GETTING STARTED IN DIGITAL GARMENT PRINTING

Equipment

The only equipment you need to get started in digital textile printing is an i-Dot for printing garments and a heat press for curing them. However, you may find these items helpful:

To avoid loss of power in the middle of printing, it’s a good idea to connect the printer and computer to an uninterrupted power supply (UPS).
If you plan to print on dark or colored garments, you’ll need a power sprayer to apply the pretreatment, and you’ll need to use the heat press to cure the garments after pretreatment.
If you’re printing garments with uneven surfaces (like zippered sweatshirts) or other, non-garment substrates, you may need specialized pallets.

Space & Environmental Requirements

Obviously, you need room for the i-Dot and heat press. i-Dot and a heat press can get by in a space as small as 7’ x 7’, but more space makes printing and curing easier. The i-Dot package includes a PC—and a built-in stand to support it—so there’s no need for a separate computer station.

The workspace should be relatively free of dust and lint. It should have good ventilation, with humidity between 50% and 85%. This may require the use of a humidifier for dry climates or a dehumidifier for damp climates.

If you plan to print on dark or colored garments, you will want a separate, well-ventilated area to apply and cure the pretreatment. Since it’s more cost effective to use the same heat press to cure both pretreatment chemicals and printer ink, consider putting the heat press on a rolling cart so it can be easily moved between the two areas.