Merakit Printer Dtg.pdf

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Homemade DTG printerThis description shows you how did I build a Direct To Garment printer with a readymadeEpson printer from the market. Before you try on your own, you really need to be aware thatit is not an easy task. I strongly suggest you have a greater search on Internet to deeplyunderstand what you are doing for. There was no guarantee to lead you into success withthe information from this description.

Basic concern and plan:1. Ink type

There are several types of inks in the market. Dye based ink and pigment based ink arethe basic and only the pigment based ink will suitable for printing on garment with somefinishing process applied (resin coating, heat press, etc.).

Heat pressing is the main secret; it makes ink drops and coating layer malt into fabric toachieve the permanent and washing resistant result. The coating layer is basically provideaddition protect on the printed image and giving a deeper malt into fabric to hold the inkdrops stronger and therefore a longer image life. By the latter experiment printing, the clearAcrylic enamel (water based) is good enough to provide such effect. Of course,Polyurethane related resin should give an even better result theoretically, but it is morecostly.

Within the main brands of ink suppliers, only Epson is clearly states their ink’s type anddetail to each cartridge model. How ever, the Epson ink cartridge come with the chip it mayleading you to buy their new ink cartridges again and again before you actually use off theink.

Epson DuraBrite Ultra ink is the pigmentbased ink.

The DTG specified ink is for garment. It is nothing more than a pigment based ink withsome additive to improve the performances. But chosen a right brand to match the existingprinter head will be a hard and costly issue, which is out of scope of this description.

2. The offthepeg printer

To convert an offthepeg printer to a DTG printer you need cut off all the parts under thepaper feeding roll and using the paper feeding motor for your transmit ion carrier. Sochoose a printer with less metal components under the paperfeeding roll and with astepping motor for paper feeding will make you easier. A printer using DC motor with aposition encoder for paper feeding is not a good idea for such case. It may provide you alot of problem unless you are really knows about it. In this case I choose the Epson stylusT20 printer for my DTG printer.

3. My plan

With the material I have, I decide to have a rolled external transmit carrier bad to movingthe object under through the printer head and using the origin paper feeding roller with thestepping motor to drive it up. And, the modified printer need still having the head cleaningfunction


450

Printing object holder (Height adjustable)

300

85

750

The steps:1. Disassemble the printer and taking out the paper feeding roll and the stepping motor.Do not

break any parts and any cables.

2. Cut off the part under the paperfeeding roller from the original case to enable theprinting object

moving through under the printing head freely.

works. This requires keeping the printer’s head parkingbay as it was and have a way todrive the head cleaning gear moving synchronal with the external transmit carrier.Wooden base

Printer

Feeding belt

Paper feeding roller & gears Disassembled from printer


30

70

225

265


3. Extend the cable of stepping motor for 50 cm. Please make sure that the cableyou chosen have enough diameters for the current flow.

3. Make the roller transmit carrier with the paper feedingroller and some other rubberrollers,

which are come from other resource.


400

4. Cut off the printhead positioner from the paper tray gear system. This gear will attach tothe

headcleaning unit and make the cleaning unit moving on.

====================================================================A big trick here is that Epson T20 printer uses this piece plastic, said positioner, todetermine the printhead position data during the boot up stage. Without this pieceplastic will drive you into crazy, you will never get printer working for you. It ispainful and time consuming to


figure it out if you ignored this piece plastic. So, you need observe your printercarefully and have the plan to make it still functioning.=================================================================

Positioner

5. Reassemble the printer head parking bay and headcleaning unit

Printer head parking bay

6. Reassemble the printer head and it’s moving track system back to its position


7. Reassemble the printer head parking positioner gear with a timing belt or similar stuff.


Cut this bit off


positioner

8. Mount printer onto my transmit carrier base


9. Extend the paper sensor’s trigger

This belt drives print head positioner and headclearing unit


10. Place the modified cover back

11. Mount the power unit


12. The wasted ink collector

13. Make a garment holder with highness adjustable


14. Install software to PC and follow the instruction provided by Epson to set upmodified

printer. Then have fun with your printer.

Merakit Printer Dtg.pdf

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