Direct to Garment

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Direct to Garment Printing

Direct to Garment Printer Buyers Guide

Important Questions

Buying a garment printer is not just about pricing and specifications. These are important factors, but there are important questions you need to have answered before you make a decision. The following is a list of questions that we recommend you review before you decide to purchase from a specific vendor:

Is the ink chemistry of the printer a dyed-based ink or a pigment based ink system?

The Smart Garment Printer uses the NaturaLink™ dye-based ink chemistry from Sawgrass Technologies. Garments produced with NaturaLink™ ink start off brighter and stay brighter longer than the pigment based ink systems on the market. Pigment based systems use a bonding agent to glue a pigment to the surface of the garment. NaturaLink™, dyes the ink into the cotton molecule as opposed to gluing ink onto the surface of the cotton. The chemical reaction produced from the NaturaLink ink chemistry accounts for the better brightness and wash fastness.

How does the loading of the garment on the printer affect my work flow?

Every manufacturer uses a different system to load the garment on the printer’s platen. Each Smart Garment Printer includes a unique loading system. The system is similar to an embroidery hooping system. Each printer includes a Smart Loading Box that fits into the printer. The box has an integrated loading platen that retracts from the box into a loading position. The garment is loaded onto a Smart Loading Box. The covering on the platen provides a frictional gripping surface, preventing the garment from sliding on the platen. A frame is placed over the garment to eliminate wrinkles. The box is lowered into a locked position that automatically adjusts the height for the garment. The box adjusts the height, not the printer. Additional platens are available for various garment sizes including youth garments. Flat items such as tote bags or towels do not require a special loading box. Each printer manufacturer uses different methods to measure production speed. The key is not the published production speed, but the real-time speed in a production environment. With a simple and effective loading system, the Smart Garment Printer is one of the most efficient printing systems on the market.

What is the warranty of the printer and will the manufacturer replace a broken printer?

The Smart Garment Printer is covered by a manufacturers warranty for all systems. The warranty is 1 year for parts and labor.

Which software application am I going to use to output my images?

The Smart Garment Printer includes the Smart Garment RIP from CADlink Technologies. This enhanced printing software includes special functions to enable the highest quality output from the printer. The Smart Garment RIP gives end customers an easy to use interface that allows you to control the exact output of all your garments. It also allows you to set the setting that best fit your garments and ensures that your colors match what your customers are looking for with the use of specialized color palettes. Images can be output directly from popular Windows graphics programs including CorelDRAW, Illustrator or PhotoShop.

Am I going to create my own artwork, or use production-ready clip art?

It is one thing to output simple text and photos; it is an entirely different thing to create cool graphics that sell on garments. Cheap desktop publishing clip art is not well suited for garment printing. These images were not designed for printing on garments and often do not produce the professional appearance of graphics you see sold in retail stores. With production-ready clip art from Digital Art Solutions, anyone can create killer graphics. DAS is the recognized industry leading producer of production-ready clip art, design templates and product templates. These artwork tools are a key component of garment printer package sold by DAS. We are not just “tossing in” some cheap clip art to add value to a package. Each garment printer package we sell is customized with the right artwork for your market focus and budget.

Will I get the support and training needed for me to be successful?

Digital Art Solutions has been providing the highest level of post-sale training and support for its customers for the last 16 years. DAS products include interactive multi-media tutorials as well as user-friendly training manuals written in “real people” language, not “tech talk”. Last year DAS hosted over 30 training seminars including DAS University in Tempe Arizona and specialized training seminars in conjunction with industry trade shows. DAS customers also enjoy state of the art web training tools and free weekly webinars. No company in the industry is more committed to supporting its customers through innovative training solutions.

What is the support policy of the company selling me the printer?

DAS was a software company and clip art content provider long before offering garment printing systems. As the creator of the software and art content, DAS supports every aspect of the system including the printer, software, consumables and art content. Our industry expertise is at the disposal of every Smart Garment Printer owner. DAS customers will be dealing directly with DAS on every aspect of technical support.

Is the software and machine bundle the best solution for my needs?

Before we sell you a garment printing system, our sales staff will conduct a Needs Analysis to determine the exact system that best fits your unique needs and budget. If you are looking for the best complete printing system that will insure your success, we are the perfect fit.

Does the machine and software package allow me to grow my business?

Because we provide solutions for other industries and production processes, we have built our system to expand as your business grows. You are not going to be pigeon holed into an inflexible system that only does one thing. Our customers can easily migrate into other imprinting processes including Rhinestone Heat Transfers, Sign Making, Heat Transfers, Screen Printing, Laser Engraving, Embroidery and Digital Printing. We are not trying to get our foot in the door with some basic package with simply a printer and ink. We offer a total garment printing solution customized for your individual business and marketing strategy.

What is the track record in the industry of the company selling me the package?

Digital Art Solutions has been servicing the imprinting industries for the last 18 years. In addition to being the industries leading supplier or design/production software and production-ready art content, we also bundle our art system with the best imprinting equipment on the planet. No other company in the industry is better equipped to provide you with a reliable user-friendly garment printing system that will enable you to set up a successful profit center in your business.