If there’s one thing I can tell you how to do on my channels, it’s how to decorate a t-shirt. T-shirt decoration has gone from the realm of handcrafting using tie-dye and puff paint to a huge world filled with technology. And much of that technology is becoming easier and easier for the everyday crafter to access.

But each type of technology has its advantages and disadvantages. And it’s important to know what you can do—and what you can’t do—with each type of t-shirt decorating method.

So in today’s post, we’re going to be comparing four different types of decorating methods: HTV (heat-transfer vinyl), sublimation printing, DTF (direct to film) printing, and white toner printing. These are all topics I’ve covered here on my blog and on my YouTube channel, but I’ve never done a big direct comparison of all four. I’ve linked to a lot of other tutorials through this post, if you’d like more information.

Watch the Video

Want to get a video overview all of these processes? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written overview.

The Best T-Shirts for Decorating

You all know that I am a HUGE fan of BELLA+CANVAS tees, so that’s what I’m using in my examples for t-shirt decorating in this post. I love that their tees are so soft and come in a wide range of colors and styles. I also love that they have eco-friendly business practices that make me feel confident in using their garments. They are the preferred tee of many small businesses as well as customers!

Check out their new HEAVY line, which features heavy-weight tees. These tees have a more boxy shape which is super trendy right now!

Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!

For sublimation, I am using a 100% polyester tee from another brand. This is because BELLA+CANVAS tees are primarily cotton so they don’t sublimate well. I did try sublimating their EcoMax tee, which worked pretty well, but I wanted to show what 100% polyester can do when it comes to color and vibrancy.

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

Heat transfer vinyl is a heat-activated transfer product that is cut on a cutting machine (like a Cricut or Silhouette) and then applied to a garment or other soft textile using a heat press. You may also hear this referred to as iron-on vinyl. It usually comes on a roll or in sheets. The most popular type of HTV is solid colors, but there are specialty HTVs, including patterned, holographic, glitter, etc.

HTV Process

Many crafters start with HTV if they get a cutting machine. You’ll create a design or use a design that has already been created. Your cutting machine will cut out your HTV. Then you’ll use a special tool called a weeding hook to remove the excess material so that only your design remains. The final step is to apply the HTV to a garment using a heat press or even a household iron.

HTV works best on garments and other soft textiles, however you can also use it on wood, canvas, and paper, making it somewhat versatile.

You can see the results of using the Plant Mom file on this BELLA+CANVAS dark gray heather tee. The single color pops off the dark gray shirt. A single color is cute, but wait until you see the more colorful versions below.

HTV Advantages

There are many advantages to using HTV, especially for beginners.

• It’s very easy to get started if you have a cutting machine and there are an incredible number of tutorials online for using HTV.
• Compared to the cost of the printers I’ll discuss in this post, a cutting machine and HTV are relatively inexpensive.
• It’s is great for making one-off projects, like a shirt for your kid’s school spirit day or matching shirts for a family reunion.
• With proper application and care, you can get up to 50 washes out of some HTV.
• Can be used on dark colors and most fabrics, including cotton, polyester, and blends. There are specialty versions like Stretch HTV for fabric with more stretch.
• Low time/temp brands, like Gimme5 from B-Flex, are particularly quick and easy to press.

HTV Disadvantages

Of course, no product is perfect so here are the disadvantages to using HTV.

• Cutting can be time-consuming, especially for detailed designs.
• Weeding can be time-consuming, especially for detailed designs.
• The HTV sits on top of the fabric and depending on the brand, can have a “bulky” feel.
• If not applied or cared for correctly, HTV can crack and peel up.
• You are limited to the colors and styles of HTV found on the market.
• Designs are usually single-color, though you can layer.

Best Uses for HTV

HTV is best for at-home users who want to cut and apply simple designs and text. While you can start a business using HTV, it does best for small-scale production. As your business grows, you will probably want to look at one of the following t-shirt decorating methods.

Sublimation Printing

Sublimation is a printer craft. You print out a design using a printer with sublimation ink and then you’ll use a heat press to transfer the design from the paper onto your substrate.

Sublimation can be used for way more than just garments. It’s a huge industry that just hit the at-home crafter a few years ago and many companies have taken advantage of the boom by creating fun and innovative sublimation blanks. You can find sublimation shirts, onesies, hoodies, hats, aprons, flags, mugs, tumblers, coasters, tiles, bookmarks, jewelry, pens, ornaments, and more.

There are two things you need for a substrate to work for sublimation: at least 65% polyester content or a poly coating on a hard blank, as well as a light color. The poly content allows the sublimation process to take place. And the light blank is because the ink is actually transparent. So putting it on a dark tee causes it to basically disappear.

Sublimation Process

The sublimation process is simple. Print out your design using a printer with sublimation ink (you can buy a sublimation-specific printer or you can convert a regular Epson EcoTank). Clean your substrate and tape your design face down. Then use a heat press to transfer the design to your blank.

Sublimation Advantages

Sublimation solves many of the problems that people have with HTV, while creating a few new ones. Let’s look at the advantages of sublimation first.

• Bright, vibrant full-color prints.
• A huge variety of blanks and new blanks hit the market daily.
• Compared to the other printing methods, you can get started with sublimation relatively inexpensively. You just need a sublimation printer and a heat press.
• The design becomes part of the substrate—you can’t feel it on the surface
• It’s extremely durable and washable. It will never crack or peel.
• It allows for all-over printing if you have the right equipment.
• No messy process.

Sublimation Disadvantages

I think the advantages of sublimation are some of the best, but the disadvantages might also help you decide whether or not its’s right for you.

• It’s limited to polyester and poly-coated surfaces. Not everyone wants to wear polyester garments.
• Dark-colored garments aren’t suitable for sublimation. Not everyone wants to wear white.
• It can smell. For some reason, sublimation tends to have sort of a fishy smell that some people find off-putting. It’s only while pressing, however—the final project doesn’t smell.

Best Uses for Sublimation

Sublimation is great for everyone from an at-home crafter with a converted printer to huge sublimation businesses running enormous printers and presses. If you are tired of HTV peeling and cracking and you want to make gorgeous full-color designs at a reasonable price at home, sublimation might be right for you.

Sublimation is also good for small businesses because you can easily make professional-level products at home. Being able to make a wide variety of projects can also be a great advantage for small businesses using sublimation.

DTF (Direct to Film) Printing

DTF printing is a printing method for transferring full color designs onto a variety of soft substrates, like t-shirts, tote bags, hats, and more. It involves printing your design onto a special film, applying and curing a powder adhesive, and then transferring the design onto your blank using a heat press.

DTF printing allows you to create vibrant, detailed, and durable custom apparel and other projects. The direct-to-film transfers are thin and soft and are really nice to the touch. It’s a super easy press, the peel is easy, and the feel of the transfers is so soft compared to HTV.

And because DTF printers use white ink, you can use these prints on any color garment, and you can use it on most fabric contents. This is definitely an advantage over sublimation, however DTF really only works on soft blanks. I’ve tested it on hard blanks and the only one I had good luck with was wood.

DTF Process

The process for DTF printing is much more involved than HTV or sublimation printing. You’ll use a specialized printer to print your design on film. Then you’ll carefully “powder” the wet ink by sifting a powdered adhesive over the wet ink. That adhesive then needs to be cured in a specialized oven. But after all of that, the press is super easy!

There are two ways you might go about DTF printing—having a printer in your home or ordering DTF prints online. Obviously the advantages and disadvantages will be different for these two options, so I’m going to do them both.

Ordering DTF Print Advantages

• No need to own an expensive printer.
• Easy to order from a wide variety of sites online.
• Transfers are ready to press.
• Bright, vibrant full-color prints.
• Works on a variety of fabrics, including cotton.
• Suitable for both light and dark fabrics.
• Soft feel when transferred.
• DTF prints can last 50 to 100 washes when applied properly.

Ordering DTF Print Disadvantages

• Time! You have to wait for your order to be printed and shipped to you before you can use the prints.
• Prints can be expensive.

Owning a DTF Printer Advantages

• Ability to print what you want, when you want.
• Bright, vibrant full-color prints.
• Works on a variety of soft materials, including cotton.
• Suitable for both light and dark fabrics.
• Soft feel when transferred.
• Good stretch to transfer.
• DTF prints can last 50 to 100 washes when applied properly.
• Great for small businesses.

Owning a DTF Printer Disadvantages

• There are safety concerns you’ll want to consider.
• Overall it’s a messy process that involves wet ink and powder.
• Takes up quite a bit of space for the printer, powdering station, and oven.
• The printer is expensive and requires a lot of maintenance.
• The printer can be temperamental and difficult to use.
• There’s a learning curve to get optimal results.
• Printing is slower than the other printing methods I discuss here.
• Software only works with Windows-based computers.
• Only good for soft textiles.

Best Uses for DTF

Owning a DTF printer is probably not for an at-home crafter who only wants to print occasionally. Because the printer requires nearly daily maintenance, owning a printer is better for small businesses that need a steady number of prints. But if you do have a small business, investing in a DTF printer setup might be great for creating both prints to use on all sorts of garments, as well as selling the prints themselves.

If you just want to give DTF a try without buying a printer, I would definitely order DTF prints from a DTF print seller! This is what I do.

White Toner Printing

White toner printing is similar to DTF printing in that you can print full-color images on film for use on most fabrics and all colors. The difference is in how the adhesive is applied. With white toner printing, instead of adding the adhesive as a powder, you combine your printed transfer with an adhesive sheet in a heat press.

White toner printing allows you to create vibrant, detailed, and durable custom apparel and other projects, including hard blanks and even things like mylar balloons. White toner transfers are thin and soft and are really nice to the touch. The feel of the transfers is so soft compared to HTV.

Process

Let’s look at the white toner process in more detail. Using a special toner-based printer (toner is powder vs. ink which is liquid), you’ll print your design. The printer is very fast and the ink is dry when it comes out of the printer. You’ll use your heat press to then “marry” your print with a sheet of adhesive in your heat press. The pressing itself is fairly simple as well—a press in your heat press and then a second press with a finishing sheet.

White Toner Advantages

• Bright, full-color prints.
• Works on a variety of fabrics, including cotton.
• Suitable for both light and dark fabrics.
• Can be used on more than just soft textiles, including hard blanks.
• Soft feel when transferred.
• White toner prints can last up to 50 washes when applied properly.
• Great for small businesses.
• Safer than DTF printing.
• No messy process.
• Takes up minimal space.

White Toner Disadvantages

• White toner printing tends to be the most expensive option of the bunch.
• Learning curve when it comes to the marrying process and pressing.
• Software only works with Windows-based computers.
• No black ink and it’s hard to get the blackest blacks using just cyan, magenta, and yellow.
• Transfers are less stretchy and may break down over time.

Best Uses for White Toner Printing

Because a white toner printer is expensive, the everyday at-home crafter is probably not the ideal customer. These printers are more for small businesses that want to make a wide variety of projects. That being said, if you have a big budget, then a white toner printer is much easier to have in your home than a DTF printer

What is the Best Method for T-Shirt Decorating?

As you can see, there are pros and cons with every method in this post. There really is no one-size fits all method that I think is the best. I personally have several Cricut machines for HTV, two sublimation printers, a white toner printer, and I order DTF transfers often. It really depends on what type of project I want to make, the amount of time I have, and what supplies I have on hand.

Take a look at what you want to do. If you want to make vibrant, full-color images without spending a lot of money, maybe a sublimation printer is for you. If you want to expand your thriving small business, a DTF or white toner printer might be a good option.

One nice thing is that you can order pretty much all of these types of transfers online at places like Etsy. You can order yourself an HTV transfer, a sublimation print, a DTF print, and a white toner print and do your own comparison to see what you like best.

I hope you found this comparison between t-shirt decorating methods helpful! If you have any questions about the methods I share here or other methods, please leave those down in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them.

The post T-Shirt Decorating: HTV vs. Sublimation vs. DTF vs. White Toner appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Today I’m sharing something that I’ve been avoiding for a few years—a tutorial on how to change ink in an Epson EcoTank printer. This tutorial is written with sublimation crafters in mind (learn how to convert an Epson EcoTank Printer) because ink manufacturers come and go and clogs are really common.

I’ve been avoiding writing this tutorial because it can be a messy process and while people ask me all the time how to do it, I haven’t really had any need.

But recently, Hiipoo sublimation ink has been more difficult to find and I’ve had even more people asking how to swap sublimation ink in an Epson EcoTank printer so that they can use a different brand of ink for their sublimation projects. So I’ve decided to finally give it a shot with my own Epson EcoTank ET-2850 so that you’ll have a clear tutorial on how to do it.

While this tutorial is designed for swapping out one brand of sublimation ink with another brand of sublimation ink, you can use option #4 to swap out regular printer ink for sublimation ink, or swap out sublimation ink for regular printer ink. Option #4 may also help you with big clogs that you cannot resolve by running print head cleanings, printing purge pages, or doing a power cleaning.

That being said, this fourth method is NOT guaranteed to work and I’m sure I’ll have some Epson service folks telling me not to share this. I get it! But if you’ve put sublimation ink in your printer, you’ve already voided that warranty. So it’s not like you’re going to make whatever problem you’re having worse—you already have a printer that doesn’t function after all!

Watch the Video

Learn how to do all four ink swaps in my YouTube video! Or keep reading for written instructions.

Option 1: Refilling the Ink Tanks without Emptying

It’s fair to assume many of the sublimation ink brands on Amazon are not manufacturing the ink themselves. They buy from a chemical manufacturer who sells to many different brands. Based on some unofficial testing (thanks to my friend Daniel), many of the different ink brands are most likely the same or very similar ink, just with different brand names. Many of these say ICC-free and Anti-UV and use an easy-fill bottle, and include Hiipoo, Printer’s Jack, and Aprone.

While it’s not guaranteed these are the exact same inks, I am comfortable topping off my own printer with one of those brands. So if you have one brand of ink in your printer now, you may want to consider just adding a similar brand when your tanks get low.

But like I said, no one can guarantee it. There’s a small chance that there might be a reaction between the two inks, causing it congeal, show color problems, or ruin the print head. It really depends on your risk tolerance. You’ve already voided the warranty by putting sublimation ink in a printer that wasn’t designed for it. Do you want to risk adding new ink to what you already have? Or would you rather empty the tanks and go from there?

Even though I would be willing to top off my own ink tanks, I wanted to write this for the benefit of fellow crafters and makers. So let’s talk about the options for the more risk averse.

Option 2: Dumping the Ink Tanks

While I was researching how to empty the tanks, I came across this post where the author basically turns his printer upside down and drains out the ink. This was very tempting since it looks fairly simple, but I also felt like it was absolutely a disaster waiting to happen because I am clumsy. I also though there was a higher chance for ink color cross-contamination.

I wanted to offer it here as another option in case you’re brave, but I am NOT this brave! I would love to hear in the comments if you give this one a shot.

Option 3: Emptying the Ink Tanks with Syringes

This next option was Daniel’s suggestion. It worked on one of his Epson EcoTanks but it did not work on mine. So these are his instructions—see if they work for your printer before moving to option #4! Because this didn’t work for me, I only have photos simulating what you’ll be doing.

There is a small amount of risk to swapping the ink using syringes. You could accidentally drip ink on the valves, contaminating the colors. There’s a chance ink could go everywhere. But the risks are generally low and the cost is reasonable.

Get everything you need to do the #3 ink swap in my Amazon shop!

In the link above, I have linked to the things you will need to do this ink swap. Because they are inexpensive, you may want to use a different syringe for each color. But you can wash your syringes between ink colors if you’d like. If you want to wash your syringes between ink colors, remember the chamber of the syringe and the tip must be dry before you remove the next color with it.

You’ll also want to have a plastic tray or bowl to put your dirty syringes, as well as a glass jar (I used an old jam jar) for your used ink. You might want to wear something you don’t care about just in case you have an ink disaster.

Step 1

Cover your work surface with a disposable, waterproof table covering.

Step 2

Prop the back side of the printer up so the ink flows toward the front of the tank. Don’t overdo it. Lifting up the back of the printer about an inch higher than the front should be enough.

Step 3

Open up the ink tank cover. Inside you’ll see the valve covers for each color. Open the valve cover for the first color you’d like to drain.

Step 4

Carefully insert the long tip of the syringe into the valve (this is where I had my issue—I couldn’t insert my syringe into the valve!). You’ll want the syringe to go all the way into the tank so you can pull out as much ink as possible.

Step 5

Carefully pull up on the syringe’s plunger, to draw the ink out of the tank. Unless you want to wear that color, do not pull the plunger up to more than an inch below the top of the syringe. Better to draw ink out in more than one try without out an ink explosion than trying to get it all in one go.

Step 6

Then pull the syringe out of the ink tank, and use the plunger to push the used ink in the glass container. Be careful so you do not spill or splatter the ink.

Step 7

Keep repeating this process until you can’t get any more ink out of the tank.

Step 8

Repeat with the other colors. I recommend using a completely new syringe and tip if possible. You can also clean your syringe, but it needs to be completely clean and dry before you use it again, even inside the long tip.

Step 9

You can choose to either top off the tanks as in option #1 above, OR you can print printer purge pages (grab those at the top of this post) until your printer is completely out of ink. You may be printing 30+ pages until all of your ink is gone. You can print the four-color printer purge page to start, and then the single color printer purge pages to more quickly empty your tanks as color start to run out.

Step 10

Disposing of the old ink is specific to your locality. You’ll need to research the proper way to dispose of your jar of used ink. If in doubt, call your local dump or sanitation department. Most localities will accept the ink as liquid hazardous waste—similar to leftover paint.

Now, refill your printer with the new ink.

Option 4: Completely Draining the Printer

This is basically the last resort. Honestly, it may or may not work for you and I make no guarantees. Do this one at your own risk! I highly recommend you watch my accompanying YouTube video, because it shows you in more detail what I am doing here.

This method may also work for clearing stubborn clogs that you couldn’t clear using my other method. This is because you are pulling ink through the lines as well as draining it out of the tanks.

There is a larger amount of risk to draining the entire printer. You could accidentally drip ink on the valves, lines, or dampers, contaminating the colors. You could break something important inside the printer. There’s a chance ink could go everywhere. It’s a mess, in general.

Get everything you need to do the #4 ink swap in my Amazon shop!

In the link above, I have linked to the things you will need to do this ink swap. Because they are inexpensive, you may want to use a different syringe for each color. But you can wash your syringes between ink colors if you’d like. If you want to wash your syringes between ink colors, remember the chamber of the syringe and the tip must be completely dry before you remove the next color with it.

You’ll also want to have a plastic tray or bowl to put your dirty syringes, as well as a glass jar (I used an old jam jar) for your used ink. You might want to wear something you don’t care about just in case you have an ink disaster.

Step 1

Cover your work surface with a disposable, waterproof table covering.

Step 2

Each Epson EcoTank printer is different, so you may have to modify these instructions for your machine. Karley Hall also has a good video for a larger Epson EcoTank 15000 which you may want to watch if you have that printer.

You want to start by removing the interior front panel from the machine to make it easier to access the ink lines. My printer had five screws to remove. Put the screws somewhere safe. You may want to take pictures as you go so you have a visual reminder of how your printer is put together.

Once you’ve removed the screws, remove the plastic panel and set aside.

Step 3

The printer head carriage may be locked to the right of the machine. If so, power your printer on and run a print head clean. While the print head carriage is unlocked for the cleaning, unplug the printer. This will allow you to move the carriage while the printer is off.

(Is there a better way to do this? I have no idea, but it worked!)

Step 4

Remove any screws holding the cover on the print head carriage. I just had one small screw but you may have more.

Carefully remove the cover from the carriage and set aside.

Step 5

Now you have access to the ink lines and dampers. Remove the first damper using the tab at the back. I found the other ink lines got in the way, so go carefully.

Step 6

Then remove the tubing from the damper. I spilled a bit of ink on every one I tried, so make sure you have those paper towels handy, along with fresh gloves.

Step 7

Place the syringe into the end of the tube, creating a tight seal.

Then pull the ink through the lines and out of the tanks. Unless you want to wear that color, do not pull the plunger up to more than an inch below the top of the syringe. Better to draw ink out in more than one try without ink coming out of the wrong end of the syringe.

Step 8

Then pull the syringe out of the tube, and use the plunger to push the used ink in the glass container. Be careful so you do not spill or splatter the ink.

Step 9

Keep repeating this process until you can’t get any more ink out of the tank.

Step 10

In the video, I tried removing the ink from the dampers themselves. I wouldn’t really recommend it now that I’ve done it. Instead, I would print more printer purge pages (get them at the beginning of this post) to get rid of the ink in the dampers. It’s just too messy and not very effective to try and draw ink out of the dampers using the syringe.

Step 11

Replace the damper back into the carriage. Clean up any drips or spills that you may have caused in the process of removing the ink.

Step 12

Repeat this process with the other colors. I recommend using a completely new syringe and tip if possible. You can also clean your syringe, but it needs to be completely clean and dry before you use it again, even inside the tip.

Step 13

Assemble the printer. Add the cover back onto the print head carriage. Then screw back on the front plastic panel.

Step 14

When you turn your printer back on, it will most likely complete the print head clean that you started earlier in this process.

Step 15

Now you’re going to print as many printer purge pages (grab those at the top of this post) as it takes to completely drain the ink. You may be printing 30+ pages until all of your ink is gone. You can print the four-color printer purge page to start, and then the single color printer purge pages to more quickly empty your tanks as the colors run out.

In total, I had to do 16 purge pages before I finally was getting a blank page.

Step 16

Disposing of the old ink is specific to your locality. You’ll need to research the proper way to dispose of your jar of used ink. If in doubt, call your local dump or sanitation department. Most localities will accept the ink as liquid hazardous waste—similar to leftover paint.

Now, refill your printer with your new ink!

I hope you found this tutorial to change ink in an EcoTank printer helpful! If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them. And check out my book The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Crafting for even more sublimation fun!

Print

4 WAYS TO CHANGE INK IN AN EPSON ECOTANK PRINTER

Want to change brands of ink in your Epson EcoTank printer or deal with a stubborn clog? Here are four (yes four!) ways to change ink in an Epson EcoTank printer, including one way to drain it entirely!

Author Cori George

Ingredients

• Free Printer Purge Pages #S25

Instructions

• The following instructions are designed for swapping out one brand of sublimation ink with another brand of sublimation ink, you can use option #4 to swap out regular printer ink for sublimation ink, or swap out sublimation ink for regular printer ink. Option #4 may also help you with big clogs that you cannot resolve by running print head cleanings, printing purge pages, or doing a power cleaning.

  For options #3 and #4 you'll probably want a set of printer purge pages. These pages allow you to use a lot of ink when printing, so you can empty the tanks more quickly. See Supply list.
• Option 1: Refilling the Ink Tanks without Emptying

  It's fair to assume many of the sublimation ink brands on Amazon are not manufacturing the ink themselves. They buy from a chemical manufacturer who sells to many different brands. Based on some unofficial testing, many of the different ink brands are most likely the same or very similar ink, just with different brand names. Many of these say ICC-free and Anti-UV and use an easy-fill bottle, and include Hiipoo, Printer's Jack, and Aprone.

  It's not guaranteed these are the exact same inks, So if you have one brand of ink in your printer now, you may want to consider just adding a similar brand when your tanks get low.

  No one can guarantee it. There's a small chance that there might be a reaction between the two inks, causing it congeal, show color problems, or ruin the print head. It really depends on your risk tolerance. You've already voided the warranty by putting sublimation ink in a printer that wasn't designed for it. Do you want to risk adding new ink to what you already have? Or would you rather empty the tanks and go from there?

  This was written for the benefit of fellow crafters and makers. So let's talk about the options for the more risk averse.
  
• Option 2: Dumping the Ink Tanks

  While researching how to empty the tanks, found this post where the author basically turns his printer upside down and drains out the ink. This was very tempting since it looks fairly simple, but I also felt like it was absolutely a disaster waiting to happen and thought there was a higher chance for ink color cross-contamination.
• Option 3: Emptying the Ink Tanks with Syringes

  This next option was a friends suggestion. It worked on one of his Epson EcoTanks. See if they work for your printer before moving to option #4!

  There is a small amount of risk to swapping the ink using syringes. You could accidentally drip ink on the valves, contaminating the colors. There's a chance ink could go everywhere. But the risks are generally low and the cost is reasonable.

  This link, is linked to the things you will need to do this ink swap. Because they are inexpensive, you may want to use a different syringe for each color. But you can wash your syringes between ink colors if you'd like. If you want to wash your syringes between ink colors, remember the chamber of the syringe and the tip must be dry before you remove the next color with it.

  You'll also want to have a plastic tray or bowl to put your dirty syringes, as well as a glass jar (an old jam jar works well) for your used ink. You might want to wear something you don't care about just in case you have an ink disaster.
• Step 1 – Cover your work surface with a disposable, waterproof table covering.
• Step 2 – Prop the back side of the printer up so the ink flows toward the front of the tank. Don't overdo it. Lifting up the back of the printer about an inch higher than the front should be enough.
• Step 3 – Open up the ink tank cover. Inside you'll see the valve covers for each color. Open the valve cover for the first color you'd like to drain.
  
• Step 4 – Carefully insert the long tip of the syringe into the valve (this is where I had my issue—I couldn't insert my syringe into the valve!). You'll want the syringe to go all the way into the tank so you can pull out as much ink as possible.
• Step 5 – Carefully pull up on the syringe’s plunger, to draw the ink out of the tank. Unless you want to wear that color, do not pull the plunger up to more than an inch below the top of the syringe. Better to draw ink out in more than one try without out an ink explosion than trying to get it all in one go.
• Step 6 – Then pull the syringe out of the ink tank, and use the plunger to push the used ink in the glass container. Be careful so you do not spill or splatter the ink.
• Step 7 – Keep repeating this process until you can't get any more ink out of the tank.
• Step 8 – Repeat with the other colors. It is recommend using a completely new syringe and tip if possible. You can also clean your syringe, but it needs to be completely clean and dry before you use it again, even inside the long tip.
• Step 9 – You can choose to either top off the tanks as in option #1 above, OR you can print printer purge pages (grab those at the top of this post) until your printer is completely out of ink. You may be printing 30+ pages until all of your ink is gone. You can print the four-color printer purge page to start, and then the single color printer purge pages to more quickly empty your tanks as color start to run out.
• Step 10 – Disposing of the old ink is specific to your locality. You’ll need to research the proper way to dispose of your jar of used ink. If in doubt, call your local dump or sanitation department. Most localities will accept the ink as liquid hazardous waste—similar to leftover paint.

  Now, refill your printer with the new ink.
• Option 4: Completely Draining the Printer

  This is basically the last resort. Honestly, it may or may not work for you and no guarantees are made. Do this one at your own risk! It is highly recommend you watch the accompanying YouTube video, because it shows you in more detail what is being done here..

  This method may also work for clearing stubborn clogs that you couldn't clear using the other method above. This is because you are pulling ink through the lines as well as draining it out of the tanks.

  There is a larger amount of risk to draining the entire printer. You could accidentally drip ink on the valves, lines, or dampers, contaminating the colors. You could break something important inside the printer. There's a chance ink could go everywhere. It's a mess, in general.

  This link, is linked to the things you will need to do this ink swap. Because they are inexpensive, you may want to use a different syringe for each color. But you can wash your syringes between ink colors if you'd like. If you want to wash your syringes between ink colors, remember the chamber of the syringe and the tip must be dry before you remove the next color with it.

  You'll also want to have a plastic tray or bowl to put your dirty syringes, as well as a glass jar (an old jam jar works well) for your used ink. You might want to wear something you don't care about just in case you have an ink disaster.
• Step 1 – Cover your work surface with a disposable, waterproof table covering.
• Step 2 – Each Epson EcoTank printer is different, so you may have to modify these instructions for your machine. Karley Hall also has a good video for a larger Epson EcoTank 15000 which you may want to watch if you have that printer.

  You want to start by removing the interior front panel from the machine to make it easier to access the ink lines. The printer used for these instructions had five screws to remove. Put the screws somewhere safe. You may want to take pictures as you go so you have a visual reminder of how your printer is put together.
  
• Once you've removed the screws, remove the plastic panel and set aside.
  
• Step 3 – The printer head carriage may be locked to the right of the machine. If so, power your printer on and run a print head clean. While the print head carriage is unlocked for the cleaning, unplug the printer. This will allow you to move the carriage while the printer is off.
• Step 4 – Remove any screws holding the cover on the print head carriage. Printer used for these instructions, just had one small screw but you may have more.
  
• Carefully remove the cover from the carriage and set aside.
  
• Step 5 – Now you have access to the ink lines and dampers. Remove the first damper using the tab at the back. The other ink lines can get in the way, so go carefully.
  
• Step 6 – Then remove the tubing from the damper. Make sure you have those paper towels handy, along with fresh gloves.
  
• Step 7 – Place the syringe into the end of the tube, creating a tight seal.
  
• Then pull the ink through the lines and out of the tanks. Unless you want to wear that color, do not pull the plunger up to more than an inch below the top of the syringe. Better to draw ink out in more than one try without ink coming out of the wrong end of the syringe.
  
• Step 8 – Then pull the syringe out of the tube, and use the plunger to push the used ink in the glass container. Be careful so you do not spill or splatter the ink.
  
• Step 9 – Keep repeating this process until you can't get any more ink out of the tank.
• Step 10 – In the video, removing the ink from the dampers themselves was tried, but it is not recommend, Instead, print more printer purge pages (get them at the beginning of this post) to get rid of the ink in the dampers. It's just too messy and not very effective to try and draw ink out of the dampers using the syringe.
• Step 11 – Replace the damper back into the carriage. Clean up any drips or spills that you may have caused in the process of removing the ink.
• Step 12 – Repeat this process with the other colors. It is recommend using a completely new syringe and tip if possible. You can also clean your syringe, but it needs to be completely clean and dry before you use it again, even inside the tip.
  
• Step 13 – Assemble the printer. Add the cover back onto the print head carriage. Then screw back on the front plastic panel.
  
• Step 14 – When you turn your printer back on, it will most likely complete the print head clean that you started earlier in this process.
  
• Step 15 – Now you're going to print as many printer purge pages (grab those at the top of this post) as it takes to completely drain the ink. You may be printing 30+ pages until all of your ink is gone. You can print the four-color printer purge page to start, and then the single color printer purge pages to more quickly empty your tanks as the colors run out.
  
• Step 16 – Disposing of the old ink is specific to your locality. You’ll need to research the proper way to dispose of your jar of used ink. If in doubt, call your local dump or sanitation department. Most localities will accept the ink as liquid hazardous waste—similar to leftover paint.

  Now, refill your printer with your new ink!

The post How to Change Ink in an Epson EcoTank Printer: 4 Ways! appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you don’t have a sublimation printer, and you’re looking at buying one, there is a new option from Brother. The Brother SP1 sublimation printer is a new entry into the sublimation printer market, though they’ve been making other consumer printers for a long time.

• Buy the Brother Sublimation Printer from Amazon
• Buy the Brother Sublimation Printer from Best Buy

In this post, I am going to share all about this new Brother sublimation printer, including how it works, how to use it with the Artspira app, as well as my overall thoughts about this printer. I will also compare it to the other sublimation printers I have, including a converted Epson EcoTank printer and my Sawgrass printer.

If you’re new to sublimation, sublimation is a printer craft that allows you to print vibrant, full color images and press them to all sorts of blanks. This includes garments, drinkware, home decor items, and more. You can learn more about sublimation in my post The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Printing & Crafting.

Note that sublimation prints need to go on polyester or poly-coated blanks—don’t buy this printer thinking you can put these prints on dark or cotton garments!

Check out my Amazon shopping list for all my must-have sublimation supplies!

Watch the Video

Want a video overview of this printer? Check out my video! Or read on for all the details.

What is the Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer?

There are quite a few sublimation printers on the market right now, and this printer marks Brother’s entrance into the sublimation game. Sublimation has exploded in the consumer space in the last few years, so I’m not surprised to see more and more companies joining this expanding market.

One big thing that makes this Brother printer different than the other printers on the market is the Artspira app, which can be used on a mobile device. Printing from a phone or tablet to one of the other sublimation printers can be tricky, but this app makes it a bit easier. We will go into how to use the Artspira app later in this post.

The dimensions of this printer are really nice. It’s only 17.1” wide x 13.5” deep x 6.2” high and would fit easily in a smaller craft space. It prints up to 8 1/2 x 14” (legal) paper in addition to the regular 8.5″ x 11″, meaning you can make some slightly larger prints.

I have to say, I am not the biggest fan of the artwork physically on this printer. It feels a bit like a PowerPoint presentation. My husband now calls it my “Trapper Keeper” printer. I really wish they had just kept it simple and white.

Brother Sublimation Printer Price

The Brother sublimation printer is priced at the mid-level of consumer sublimation printers. At $399, it’s more expensive than converting an Epson EcoTank printer, it’s under the Epson F170 sublimation printer which is $449, and it’s less than the Sawgrass printers which start just above $500

Ink will run you $39 a cartridge or $156 for all four colors. To refill a converted Epson Ecotank you’re looking at $25 for all four inks, for the Epson sublimation printer it’s around $100 for all four, and for Sawgrass it’s $244.

Overall, it’s reasonably priced and should appeal to a wide variety of crafters at this price point.

Brother Sublimation Paper

You’ll get 10 pieces of sublimation paper along with the printer. A new pack will cost you around $35 for 100 sheets, which is more than some of the other sublimation paper brands I use, including A-Sub and HTVront which are less than $20 for a pack of 100 sheets.

One feature I do like about the Brother sublimation paper is that there is a small notch cut out of the corner. This makes it easy to know which side to put down in the printer—the notched corner should be in the bottom right in the tray. A great little feature…but worth the extra $15 per pack? Probably not, for me at least. Many other sublimation paper brands just put a watermark on the back of the paper instead, so it’s easy to know which side is up.

Brother sublimation paper only comes in 8.5″ x 11″—if you want the larger 8.5″ x 14″ legal size, you’ll need to buy another brand.

Setting Up the Brother SP1

Setting up the printer is very simple. I unboxed it and plugged it in. I loaded the four ink cartridges into the right front of the printer, shaking them a bit and snapping them in easily. This might have been the easiest ink I’ve ever loaded into a printer…and I have a lot of printers.

Brother is pushing their Artspira app, but you can, of course, also use the printer from your regular computer. If you have a regular computer, I would definitely recommend using it vs. the app, as you’ll see.

To download the correct drivers for your computer, go to the Mac drivers or the PC drivers, depending on what type of computer you have. Then follow the onscreen instructions to install the drivers to your computer. It went fine for me—mostly clicking “next” and once having to press the wifi button on the home screen of the printer itself.

Once my printer was successfully installed, I went to my Mac’s Printers screen and saw it wasn’t actually there. So I clicked on the + sign and easily added it to my printer list, and it will now show up as a printer option when I go to print from my different software programs. You may need to do something similar if you are on a PC.

Artspira App

The Artspira app was clearly designed for Brother’s other offerings—cutting machines, embroidery machines, and regular printers. Since I got this sublimation printer right when it launched, the sublimation offerings in the software are…minimal. There are currently three free sublimation files and none of them are really coded for sublimation. Not exactly great right out of the gate.

You can upgrade to the Artspira+ subscription plan for $12.99 a month, which gives you access to a whole bunch of things you won’t need for your printer, including 7000 embroidery designs and 3000 cutting machine designs. Right now there are maybe 30 premium sublimation designs, so I’m really not sure that subscription plan is worth it until they really build out the sublimation part of the app more. There are a lot of regular printing designs that could be used for sublimation, but the search also leaves a lot to be desired.

This app would also really benefit from some sublimation templates. Right now you can resize things in inches, but it would be great to have templates for things like 12oz and 15oz mugs, 20oz tumblers, etc.

The one nice thing about thing about the app is that you can easily upload photos. So if you want to sublimate photos you have on your phone, this is a pretty easy way to do it. Just upload to the app, resize and print.

This app has potential, but it’s really not there yet for sublimation. But if you don’t have a computer, you can use this app to print your files and photos more easily than you can printing to an Epson or Sawgrass printer from your mobile device.

Other Sublimation Software

The Brother sublimation printer doesn’t come with any additional software beyond the mobile app. So if you are going to print from your computer, you’ll need to choose your own program. Depending on your graphic design skills and budget, one of these posts might help:

• Sublimation Software: What’s Best for Your Needs?
• How to Use Google Docs for Sublimation Crafts
• How to Use Cricut Design Space for Sublimation Crafts
• How to Use Photoshop for Sublimation Crafts

I was able to print from Photoshop just fine!

Printing Speed

I did notice that this printer is much slower than my Sawgrass printer, in particular. I’m pretty sure it’s slower than my converted Epson as well. I couldn’t find specifications for print speed, but it is significantly slower. If you’re looking to do a higher volume of prints, you may want to think twice about the Brother.

Brother SP1 Color

One of the main things I look for in a sublimation printer is how well the color is rendered for my prints. If you’ve used a converted Epson EcoTank printer, you can know that getting correct sublimation color can be very difficult. But because this is a sublimation specific printer, the color is dialed in. Which means that right out of the box, I had really great color with this printer.

For sublimation, your color will look terrible out of the printer. It will look dull and faded and your colors won’t look right. But the magic comes when you press. That sublimation ink on the paper bonds with the polyester or poly coating of your blank and your colors should look amazing.

I was impressed with both the color and print quality of the Brother sublimation printer. And really, this is probably the most important point—do the images look good once I’ve pressed them onto my blank? And it’s a resounding yes for the Brother sublimation printer.

Brother SP1 Maintenance

Once of the big differences between converting an Epson EcoTank printer and buying a sublimation-specific printer is maintenance. I have to say, there wasn’t a lot of information about any maintenance required for this machine until I really dug into their user manual.

The manual does say “the machine automatically cleans the print head when needed” but I am not sure if this is a daily cleaning or if it somehow detects ink clogging or issues and does the cleaning then. I haven’t noticed it running an automatic cleaning, but I also haven’t had it very long.

The nozzle check out of my printer was perfect on my first try and I haven’t had an issue since I started using it. I am going to let it sit for a few weeks soon so I can see if it does, in fact, clog like other sublimation printers often do.

I couldn’t figure out how to run a nozzle check or cleaning from my computer like I can with my Epson, but it was easy to run both of these processes from the screen on the printer itself.

Overall Impression

This is a great sublimation printer! Set up was pretty easy and I am really pleased with the overall quality and color of the prints. It’s a nice small size and is a great price point for entry-level sublimation crafters.

Compared to a converted Epson EcoTank, the Brother printer clearly wins. It may be a bit more expensive, but you don’t have to deal with color issues that come with a converted printer, and I have high hopes for less clogging.

Compared to the Sawgrass printer, it’s close. Even though it can be glitchy, I do like that Sawgrass has their own software that really is tailor-made for sublimation, including templates and all of the print settings you might need for sublimation printing. I also have a Sawgrass SG1000 and I love being able to print on the larger 11″ x 17″ paper. But the Brother sublimation printer is pretty comparable to the SG500 in features outside the software.

My biggest issue with the Brother SP1 is with the Artspira app—they are trying to cram sublimation into an app built for embroidery and cutting machines. There’s a long way to go before I think it will be really useful for the average sublimation crafter. But if you don’t have a desktop computer and you want to get into sublimation crafting, this app, even with all its faults, will let you do that.

• Buy the Brother Sublimation Printer from Amazon
• Buy the Brother Sublimation Printer from Best Buy

If you end up getting the Brother SP-1 Sublimation Printer, let me know what you think of it in the comments!

The post The Ultimate Guide to the Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you’re looking to take your garment decoration methods to the next level and move beyond HTV and sublimation, then a DTF printer might be next on your list! DTF stands for “direct-to-film” and it’s a step up from other methods I’ve shared here on my blog and YouTube channel.

In this series on DTF printing, I’m going to introduce you to this printing method and share why it might be a good fit for you. Today I’ll give you an in-depth overview of DTF printing, and then in future posts we’ll go into the actual DTF printer setup and maintenance, using your DTF prints to make all sorts of projects, as well as tips and tricks for making your DTF projects even better. We’ll even test DTF prints on some blanks they weren’t designed for to see if they work!

The DTF printer I’m sharing is the DTF Station Prestige A4 printer from Heat Transfer Warehouse. This is a smaller DTF printer, perfect for crafty small businesses who don’t need a huge print-shop set-up. Still, it’s a big step up in price compared to other garment decoration methods I’ve talked about here before—but it might be worth it for you!

Watch the Video

Would you rather watch a video outlining DTF printing? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written overview of this printer process.

What is DTF Printing?

DTF printing (direct-to-film printing), is a printing method for transferring full color designs onto a variety of substrates, like t-shirts, tote bags, hats, and more. It involves printing your design onto a special film, applying and curing a powder adhesive, and then transferring the design onto your blank using a heat press.

DTF allows you to create vibrant, detailed, and durable custom apparel and other projects. The direct-to-film transfers are thin and soft and are really nice to the touch. I was very impressed when I pressed my transfers to different garments. It’s a super easy press, the peel is easy, and the feel of the transfers is so soft compared to so many other transfer methods.

There are five DTF ink colors. The normal CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black)…and also white! This means you can use DTF transfers on all sorts of colored garments, unlike sublimation. It also doesn’t require any cutting or weeding, like HTV, or “marrying” like a white toner printer.

That being said, DTF technology is still in its infancy in the printing industry. Think of it like an early iPhone—revolutionary for its time, but when you look back now, there’s a long way to go to get where we are today. Getting into DTF printing now means you’re getting in on the ground floor of this printing method—but the technology can still be a bit rough, as you’ll see in upcoming posts. But I imagine that in a few years, we’ll be seeing even better printers and processes that are easier to use.

I had friends at Printing United, the country’s largest printing trade show, and they said DTF printing was everywhere on the show floor. This means that more and more companies are recognizing the potential of DTF printing. And the more companies that get in the game, the faster the technology will advance.

So it’ll depend on whether or not you are an early adopter who wants to take advantage of getting to know this process early…or if you’d like to wait a bit for the industry to level out a bit!

Who is DTF Printing Good For?

Because the cost of entry for DTF printing is higher than something like a cutting machine or sublimation printer, most DTF printer buyers are small business owners, not hobbyists. A DFT printer is good for a smaller print shop making custom clothing because the smaller machines (like the Prestige A4) max out printing about 9 square feet per hour. So depending on the size and complexity of your images, you may be able to print 40 to 50 high-resolution prints a day.

And because DTF printers require regular maintenance, the best customers for a DTF printer are those printing regularly. I’ll talk more about maintenance in an upcoming post.

Perhaps you already have a sublimation business and you’re looking to expand your product line to dark and cotton garments. Or maybe you want to open a small t-shirt shop for your local craft fairs and boutiques. Or maybe you want to just sell the long-lasting prints to other people on Etsy or locally for them to apply to their own garments. These are all examples of users who might want a DTF printer.

This also means that I’m not the ideal customer for this printer! I don’t personally make products to sell and if I had this printer, I know it would end up as a clogged brick because I wouldn’t use it enough.

So instead of buying this printer for myself, I decided to head to Heat Transfer Warehouse in Fargo, ND to spend a few days with my friend Angie Holden learning how to use this printer with the help of the Heat Transfer Warehouse pros. We spent several days working with the DTF Station Prestige A4 printer so that we could accurately share our experience with it with you!

This is also why you’ll notice that my photos aren’t in my normal colorful studio!

The Basic DTF Process

I’ll go into this process in depth in upcoming posts, but here’s the basic process you’ll use for making DTF transfers.

1. Set up your printer: Get your printer all set up with the inks in the tanks.
2. Upload your design to the software: Upload a PNG file to the RIP software and choose the settings that best work with your garment.
3. Load the film: Load the DTF film into the printer, making sure it’s straight.
4. Print the design: Send the design from the software to the printer and the printer will print the transfer.
5. Apply the adhesive: After the transfer finishes printing, dust the back with the hot-melt powdered adhesive.
6. Shake off excess adhesive: Dump any extra adhesive powder back in the bin where you applied it, and flick your transfer to remove any excess adhesive.
7. Cure the adhesive: Heat up the adhesive using either a curing oven or your heat press (see my notes on safety below).
8. Apply the transfer using a heat press: Press your transfer to your garment for 15 seconds at 325° using firm, medium pressure.
9. Peel back the film: Peel back the film—you can do this while the transfer is warm or cool.
10. Final press: Using a pressing cloth, give the garment one final press to fully adhere the transfer.

What Types of Blanks Work with DTF Transfers?

Generally high quality soft blanks, like garments, will get the best results with DTF. You can transfer a DTF print onto cotton, polyester, or a blend of those two fabrics, and you can use any color you’d like, including dark colors. My favorite blanks are BELLA+CANVAS blanks!

BELLA+CANVAS blanks have been my go-to brand of blanks for a long time now because they have such a wide selection of colors, silhouettes, and sizes.

They even have a FWD Fashion line that has a lot of trendy and modern garments that you won’t find with other retailers. They are perfect for making really unique DTF projects! Think cropped hoodies, baby tees, tie dye tees, raw-neck tees and more.

Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!

I will also be doing some testing of DTF on hard blanks, including glass, wood, and metal, but after chatting with the folks at DTF Station, I have my doubts about the durability of DTF on hard blanks. We’ll see how those tests go in the future!

What DTF Software Do I Need?

You’ll need a RIP software for any type of DTF printer. This is a type of software that turns (“rips”) your regular image into the type of image needed for DTF printing. The Prestige A4 machine comes with RIP software called DigiRIP, which is great, since it can be several hundred dollars to purchase on its own.

You’ll want to upload PNG files with a transparent background to the software. This means you can either purchase designs somewhere like Etsy, or you can design your own using software like Photoshop, Affinity Designer, or Silhouette Studio. If you’re familiar with sublimation images, these are often great for DTF printing.

The biggest problem is that the DigiRIP software for the A4 is only for PCs. As a Mac user, this is…not my favorite. If you want to get into DTF printing and you have a Mac, you will need to purchase a small PC laptop so you can run the software. The software runs really light, so you can choose an inexpensive PC, but again, that’s comes at a price.

How Do DTF Prints Wash?

When printed and applied correctly, DTF prints can last 50 to 100 washes. You can use standard washing and drying for DTF garments—no need to use a delicate cycle or line dry. I’ll be doing a wash test, so stay tuned for that.

How Much Does a DTF Printer Cost?

Getting started with DTF printing isn’t cheap, so make sure it’s the right process for you before investing in your equipment.

There are lots of DTF printers out there but I can only speak to this Prestige A4 machine. Heat Transfer Warehouse sells machine bundles with the Prestige A4. To start, I’d recommend the printer and curing oven bundle, which just under $4000 and includes DTF inks, hot melt powder, and some other essentials I’ll go into using in an upcoming post. This is what we used at Heat Transfer Warehouse and it’s a great setup to get started.

You can also level up with things like an automatic powder shaker or dryer unit, which can speed up your workflow.

You can find cheaper DTF printers from China on Amazon or Alibaba, but I have to say that the service you get with DTF Station makes it worth the extra cost. These printers are not the easiest to maintain and if you choose a printer from a company that doesn’t offer support, you honestly might be screwed if you have a difficult clog or a printer head issue. The support we’ve gotten from DTF station has been fast and helpful, plus they have weekly classes to help you make the most of your DTF printer.

How Does DTF Compare to Other Methods?

If you’re familiar with other methods of decorating garments, let’s look at how they compare to DTF printing.

DTF Printing vs. HTV

HTV (heat transfer vinyl or iron on vinyl) is a heat-activated adhesive-backed vinyl that is cut on a cutting machine (like a Cricut or Silhouette), weeded, and applied to a blank with a heat press. HTV is generally one color, though you can layer it or buy patterned HTV. While DTF is also transfer applied with a heat press, it’s a four-color printed process that is much thinner, nicer to feel, and lasts longer. A cutting machine and HTV is much less expensive than DTF printing, so it’s perfect for hobbyists.

Learn more about using HTV

DTF Printing vs. Sublimation

If you have a small sublimation business and are currently turning down orders because you can’t do dark or cotton fabrics, DTF printing may be the solution. And it will last longer than sublimation hacks like glitter HTV or EasySubli. Sublimation inks actually bond to the surface of your blank…provided it’s polyester/poly-coated and a light color, limiting your substrate options. But you don’t feel the transfer at all. Sublimation can be used on a wider variety of hard and soft blanks, including apparel, drinkware, home decor items, and more, whereas DTF is best for garments and others soft blanks. Sublimation is generally less expensive than DTF.

Learn more about sublimatiom printing

DTF Printing vs. Screen Printing

Screen printing is another popular way to decorate garments that involves squeegeeing ink over design screens to create an image. Screen printing can be great for large batches (especially if you have the right equipment) and screen prints wash and wear really well. And you can screen print on most fabrics, as well as a variety of other blanks, including some hard blanks like signs.

But screen printing often has a limited number of colors (you’ll need a separate screen for each color in your image), while DTF gives you four-color transfers. Screen printing also has a lot of set-up—you have to cut and make the screens using one of a few processes, whereas DTF printing is just a print. That being said, once you have the screens, you can move a lot faster than a DTF printer can print, so screen printing is often better for larger orders. Screen printing is generally less expensive than DTF printing, depending on your set up.

Learn more about screen printing

DTF Printing vs. White Toner Printing

White toner printing is yet another way to decorate garments, and like DTF printing you can print vibrant full-color images. Instead of liquid ink, it uses powdered toner to print the designs. Because it contains white toner in addition to the normal toner colors, you can use white toner prints on many fabrics and dark colors. You can also use white toner prints on hard blanks like mugs as well as unique blanks like mylar balloons.

White toner printing does require a “marrying” process for the adhesive which can be a bit complex and time-consuming. White toner printers are generally more expensive than DTF printers, but require significantly less maintenance because there is no ink that can clog the printhead. You can let a white toner printer sit for months without an issue.

I am planning on getting a white toner printer (I think it’s a better choice for my particular needs!) so I should have a review soon.

DTF Printing vs. DTG Printing

There’s one other type of full-color printing that is common for some print shops and that is DTG printing—Direct to Garment. This means you literally put your shirt or other blank inside the printer and the image is printed directly on the garment, allowing you to skip the powdering and curing steps of DTF printing. You can also print to film using these printers, like DTF.

DTG garments require a pre-treatment before printing and is best on cotton since polyester can repel the ink. DTG printers are generally the most expensive of the options here (think the price of a starter car). I doubt I’ll ever get into DTG printing personally, but it’s an option that you may want to look at if your small business is growing.

Learn more about DTG printing

DTF Printing vs. Supacolor

I recently did a review of Supacolor transfers, which are similar to DTF transfers. But instead of printing them yourself, you order them from Supacolor and they send them to you. The transfers are pretty similar—both are full-color transfers that can be used on a variety of fabrics in any color and both are easy to use. Supacolor transfers have a slightly thicker feel, but they should wear similarly to DTF. Of course ordering them is more expensive per print than if you were printing them on your own printer, but there’s no cost for the printer itself.

Learn more about Supacolor

EcoTank DTF Printer Hack

There’s also a hack where you can put DTF ink in an Epson EcoTank printer, similar to hacking the same printer for sublimation. You’d use the same powdering and curing process as described above. You can then use the prints on cotton fabrics.

The problem is…those printers don’t have a tank for white ink. Which means, as far as I understand, that you’re still limited to using light colored fabrics since the inks aren’t opaque and you really need that white ink to get images that pop on dark fabrics. I’m not sure this hack is worth it just for light cotton garments, plus I have safety concerns because most crafters using this hack use their heat press to cure the adhesive.

DTF Printer Safety Concerns

One of the reasons I haven’t written about DTF printing until now is that I had some real safety concerns and I wasn’t comfortable exploring it until I knew a bit more, and the folks at DTF station helped me prepare. My main safety concerns are with the adhesive. The adhesive is a “hot-melt” powdered adhesive that you have to pour and shake over the printed transfer.

To cure it, you have to heat it.

My concern was two-fold:

• When powdering the transfer, how bad is it to breathe in the powder?
• When curing the powder, how bad is it to breathe in the fumes?

The answer is—neither is good. This is adhesive we’re talking about. While the adhesive is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified (which means it’s been tested to make sure it doesn’t contain certain harmful substances), no one wants adhesive micro-plastics in their lungs. So I took several safety precautions that I’d recommend to anyone using a DTF printer.

The first is to wear proper safety gear when powdering your transfer. I wore an N95 mask (you could also wear a respirator), safety glasses, and gloves. I also washed my hands regularly and showered when I got home after testing the printer because that powder does tend to drift and settle. After a day of printing I felt a bit…gritty.

Second, I highly recommend getting the curing oven with your DTF printer. Yes, the cost is higher but with a charcoal filter, it’s so much safer than curing your adhesive by hovering it under a heat press. There’s nothing to stop all those adhesive fumes from escaping into your craft space with a heat press (not to mention, it’s so much faster with the oven—60 seconds compared to three or four minutes under a heat press). I also recommend running an air purifier and/or opening windows while you’re working.

I think sometimes we think we’re invincible—oh, I can’t really see it so it won’t hurt me. But really, we need to be taking safety precautions any time we’re working with anything that could harm our health.

Buying DTF Transfers

After seeing my next few posts about setting up a DTF printer and printing and using transfers, you decide that a DTF printer ISN’T for you, I’ve got good news! Heat Transfer Warehouse recently started selling custom DTF transfers.

So if you don’t want a printer or if you want to try out the vibrant colors of a DTF transfer before you invest in a printer system, you can do so through Heat Transfer Warehouse. And unlike something like Supacolor, they do not currently have a minimum order quantity, so you can order a single transfer if you’d like!

I hope you found this overview of DTF printing helpful. In my next post, we’ll go over the setup and maintenance required for the DTF Station Prestige A4 machine, and then after that I’ll show you how to print and press these high-quality prints!

The post The Beginner’s Guide to DTF Printing appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

It’s time to upgrade my sublimation printer! When I first got into sublimation, I converted a regular Epson EcoTank printer into a sublimation printer by adding sublimation ink. It’s worked pretty well for me for the last year, but I am ready for an upgrade. Enter my new Sawgrass SG500. It’s designed for sublimation and I’m so happy to have one in my craft room!

In today’s post I’m going to share all the details about the Sawgrass SG500 and why I like it. You can also check out my full sublimation printer comparison post, where I talk about the differences between the Epson and the Sawgrass in more detail, as well as talk about the Epson F170.

Visit my Amazon shopping list to find everything you need to get started with your Sawgrass printer!

Video Overview

Watch to see my video overview of the Sawgrass SG500, plus I make a quick project to show you how easy it is to use!

What is a Sublimation Printer?

If you’re new to sublimation, you’ll want to check out my post The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Printing & Crafting for a more in-depth overview. But to make it short, sublimation is a process for transferring a printed image to a blank. But not just any printer to any blank. You need a sublimation printer with sublimation ink, and you need a polyester or poly-coated blank.

The special sublimation ink is designed to create a chemical process when heated—your design is transferred from the printed sheet to your blank and it’s actually infused in the surface. It’s vivid, it’s permanent, and it’s a lot of fun! But you do need a sublimation printer with that specific ink to do sublimation crafting.

What is Sawgrass?

Sawgrass is a sublimation printer company. This is what they do—they make “fully integrated” sublimation printers. This means that their printer, their ink, and their software are all designed to work together. And, as you’ll see in this post, they are pretty darn good at what they do. In addition to being the industry leader in desktop sublimation printers, they also have stellar customer support, which I’ll touch on later.

What Printers does Sawgrass Sell?

All prices current as of April 2024.

Sawgrass has two printers designed for at-home crafters and small businesses:

• Sawgrass SG500: This printer prints 8.5″ x 14″ and retails at $624
• Sawgrass SG1000: This printer prints 11″ x 17″ and retails for $1574

You’re probably thinking that this is significantly more than a converted Epson printer…and you’re right! If it’s out of your budget, that’s totally okay. But if you want a more sublimation-specific printer without a lot of the problems that come with a converted Epson printer, you may want to start saving up.

Sawgrass Set Up

Normally, in a post like this I’d walk you through setting up your printer. But Sawgrass actually has an onboarding team to do it for you. You can sign up for a time to meet with one of their customer service reps over Zoom (don’t worry, you can have your camera off) and they’ll remote in to your computer and do all of the set up for you. It’s all complementary when you buy a printer!

This is a great option because as my rep was going through the process, I was thinking, “this isn’t particularly straightforward and I’m glad she’s doing it for me!” They can also troubleshoot any issues as they go and make sure both the printer and the software is installed correctly and working.

The Sawgrass SG500

I have the Sawgrass SG500, so that’s what I’ll be sharing in this post. It’s about the size of a standard inkjet printer and looks very similar. You have the paper tray at the bottom, and the prints come out the center of the printer.

There’s a control panel on the front that’s pretty similar to any other printer control panel.

And then there’s the ink on the side. The inks are sort of tall and narrow and are very easy to install.

Underneath the ink cartridges is a fifth cartridge. This is the waste tank, which I’ll talk about more in a bit.

Sawgrass Ink Options

Speaking of ink, of course this printer has sublimation ink instead of regular ink. If you’re looking at getting a Sawgrass, you’ll have a few options:

SubliJet Ink

SubliJet ink has been the standard ink for Sawgrass printers. It creates beautiful, vivid color for all your projects.

EasySubli Ink

But now there’s also EasySubli Ink (which I have) which gives you one more option. It’s designed to work with Siser EasySubli sheets. Special drying agent so that you can use sublimation on cotton or dark fabrics. The prints may be ever so slightly less vibrant than the SubliJet ink, but I’ve been very happy with my prints so far using this ink.

ChromaBlast Ink

There’s actually a third ink, ChromaBlast. This is not an ink that Sawgrass promotes much for crafters—it’s for soft blanks only and it’s not quite like sublimation ink. The colors may be a bit brighter, but you can use it on blanks like t-shirts, and it sits on top of the material instead of becoming infused in the material like sublimation. For almost all everyday crafters, I’d suggest the EasySubli or SubliJet over the ChromaBlast.

Color Management

When talking about sublimation ink, we always need to talk about color management. Color management is one of the things that people really struggle with when using a converted Epson printer.

The great thing about the Sawgrass printer is that it has built-in color management. The printer knows that it has sublimation ink and has been specially programmed to lay down the color accurately. After struggling with color for so long with my Epson, the built-in color management of the Sawgrass is the biggest benefit for me. No messing with ICC profiles or wondering why your pinks look orange or your greens are super teal. It all should work, right out of the box.

I’ve been really impressed with all my prints from my Sawgrass SG500 so far—they are vivid and the color is true to life.

Maintenance

Maintenance is another big difference between the Epson and the Sawgrass. I mentioned that waste tank above, so let’s talk about that a bit more. Sublimation ink is formulated in a way that causes it it clog more easily than regular printer ink. Therefore it needs to run through the lines more often—letting it sit means your printer heads can clog.

To prevent this from happening, the Sawgrass has an auto-clean function. On a regular schedule, the printer pushes a bit of ink through the lines to keep the print heads from clogging. This extra ink is collected in the waste tank I mentioned above. Yes, this does use ink, but I think overall it’s better than dealing with clogged print heads.

You will need to replace the waste tank. I recommend keeping one on hand just in case yours becomes full and you need to keep printing!

Software

There are two software programs that come with your Sawgrass.

The first is Print Manager, which is a very simple way to print your images. It’s a program that’s installed on your computer. In Print Manager, you can change the type of substrate you are using, and the printer will formulate how the ink lays down according to your selection. You can also make changes to the layout on the page (like adding more than one image) as well as mirror your project for printing. You can also print from other programs (like Photoshop) to Print Manager quickly and easily.

They also have Creative Studio, which is their design software. This is internet-based (you open it in an internet browser). For example, if you want to make a certain size t-shirt or a dog tag or an oval slate (see below), all of those templates are built in to Creative Studio. This makes it super helpful for using with sublimation, because something like Photoshop doesn’t have any built-in templates.

I’ll be doing a deep dive into both of these software programs soon!

Customer Service

Like I said earlier in this post, you can opt to get your machine all set up and running with a Sawgrass agent, but their customer service doesn’t stop there. If you have any issues at all, Sawgrass has a team ready to help. I haven’t had my printer long enough to need any service, but I’ve heard good things in our Sublimation Made Simple FB group about the Sawgrass customer service team. Having issues with your color, streaky printing, ink clogs, the software or anything else—just reach out to their team.

Overall Impressions

I haven’t had my Sawgrass for long but I already love it. While I think the Epson is a good budget option, especially for those just getting into sublimation, the Sawgrass definitely raises the bar on just about every feature. Yes, it’s more expensive and I totally understand if it’s not in your budget—we’re all just working with what we got! But if you really want to dive more into sublimation with fewer issues and you can swing it, I would definitely get yourself a Sawgrass!

The post The Beginner’s Guide to the Sawgrass SG500 Sublimation Printer appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Are you ready to dive into sublimation printing? While sublimation printing has been around for quite some time, it’s become more accessible and popular with everyday crafters. What used to be a professional printing option is now something you can have access to in your own home. Pretty cool!

Before you can start sublimation printing, you’ll need to decide what kind of printer you will use. You can purchase a sublimation-specific printer, which is often more geared toward professional printing, or buy a standard inkjet printer that can be converted into a sublimation printer.

Today I’ll be walking you through the pros and cons for each so you can make the best choice for your crafting needs.

Want to learn more about sublimation printing? You can check out all of the posts in my sublimation printing series here (this list is updated as more posts are added):

• The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Printing & Crafting
• What’s the Difference Between Sublimation, Cricut Infusible Ink, and HTV?
• How to Convert a Printer for Sublimation
• ICC Profiles & Color Management for Beginners
• Sublimation Software: What’s Best for Your Needs?
• The Best Sublimation Blanks and Substrates for Crafters
• Must-Have Sublimation Supplies and Tools
• Sublimation Paper Comparison
• Heat Press Machine Comparison for Sublimation Crafters
• Using Sublimation Prints with the Cricut Mug Press
• The Beginner’s Guide to Sublimation on Ceramic
• Troubleshooting Sublimation Printing
• Sublimation Cheat Sheets for Time, Temperature, Pressure & More!

Join our Sublimation Made Simple Facebook group for tips, tricks, support, and resources!

Sublimation Printer Options

There are a lot of sublimation printer options out there, but I want to focus on printers that are the most accessible to the everyday crafter. I have personally used a Sawgrass printer (an older SG400 model), and there’s a newer Epson that’s also on my radar that I’ve listed here:

• Sawgrass SG500 (8.5″ x 11″ printing)
• Epson SureColor F170 (8.5″ x 11″ printing)

If you want a printer for larger images, the price increases dramatically. The Sawgrass SG1000 (11″ x 17″ printing, or larger if using the bypass tray) is about $1000 more than the SG500 for example.

I expect that printer manufacturers will start producing these smaller sublimation-specific printers as the market for these machines grows. Hopefully this will start to bring the price point down as well.

Sublimation Conversion Printer Options

At the time of this post, Epson is the only company that makes a regular inkjet printer that can be converted. Any Epson EcoTank printer will work, as long as it has four colors (a few of the higher-end models have an additional gray reservoir, and this isn’t compatible with the sublimation inks on the market).

I swear, Epson has a new EcoTank printer out every week so direct links would be outdated quickly, so here are places you can find these printers:

• Epson EcoTank printers from Amazon
• Epson EcoTank printers from Target
• Epson EcoTank printers from Best Buy

Make sure you are purchasing an EcoTank printer—other Epson printers that use ink cartridges will not work.

Other inkjet printers, like those made by Canon or HP, have an ink heating element that makes them unable to be converted properly.

Learn all about how to Convert an Epson EcoTank Printer for Sublimation—the EASY Way!

Sublimation Printer Comparison

Now let’s take a look at the differences between a sublimation printer and a conversion!

Hardware and Ink Costs

Sublimation-Specific Printer:

Sublimation printers are generally the more expensive option. Currently, the Epson SureColor F170 is the least expensive option available, and it’ll run you around $399. Epson’s sublimation ink will run you about $24 a bottle for each color, and you can buy colors individually which is helpful if you use more of one color than others (often black).

The Sawgrass printers and ink are more expensive ($500 and up). It will also cost you $77 per color cartridge to replace the ink, and you can buy individual colors as well. You can use after-market ink cartridges found on sites such as Amazon, but Sawgrass doesn’t recommend using any non-Sawgrass inks as print performance may not be optimal, it will void your warranty with Sawgrass, and over time can cause damage to the printer. While more expensive, Sawgrass printers are the quality-standard, especially if you’re looking to turn your sublimation hobby into a business, so paying more might be worth it for you in the long run.

Converted EcoTank Printer:

Inkjet printers are much cheaper than the sublimation-specific printers (about half the price), which make them a popular option for any hobby crafter beginning their sublimation journey. Epson EcoTank printers can be found as low as $199, which makes them much more accessible for many crafters than the more expensive sublimation-specific printers.

Inks for converted printers are much cheaper too. You can get a pack of four inks for around $24. Problem is, in almost all cases you have to buy all four colors of ink at once instead of buying them individually as needed. My personal favorite ink is Printers Jack. Their sublimation paper works well, also. You’ll find many crafters use this brand, as their products are reliable and well-priced, plus they often have black ink available individually vs. within the pack.

Technical Support

Sublimation-Specific Printer

Let’s start with Sawgrass. You also can’t beat the customer support provided by Sawgrass and its distributors. If you have an issue with setup, you can call and have a live person walk you through the process (sometimes even remotely through your computer). They’re knowledgeable and willing to troubleshoot with you.

Because I don’t own the Epson F170, I can’t speak to their customer service, though I see no reason they wouldn’t help you out if you’re having issues!

Converted EcoTank Printer:

You won’t have any Epson support with a converted inkjet printer because the printer is not meant for sublimation. Once you convert it, you void the warranty and support isn’t available. It would be like converting your Toyota Corolla into a boat and then wondering why Toyota technicians won’t work on it.

Support groups such as my Sublimation Made Simple Facebook group can help if you’re struggling! There are lots of people with real-life experience in these sorts of groups and you can usually find help quickly and easily.

Color Management

Sublimation-Specific Printer

Color management can be so tricky…but not if you have a sublimation-specific printer! Color management is built into the printer so there’s no need to install or fumble with color profiles or other color management. You should have gorgeous, true-to-color prints straight out of the box. And if you’re struggling, Sawgrass or Epson support should be able to help. This is one of the biggest benefits, in my opinion, to spending more on a sublimation-specific printer.

Converted EcoTank Printer:

Color management on a converted printer, however, can be a struggle. Some folks have great color withotut making any tweaks and others (*raises my own hand*) struggle to get correct colors. Often, you’ll need to install an ICC profile on your printer to help manage the color. Even then, you may still see different colors based on your substrate/blank, the humidity in your craft room, the age of your ink, and more. Depending on your set-up, you may find yourself doing a lot of testing to get your prints to look the best.

Software

Sublimation-Specific Printer

With a Sawgrass printer, you have access to its free design software, Creative Studio. The program comes with sublimation templates for many popular blanks/substrates. It’s simple to design or upload an image and know you’re getting the sizing just right. No guessing or other design programs needed! You can always use outside programs if you’d like, as well.

Epson’s sublimation printer does NOT have a built-in software like this, so it’s more like the EcoTank below.

Converted EcoTank Printer:

While converted printers don’t come with specific design software, you can truly use whatever program you are most comfortable with. I’d recommend Photoshop, Inkscape, Illustrator and even Cricut Design Space. Color management may be tricky within some of these, so I’ve written posts on how to use ICC profiles in both Design Space and Photoshop, if needed. Be on the lookout for posts on additional programs as well.

Maintenance

Sublimation-Specific Printer

A Sawgrass printer has very little (if any) maintenance—as long as you keep it turned on. The printer will perform a routine print head cleaning every so often. This helps your printer from getting clogged.

One thing to note, however: if you don’t use your printer very often, you may end up wasting more ink through the cleaning cycles than you actually use to print. This can be very costly (especially if you’re using brand name inks). This may be something you’ll want to consider before making your printer decision.

An Epson sublimation printer needs to have its printer heads cleaned manually, just like a converted printer. You can learn more in my post Sublimation Printer Maintenance for Converted Printers.

Converted EcoTank Printer:

Unlike a Sawgrass printer, you will need to manually clean your printer heads from time-to-time. Thankfully, this is a fairly simple process. You also need to take some extra care when refilling your ink. However, none of this should scare you away. If you’re interested in learning more, you can read my post, which covers converted printer maintenance.

Pros and Cons of Each Printer Option

Whether you decide to convert a sublimation printer or purchase a sublimation-specific printer is a personal decision. To make the decision (hopefully) a bit easier for you, I’ve outlined a few of the pros and cons that I’ve discovered for each.

Sawgrass Sublimation Printer

Pros:

• Printer comes with color profiles installed. No additional color management or ICC profiles are needed—color should be great straight out of the box.
• Direct technical support through the manufacturer or distributor.
• Printer performs its own routine maintenance automatically.
• Includes Creative Studio software with sublimation templates.
• No outside software needed. Inks colors are sold individually.

Cons:

• Higher startup cost of equipment.
• Manufacturer ink is expensive. You can use third-party inks, but it will void your warranty.
• If you do not print often, the printer will waste a lot of ink during the automatic printer head cleanings.

Epson Sublimation-Specific Printer

Pros:

• Printer comes with color drivers installed.
• No additional color management or ICC profiles are needed—color should be great straight out of the box.
• Less expensive than Sawgrass and other sublimation-specific printers.
• Direct technical support through the manufacturer or distributor.
• Ink colors are sold individually.

Cons:

• Printer does not perform routine maintenance. It must be run manually.
• No specific design software. You must run your prints through an outside design program like Photoshop or Affinity Designer.
• More expensive than an Epson EcoTank conversion.

Converted Epson EcoTank Inkjet Printer

Pros:

• Much lower initial startup cost than a sublimation-specific printer.
• Ink costs less and you have the option of choosing multiple third-party options.
• Can print just as effectively as a sublimation-specific printer if you are able to dial in the color correctly with an ICC profile.

Cons:

• Less support. Your inkjet printer warranty is voided when you convert it to a sublimation printer.
• Color management can be overwhelming for new users.
• No specific design software. You must run your prints through an outside design program like Photoshop or Affinity Designer.
• Printer does not perform routine maintenance. It must be run manually.
• Most ink comes in a four-pack and not individually.

Many factors go into this choice, like your budget, experience level, whether you plan to sell products—and honestly just personal preference! You’ll find that most sublimation hobby crafters are using a converted printer simply because there’s a lower cost to getting started. Folks who really get into sublimation crafting and turn it into a small business often end up upgrading to a sublimation-specific printer.

Remember, I’m always here for help if you need additional information beyond what’s here in this sublimation printer comparison. You can email hello@heyletsmakestuff.com at any time. Our Facebook group is also chockfull of great information and resources!

Research Sublimation Printer Conversion Options

The post Sublimation Printer Comparison: To Convert or Not to Convert? appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.