ImagesMagUK_September_2021

www.images-magazine.com SEPTEMBER 2021 images 61 DTG PRINTING Crowd Pleaser Merch: PolyPrint TexJet Echo2 from Amaya Sales UK Jason Carter, production manager Tell us a bit about your business We have just started Crowd Pleaser Merch – a UK-based DTG print and fulfilment company for creatives. What’s the most recent DTG printer that you have purchased? We currently operate three of the PolyPrint TexJet Echo2 machines. Initially, we started off with just the one machine in November 2020, and the work soon started to pick up heading into the Christmas period, and that’s when we realised that fulfilling bulk orders on one machine was not possible. The second and third machines were installed on New Year’s Eve, ready for kickstarting the new year with a ramped up production capacity! What was the reason behind buying your DTG machines? We purchased our first machine to add into our existing in-house screen printing set-up. The DTG machine was a bit of an experiment, really – we wanted to offer no MOQ to our customers, and this could only be achieved with DTG. It’s great to be able to offer full-colour prints without having to factor in the cost of screens and set-up time. How much did they cost? £10,950 +VAT per machine What other machines did you consider before opting for the PolyPrint TexJet Echo2? To be honest, we didn’t look at other machines, we went straight to Amaya Sales for a demo, and we purchased an Echo2 there and then. It was a no brainer. The service we receive from the team at Amaya is incredible, their after- sales service is second to none. What are the Echo2’s main advantages? One of the major benefits of these machines is the ability to put them into a ‘weekend’ shutdown mode, which means that we can sleep comfortably on the weekends knowing that our print heads aren’t drying up. Is there anything you’d like to see in an upgrade or don’t particularly like? All round, the Echo2 operates really well. There are a couple of minor things that are controlled within the CadLink software, such as the ‘Choke’ feature, which allows the machine operator to control the size of the white underbase when printing darks: there seems to be inconsistencies with this that can result in the need to reprint. What is the Echo2 like to use? It’s a very easy machine to use: interchangeable platens are quick to change over, and the automatic head height adjust feature ensures optimal print head height. We find ‘Production’ mode is a super-useful feature as it means that the operator doesn’t have to manually send the garment back in for the colour pass once the underbase has printed. Do you have any tips on how to get the most out of the printers? Our advice is to constantly keep the machines running, they like to be used. We would also advise upgrading the ink system to the refillable cartridges, with DuPont Power Inks, as this achieves brighter colours and much quicker curing times. Daily cleaning of the machine is essential: any build up of inks around the print head and capping station will cause you a lot of problems. Whilst these machines are not the most expensive DTG printers on the market, they are certainly not cheap. If you look after your machine, it will look after you. What size runs and type of work are they used for? The beauty of having three machines in our set-up is that we can fulfil bulk orders very quickly. We also offer an on- demand print fulfilment service, and the machines work perfectly for this! What other machines do you have? The PolyPrint PreTreater Pro. This automated pretreat machine is an integral part of our set-up, it makes pretreating so quick and easy, and can even be automated using a barcode system. What would be your advice to other decorators thinking of buying a DTG machine? Find a reputable dealer and get a demo. Ask questions about the environment needed to operate the machine – humidity and temperature can be a major factor in determining the outcome of your DTG printing experience. www.crowdpleasermerch.com Jason Carter with the three Polyprint TexJet Echo2 printers Crowd Pleaser Merch has bought in the past year View a clip of the TexJet Echo 2 in action