queue arp files for fulfillment process

Seriously 'Brother'... I went to the dog and pony show at ISS...
many reps told me (many times):

"Brother's different, because Brother really knows your business".

Yet, in all these years you haven't developed a 'queue' option for your printer?
You guys have made printers for 40 years... right?

I wish the print industry would put more focus on the "made-to-order" part of the t-shirt industry.

It's easy to print 100 of the EXACT same shirt...
but us people that need to print 100 UNIQUE shirts,
really need more help... our job is harder.

Is a 'print queue' really too much to ask for in a production printer?

nkennedysnorg said:

You have really been on the bash brother about all your problems train lately...

Click to expand...

Yeah, the machines are kind of expensive...
and the production features are severely lacking.

After 5 years on the market...
I kinda expect more advanced features,
and lower consumables costs.

Have you used a $100 consumer desktop printer lately?
I expect AT LEAST those features from a $22,000 printer!!!

The queue option you suggest really sucks... it requires the operator to stay focused during the entire job...
human beings tend to make mistakes that way, especially with repetition and number organization.

That's just not smart business,
because it's simply not necessary.

A simple ARP queue would let the operator queue up the days orders...
then just load shirts mindlessly, which is a more efficient work environment for a complex mass production system.

A print queue isn't some crazy advanced feature.

Atelier 419 said:

• load the files from the compact flash to the machine when needeed

Click to expand...

I think that method is even slower...
the card is slow, and the process just ads extra steps.

We have a computer hooked up to the printer, with Photoshop...
we could put each design into it's own PS layer and visually see everything...
the problem is that the layers don't save the ARP settings.

I don't mind having folders of ARP in sequence...
but day-after-day, it would be nice to have a simple queue system.

We'll eventually have 2000+ ARP files in that folder... 1879 or 1979?
Easy mistakes to make on the 53rd shirt of the day.

Regarding the "domino effect"... of course that could happen...
but the reality is that you check and double-check as you're adding the series (up front, when your mind is fresh).

We also have pick lists that are confirmed as shirts are printed (and packaged)...
so there ARE stops in place, but they're quick and easy to recognize.

A print queue isn't asking much from a 'production' printer...
and now I'm irked that little T-Jet managed to include a queue...
while monster PRINTER corporation; Brother, couldn't muster one.

Jackson,

Just curious as to how long it takes for an ARP file to be downloaded to your GT printer? Most people with their own private line do use the ARP file system. This removes the issue of having a production person (usually not the artist) make the decision as to which settings in the driver to use. After the send the first ARP file to the printer and press the Print button, the GT user will look at the next order. While the first ARP file is being printed, the GT User will send the second ARP file. This file will be queued in the printer and will immediately start to download to the printer once the first job is done printing. With a decent computer, the time it takes for the GT user to remove the first shirt --> place it on the heat press --> close the heat press --> load and position the next garment... the ARP has already downloaded. I have seen it take longer for bigger file sizes when using older computers because it has to do with the processing speed of the computer.

As for how to organizing the ARP files, I would suggest using the Comment field in the ARP window when you save it and creating a system like this one described below:
- First five of so numbers or letters (depending on the number of different pieces of artwork you have now and in the future this amount may need to vary) is the artwork file. A lot of internet based companies make these numbers the same as the product # / part # from their website.
- Next set of numbers / letters identifies the print settings used (exact amount is based on number your shop rules for how to process the artwork using different settings - i.e. light garments, colored garments, dark garments,...).

I believe the Comment field will display approx 14 to 16 letters on the control panel. My preference is to have the first part of the letters describe the artwork and the second part describe the print settings. This will allow the GT operator to have a visual identifier on the printer that they can take a couple seconds to look at and verify that is the correct artwork that should be printed. (The few seconds are well worth the time for quality assurance when it compares to printing the wrong design.) My preference would be to organize these ARP files into separate folders based on the artwork (i.e. one folder for all the ARP files that were created used that different print settings) and each piece of artwork has its own folders. If you have too many pieces of artwork, then categorize them using a sub-folder system that is based on themes or artists.

I have visited and talked to several organizations that 10 or more of the Brother GT printers and have seen a variety of work flows. Several of these companies basically hire just about anyone during the holiday season because they are running multiple shifts a day to keep up with production. So to make sure that they print the correct artwork, they have invested in their own bar code system. The work flow consists of printing out a work order / pull sheet that has which garments should be pulled from inventory to fulfill the order and a bar code for the artwork. Once an employee pulls the garments from inventory, the GT user scans the artwork and the software automatically sends the ARP file to the GT printer. This is a good work flow for these specific companies, but would be overkill for the majority of GT users (over 95% in my opinion). That is why you probably can't find a similar post to this one on this or any other forum in the past 7 years since the printer was released (2005). If you think this type of workflow would benefit you, you might want to consider investing in a bar code system like this.

Hope this information helps.

Mark

Oh, a side note about other printers having a queue system. As most people know, MultiRIP GP is my product for Epson-based dtg printers. We have hot folders and a queue system like most of the other Epson-based dtg RIPs. (They are pretty much standard with any paper-based printing RIP software.) The speed (or some might say the slow speed) of the Epson-based printers allow for the printer to start sending the artwork to the printer as soon as there is enough for the printer to start with. The rest of the artwork is sent to the printer while the printing is happening. However, there are times when sending larger prints that the printer runs out of the print information and errors out. This causes a misprint in most cases. These issue can be a result of the processing speed of the computer or a low quality USB cord based on my experience with working with these printers since 2007. When you look at the industrial printers that print at a faster pace, they require the artwork file to be downloaded completely to the printer before they print. This prevent the error message from coming up.

Mark

DAGuide said:

Just curious as to how long it takes for an ARP file to be downloaded to your GT printer? Most people with their own private line do use the ARP file system. This removes the issue of having a production person (usually not the artist) make the decision as to which settings in the driver to use. After the send the first ARP file to the printer and press the Print button, the GT user will look at the next order. While the first ARP file is being printed, the GT User will send the second ARP file.

Click to expand...

Appreciate the details mark... I haven't tested the load time of ARP files yet...
but direct printing takes about 35 seconds to load a 150dpi file (also a little longer than I anticipated).

We already have a system worked out for the ARP files, much like you describe...
the issue is that the 59th (unique) shirt of the day can mess with your head.

Keeping a steady focus that long just feels like extra unnecessary work...
most successful production lines don't rely on deep focus, they rely on instinctual repetition.

Everything else in our method is done up front...
we pick all the shirts at once, we print all the labels at once, etc.
Nothing is done piecemeal if it doesn't HAVE to be.

The method you describe isn't terrible...
but it is lame that Brother can't be bothered to build a print queue for their printer.

Production flexibility is KEY to a production system...
this isn't a 'consumer' product.

Anyway, I don't have my fingers crossed for Brother behemoth to actually make any changes...
I was just hoping a third party software had stepped in to fill in the gaps.