What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?

The person who supplies my embroidery machine suggested trying it, he is affiliated with Barudan which in turn was involved with Sawgrass...


What is your business model?
Local Wholesale Embroidery/DGP Shop. I also have an Ioline cutter and do Sports Twill/Film etc.

Are you happy with your decision?
Yes, and no, I like the end result of the printer, it had one hell of a learning curve and I still feel that there are things to be learned and improved upon. Overall ink price are a bit higher than I would prefer but I'm hoping in the future they will come down.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine?
It is a quick print that allows for great colors and detail. It also allows me to offer another option for my customers who do not want embroidery or would like something different that silkscreen.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine?
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.... Lots of cleaning that if not performed costs you money in ink and time... Also I dislike that the cleaning process, it cleans all of the nozzles instead of allowing you to choose the one that is clogged to be cleaned.

What type of maintenance do you do?
Daily cleaning of the capping station, wiper blade, flushing box and other internal surfaces that may acquire any ink. I find also on days that I do not use the machine it is imperative to keep the capping station moist. I use an eyedropper to place a mixture of 5% simple green and water to keep the print head from clogging. This works for a few days but I try to fire it up and print out at least one shirt to make sure the inks are flowing.

How long have you owned your machine?
I have had it for about a year.

How long did it take you to learn to use?
It took about a month, I was using the original software with the printer that was not performing up to expectations, once I found some new RIP software I was then was able to print a decent amount of ink on the shirt that provided good colors. I still have some problems with pictures/photos that customers bring in for printing. Most likely operator error, but I like to blame the RIP software. I still feel that there are limitations to my machine, but overall provides another service to provide.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
Just that the average customer does not know what DGPrinting is. Most people are very excited to see final results but are a little hesitant when having it described to them.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know?
My DGP is for lights only. Sawgrass offers an "upgrade" to white. I hear that Adv's ink is titanium based and supposedly eats up print heads. I have not converted to white ink and probably will not for a while. From what I have read here and heard for others is the pretreatment is process is something I do not want to get involved with at this time. I'm hoping it evolves in the near future.

Would you recommend this machine to others?
Depends on usage and what your needs are. I need to make it to a show and see some others in action to provide a valid recommendation.


Also I would like to add I am not sure how many people out there own this machine. I have seen very few threads about Sawgrass in general (or maybe I am missing something) and have noticed that they do not even have a subsection included in the list of DGPs. I just wanted to post this to include this machine due to lack of fore mentioning. Just my 2 cents thrown in the pot.
Have a good day…:rolleyes:
 
#48 ·
Hi! I own a Brother GT-541. Love it!!! It's so easy to use and learn about. As with any machine, the better the quality of the print, the better the result. I've owned it for about two years now. I am extremely happy with this machine. The only thing I don't like is that I can't print on dark items. BUT, if you have the money, Brother has just come out with a new machine that prints white ink now!!! If you're not going to use it you need to do a head cleaning every couple of days to keep it from drying/clogging. This machine is very forgiving, though. The cartridges are VERY easy to change...simply pull one out and plug the other in. No mess!!! I would definitely recommend this machine to anyone. If you are familiar with corel and photoshop you can begin to use this machine immediately. So simple. Love it!!!
 
#50 ·
I have seen alot of good and bad about Dtg machines recently on here and I thought it would be nice to learn a little about each members experience with their machine and how they made the choice they did on the machine they own. If you can, cut and paste the questions below and fill in the answers for your machine. That way when others are researching, they can get real info from real users :) I will go first and answer in the next post as to leave the questions empty to make it easier to cut and paste :) Please lets keep this post friendly so it can be good research for others out there :)



What machine do you own? MS ONE


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?
Purchased Brother however I was misled and returned it with a LOSS after 1 month and then went to MS ONE - which I should have done in the beginning

What is your business model? MS ONE

Are you happy with your decision? TOTALLY

What are the pros you have learned of your machine? It does everything -

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? so far NONE

What type of maintenance do you do? 1 x every other day just an auto head cleaning

How long have you owned your machine? 7 months

How long did it take you to learn to use?
couple of months - Pedro was tremendously hands on and available with any questions

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now?
No

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? It is a very versitile machine - no limits!

Would you recommend this machine to others? Totally!
msprintingsolutionsusa.com:D
 
#51 ·
Thanks folks, This is such incredibly useful information. Has anyone out there had any experience with the new DTG Machine manufactured in Australia 'The Viper'.
Really keen for performance info. etc.
Hi Anna

Just to let you know in case you havent already seen it, there are a few dedicated viper threads already on here.

dtg viper related topics at T-Shirt Forums

Hope this helps :)
 
#52 ·
What machine do you own? MS ONE


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision?

Went to a print wear show. I got to see several in action and researched online and brochures.

What is your business model? DTG Viper

Are you happy with your decision? TOTALLY

What are the pros you have learned of your machine? It does everything -

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? It's like buying any first year model the next year will have the kinks worked out. Happy guinea pig though

What type of maintenance do you do? Head clean daily and full clean every 3-4 days.

How long have you owned your machine? 2 months

How long did it take you to learn to use?
couple of months - A couple days for basic tees but still working on specialty items

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now? There is no manuel or error code list. I hate to call tech support to tell me how to push a button!


Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? It is a very versitile machine - no limits!

Would you recommend this machine to others? I would avoid it I am the only one in my market with the machine.:D But to anyone else yes most definitely.
 
#53 ·
What machine do you own? Anajet


What were the sources of information you researched to make your decision? This forum along with screenprintinguniversity.com

What is your business model? We were a silk screen company that was/is a family business. My father-in-law "retired" and the screen equipment went to his son (2 hours away), and my wife and I bought the Anajet to service our customers.

Are you happy with your decision? Absolutely. I'm thankful I overlooked the '70's style design and bought it anyway.

What are the pros you have learned of your machine? Great prints, easy to use, prints on darks with great results, and allows us to handle any size order. We've done 1 shirt to as high as 1,500.

What are the negatives you have learned of your machine? Not many. The training is enough to get you started, but I have learned so much more from these forums that have made my experience great. For the price, other platens should come with this as well as extra tubes and dampers. Also, the ink is the highest in the industry, BUT the end result is consistently great with low spoilage which allows for profit every time.

What type of maintenance do you do? Daily nozzles checks to avoid unecessary head cleanings. Clean the wiper blade and capping station every 1-2 weeks. (I know, this should be done more often.) Clean printhead with anti-static pads and cleaning solution whenever I see buildup. This physical touching of the printhead has by far been the most productive in keeping my machine printing like new. Thanks Bobbi for this tip!!! Anajet won't teach you this because they're afraid of someone being careless and ruining the head.

How long have you owned your machine? Since August 2008

How long did it take you to learn to use? Printed my first order right after filling the lines with ink. I took my design to the training and was ready to print as soon as I got home.

Is there anything you wished you had known before you bought your machine that you know now? Not really. This forum is the best to gain the knowledge you need. I don't have any dealers close to me, and didn't want to go to an out of town show. These forums confirmed my decision which was between the Brother and Anajet. We chose the Anajet for the white ink and still saved $$$. The DTG brand's new machine looks very tempting though.

Is there anything else you would like to add or let others know? Be very careful buying one of these if you don't have a current customer base. I ran the production of our screen printing company, and didn't know jack about art, so I had to learn Corel from the ground up, BUT I had the blessing of having a current customer base calling us for shirts. This allowed me to make money while learning. Also, I run this out of my home which is allowing me to save up the money to open a full-service shop in the future. I would recommend using printers on this forum to do your early orders, which would allow you to ease into the market.

Would you recommend this machine to others? I would 100% without any reservation.
 
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