What’s the best T-Shirt printing machine that is available on the market? In reality, there are tons of different models and options. So how do you choose the best T-Shirt printing machine for your needs? Well, let’s take a look at what you need to look for in these machines.
Higher DPI: The higher the DPI, the better! As we all know, screen printing takes you to make different prints for each color, usually with a separate sheet of paper. That means that if you’re printing a few small t-shirts, you’ll only need to burn a single copy to the screen. However, since you might be printing many t-shirts, this would add to the total cost very much. So, the best way to go is to go for a machine that has a higher DPI.
Sublimation Technology: All printers can produce ink when heated from below. This is called sublimation technology and is one of the most popular printing technologies being used today. A sublimation machine works the heat from a computer or laser is emitted onto the garment being printed on. The ink then goes below the surface of the fabric and is absorbed by the material.
How long does it take? The actual time it takes to manufacture a T-Shirt will depend on the type of machine you get. Some of the cheaper printers take as little as 30 seconds to start up! However, the most modern printers can take as much as an hour to start up. Therefore, here are some pros and cons to consider:
How good is the print quality? A T-Shirt printing machine is only as good as the ink that is used in it. Thus, the ink selection is significant. If you are looking for quality T-Shirt prints, inkjet printers may be your best bet. However, if your budget is $100 or more, a Sublimation Printer will be your best bet.
Heat Transfer Paper: Some T Shirt fabric has a shiny finish that cannot be produced by heat transfer paper. At the same time, other T-Shirts are made with the heat transfer paper already included in the machine. As such, these T Shirt fabrics require heat setting or heat conduction to get the shiny finish. While this may sound like a con, it is not since any T-Shirt fabric can achieve a glossy finish.
Can you handle small orders? – The number of items that you can print per running job depends on the machine you buy. For example, a T-Shirt printing machine can print hundreds of shirts per hour. A laser printer can go faster; however, it will cost you more in the long run. If you are a small business, you may want to consider using a T-Shirt manufacturer’s machine since it will only need to be used one time for small orders. You will not have to go back and forth setting up and taking down machines for each different customer.
Will you need a program to help you operate the T-Shirt manufacturer? T-Shirts are easy to design, but designing them to look good on the customers’ bodies requires a bit of technical expertise. A T-Shirt printing machine has a software program that can help you do this. The software will let you change colors, logos, text and make other changes that you might need to complete depending on the style of the t-shirt that you are designing. This is something that a T-Shirt printer cannot do for you; therefore, you might need to purchase additional software to use with your machine.
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