If your nozzle checks are perfect, then the problem is not applying enough pretreatment. Trying really saturating the shirt with pretreatment just to see if you get a good solid white. If you do, then you know it's not the printer.
Zilla
Zilla
Viper - White ink not heavy enough
Hey guys,
I've just recently purchased my first DTG printer, a Viper. Just wondering if I could get a little advice.
Printing white on a black shirt, either as a white underbase or just as a white print, I don't seem to be getting the white nice and thick like I want it. For a couple of meters away it looks pretty good, but up close, you can see its not covering the shirt completely.
I've uploaded a photo here
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6863/photosr.jpg
I'm printing it with 100% choke and underbase, 1440x1440 resolution with the white underbase pretreatment and everything on a 100% cotton Gildan shirt, have also tried JBs.
I've seen shirts printed on the viper that come out with nice thick white prints that don't show any of the shirt through it so I know it can be done, I'd just really appreciate any pointers to help get me there.
Thanks,
Ian
I've just recently purchased my first DTG printer, a Viper. Just wondering if I could get a little advice.
Printing white on a black shirt, either as a white underbase or just as a white print, I don't seem to be getting the white nice and thick like I want it. For a couple of meters away it looks pretty good, but up close, you can see its not covering the shirt completely.
I've uploaded a photo here
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6863/photosr.jpg
I'm printing it with 100% choke and underbase, 1440x1440 resolution with the white underbase pretreatment and everything on a 100% cotton Gildan shirt, have also tried JBs.
I've seen shirts printed on the viper that come out with nice thick white prints that don't show any of the shirt through it so I know it can be done, I'd just really appreciate any pointers to help get me there.
Thanks,
Ian
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Ohhhhhhh and.....
:welcome:
:welcome:
Thanks 
I've been reading for a while but never really had a reason to post.
Did a nozzle check, was fine. I just did a test print with more pretreatment, and it came out about the same.
[media]http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8773/photo2ob.jpg[/media]
Any other ideas? I want to check the actual heat of my heat press as opposed to what the inbuilt thermometer says. Would incorrect heat for the pretreatment be doing this? Or what else could be at play?
Thanks again,
Ian
I've been reading for a while but never really had a reason to post.Did a nozzle check, was fine. I just did a test print with more pretreatment, and it came out about the same.
[media]http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8773/photo2ob.jpg[/media]
Any other ideas? I want to check the actual heat of my heat press as opposed to what the inbuilt thermometer says. Would incorrect heat for the pretreatment be doing this? Or what else could be at play?
Thanks again,
Ian
That can only be caused by four things.
1. Printing on a fabric other than 100% cotton.
2. Not enough pretreatment. I suggest you thoroughly soak a shirt, dry it by heat press for about a minute and then try to print. I mean really soak it.
3. The head not laying down enough ink. This could be several things. Clogged nozzles, which you say are fine. Incorrect resolution. You should be printing the under base at 1440 x 1440. The ink levels are turned down in the RIP. They should be between 85-100% for the white ink.
4. Bad ink.
If you really soak a 100% cotton garment with pretreat, print at 1440x1440 with the white ink levels at 100% in the RIP, after printing a solid nozzle check and it does not puddle ink on the shirt, then I would have to say bad ink. However I really suspect it is one of the first three items, with emphasis on bad nozzle check or not enough pretreat.
1. Printing on a fabric other than 100% cotton.
2. Not enough pretreatment. I suggest you thoroughly soak a shirt, dry it by heat press for about a minute and then try to print. I mean really soak it.
3. The head not laying down enough ink. This could be several things. Clogged nozzles, which you say are fine. Incorrect resolution. You should be printing the under base at 1440 x 1440. The ink levels are turned down in the RIP. They should be between 85-100% for the white ink.
4. Bad ink.
If you really soak a 100% cotton garment with pretreat, print at 1440x1440 with the white ink levels at 100% in the RIP, after printing a solid nozzle check and it does not puddle ink on the shirt, then I would have to say bad ink. However I really suspect it is one of the first three items, with emphasis on bad nozzle check or not enough pretreat.
Thanks Zilla that really helped.
I think it was mostly not pressing the pretreatment long enough. Also making sure there was enough on there but i was usually only baking it for 15-25 seconds. They're coming up great now.
Ian
I think it was mostly not pressing the pretreatment long enough. Also making sure there was enough on there but i was usually only baking it for 15-25 seconds. They're coming up great now.
Ian
Glad to hear it. You need to experiment with the amount of pretreat you use, until you find the sweet spot of enough, but not too much. Your distributor should have covered these points in training. Where are you located?
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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