Impressions - August 2017 - 34

Step 2:
The final "URBANA GRIFFINS" design encompassed the entire
front of shirt. Such a design can command a premium price because
it requires more time, effort and ink to print.

This exposes a portion of the platen to the print head and possible
print area. To prevent ink from being printed there, put a piece of paper under the shirt to cover the exposed area. This will allow printing
off the edge of the shirt, if desired.
It's also important to ensure the print head will not brush against the
shirt as it enters the printer. Some DTG printers have automatic
sensors that will tell you if the shirt sits low enough. If your machine includes this feature, use it. If not, you can lower the platen to
allow the seam's highest point to clear the print head when printing.
If your printer has a relatively stationary platen and doesn't allow vertical adjustment, printing over seams may be tricky, if not impossible.
Step 2:
Printing the shirt is straightforward once everything is set. Be careful
when removing the paper if a portion of the image was printed onto
it. Pull it away without touching the shirt. Once the paper is removed,
the shirt can carefully be picked up, placed on the heat press and cured.

ALLOVER PRINTING
One of the fun and challenging aspects of the DTG process is printing on the front of an entire shirt, including sleeves. The process isn't
difficult, but requires more attention to detail and changing the print
execution to achieve desirable results.
When printing over shirt sleeves and seams, remember to ensure
the shirt is flat in the heat press. Smooth out every wrinkle on the top
and bottom. Also, align the front and back as accurately as possible.
A skewed shirt can lead to wrinkles that turn into pleats, which are
nearly impossible to remove without using a steamer.
Once the shirt is as flat as possible, use a short, medium-to-high
pressure setting on the heat press to remove any moisture, resulting
in a smooth, thin, printable surface.
The following steps can helpful when printing allover designs:
Step 1:
The shirt is loaded so that the entire right sleeve is on the platen.

HAVE FUN
Using a DTG printer to decorate more than the standard front and back
designs can be intellectually stimulating and rewarding. It forces you to
think outside the box, become more creative and - in the process -
it gives you new skills and sales tools for existing and new customers.
You don't have to turn down a job that seems too difficult. If you
think through the process, and plan and print accordingly, exciting
new doors can open in the DTG world and help set you apart from
other shops in town. 
Brian Walker has been active in the apparel-decorating business since the
mid-1980s and has owned a screen-printing business, developed quoting and
pricing software, and also launched a successful online DTG equipment and
supplies business. He currently is involved with i-Group Technologies, makers
of Viper pretreatment machines; Image Armor inks and pretreatments; and is
founder of RTP Apparel, which supplies pretreated shirts for the DTG printing
industry. For more information or to comment on this article, email Brian at
brian@igrouptech.com.

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