Images Magazine Digital Edition October 2018

TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 24 images OCTOBER 2018 D i rect-to-garment (DTG) printing has now been around for a good number of years. It is probably fair to say that from a machine performance point of view, DTG was a little slow off the starting block, but since its introduction, a number of changes have occurred. A big issue at the beginning was with the washability of the prints being produced. The inks were initially ‘lumpy‘, which meant that they didn‘t look right when they were laid down, caused blockages in the print head and weren‘t durable. This was a cause for concern because people needed to believe that the DTG process could work and trust in the garments being produced before investing in machinery. So began a huge learning curve for everyone involved. The machine manufacturers were still learning about the inks and the ink producers were still learning about the machines. After a few years of trial and error, the technical trust between the two parties was formed alongside good, solid, working relationships. The inks produced by all the manufacturers today are the next generation, having been refined many times over. The chemical composition and additives used are completely different and the inline filters that are used are highly effective. The inks are now produced by bigger and more established ink producers on a larger scale, ensuring a higher quality, consistent results and an overall improved performance. Brother, for example, now uses Innobella inks that work with the Brother GTX and promise vibrant, longlasting prints. Pre-press adjustments If we take a look at the garments being printed, some, if not all, need a pre-press. This has the dual purpose of removing any excess moisture and flattening the pile, which provides a smooth, moisture-free base for the print. The extra few seconds this takes really does make a difference to the Sean Barker Sean Barker of GS UK dispels the myth that DTG prints don‘t wash as well as screen prints Printed by Sean on the Brother GTX; artwork by Graffia Customs