I will post what I know.

1. Your rip software (#4) needs to be able to reassign cartridges so white can print out of them.

3. When printing transfers, you have to mirror your design. You will find that option in your printer settings or you can mirror your artwork and then print like normal.

5. Coreldraw is much easier to use than Illustrator.

 

Thank you Joe for your help. I’ll definitely check out Coreldraw!! Also, your site is amazing!!

 

2. I’ve been reading some threads and a lot have mentioned “foam printing issues”.
** Is the white ink foam?

Never seen it happening in water-based inkjet prints, but thick deposits of ink can foam when too much heat is applied too fast causing it to boil.

3. I printed one image on DTF film and the words came out backwards on the t-shirt.
** Is there a simple solution to fixing this? Do I have to reset some settings on the printer?

A Jaw dropper...

5. I have no idea which software to use when it comes to creating designs. Adding, adjusting, etc. I tried Adobe illustrator and I personally had major issues with it. It is NOT easy to use. At least for me.
** Does anyone know of a user friendly app to create designs?

Not surprising after the question 3 above...
You can create designs in whatever software you know how to use.
You can even use MS paint or MS Word is you like.
Personally, I find it much easier to create designs in a raster software, and then optionally convert to vector.

 

Never seen it happening in water-based inkjet prints, but thick deposits of ink can foam when too much heat is applied too fast causing it to boil.


A Jaw dropper...


Not surprising after the question 3 above...
You can create designs in whatever software you know how to use.
You can even use MS paint or MS Word is you like.
Personally, I find it much easier to create designs in a raster software, and then optionally convert to vector.

Thanks Bob for the info. Much appreciated.

 

Hi, I will be blunt:

did you do the conversion yourself by watching youtube videos or you bought a kit from a reseller? This is a DIY solution that won't last long. That printer is designed for dye ink, which is basically "colored water", while DTF uses inks with lots of pigments, the heads will clog and break in less than a month.

Also, a RIP software ($1500) is required because you would need to print using the channels, reassigning cartridges. The normal driver can't do this.

If you bought this from a reseller, you should immediately ask for a refund, as you got scammed:

1. without a RIP software you won't be able to print the white ink in a good way - the seller should have said that this missing piece that costs more than all the hardware, you have a fancy doorstop
2. this printer is designed to print photos, not film. Ink won't dry before hitting the rolls and it will get smudged
3. this printhead is not designed for white inks and will break almost immediately, that will cost you $500 a month

 

Hi. I welcome being blunt. So thank you. I did the conversion myself and my usb fob with the RIP software will be delivered today actually. So I’ll start dinking around with that. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. If I end up with a fancy doorstop, that would very much suck…. But it is what it is. We’ll see.

 

Instead posts like "the modded xp15000 works as well as a $20k mimaki TxF150-75" make me angry. The printer itself is cheap garbage that gives endless problems even when used as intended by the manufacturer (1 print per week with dye inks). Add a thick white ink that gives problems even with better printheads. Add tiny CISS tubes that clog immediately and don't allow proper ink recirculation. Add a cheap and buggy RIP that crashes every day (you mentioned the best RIP software on the market, but usually sellers like to sell unusable buggy software like Maintop or also flexi which is awful too). Add a system that isn't really designed to print on plastic (the "pizza cutters making dots on the print; ink that smudges, and so on)

You got lucky; many others got just expensive paperweights.

IMHO the low-end DTF mods should be avoided unless your hobby is fixing printer problems. Low volume and/or starting business? Outsource.

Outsourcing from companies that only print DTF 24/7 is the best way. You can promise deadlines without "oops the printer is broken and i need 1 week for the spare part to arrive", you don't need to worry about which is the best powder, which is the best film, you don't need to do color calibration, don't need to worry if you added enough powder or if you cured enough (because didn't buy the shaker+oven due to low budget)

Yes, if you print by yourself an A4 sized print costs $1 instead of $2, but once you factor all the time wasted in fixing issues, the $2 outsourced print is a much better value.

Finally got higher volume and consolidated business? Buy something with a brand and 1-2 years of warranty.

Only advantage of in-house production is that can serve those clients "oh no i forgot that tonight there's that big event that i was planning from 6 months earlier, i need 100 shirts ASAP!"

 

Maglino is just an old truth teller, not trying to deter people
but help them get the best bang for their buck coupled with the best mental health

these epson desktop home/pro conversions are notorious nightmare inducers, just check out the dtf sub-forum
forewarned is forearmed