Let's Build a DTF Printer (For as cheap as possible!)

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Ok, so I wanted to try DTF for myself, since it is the hot new thing. I run mostly Mimaki gear at my shop, but their new TxF300-75 is about $24,000 too much for my blood. So, time to look around for a better solution.

For specs, I want 17" width, roll handling, 6+ ink channels, Epson heads, compatible with common DTF software. Also, CHEAP and used.

$100 local pickup deal on an Epson Sure Color P5000, needs capping station apparently.
$20 on eBay for pirated Epson service program, reset counters, printer no longer cares about the capping station, yay, $230 saved.

Ok, now we need refillable cartridges. eBay and US based sellers want $200-300 for a set, gross. AliExpress, $81. 2 sets bought, one for cleaning solutions, the other for ink. No need for chip resetters on these.

Maintenance chip resetter, $8 on AliExpress. The Stylus Pro and P5000 use the same resetter, but the 4900 ones are listed much cheaper as it is the older model number.

Ink, cheap is also the name of the game. Looking at SDSs on tons of brands. Seems everyone's using similar formulations. Nice. 6x 500ml bottles sourced for $90. CMYKWW bottles

Software, CADLINK is cheaper, but AWFUL to use. Also, I can't manually define the ink channels as I wish, something I want to do for fluorescent and custom inks in the future. Also, handy if that bargain basement printer's TFP head gets a clogged channel. So, reluctantly, I blow $595 on a copy of AcroRip 11. Mediocre software, prints well. Why do we still have dongles these days? Also, dongle now emulated by an Arduino Nano. Infinite copies of AcroRip acquired.

Shaker, going cheap, a $7 plastic tub works for now.

Powder, generic DTF powder 1KG (2.2lbs), $20.

Oven, well, more precisely, Harbor Freight's cheapest heat gun $22.
DTF Film, first roll seemed to be wrong material and I want stuff quickly. 100 meters of Vortex DTF Film Dragon Hot Peel sourced from the local GSG, $70. Cheapest thing I have ever bought from GSG, amazing. Seems decent, but only 13" width, but fine for now.

Mimaki aqueous flush (3) I had in stock, dirt cheap at like $26 for 2-liter bags. GREAT aqueous cleaner. Basically free.

Setup on the printer was done where the left 6 ink bays were used. Ran a lot of flushes with cleaner to remove old ink and filled 6 channels, CMYKWW setup. Put AcroRip in single pass mode, 1440x1440 DPI. Test results are looking pretty good. Some banding and the printer seems to hate USB, so have it on network (we have 2 P5000s, both with that issue and one still runs stock inks). Printing is decently quick with the TFP head at the higher DPI, but the printer seems to have a general dislike for clear films. Automatic nozzle checks have a damn seizure when trying to detect clogged nozzles. White ink lacks a shaker/circulator, so regular cleaning cycles on the channel pair that has my white inks are done. Did a nice size stack of shirts, some leather, some wood and a bunch of other crap over the weekend. Really happy.

Damage total: $934.00

If I do more prints, a shaker/oven would be nice, but not much room for improvement given the insanely cheap cost. Most similarly equipped dodgy Chinese units are easily in the $4k+ range for 17" width. Not a huge fan of Epson's idiotic firmware that asks for a $900 service call whenever it feels you should replace the $19 wiper, but the service program gets around that well.

 

[JBurton]

Love it. I'd watch the sh*t out of a youtube channel if ya had one, though I'm afraid all of this is so niche that I'd be one of dozens. At any rate, how long did you bang your head against all of this? Seems like you knew right what you were getting into.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Took about 4 days total, not including things shipping. 3 of those cracking the AcroRip dongle so I could run it on a device with not enough USB ports.

 

[netsol]

nice job!

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Thanks! Might snag a shaker later this week. Clients love the idea of just buying transfers and a cheap heat press to save money and only make shirts as they need them instead of trying to guess what they need to make an order of already printed ones.

 

[VizualVoice]

might be worth looking into a used/cheap infrared flash dryer from screen printing. That and some ACM or aluminum sheet could easily make you a decent inline oven. Maybe couple with a PID temperature controller of some sort. I like where this is heading.

 

[SGC]

Very much enjoyed this.

 

[hybriddesign]

looks pretty awesome. Did you end up installing fluorescent colors?

If you ever end up getting a bigger system the mimaki txf printers are pretty awesome but they sure aren’t cheap. We have the txf300 and just ordered one more. Rock solid but it is a little irritating how often you have to manually pull out and weigh ink cartridges as the printer often sucks down ink slightly out if sink with what the chips think it’s using.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Ordered the fluorescent inks, but they haven't arrived yet. I'm weird, never bought new equipment, more fun to build it up and make money with it. No maintenance contracts, leases, debt, and I have machines I can do dumb stuff with.

 

[netsol]

looks pretty awesome. Did you end up installing fluorescent colors?

If you ever end up getting a bigger system the mimaki txf printers are pretty awesome but they sure aren’t cheap. We have the txf300 and just ordered one more. Rock solid but it is a little irritating how often you have to manually pull out and weigh ink cartridges as the printer often sucks down ink slightly out if sink with what the chips think it’s using.

doesn't every printer do that?
it's always an approximation

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Honestly, as much as rando Chinese printers can suck, just not having to deal with ink DRM is amazing.

Up to 100 shirts and a bunch of small random prints so far, all good so far. Some issues with the printer wanting to reload the roll occasionally, but not terrible.

 

[Geneva Olson]

curious to see how it turns out. I buy my dtf's from a local chick who has a coldesi. She loves it. She has a coldesi uv printer also and it's always broken.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Coldesi are just Chinese kit printers, nothing wrong with that, but sourcing parts can be a nightmare. Still running the printer and having good prints. Nice just selling transfers instead of having to the actual garments. I have a scrap Epson Stylus Pro 3880 I am reviving next. Refillable carts are way cheaper, and I don't need more software, so might be able to do that one for $300-ish.

 

[Humble PM]

Shame you're not on my side of the pond - about to skip a 3880 and a 9800. Both sat idle for too long (9800 was held onto for trade in value against... something)

Love your work!

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Dx5 heads these days are mostly going to be trash, but I have 8 or so sitting in parts bin, recently flushed and somehow with intact nozzle plates.

 

[White Haus]

Impressive project for less than a grand! Wish I had time (and the brains) to tinker with machines like this. Love the idea of building Frankenstein setups like this that cost a fraction of what the brand names charge.

Keep the updates coming!

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

There is a member on here that built a DTG printer from an Epson desktop printer, so anything is possible if you have the know how

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

DTF is basically aqueous ink, so most cheap Epson printers can use it.

 

[UpAndPrinting]

Great job! It sounds like you're familiar with servicing printers! We supply the most popular printers that people convert to DTF and DTG.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Got a stash of i3200(A) heads, some control boards and some t-slot coming in. Next project will be a 4 head printer for under $2500 if all goes well. Parts cost is dirt cheap, and width is just based on how much t-slot rail we want to use. Experimenting with doing some open source printer nerd stuff to help others who want to build their own.