ImagesMagUK_September_2021

www.images-magazine.com 38 images SEPTEMBER 2021 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Industry experts provide insight and guidance in all areas of digital garment and textile printing Digital helpdesk Heat press or tunnel dryer for DTG prints? Make the right decision for you by following the expert advice from George Burrows, system specialist at machine and consumables supplier Xpres George Burrows process of using a heat press could restrict your hourly production. Unless an auto-open press is used, the operator is required to keep an eye on the press to make sure it doesn’t overcook. You may even find that more than a single heat press is required to keep up with your printer. The colours on the print can also appear less vibrant after pressing compared with a tunnel-dried version, although most end customers wouldn’t notice a difference. Tunnel dryer pros Most modern DTG ink formulations now cure in around 60 seconds, and some even cure in as little as 35 seconds. With these vastly reduced cure times it is now much easier to use a tunnel dryer. This allows DTG businesses running multiple printers to streamline the curing process and reduce labour costs; you’ll only need a single operator for both the printer and dryer. This T-shirt was printed using the Epson SC- F3000 DTG machine; depending on your set- up, it it could have been cured using either a heat press or tunnel dryer Where space allows, tunnel dryers such as the Xpres Dry 1000 are ideal for high-production facilities, P roperly drying DTG ink provides a high-quality finished garment, which means that it’s essential to establish a suitable method for curing the ink on your garments. There are two options: the first is to use a conveyor dryer, and the other is to use a heat press. Deciding on which works for you depends on a few factors: production requirements, budget and space. Understanding the pros and cons of each drying method will help you to choose the option that best fits your business model. Heat press pros Using a heat press results in much faster drying of the pretreatment and a smoother finished printing surface for the inks. Plus, its smaller footprint means that a heat press can easily fit into a small room or office. Most garment production companies already have a heat press in-house, often prompted by the low initial investment required. Most manual clam/ heat presses normally retail between £1,000 and £2,000. It is also worth noting the versatility granted by having a heat press in-house. Machines such as the Sefa Clam Pro can also be used to apply transfers or for dye sublimation prints. Heat press cons There are some issues with using a heat press for curing DTG prints. It can monopolise the press, which may be needed for other applications. It can also leave a visible pretreatment box, depending on the shirt, shirt dye, and pretreatment used, as well as how the operator presses the shirt. Also, depending on the printer speed and size of your print, the manual