We bought a DTG over a year ago and being unfamiliar with overseas voltage screwed it up trying to operate on 110V not knowing it needed 220V (silly) lol anyway we have clients that would want onsie orders which screen-print isn’t an option and most are concerned about print vinyl quality ( I like it ). Do any of you guys see a good ROI with DTG. Do you love having the capability in your shop?
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DTG worth it?
- Thread starter Stacy1203
- Start date
I don't have a DTG, but I've never gotten a DTG shirt from any vendor that I was happy with. I've been embarrassed to hand them over the counter to my customers. When I go to trade shows the vendors hand out beautiful DTG t-shirts for teddy bears as samples, but I have yet to find a vendor that makes them look as good. So either the technology is still half baked or the machines are far more finicky than anything we use for printing signs.
As far as ROI, for as much as the machines and ink cost versus the going rate for t-shirts, you'd have to be printing a lot of shirts to make any money.
As far as ROI, for as much as the machines and ink cost versus the going rate for t-shirts, you'd have to be printing a lot of shirts to make any money.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
I keep on looking at this stuff once a year (local trade show comes through) and it seems to still be a combination of both, particularly when talking about darks and being finicky with the process.
It's great in theory, but really, really have to have the demand for it to justify it and keep everything working correctly. At least from the ones that I've seen and followed.
And the irony is unless it’s a 300K aeoon you can’t do high production on them. What a disaster. I think your right the economic ones have a ways to go as it relates to technology.
True unless it’s the super expensive ones it’s probably not going to add up and the time to produce it pre treat etc is a turn off.
Superior_Adam
New Member
There is plenty of money to be made in DTG printing. Yes there is a learning curve but that comes with everything. Once you have it down it the process is easy. Having the proper equipment helps. A pre-treat machine will allow that process to go smooth and consistent. We switched to a tunnel dryer. The print finishes with more of a screen print feel and is much faster than all heat press. We were doing enough shirts that our printer paid itself off in 6 months. We just recently added a second printer to keep up with everything we have coming in. Team up with a few screen printers. We do contract printing for a few of them and they love it now because there were some jobs they turned away or did not get because of the set up costs with screen print and the number of colors. If the vendors have samples that look good off the printer then the end user should be able to get that same quality print.
Superior_Adam
New Member
My $15,000 printer has made me $30,000 in 6 months. And when I say "made me" that is profit after paying off the printer. Cant be too bad of an investment.
That’s a really good return. Sounds like you have the process down to science good for you pal. We’re going to replace the parts on ours and see how it works out just to test the market. Congrats on your success
I worked as one of 2 staff running 2 kornit breeze machines and a deconetwork web interface.
you can definitely make good money, but you really want 'techy' types running the machines, they do require quite involved maintenance that i would not expect any minimum wage worker to be capable of.
you can definitely make good money, but you really want 'techy' types running the machines, they do require quite involved maintenance that i would not expect any minimum wage worker to be capable of.
Oh wow... yea I’ve heard the maintenance sucks with print heads, ink and such. We would really need to have a healthy demand in order for it to pay itself off.