Auto Pre-Treating and Curing for US Market

Digital direct to garment printing is still fairly new to the market but it has certainly made an impact. In making small orders of full colour printed t-shirts economically viable it has opened up a whole new market which more and more people are taking advantage of. When printing onto white t-shirts the process couldn�t be simpler � just like printing a photograph or document � after all, the machine and the software do everything for you. When printing onto black or coloured t-shirts however there is an extra process that requires user input � pre-treating. Up to now this has been a manual process using, for instance, a spray gun or a brush. The fact is though that whichever method you use how, where and the quantity of pre-treat applied is down to the user but now that has all changed.

UK based Impression Technology Europe (�ITE�) have automated the process with the introduction of The DTG PreJet which can serve all digital printing machines regardless of make. As with the printers, the DTG PreJet is based on an ink jet printer but has been designed to accept pre-treat fluid instead of ink. The innovation doesn�t stop there either because �ITE� have also redesigned the software, normally used to work out where to put the white ink, to accommodate the PreJet dramatically reducing any learning curve. Basically if you can use the standard DTG software then you can use the PreJet version. But hey, even if you don�t know that software, the one that comes with the PreJet is real easy anyway.

The system works like this:
A t-shirt is placed onto the standard platen in the usual way but instead of being loaded into the DTG printer it is loaded into the PreJet. The design to be printed is then opened in the software but instead of working out how and where to print, it calculates where to put the pre-treat as well as the quantity. The �where� can be either the whole shirt or a user defined area or the outline of the deisgn. Once pre-treated, the shirt is cured in the usual way with a standard transfer press and then transferred to the printer. If you use a DTG printer then things get even better because, by using the PreJet with the optional integrated press, you set the software to pre-treat only to the outline of the design. Leaving the shirt on the platen and on the PreJet you swing the press over the shirt and cure it on the machine. After curing you transfer the platen to the DTG printer and make your print with perfect registration to the pre-treated area.

The benefit for all is that there is a big saving in time and pre-treat fluid. The PreJet not only pre-treats a shirt faster than any of the current methods but also lays down just the right amount of liquid reducing wastage. There are presets for different media already stored in the software and you can also make and save your own. The fact is that the PreJet gets it right first time every time and removes the expensive risk of ruined shirts. Remember that when the pre-treat is badly applied the print will not be acceptable and could lose you a valuable customer.

Already in use in the UK and Europe, USA based printers can also benefit from this amazing breakthrough as Impression Technology Europe are launching the PreJet into the home market. Be one of the first and get a step ahead of your competition.

For further information and to watch a video of the machine in action visit: http://www.dtgeurope.com/Prejet.html

You can also contact them on +44 1623 861173 or info@impressiontechnologyeurope.com

Impression Technology Europe
Unit 2 Meden Rd, Boughton Ind Est South
Boughton, Notts NG22 9ZD
Phone: +44 1623 861173
E-Mail: info@impressiontechnologyeurope.com
Website URL: www.dtgeurope.com


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