ImagesMagUK_March_2021

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2021 images 37 TIPS & TECHNIQUES STEP-BY-STEP: DTG PRINTING ON SHOES Cover and protect all the parts of the shoes which are not to be printed with tape – paper tape works well Place the canvas shoes on the shoe platen to ensure that the material is flat and ready for printing The projector tool, which here is the Envision System from Brain Industries, projects the print onto the shoe, allowing the user to adjust the size and position of the print so that it's exactly as wanted Remove the tape and other protective material, taking care not to touch the wet ink and spoil the print. If the grommets were left uncovered, clean them with a spare T-shirt or paper: they will immediately look brand new again The shoes are ready to be printed. Just press the green button and watch the magic happen The machine will follow the settings you choose while preparing your print file, so make sure they’re the best ones for the kind, colour and shape of shoes you are using If possible, leave the shoes overnight after curing to allow the ink to fully penetrate the fabric. Rethread the laces. The shoes are now customised and ready to go! Remove the shoes from the platen. Take great care doing this – make sure you do not touch any of the printed areas before they go in the dryer To cure the shoes, either place in a DTG dryer, or use a heat gun. Brother recommends starting at 100°C and working up in increments to a maximum of 200°C to find the ideal temperature; the cure should take 1-2 minutes. 1 2 4 5 6 8 3 7 9