Tips for MP users to be successful

6526 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by clearmountain, Sep 26, 2017

ColorImageDsigns

Discussion Starter · May 12, 2014

We rarely have time to post due to being too busy making money with our printers. We decided to shed some light about our experiences & help others in the process.

We have both the mP5i & mP10i (aka Little Moneymakers). Before we took delivery, we went to Anajet HQ for training. A very important step to learn how to operate a piece of equipment we really knew little about. The training is free for all Anajet owners. If you're going to spend this kind of money on a piece of equipment, getting the proper training should be a no brainer. We took our training again 10 months later to learn new things that were updated since our first training class. That was in September of 2012. We plan on going back soon to learn more. The training is so valuable, it's a shame it's not mandatory before taking delivery of their printers.

We're not tech support. We don't work for AnaJet, but we've helped other AnaJet users. Here's some suggestions we have:

1. TRAINING!!! No matter what printer you have, get to know your machine. It's a piece of equipment that will make you money. Like any piece of equipment, it's gonna have quirks. Get to know it so printing will be a breeze.

2. MAINTENANCE!!!! If you don't put fuel in your car & change the oil regularly, you won't get far. For these printers it's easy. Make sure the maintenance station, wiper blade & print heads are clean. If you do your maintenance properly you won't see banding or any other problems. You wouldn't start your day without brushing your teeth... Your printer feels the same way. If you want to know how we do our maintenance, just ask. It's one of the items we cannot stress enough how important it really is.

We print while our customers watch. So if your machine is ready to go, you'll be printing great with no problems.

3. DESIGN SOFTWARE!!! Get to know your design software (Photoshop, Corel, Illustrator, etc.). We use Photoshop and learned a great deal from Dane Clement of Great Dane Graphics. We took his day long Photoshop class at the ISS Show & bought his book "T-Shirt Artwork Simplified". Everything you need to get started with Photoshop is in that book.

If you send garbage to your printer, you will get garbage back out. The print quality of these printers is amazing so send a quality design to your printer. We set ours at 300 dpi in RGB mode.

Don't use Photoshop Elements. You'll be using a crippled version of Photoshop. Use CS5 or above for the best results.

If you follow these tips, you will be a successful AnaJet owner.

We feel very blessed to have these machines as an add-on to our business.

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Reactions: 3

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MZDEELO

· #2 · May 12, 2014

ColorImageDsigns said:
We rarely have time to post due to being too busy making money with our printers. We decided to shed some light about our experiences & help others in the process.

We have both the mP5i & mP10i (aka Little Moneymakers). Before we took delivery, we went to Anajet HQ for training. A very important step to learn how to operate a piece of equipment we really knew little about. The training is free for all Anajet owners. If you're going to spend this kind of money on a piece of equipment, getting the proper training should be a no brainer. We took our training again 10 months later to learn new things that were updated since our first training class. That was in September of 2012. We plan on going back soon to learn more. The training is so valuable, it's a shame it's not mandatory before taking delivery of their printers.

We're not tech support. We don't work for AnaJet, but we've helped other AnaJet users. Here's some suggestions we have:

1. TRAINING!!! No matter what printer you have, get to know your machine. It's a piece of equipment that will make you money. Like any piece of equipment, it's gonna have quirks. Get to know it so printing will be a breeze.

2. MAINTENANCE!!!! If you don't put fuel in your car & change the oil regularly, you won't get far. For these printers it's easy. Make sure the maintenance station, wiper blade & print heads are clean. If you do your maintenance properly you won't see banding or any other problems. You wouldn't start your day without brushing your teeth... Your printer feels the same way. If you want to know how we do our maintenance, just ask. It's one of the items we cannot stress enough how important it really is.

We print while our customers watch. So if your machine is ready to go, you'll be printing great with no problems.

3. DESIGN SOFTWARE!!! Get to know your design software (Photoshop, Corel, Illustrator, etc.). We use Photoshop and learned a great deal from Dane Clement of Great Dane Graphics. We took his day long Photoshop class at the ISS Show & bought his book "T-Shirt Artwork Simplified". Everything you need to get started with Photoshop is in that book.

If you send garbage to your printer, you will get garbage back out. The print quality of these printers is amazing so send a quality design to your printer. We set ours at 300 dpi in RGB mode.

Don't use Photoshop Elements. You'll be using a crippled version of Photoshop. Use CS5 or above for the best results.

If you follow these tips, you will be a successful AnaJet owner.

We feel very blessed to have these machines as an add-on to our business.

How much are you printing a day Susan? Do you sell more dark or light shirts?

mde24

· #3 · May 12, 2014

Susan and Deana - i would if available like the info on your daily maintenance rituals for your machines, can post it or can give you an email if that works better.

Susan
Whats the biggest difference in printing CMYK or RGB, why one or the other, etc.?

Am I really suppose to leave my printer on all day every day 24/7?

You still using that book and CD

... want to sell it to a newbie learning? I currently have all the Adobe software but of course doesn't mean I know what I am doing. Sadly I learned on Flash long ago for web development and still design through it and transferring to Illustrator for saving for printing.

MZDEELO

· #4 · May 12, 2014

Whats the biggest difference in printing CMYK or RGB, why one or the other, etc.?

Create your images in whatever graphic software you have. Design artwork in RGB and save/export as PNG. (if you create your images in CMYK then saving as a PNG will not be an option.)

The AnaRIP Software will convert to CMYK. Just remember to check the box that says "Preview ICC Profile" So you get something closer to what the printer will be able to output.

Am I really suppose to leave my printer on all day every day 24/7?

YES!!!!! DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE AT NIGHT!

Why? 1. Auto Circulation on white channels will not happen.
2. If you set the printer to Auto Light Clean .. it will not happen

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Reactions: 1

GetLost

· #5 · May 12, 2014

I was asked in a PM to shed a little knowledge that I have obtained in regards to successfully running the MPs, so I would like to add a few details to this thread.

mde24 said:
...mind sharing your daily process that has gotten you success with your AnaJet?

These are not steps to success, but an overview of what I have come to do to make for less stressful startups.
~ The longer the machine sets without printing, the longer the startup time required to get it going. Period. Last week machine set for 5 days. Took about two hours and quite a bit (about 5%) of ink to get printing. Quite depressing as only two shirts needed to be produced. Print something EVERY DAY!
~ Constant humidity. Major culprit. Even when machine is setting idle. Printer is covered with a plastic tarp, a small humidifier placed under tarp. Do not let the humidifier blow into machine as the circulating air will negate the process. Also, redirect or eliminate any blowing heat source as this will also negate building humidity. I don't even preform a nozzle check untill humidity reaches 45 to 50%.
~ A container of water soaked sponges inside the machine next to the maintenance station over night to help with humidity. Remove during use, replace overnight.
~ Enabling the once a day nozzle clean routine should help keep ink from setting up in nozzles. I've disable this as I find it consumes too much ink. Well before the upgrade to the "i" series, I've come in from a weekend and found a sloppy mess all over the maintenance station with the waste tank much fuller than previous week...
~ Paitence... Machine bleeds ink if there is too much pressure. Resist numerous nozzle cleanings as this will build up pressure resulting in banding.
~ Keep the maintenece station clean.

~An alternate method of "hand soaking " the nozzles. This is so ya don't have to stand there holding an alcohol soaked rag for what seems an eternity.
- Lower table to about an inch plus below nozzle plate.
- "3 key" into the tech section of the firmwear on the printer. Menu, Jobs, Enter at same time.
- Select Module Test > Motion Controller > Move Table to > key in 6 inches.
- Back out to Menu > Maintenance Function > Carriage Control > Release Carriage. Carriage will move all the way over to the right.
- Place a piece of coated corrugated cardboard with alcohol soaked rag on table, hand slide the carriage over the rag.
- By hand, raise the table height so the rag and cardboard sandwich in between table and nozzle plate.
- Leave for approx 5 minutes. This will soften any semi-dried ink and leaches a minimal amount of ink from the nozzles.
- By hand, lower the table, peel away the rag. Inspect for complete leech pattern of an oval ink stain of two colors.
- Run a CYMK blowout pattern.
- Run Nozzle Check.
- Repeat if necessary.

PRINT SOMETHING EVERY DAY!!

Later,
and good skill.

...and don't cuss at the machine. It can't hear you.

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Reactions: 1

ColorImageDsigns

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 12, 2014

GetLost said:
I was asked in a PM to shed a little knowledge that I have obtained in regards to successfully running the MPs, so I would like to add a few details to this thread.

These are not steps to success, but an overview of what I have come to do to make for less stressful startups.
~ The longer the machine sets without printing, the longer the startup time required to get it going. Period. Last week machine set for 5 days. Took about two hours and quite a bit (about 5%) of ink to get printing. Quite depressing as only two shirts needed to be produced. Print something EVERY DAY!
~ Constant humidity. Major culprit. Even when machine is setting idle. Printer is covered with a plastic tarp, a small humidifier placed under tarp. Do not let the humidifier blow into machine as the circulating air will negate the process. Also, redirect or eliminate any blowing heat source as this will also negate building humidity. I don't even preform a nozzle check untill humidity reaches 45 to 50%.
~ A container of water soaked sponges inside the machine next to the maintenance station over night to help with humidity. Remove during use, replace overnight.
~ Enabling the once a day nozzle clean routine should help keep ink from setting up in nozzles. I've disable this as I find it consumes too much ink. Well before the upgrade to the "i" series, I've come in from a weekend and found a sloppy mess all over the maintenance station with the waste tank much fuller than previous week...
~ Paitence... Machine bleeds ink if there is too much pressure. Resist numerous nozzle cleanings as this will build up pressure resulting in banding.
~ Keep the maintenece station clean.

~An alternate method of "hand soaking " the nozzles. This is so ya don't have to stand there holding an alcohol soaked rag for what seems an eternity.
- Lower table to about an inch plus below nozzle plate.
- "3 key" into the tech section of the firmwear on the printer. Menu, Jobs, Enter at same time.
- Select Module Test > Motion Controller > Move Table to > key in 6 inches.
- Back out to Menu > Maintenance Function > Carriage Control > Release Carriage. Carriage will move all the way over to the right.
- Place a piece of coated corrugated cardboard with alcohol soaked rag on table, hand slide the carriage over the rag.
- By hand, raise the table height so the rag and cardboard sandwich in between table and nozzle plate.
- Leave for approx 5 minutes. This will soften any semi-dried ink and leaches a minimal amount of ink from the nozzles.
- By hand, lower the table, peel away the rag. Inspect for complete leech pattern of an oval ink stain of two colors.
- Run a CYMK blowout pattern.
- Run Nozzle Check.
- Repeat if necessary.

PRINT SOMETHING EVERY DAY!!

Later,
and good skill.

...and don't cuss at the machine. It can't hear you.

Awesome info! Thanks for sharing. We learned a few new tricks.

ColorImageDsigns

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 12, 2014

MZDEELO said:
How much are you printing a day Susan? Do you sell more dark or light shirts?

It all depends on the event. Some days we are slammed and have to constantly restock our bins, other days we actually have time to fold them before they go into the bins. Some events we sell more dark. Other events we sell more white. Sometimes it's about 50/50. We are busy enough at our events that we can enjoy 5 weeks in Italy each year for our vacation. So our daily printing varies.

Reactions: 1

ColorImageDsigns

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 12, 2014

mde24 said:
You still using that book and CD ... want to sell it to a newbie learning? I currently have all the Adobe software but of course doesn't mean I know what I am doing. Sadly I learned on Flash long ago for web development and still design through it and transferring to Illustrator for saving for printing.

Just order the book, it's only $99 and worth every penny. We refer to ours often, so will you.

danslave

· #9 · May 12, 2014

Going to contradict you slightly here. While you do indeed need an RGB image to print from the RIP software to your Anajet, the printer itself is a CMYK device/

So, only select colors within the CMYK gamut. Tech support at Anajet gave me some instructions on how to calibrate photoshop to the Dupont ink profiles.

The problem with working in RGB is if you select a color, like say a hot pink or a neon greenish color, your inks will not be able to reproduce them and allowing the RIP to do the conversion for you can result in unpredictable results and unhappy customers.

My two cents.

MZDEELO said:
Whats the biggest difference in printing CMYK or RGB, why one or the other, etc.?

Create your images in whatever graphic software you have. Design artwork in RGB and save/export as PNG. (if you create your images in CMYK then saving as a PNG will not be an option.)

The AnaRIP Software will convert to CMYK. Just remember to check the box that says "Preview ICC Profile" So you get something closer to what the printer will be able to output.

Am I really suppose to leave my printer on all day every day 24/7?

YES!!!!! DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE AT NIGHT!

Why? 1. Auto Circulation on white channels will not happen.
2. If you set the printer to Auto Light Clean .. it will not happen

ColorImageDsigns

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 12, 2014

danslave said:
Going to contradict you slightly here. While you do indeed need an RGB image to print from the RIP software to your Anajet, the printer itself is a CMYK device/

So, only select colors within the CMYK gamut. Tech support at Anajet gave me some instructions on how to calibrate photoshop to the Dupont ink profiles.

The problem with working in RGB is if you select a color, like say a hot pink or a neon greenish color, your inks will not be able to reproduce them and allowing the RIP to do the conversion for you can result in unpredictable results and unhappy customers.

My two cents.

We always use RGB mode to design in photoshop. It's the only way you will be able to save as a PNG for the RIP.

danslave

· #11 · May 12, 2014

I am not talking about the mode, I am talking about the colors themselves. While you are in RGB mode you should only select colors which are within the CMYK gamut, otherwise your final result will vary greatly from what you are seeing on screen. It is the most consistent source of customer dissatisfaction here.

By way of example, open a photoshop file, draw a box and fill it with a very very bright color like a hot pink using the color picker. You will know you have selected a color outside of the CMYK gamut if a warning, which is an exclamation mark inside a black triangle, pops up above the sample of the selected color in the picker.

Once you have done that, go to the mode and change it to CMYK, you will see the color of the box change to a darker, duller color. This is what the RIP software is doing when it sends the image from your computer to the color, making a best guess based on its own algorithm on what combination of colors to put out.

RGB colors outside of a CMYK gamut cannot be reproduced on a standard four color process printer. Photo printers use more than four colors, usually at least six. I have aplotter here that uses 12 cartridges to do fine art quality printing.

If you have ever had a customer that was not happy with the way a red or bright green printed coming out of a DTG, the limitations of the color scheme are why. RGB colors is a mode devised for devices like TV's or Monitors.

Dan Vado

ColorImageDsigns said:
We always use RGB mode to design in photoshop. It's the only way you will be able to save as a PNG for the RIP.

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mde24

· #12 · May 12, 2014

Is it safe to assume then if using Illustrator I make my designs in the CMYK form, and saving it as a PNG to move to RIP will keep and print those colors the way I want?

Illustrator offers the ability to design in RGB or CMYK and both are saved nicely as a PNG for moving to RIP.

lazographics

· #13 · May 13, 2014

Best way to design for dtg is to do it in CMYK mode. This way you know your colors will print properly and as accurate as possible to what you see on the screen. When you finish designing you can switch the mode back to rgb and save as a png file. The colors will not change.

Printzilla

· #14 · May 13, 2014

The best way for me is to design with known RGB values from printed swatches. I always know exactly what my colors will look like. When creating high end conceptual art, I create with known RGB swatches to pick all colors. Again, I always know that the design on shirt will closely match my monitor.

bbguy71

· #15 · May 13, 2014

Thanks for the helpful post.

mde24

· #16 · May 19, 2014

Printzilla

did you just make a file with boxes of colors from your selected graphic program and then print them to a white and say black garment, then i take it you have it there next to the computer for reference?

Any pics of what you did would be appreciated ... better visual

DEAPromotionsInk

· #17 · Jan 18, 2017

Hello,
I am a new ANAJET MP10i owner. I was wondering if anyone has some advice as to what the best shirts are to print on. Brand? blends? etc..
Thanks for the info in advance!
- Erin

clearmountain

· #18 · Sep 26, 2017

Any regrets? If you had to do it over again would you purchase the same printers?

DEAPromotionsInk

· #19 · Sep 26, 2017

No regrets! Our MP10i has been great! we have had the printer for just about 9 months and have it almost paid off! We do plan on expanding our company, and I will be looking around just to see what else is out there. Any suggestions?

clearmountain

· #20 · Sep 26, 2017

I'm considering the Epson F2000. Planning on purchasing this week. Any suggestions on where to find customers and/or your general pricing strategy?

Wes

DEAPromotionsInk said:
No regrets! Our MP10i has been great! we have had the printer for just about 9 months and have it almost paid off! We do plan on expanding our company, and I will be looking around just to see what else is out there. Any suggestions?

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