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Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

[DIY DTG] 
1M views 5K replies 321 participants last post by  Laser212 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
R1900BUILD-Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

It is now official she is the T-DOZER:) here is the video of her knocking out some shirts. again i did a video from the power up sequence all the way thru printing two shirts, at the start up you can see the pf motor does not move (by evidencing no movement of the platen)

the printer is 100% error free as seen. i still have not mounted my power button pad (epson original) or additional two buttons (my modifications) i just could not hold back showing the video of what she can do, before i completed the final details:D keep in mind all thru-out the video the printer is not secured yet and either are the base covers..she is smooth;)

I'm still using the cardboard platen template, the final platen is plexi and weighs in at 1.3 pds. i believe i have accomplished the goals i set prior to the build. small foot print, light weight delivery system, portable, etc-etc.

I'm using 100% epson firmware with only some wiring modifications (rerouting) at the board as explained previously. everything required to do this build was purchased at lowes home improvement store with the exception of the plastic base (which can be substituted) and the printer itself of course..

I'm still using trial versions of the rip.. i tried multi-rip gp first and now i'm on my second brand of a trial version. i wish i could have done a shirt of each at the same time but the driver configurations don't agree with each other including the epson driver (you can only use one at a time on the computer without complications by my experience) so I'm testing individually..

i can tell you the rip is mandatory in my opinion, (its the business end of the deal):D and there are some very cool features and settings to play with ...im still learning..

i finally learned to adjust the settings in the rip for the table adjustment, the videos show it printing in 1400x1400. now i can print in 720x720 with the same quality as far as proportion and by my calculation it prints twice as fast..;) the 1400x1400 is still the best quality image all around as far as details etc and im sure that i will print with that setting most often..

well i hope you enjoy the show as much as i did..;)

P.S i added the video of the printer printing at 720x720 res dual cmyk.. i calculate start of print at the :59 sec point in the video and the end of print at 1:37 so i came up with 38second print on an 11x11 detailed graphic...a major feat using the stock epson firmware with its jerky motion in the 720 res mode with the r1900 imho, watch the very bottom of the shirt bounce during the print steps, and then check out the detailed print...

regards
jeff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc3OrrsnMHs





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNmlNKiQ7A
 
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#42 ·
I have to say I operate a small shop in Jasper Georgia and this seems to me like something I would use with out question, Now for the serious question, Are you able to print on lighter colored t-shirts as well or only on white I been wondering because I was looking into this dtg option for awhile but not sure what all in entails and what the capabilities are. I will not pay $14,000 for a dtg printer I will continue to use my 4 color four platen manual press before I do that.
 
#43 · (Edited)
It will work just like any other dtg's capabilities...
you will need to configure it for white ink to print on black (dark colored shirts) currently it is set up as dual cmyk, for dark shirts you would set it up as cmykwwww.

i think the best way to do this is have seperate carts one setup for dual cmyk, 1 set of carts for cmykwwww, and one set of carts for cleaning solution for maintenance inbetween change outs..just my opinion.. or the absolute best two separate printers one for light and white shirts, and one for darks.. i myself will never leave the white ink in the printer for extended period without printing daily, i will pull the carts and purge it keeping the cleaning solution carts in place till its next use after any dark shirt job or white ink printing..prolly an over kill but super safe this way eliminating the possibility of white ink clogs..:) I can tell you my wife sold enough product that was produced on this machine to pay for all the trials and tribulations of building it, in 3 days.. any thing sold after today will be pure profit outside the shirts and consumables..

so the short answer is yes, it will print on any t-shirt, and other substrates aswell;)
 
#45 · (Edited)
yes, it will work on the 4800... i suggest looking over the plans once a make them avail.. there is only one printer above the r1900 that i am aware of that will not work with this conversion..

i use ek rip because they have a nice table adjustment feature allowing you to print at 720 res as explained earlier, however you can use other rips aswell but my experience with my machine only allowed 1400x1400 res printing which most agree this is what res they will use regardless..

so you need to take into consideration what models the rip program supports aswell...and ek does support the 4800 amognst others..

i seriously think you should consider doing the r1900 build first before tearing into that expensive of a printer, i see the only advantage to a 4800 is a bit wider print not worth it in my opinion due to thecost of the printer..

i view these printers r1900 as i believe epson does (disposable) due to the price.. the r1900 is fast and prints awesome.. and in case you were not aware several commercial dtg's are based off the epson r1900..:) i am still out of town i will be traveling home tommorro morn (monday) and will check back here monday eve..;)
 
#46 ·
I had no clue about this kind of printing until two days ago I don't go to trade shows or follow the normal trend changes because old habits are hard to break and I have been printing close to 1000 shirts a week for ten years so I wanted to know if there was an easier way and I think I may have found it. If you wouldn't mind when you decide to release the plans could you possibly P.M. me with details on whether or not your going to sell them or offer for free and where to get them I am greatly interested. I have already built several printer based machines like a cnc and an engraver. So I know I can handle a build like this if they are available.
 
#47 · (Edited)
i explained those details a few post back;) if you built those items..this will be a walk in the park for you...
the value of this project is the electronics wiring reroute that makes it what it is...you would have to read thru the past post to understand how special the build is incorporating no pe switch and 100% error free..

this is the first diydtg build off an epson r1900 that i am aware of, and most certainly the first one with no pe switch incorporated into the design..
 
#49 ·
yeah...

we tried the micro first it works to bypass the sensors but you had additional end of print timing issues..which would require additional sensors-programming etc... then there the possibility of over loading the motherboard even with separate power source..

we had the best performace with all epson firmware...even though its a manual platen placement..i dont see much difference in time when pushing a button for power placement..

if you just gota have a power placed platen you could use an actuator motion control electronics to sync it with print end etc for about 200 range with separate power source..but its a waste of money in my opinion, once you use this set up like i have it you will see the benefits...just like down town..lol:)
 
#53 ·
hey guys

I'm working on a website, but have limited time to do so. once i get it running i will link it to my signature here... I'm getting bombarded with pm,s etc-not enough time to answer everyone so i won't even try:confused:, website in the near future..:)

i suggest reading thru all the post here in the forums for new people to diydtg, most of your answers are right here in these forums and there are alot of nice folks here that will help you if you need it....

hope it helps ;)
jeff
 
#56 · (Edited)
not yet guys..
my day job takes alot of my time..:)

just got back home...my wifes looking into it i will check the status with her tommorow..its 2:30am here..
in the mean time i will start compiling the pics, files etc on the conversion its super simple..most difficult part is building the base itself;) it will take some time to do the detailed measurments parts list etc...im very detailed cant help it its my nature, and i do not want it to be subpar.. i dont like doing general build plans..I,m sure it will be appreciated that way however.. plus it saves the million questions if some one doesnt understand it;)

P.S NOZZLE CHECK PERFECT AFTER 5 DAYS GONE...PHEEEEW:p PRINTED WITH NO ISSUES
 
#57 ·
Good to hear about the nozzle checks with no clogs. Is that with white ink? I know my old 1400 gets a clog or two if I don't print at least every third day.
Also good to know your detail oriented. It is actually obvious from what we've seen already. The more detailed the information given to the builder, the better chance they will get things at least close enough to be happy with the end results. ;)
 
#60 · (Edited)
Getting alot of questions about adding a auto load platen so here is an option and my opinion on the subject, i touched on this subject in the other thread also...

you can add an actuator motion control electronic system to it..(google for info) (they use photo sensors for placement amongst a variety of others) there are many different options versions of this hardware some with limit switches you can set.. but it needs to be in sync with begining of print and end of print by placing the photo sensors and or limit switches. if you have ever set limits on a auto garage door opener or dealt with there saftey photo sensors its the same concept,there is no difference just in a small package some offering more settings or features, some with there own motor, some using your existing pf.. it also is its own power source..:)

we fooled with this a bit an opted to forego this option. we wanted to use the printer as its designs intent, multiple shirts one after the other being rear feed with multiple platens as it does with paper.. we thought if we incorporated a power load it would limit its ability to single print& loading with additional firmware not to mention other issues.. so why not have both options (manual front load for single to short runs or rear feed multiple platens-multi platen for larger runs?) with this design it is a removable platen and with all removable platens they are manually set in place, we thought add a registration mark (start point) and rear load the platen-(this is according to the printer itself orientation)the printer will automatically pull the platen to the start position of the graphic or design on the shirt...just like it does with paper. so you can simply reverse the printer at its work station and the rear of the printer can be considered the front..the bases dementions are the same and the printer is set at center of the base!!!!;) as you study it a bit you will understand its capabilities this way, so we actually consider the rear of the printer the front not the orientation of the printers front being the front as it is mounted on the base.. this is where you have to start thinking outside the box a bit from what you are normally used to seeing in most designs, and this is what slowed me up also on bringing the printer to fruation (trying to add firmware to front load a platen when its not necesary...)

the bottom line is you have to load a shirt anyway..so what is the exact time advantage to this? none imho with exception to doing (SINGLE RUN)two pass color or dark- black shirts which i have a solution for using the cover open sensor to stall the print between layers and manually placing the platen on 2 pass color or single run black or dark shirts, however if you are doing multiple shirts i think its far better to print the # of shirts in white ink first then refeed for the color over(leaving the shirt in its position on the platen before refeeding) just my opinion with my printers functions.. i would rather operate this way using the conveyor to its advantage , run 3-5 shirts through at a time by simply setting registration marks on the platen-base or use a 3 or 5 shirt acrylic platen or even just keep feeding it with multiple platens. if you are doing large runs it will print them one after the other like printing paper just keep feeding it platens...and if your doing dark or black shirts run all your white ink prints then run the color over after, this will also allow white ink drying time.. i designed it with multiple prints in mind, hopefully we can grow enough so i can make an army of these printers.. the conveyor gives you a ton of options and light weight delivery;)

i still dont think any power return or loading will ever be faster than a good designed manual set up with the 1900 or any epson printer for that matter-sorta a cross between dtg and screen printing this way..lol:), just design around how the printer normally functions...power loading is more of a luxury feature like power windows to a car vs manual, imho..if you get my drift;) i think the only printer that will be faster is simply a faster epson printer, and im not sure that the 4800 prints any faster?, i know its a wider print. anyway there is no additional firmware that it has to run through so it will print at the epson designed speed with no delay of reading additional firmware or intializing on start up... not a big concern until your in a production setting, then its a value..

as more people start thinking outside the box of what there used to seeing, some amazing diy dtg will start poping up.. key for multiple large runs is a rear loading conveyor design.. ie just like it does paper..:D just like my printer is set up, but you can also manually front load it aswell.. its really not rocket science the printer is already designed to do this, just incorporate the conveyor to accomodate it and shirts and modifying the paper delivery mechanism and its sensors...

alot of diydtgs coming out now, its awesome:D
 
#67 · (Edited)
Just for your information:
MultiRIP GP will add the table movement adjustment feature to their RIP and it should be avaliable in about a weeks time ;)
DAN
"HAPPY PRINTING"
VERY COOL, but what about nozzle checks and head aligns in roll mode??;) It really needs to have those features included aswell for the price.. needs to have windshield wipers included:)
 
#68 ·
Im having troubles with multirip-printer (cant tell if it is the rip or the printer), so i wanted to format my hard drive to see what is really going on. I removed the validation, got the invalidation code and when i went to the site to store the validation back to my account i got this message:

"StopCopy Net Error Page


(81) Selected Product Code does not allow Incremental Activations!"


Does anyone know anything about this error??

Either the product that i bought has a problem or their activation/deactivation site has a problem
The sure thing is that there is a problem
Currently i have 1 invalidation code and 2 remaining installations
I sent a mail to iproof systems yesterday and i wait for them to reply hopefully tomorrow
 
#69 ·
Im having troubles with multirip-printer (cant tell if it is the rip or the printer), so i wanted to format my hard drive to see what is really going on. I removed the validation, got the invalidation code and when i went to the site to store the validation back to my account i got this message:

"StopCopy Net Error Page


(81) Selected Product Code does not allow Incremental Activations!"


Does anyone know anything about this error??

Either the product that i bought has a problem or their activation/deactivation site has a problem
The sure thing is that there is a problem
Currently i have 1 invalidation code and 2 remaining installations
I sent a mail to iproof systems yesterday and i wait for them to reply hopefully tomorrow
not sure on that cmos, i would pm mark or fred on that issue or post in the rip and driver options..someone is bound to know whats up with it... im sure they will get you up and running..

best of luck;)
 
#70 · (Edited)
If you need to re-load the RIP you never have to remove the validation, you loose a validation if you were to change computers or it crashes for what ever reason and or if it were your last RIP validation than you can remove it.
The RIP can be switched between Roll and Sheet mode very easily, now as far as nozzle checks andprint head alignment features I use the OEM utilities for this and it works quite nicely ;)
"I hope this helps"
Dan
"HAPPY PRINTING"
 
#71 · (Edited)
the epson driver will not let you do nozzle checks or a head align in roll mode unless manually done on start-up and nozzle check only...this has already been tested and it will not, it defers to sheet mode to do this.. i had to ask them to add this feature to the ek rip to be able to accomplish it...

as mentioned in the rip and driver thread...they (multi-rip) have this feature included in the printer jockey, but you have to specify you want the mod-1 version printer jockey when ordering multi-rip per fred...

this is a standard feature with ek rip and its an all in one program with no additional cost.

P.S to be complete, multi-rip-fred said that they would consider adding this feature depending on the quanity of rips bundled per printer...problem is i will not be bundling rip im not manufacturing the printer, maybe someone else will?..its a DIYDTG! so im left with the alternative..
 
#79 ·
Hello Jeff, would you kind to tell me what's your "only wiring modifications at the main board" ? Where and what you do modify ???
Well, the main board rewire is a little more complicated than a 2min explanation:) if that were the case it would have been done along time ago...

Anyway im working on detailed schematics, as i mentioned in the previous post.. coming in the near future..;)
 
#84 ·
hey guys been crazy busy around here:confused:
I was just checking my emails and i got an email from ek rip studio saying that they now support the r1400...It was dated july 12th (we have added support for R1400
Based Printers to the latest EKPrint Studio. The demo version is now available
for download.)

finally settled in chicago...:p i also have another big project going for my day job..making all the piping for a new treatment plant..anyway i should get a break soon..:D
 
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