Thanks for that. How much is the new pretreat compared to the old GT stuff ?
GTX Initial Thoughts
I had the GTX for about two weeks and here are my initial thoughts...
Print Quality and Speed
The GTX is a lot faster and print quality is better than the GT-3. I can't do side by side comparison anymore as I sold the GT-3, but comparing old designs laying around, print quality is better. So, it's printing at a higher quality at a faster speed.
Touch
The GT-3 felt sticky sometimes, but this ones feels better on hand. It definitely feels better than prints from GT-3.
Maintenance
My tech told me there's almost no maintenance other than to clean the capping station once a week. While this is true and I do believe the machine will work fine doing once a week capping station clean, but it's much easier just to do it daily. The white ink once dried is very difficult to remove. If you only do the capping station clean once a week, its a pain in the butt to clean off even with the $2 Brother R-sticks. The foam sticks doesn't even work in cleaning the dried white ink on the capping station.
What I do is I just keep some maintenance solution in the little cup they provide with one R-stick in the cup. Once a day, I just wipe the capping station and the white ink around the capping station washes out easily. I just reuse the same R-stick since it's just cleaning the capping station.
Ink Cost
White ink cost is lower than the GT-3, but I feel like it uses more ink than the GT-3 on color shirts. I can't do side by side, but a customer reordered some old designs and the amount of ink used was higher.
Pretreat
With the GT-3, I used to use 1.6 to 1. However, with the GTX, Brother recommends 1 to 1. I tried 1.5 to and 1.3 to 1 but it doesn't look as good as 1 to 1.
Pretreatment also costs more than the GT-3 pretreat. I wonder what would happen if I try the GT-3 pretreat with the GTX?
I think the White ink on the GTX is more watery than the GT3. While that gives better feel, I feel like it uses more ink and it also less forgiving. Pretreat pretty much has to be perfect.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the machine. The colors are more vibrant, prints at higher quality and at higher speed and it does most of the maintenance on it's own.
Side note: If you print a small design, make sure you check the white ink pause. Machine prints so quickly that it didn't give the white ink enough time to dry a little bit before the color ink was laid down. Therefor the color ink was bleeding in the white ink. This is not a problem for large prints, but I was having bleeding problem with a small logo in the chest and once I checked the white/color pause, it printed perfectly. However, this does slows down the overall print speed.
Print Quality and Speed
The GTX is a lot faster and print quality is better than the GT-3. I can't do side by side comparison anymore as I sold the GT-3, but comparing old designs laying around, print quality is better. So, it's printing at a higher quality at a faster speed.
Touch
The GT-3 felt sticky sometimes, but this ones feels better on hand. It definitely feels better than prints from GT-3.
Maintenance
My tech told me there's almost no maintenance other than to clean the capping station once a week. While this is true and I do believe the machine will work fine doing once a week capping station clean, but it's much easier just to do it daily. The white ink once dried is very difficult to remove. If you only do the capping station clean once a week, its a pain in the butt to clean off even with the $2 Brother R-sticks. The foam sticks doesn't even work in cleaning the dried white ink on the capping station.
What I do is I just keep some maintenance solution in the little cup they provide with one R-stick in the cup. Once a day, I just wipe the capping station and the white ink around the capping station washes out easily. I just reuse the same R-stick since it's just cleaning the capping station.
Ink Cost
White ink cost is lower than the GT-3, but I feel like it uses more ink than the GT-3 on color shirts. I can't do side by side, but a customer reordered some old designs and the amount of ink used was higher.
Pretreat
With the GT-3, I used to use 1.6 to 1. However, with the GTX, Brother recommends 1 to 1. I tried 1.5 to and 1.3 to 1 but it doesn't look as good as 1 to 1.
Pretreatment also costs more than the GT-3 pretreat. I wonder what would happen if I try the GT-3 pretreat with the GTX?
I think the White ink on the GTX is more watery than the GT3. While that gives better feel, I feel like it uses more ink and it also less forgiving. Pretreat pretty much has to be perfect.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the machine. The colors are more vibrant, prints at higher quality and at higher speed and it does most of the maintenance on it's own.
Side note: If you print a small design, make sure you check the white ink pause. Machine prints so quickly that it didn't give the white ink enough time to dry a little bit before the color ink was laid down. Therefor the color ink was bleeding in the white ink. This is not a problem for large prints, but I was having bleeding problem with a small logo in the chest and once I checked the white/color pause, it printed perfectly. However, this does slows down the overall print speed.
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I have nothing to compare it to as this is my first DTG printer. today was the last day of my two day training - very informative but I wish they would go more in depth on creating artwork and how to price. WHICH, if any of you can point me to some good tutorials I would very much appreciate itl
Big move to purchase a printer that needs to keep printing as you first DTG and wow you purchased the printer without having an in depth knowledge of how to create artwork.I have nothing to compare it to as this is my first DTG printer. today was the last day of my two day training - very informative but I wish they would go more in depth on creating artwork and how to price. WHICH, if any of you can point me to some good tutorials I would very much appreciate itl
I chose the wrong word. I know how to create artwork. There are steps to get it to print correctly on the GTX. I would have like more on that. Also, with the GTX you don’t have to print daily.Big move to purchase a printer that needs to keep printing as you first DTG and wow you purchased the printer without having an in depth knowledge of how to create artwork.
When you make your images increase contrast and saturation about 30% to make the image POP.I chose the wrong word. I know how to create artwork. There are steps to get it to print correctly on the GTX. I would have like more on that. Also, with the GTX you don’t have to print daily.
Is you do not need to print every day but it is a waste of having a big fast brinter.
Yes, I agree. Glad I'm not doing that.Is you do not need to print every day but it is a waste of having a big fast brinter.
It is not a waste.Is you do not need to print every day but it is a waste of having a big fast brinter.
I know someone who just spent 15k on a new epson and another one who spent 18k on gt-3.
For me, it's no brainer to spend the extra money to get the GTX. GTX is not only faster, but it prints in higher quality.
I don't print everyday, but I did 90 shirts yesterday. So much faster than the GT-3. It was awesome.
One thing I really like about the GTX is that it gets the yellow correct all the time. With the GT-3, I always had to be extra careful with artworks that had yellow in it. If the customer made the yellow too bright, the GT-3 would print it with cyan mixed in there and the customers hated it. It looked green! Now, it's perfect yellow every time.
The GTX is great for the speed and vibrant colors. It is a shame if people buy the printer and don't use it for what it is designed for.
Printing lots of garments fast.
Printing lots of garments fast.
Thanks, OP. Very informative.
Dude... stop.The GTX is great for the speed and vibrant colors. It is a shame if people buy the printer and don't use it for what it is designed for.
Printing lots of garments fast.
Big move to purchase a printer that needs to keep printing as you first DTG and wow you purchased the printer without having an in depth knowledge of how to create artwork.
When you make your images increase contrast and saturation about 30% to make the image POP.
Is you do not need to print every day but it is a waste of having a big fast brinter.
Wow. And people call me an a$$...The GTX is great for the speed and vibrant colors. It is a shame if people buy the printer and don't use it for what it is designed for.
Printing lots of garments fast.
Seriously, though. We got your point in the first opinionated and judgemental post. Different strokes for different folks!Dude... stop.
If you want a good laugh, read through his collection of passive-aggressive posts to other members on this forum. Hopefully no one takes it to heart. He probably is just trying to make up for a lack of joy and happiness in his life.Thanks, OP. Very informative.
Dude... stop.
Update:
I don't know how to calculate the exact white ink usage during it's automatic cleaning, but it feels like this machine eats up white ink.
The 1st white ink set that was installed was already low from the install, but I'm already almost done with 2nd set of white inks... I know I didn't print 1400cc worth of white ink...
I don't know how to calculate the exact white ink usage during it's automatic cleaning, but it feels like this machine eats up white ink.
The 1st white ink set that was installed was already low from the install, but I'm already almost done with 2nd set of white inks... I know I didn't print 1400cc worth of white ink...
The setup took some ink but we printed some alignment files.Update:
I don't know how to calculate the exact white ink usage during it's automatic cleaning, but it feels like this machine eats up white ink.
The 1st white ink set that was installed was already low from the install, but I'm already almost done with 2nd set of white inks... I know I didn't print 1400cc worth of white ink...
how much is white ink refills??Update:
I don't know how to calculate the exact white ink usage during it's automatic cleaning, but it feels like this machine eats up white ink.
The 1st white ink set that was installed was already low from the install, but I'm already almost done with 2nd set of white inks... I know I didn't print 1400cc worth of white ink...
So how many shirts did you print with second white ink set? just curious
I just ordered one I'm excited to get it 1-2 week wait... I went and did a demo for a few hours and the colors seemed really vibrant and nice, the speed of the printing is awesome as well... Also doesn't use much CC per print...
1-2 week wait... I went and did a demo for a few hours and the colors seemed really vibrant and nice, the speed of the printing is awesome as well... Also doesn't use much CC per print...I have no idea how many...So how many shirts did you print with second white ink set? just curious
My total print is only 591 at the moment and more than half of those are white t-shirts.
It's kind of difficult to tell exactly how much white ink I used. But it feels like I'm going thru more white ink than I was with GT-3.
Thanks for the great information! Any more would be great after you have been using it for awhile. Does it use a whole lot more ink than your old machine or just like 20 percent more? Is this printer all that its cracked up to be? Are you happy that you purchased it and if so why? Sorry for all the questions but very little information on this printer since its so new!
I am having the same issue with printing small images. I tried selecting the white/color pause and also the uni-directional option, but my red and yellow are still bleeding. Any other ideas? Thanks.
1 - 20 of 54 Posts
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