Convert an off-the-shelf inkjet printer to print directly to T-Shirts

[[Atari]]

Several commercial "direct to garment" printers are based on off the shelf Epson inkjet printers.

I would like to create plans to develop our own conversion.


Would anyone like to join me in this project?


I would like to work with someone (via instant messenger, or video chat?) who has skills to make this project a reality. I can provide ideas, information, testing, support, and funding for parts and printers to cannibalize.

You should have experience with servo and/or stepper motors and control, XY linear motion projects and construction, interfacing new designs with existing ones (hooking into Y feed of the printer), creating your own circuits, as well as prototype PCB design & fabrication.


PM for more information if you're interested.

 

[CheapSlider]

www.inkjetgarmentprinters.com

Sounds lmore appropriate to **broken link removed**

 

[[Atari]]

Does it? Did you see the replies in that thread from people in the industry?

(or the name of the thread starter?)


We're well beyond the stage of getting information on what printers to use and why, what ink to use and why, the process of printing & curing, etc.




Now it's pretty much all about building a Y axis table or conveyor of some sort and interfacing it to the printers Y axis feed.


I would think that topic would be much more suited for a forum like this.

 

[Hero999]

How do you prevent the ink from comming off in the wash?

Do you need to use special cartridges or something?

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

I am into stepper motors, programming, new to PICs and have a small machine shop. I made one machine/program that ingraves a bitmap picture in aluminum using printer parts.
Let me know what you have.

 

[[Atari]]

How do you prevent the ink from comming off in the wash?

Do you need to use special cartridges or something?

Printers using pigment based ink will work. You need to use a t-shirt heat press to "cure" the ink for ~10-15 seconds after making the print.

I've tested this using a cheap epson C88 and taping a swatch of cotton to a piece of thicker cover paper and printing on it.

The print holds up very nicely through many washes.


Anyway, the Epson 2200 or 4800 is what we would want to experiement with since these are the printers that several commercial direct-to-garment printers are based off of.

 

[Hero999]

So if I iron or bake paper in the oven after it's been printed on an inkjet it won't run if the paper gets wet?

 

[[Atari]]

So if I iron or bake paper in the oven after it's been printed on an inkjet it won't run if the paper gets wet?

Not sure about baking or ironing (try it?) but if you use:

- a commercial quality t-shirt heat press
- pigment inkjet inks (i.e. stock Epson Durabrite pigment ink works fine)

Then it'll stay without running.


An iron might work, I'm not sure what temp they go to though... I have a 16x20 press here and heated it at about 325F for 10 seconds to cure it.

I should mention that this is usually the standard process for many of the $10,000+ commercial direct to garment printers as well.
(with slight variations in time and temp depending on each mfg's suggestions, inks and garments used.)

 

[john1]

Hi,

Reading this with great interest, cos i have often been annoyed by
my inkjet letter addressses being smudged or run from getting wet
during the delivery or collection process.
So i may try this type of printhead in my printer to see how it goes.
( At present i am using a laser unit, but i would prefer an inkjet )

But it occurs to me that a little dilution of ink would be lost in
a wash, but the same may not apply to paper, as it would not be
rinsed away, but may stay near the print and dry to leave a stain.

Maybe 'Atari' could try a bit on some paper, to see how well it works.
330 deg F is 165 deg C.

John

 

[[Atari]]

Hi,

Reading this with great interest, cos i have often been annoyed by
my inkjet letter addressses being smudged or run from getting wet
during the delivery or collection process.
So i may try this type of printhead in my printer to see how it goes.
( At present i am using a laser unit, but i would prefer an inkjet )

But it occurs to me that a little dilution of ink would be lost in
a wash, but the same may not apply to paper, as it would not be
rinsed away, but may stay near the print and dry to leave a stain.

Maybe 'Atari' could try a bit on some paper, to see how well it works.
330 deg F is 165 deg C.

John

Interesting... I've done some direct mail stuff as well. I know the high volume mailers use the ultra fast INKJET address printers made by Bryce, Pitney Bowes, etc... I've wondered about the bleeding. I just use a couple of HP5si's and a envelope feeder with cards. Not very fast compared to the inkjet labeleres unfortunately .

But yeah... I would think water resistant archival quality ink & a couple of drying lights placed over a conveyor on your output would help your smudging problem. Not sure if you've seen the lights they have attached to some printing presses, but same sort of idea. Get the ink dry before another item slides on top of it from the output.

You're pretty much screwed if you have smudged cards unless you're doing ECRWSS mailings where the postman would know by sequence where the damaged card is probably addressed to. Even then, you're at the mercy of the postman - if he's having a bad day, he might can it anyway

 

[Sceadwian]

Emulsifiers are great things... Modern ink jet printer inks use extra chemicals which allow two otherwise insoluble things to mix very evenly together, like pigments and the water required for an ink jet printer to function. Driving out water after printing will allow the pigments to settle into the paper threads and disable the emulsifier, either by simple evaporation or chemical passivation, air pretty much does that to everything, heating can help. Good ink jet inks simply use the right emulsifier and pigment combination.
I work in a metal finishing plant and the strangest things I've seen there so far is the oil we use for our phosphate process. They say water and oil don't mix, but the emulsifiers they use in this stuff make it work. 5-8% oil, the rest is water. Heat it afterwards and you're left with an extremely thin layer of otherwise very dense oil embeded within the phosphate layer. Lets you put an oil that's otherwise as thick as heavy grease on a part while being nearly dry to the touch afterwards.

 

[neon]

off the shelf no way the ink is water soluable it will print ok but never washable print a picture any picture get wet and you will get the idea. there is solutions buy the right ink and make it continious ink supply you might have something there.