To print on a T-shirt using this printer, you need the equipment
listed here, depending on your print project.
- Heat press (commercially available)
- A heat press is required before you can print on a T-shirt. A
heat press is used to remove creases from T-shirts, and to fix the
pre-treatment solution and ink. Your heat press needs to be larger
than your platen and able to sustain a temperature of 338 °F (170
°C) or more for 90 seconds. Check the accuracy of your heat press
temperature with a probe; temperatures exceeding 356 °F may result
in dull colors. For best results, use a heat press with a piece of
parchment (silicone) paper or a Teflon (fluoro-resin) sheet at low
pressure to allow the steam to escape.
- Heat tunnel (commercially available)
- A heat tunnel is used to fix the ink after printing. A heat
tunnel is not necessary if you have a heat press.
- Heat-resistant release sheet (commercially
available)
- A heat-resistant release sheet is placed over the T-shirt to
prevent any pre-treatment solution or ink from sticking to the heat
press. You can use parchment (silicone) paper, Teflon
(fluoro-resin) sheets, or other types of heat-resistant material.
Parchment (silicone) sheets tend to produce a matte effect and
fluoro-resin sheets tend to produce a glossy effect. You can also
use the sheet with the grip pad tool to load T-shirts on a platen
covered with a grip pad.
- T-shirts (commercially available)
- For best results, use a T-shirt that is 100% cotton with thick
and tightly-woven (ringspun) material. Printing on materials with
high polyester content will result in more subdued colors. Since
the print quality cannot always be guaranteed for some types of
fabric, perform a test print first.
- Pre-treatment solution (available from
Epson)
- Pre-treatment solution is necessary for printing White ink. If
pre-treatment solution is not applied to the T-shirt, White ink
does not appear correctly or adhere to the T-shirt. Also, colors
that are printed on the White ink do not develop properly. For best
results, use a paint roller or sprayer to apply pre-treatment
solution to the T-shirt.
Note: Using
non-Epson pre-treatment solution may yield poor color, image
quality, or washability.
Note:
Pre-treatment solution must be diluted with distilled water at a
minimum 1:1 ratio. The amount of water added can vary depending on
the material type and color of the garment.
- Pre-treatment roller set (commercially
available)
- A paint roller can be used to apply the pre-treatment solution
to the T-shirt. The tray is used to allow the pre-treatment
solution to soak into the roller. Choose a paint roller made of
short polyester fiber with excellent liquid absorption. When using
a paint roller, make sure to apply the pre-treatment solution
evenly, or the white print quality may not be as bright or printed
colors may appear distorted. Use a different paint roller for each
color.
- Distilled water (commercially available)
- Distilled or purified water is used to dilute the pre-treatment
solution.
- Pre-treatment machine (commercially
available)
- A pre-treatment machine is used to spray the pre-treatment
solution onto the T-shirt. Using a pre-treatment machine is quicker
and easier than using a paint roller; however, more of the
pre-treatment solution may be used because of overspray.
- Sticky tape or lint roller (commercially
available)
- Use sticky tape or a lint roller to remove lint from the print
surface of the T-shirt. Take care not to pull fibers up from the
T-shirt.