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Will DTF be possible on regular wide format printers one day?

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victor bogdanov

Active Member
Doing research on DTF and it got me thinking, what is preventing DTF from being printed on something like a Colorado M with white ink?

Would the ink adhere too much/not release from the film? Would the glue not stick to the ink? What is special about DTF specific printers/ink that wide format UV/Latex can't do?


I currently print HTV, siser colorpint on my Colorado 1650 and it print beautifully and is extremely durable/color fast. 50+ washes and looks new.

Would be game changing for anyone that comes up with a way to make DTF possible on standard wide format printers. Anyone have an idea of what is stopping it right now? My only guess is the ink might be adhering too well to the DTF film?
 
H

hybriddesign

owner Hybrid Design
there are already a few 48” and wider dtf printers on the market

It’s the white ink side that complicates things but it’s the same whether it’s a smaller or larger printer

You need the ink to be tacky so that the powder sticks so that rules out faster print methods like on the Colorado. A really wide printer isn’t much faster than two smaller machines. And at least right now none of the machines are 100% reliable so redundancy is key. We have two 30” mimaki dtf systems and at least one is always having issues.

Right now the dryers are pretty massive compared to the printers so a 54” or wider dryer would be pretty large.

One thing to consider is that because it’s usually for apparel and the sheets are then cut down to smaller sizes printing on really wide sheets isn’t always there beneficial

Want to buy a roll of color print for $50 lol? We used to print a ton but No longer touch it
 
V

victor bogdanov

Active Member
hybriddesign said:
there are already a few 48” and wider dtf printers on the market

It’s the white ink side that complicates things but it’s the same whether it’s a smaller or larger printer

You need the ink to be tacky so that the powder sticks so that rules out faster print methods like on the Colorado. A really wide printer isn’t much faster than two smaller machines. And at least right now none of the machines are 100% reliable so redundancy is key. We have two 30” mimaki dtf systems and at least one is always having issues.

Right now the dryers are pretty massive compared to the printers so a 54” or wider dryer would be pretty large.

One thing to consider is that because it’s usually for apparel and the sheets are then cut down to smaller sizes printing on really wide sheets isn’t always there beneficial

Want to buy a roll of color print for $50 lol? We used to print a ton but No longer touch it
Click to expand...
The advantage would be that you don't have to buy an additional printer. Not about speed or width, just being able to print dtf without buying another printer would be amazing.

Ink could be left tacky printed on the colorado and then finish curing it during the adhesive baking process.

Print 20" dtf film on a printer that I already have would be amazing.

White ink on the colorado is as easy as it gets, would be way better/more reliable than any dtf white
 
V

victor bogdanov

Active Member
Roland Certified Tech said:
Why not just purchase a dedicated DTF printer like a Roland TY-300?
Each type of printer has it’s specific use.
A Ford is not a Ferrari.
Click to expand...
Well explain to me why DTF can't be printed on a regular wide format printer.

Would be great to have the option to print DTF on a printer I already have instead of buying another printer.
 
V

victor bogdanov

Active Member
My only guess right now is that maybe the wide format ink adheres too well to the film and wont release? Only thing I can think of
 
R

Roland Certified Tech

New Member
If you want beer, you can’t drink vodka.
If you want to drill a hole, you can’t use a saw.
If you want a woman, you don’t go home with a man.
if you want a beach, it generally won’t be at the top of the mountain.
Understand now?
 
M

Morten CHristensen

New Member
Latex/Resin is more or less instant dry when heated, so no chance of applying the glue powder afterwards, my bet is that with some R&D they could get it to work applying a liquid glue to the latex that was cured together with the ink.
UV is also instant dry when cured by the UV light.
I don't think that the bigger manufacturers wants to develop this technology, they will have to compete with cheap Chinese printers and consumables.
I am glad that DTF printers are like that, no planned obsolescence, no proprietary ink or technology, cheap off the shelf parts and consumables.
 
B

bteifeld

Substratia Consulting & Printing;Ergosoft Reseller
At one time I was doing a transfer printing process for ceramic tile that used Kimototech Silkjet SC4 film, photographic-grade gelatin, and conventional wide format inkjet pigment ink. The process involved printing the film with aqueous pigment ink, coating the tile with melted gelatin and waiting for it to get to 65 degrees, then placing the film on top of the gelatin and using a roller to ensure full contact. I then gently pulled the film off the gelatin and the printed inkjet coating was absorbed into the gelatin. The process was initially described in a book entitled "Digital Art Studio".

If the DTF powder is essentially a water-based acrylic polymer, then I believe it may be functioning like the gelatin in that when it is melted by the heat it becomes a colloid that absorbs the inkjet layer from the film and the acrylic polymer's adhesive properties come into play as a function of pressure and drying.

This is all conjecture based on my experience with the process I outlined. I could be entirely wrong. If I am right- my theory would be that anything other than aqueous pigment ink will not work because of the need for the water-based chemistry in the receptor coating and ink.
 
M

Morten CHristensen

New Member
bteifeld said:
At one time I was doing a transfer printing process for ceramic tile that used Kimototech Silkjet SC4 film, photographic-grade gelatin, and conventional wide format inkjet pigment ink. The process involved printing the film with aqueous pigment ink, coating the tile with melted gelatin and waiting for it to get to 65 degrees, then placing the film on top of the gelatin and using a roller to ensure full contact. I then gently pulled the film off the gelatin and the printed inkjet coating was absorbed into the gelatin. The process was initially described in a book entitled "Digital Art Studio".

If the DTF powder is essentially a water-based acrylic polymer, then I believe it may be functioning like the gelatin in that when it is melted by the heat it becomes a colloid that absorbs the inkjet layer from the film and the acrylic polymer's adhesive properties come into play as a function of pressure and drying.

This is all conjecture based on my experience with the process I outlined. I could be entirely wrong. If I am right- my theory would be that anything other than aqueous pigment ink will not work because of the need for the water-based chemistry in the receptor coating and ink.
Click to expand...
Yes, DTF are in principle waterbased pigment ink.
 
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