A successful day of Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing begins with a solid start-of-day routine. The key to ensuring optimal performance, longevity, high-quality prints, and smooth workflow lies in how well you prepare your printer at the beginning of each workday. Whether you're printing a large batch of designs or fine-tuning your machine for a fresh set of prints, taking the time for essential maintenance tasks can make all the difference. In this article, we’ll walk you through the crucial steps to kick-start your DTF printing process, ensuring your equipment runs efficiently and your prints look their best throughout the day.
- Humidity & Temperature:
Keep the Humidity above 45% relative Humidity; extensive time below this level will cause the Printhead to dry out and clog the Printhead. A Non-condensing humidifier is recommended if you are unable to reach the necessary Humidity. Temperature, must be between 59F-90F, failure to maintain the correct temperature can cause clogging.
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Run the White Ink Cycles
Rotate the knob to the required speed using the intervals below, completing each step consecutively. Press the silver button to begin each cycle:
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Start with a cycle at 70% speed.
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Next, run another cycle at 50% speed.
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Finally, complete the cycle at 30% speed.
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Perform a Regular Cleaning on Both Heads
Run a regular cleaning cycle on both heads to clear out the wet capping liquid. This process will be done through the PrintExp / Hosonsoft software.
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Perform a Nozzle Check
You can perform a nozzle check either directly on the printer panel using the nozzle check button or through the Hosonsoft software. Make sure the nozzle check is complete, with no signs of breakage or missing lines, ensuring full ink flow.
Below is an example of a correct full nozzle check up-close versus a bad one:
If the nozzle check is printing correctly without any issues, you can proceed with starting your prints!
If the nozzle check is showing visible breakage:
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Depending on which print head you are having breakage on, you will select the settings below:
- If both print heads show breakage, you will select 2 head-ALL
- If your color print head is having issues, select Head 1
- If your white print head is having issues, select Head 2
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Allow the ink load to run until it reaches 60. Once the ink load reaches 60, stop the ink load in Hosonsoft and move the print head to the left using the arrows. Ensure that the maintenance pads are filled with ink.
If the pads are properly filled with ink after the ink load, proceed by performing a strong cleaning on all the heads where the ink load was applied, then run a nozzle check to assess the results. If you notice improvement but the nozzle check still shows issues, repeat the process one more time and check the results again.
If the pads are not evenly or properly filled, you may need to attempt to unclog the print head nozzles.
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Follow the steps below to recover missing nozzles if a simple ink load does not resolve the issue: Start the Wet Capping Process
Begin the wet capping process by filling the maintenance pads with a moisturizing liquid or, for a stronger clean, a cleaning solution. (If using the cleaning solution, make sure to run the wet capping for 20 minutes at a time to avoid damaging the print head). During this process, the print head will be sealed against the capping pads, allowing the wet-capping liquid to break down any dried ink or obstructions.
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Choose the capping solution and set a timer for 20 minutes.
After the timer is done, please proceed to follow the steps to the ink loading process again and check if the pads are properly filled with ink after the ink load. If so, proceed by performing a strong cleaning on all the heads where the ink load was applied, then run a nozzle check to assess the results.\
If the results do not improve after the ink loading or 20-minute wetcap, perform an overnight wetcap and repeat the steps over 48 hours.
If you're still experiencing issues, our support team is here to help! Submit a support ticket here , and we’ll assist you as soon as possible.