Images_Digital_Edition_September_2019

TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 28 images SEPTEMBER 2019 Sophie Zosimidou, marketing assistant at Polyprint, shares some advice on taking your DTG printer out on the road Printing right in front of your customers can offer an enhanced experience; attendees have the opportunity to interact in the printing process right from the selection and personalisation of the designs, through to the finished product. Potential locations There are many opportunities for DTG printing on-location. For example, you might want to print garments at private events, such as wedding ceremonies or birthday parties, corporate events where businesses promote their brand and products, business dinners, product launches, seminars, conferences, charity events and campaigns, or sponsorships that are organised for non-profit purposes. You could even set up an ‘event kiosk’ at large-scale events such as conventions, festivals and concerts, where you can print customers’ designs or photographs on demand. The printer can be used outdoors but it would be wise to avoid wet and extremely dusty areas, as well as direct sunlight which could heat up the printer and indirectly affect the performance of the water-based inks. In such cases, a gazebo or tent would be an ideal choice for protecting your equipment. If there is no mains power available on location, you can use a portable generator. The power consumption of the Polyprint TexJet Shortee 2 , for example, is 100W, while a good heat press will consume around 3,200W. Including the PC and any other smaller devices that may be plugged in, we recommend using a generator of at least 3.5kW. It is also advisable to use a circuit breaker to protect the operators, and also all the equipment from any circuit damage. Polyprint supplies its own compact and modern style printer stands, which offer the perfect solution for supporting TexJet DTG printers when printing on location. These printer stands are easy to assemble and disassemble and come with castors and built-in brakes so that you can easily move them around. They feature two metal side-handles for fast positioning of the adjustable frames and two closed storage spaces separated by a shelf where you can store your pre-treated T-shirts. Other than the printer, stands, in the case of TexJet Shortee² printer, any flat surface of at least L80xW70cm would do the job. A separate counter top is not necessary but could help keep your area clean and organised. D TG printing combines accurate and high quality results with short turnaround times, and the ability to easily print complex, multicolour designs on a wide variety of garments. This technology also enables entrepreneurs to capitalise on one of the biggest trends in the textile industry: custom printing. Personalisation is an exciting feature to offer and creating a bespoke design gives you an opportunity to build closer relationships with your customers. One of the key benefits of DTG technology is often overlooked, however: DTG printers now come in a compact form which means they are easily portable. In other words, you can take your DTG printer out on the road – all you need to get started is a simple set-up comprising your printer, a computer and a heat press. Sophie Zosimidou Have some relevant designs ready to go