Dude. This is a serious game changer for me. I'm bringing an upwards of 1500 shirts to trade shows because of how many designs I carry. It's hard to travel 18 hours with all that stock!! And set up/break down. This will definitely lower my shirt stock needs and help me expand my available art! Just bring blanks and transfers to shows and press right there! Thank you for this QUALITY video. Time for me to experiment.
I literally just received my f2100 I haven't even unpacked it . I came across this video and your saying that you could use this machine to print transfers for polyester when I was told that this machine doesn't work / print on polyester shirts ? This just opened a whole new opportunity for my small shop because everyone wants polyester shirts now a days . I'm going to buy your products and experiment.
@@MelcoEmbroidery Thank you for the reply. So can I just print directly on polyester shirts or does it have to be transfered? I've been screen printing for20+ years and this is completely new to me .
My DTF printer's printhead has been dead for almost 3 weeks now. Thank goodness I found your video & immediately started doing transfers using an Epson DTG. Cheers from Borneo
Great video! If you add a 5 sec pause doing the white you can easily then cancel the job once the pause is activated and the platen is out.. This makes it a bit easier when "timing" the job cancel step. At least it is for me. Again awesome vid. Thanks for the knowledge.
Yeah, that works too but sometimes parts of the white are dropped out when converting. If you set the pause between passes to 600 Dark Color T Shirt Standard works best.
maybe this is a stupid idea, but couldn't you use the Dark Colour T-Shirt (White) preset for the white ink part, instead of using the Dark Colour T-Shirt (Standard) and then stopping the printer after the white pass? shouldn't it give the same result?
Yes you could, but the white laid down in the dark color shirt white option has gradients and halftones where dark color standard lays down a full white underbase. It would be art specific I suppose. Good question.
You have answered all my stressful prayers!!! Printing white on black polyester and can’t get a successful print to save my life! Going to give this method a try. Are the temperature (300 degrees) settings the same for polyester? Every where I searched said you shouldn’t heat press 100% polyester higher than 285? Also, I have to print two larger prints on both back and front of the black poly shirts. After curing the front, will it be okay when I flip it over to heat press and cure the back? I’m so happy I came across your videos and can’t wait to try this method!
Yes this is definitely one of the better ways to decorate the dreaded polyester. I think 300 for 15 seconds should be fine. Be sure you experiment and test on a practice shirt before you commit to the full job. Flipping the shirt to do front and back will not be a problem. Thread the shirt through the heat press platen and work with one side at a time.
Hahah never mind I figured it out! I didn’t know I could put the bottom of the shirt under the heat press. Learning so much every day. Thank you for these videos!
Great video, sorry for my english, i am italian. What is the difference between the F2100 (4C) and the F2100 (5C). What's in the box besides the printer? are there already inks to start? thank you very much
I am sorry, I am not familiar with the code 4C or 5C. My understanding is all F2100's are the same regardless of location. The 2100 does come with ink however you will need to buy at least 2 more 600ml white ink cartridges as the 250ml that come with the printer are only enough to prime the lines. Color ink is fine and will produce 2-3,000 prints before needing changed to 600ml. Otherwise, everything is included to start printing shirts right out of the box.
Im getting white lines when i print white underbase. Looks perfect when it prints colors first but white undercoat add lines and seems to lighten up the image as is if is mixng with white. I tried to let it sit and also tryed to dry in between printing. have you seen this issue?
Could be a few things. Do a nozzle check, how do the white channels look? If they are not filled in completely, do a head cleaning until they are. Also, use less white ink in the over print. I have found since this video that Level 1 white - 15 white density and -4 reduce white area seems to work great in GC. You can also demo our new DTG Transfer software, download a demo version here. shopmelco.com/dtg-transfer-rip-for-f2100/
great video! I just attempted using your instructions. How do I rid the powder residue? I did the following: -dry before powder -dry with powder -dry after initial press I get this powder residue around my artwork. I'd show a photo if I could
I found static electricity to be an issue. I know use dryer sheets to wipe down my platten before I lay the film down and also wipe the backside of the film. Haven't had powder issues since.
Is there a workaround if the colors are printed very lightly? When printing with the recommended settings, if the color density is set low, the color will be quite light. Especially when printing with 100% cyan, the color of cyan is lighter than when printing with the dtg method. I confirmed that the nozzle was not clogged and used dtgpro's f2000 sheet. I want you to tell me if there is a workaround
I have found that if you lay down a bit more color then let it dry for 30 seconds or more before laying down white, colors pop a bit more. If they appear faded, white is seeping into the color, solution, let the color dry a bit longer before layering on white.
You are welcome, hope it was helpful. Here is a quick, though slightly outdated, video I made on the Cost Estimator Tool. You will need to increase the ink price slightly but everything else still applies. th-cam.com/video/nkYHEx2enAw/w-d-xo.html
If I chose to sell the transfers instead of using them personally, how would I go about storing? Would I need to take all of the same steps, minus the press?
That is a great idea. Make sure the glue powder is dry then you can stack them and put them in folders. As long as they are not exposed to high temps or moisture, they should last for a year or more.
Hello. I tried this today, but the yellow ink gets printed way too thick. I can see lots of spots and cracks in the cured product. How to reduce the color thickness/density?
@@MelcoEmbroidery do y'all have any vides on GC and how each element effects the print- meaning how does ink density, color, etc. Not necessarily on the transfer but in general printing? Thanks!
Good question. A lot of times you won't use transfers over straight DTG Printing though those certain brands or fabrics that are hard to get bright colors, transfers are a great option.
Good question, here is a little hack. Find the tab on the top that fits into the sensor box. That plastic tab, fits into the box and keeps the top up sensor from going off. If you fold up a small piece of cardboard and slide it into the sensor box, you can simulate the tab on the cover. Hope that makes sense.
What is your color profile? Is it RGB? We used this method and it definitely works to use as a transfer. However, the colors are not the same. We screen printed the original, three color design in Pantone colors. Converted them to RGB for the DTG and we cannot get them to look the same. The transfer came out very dull, even with very light pressure. Any thoughts?
Yes I use RGB, 300dpi. I'm not exactly sure but I have some ideas. Could be time under the heat press, 15-20 seconds at 300 degrees. Could also maybe be GC settings? Maybe bump your color settings up to level 3. I'd let the color ink dry for 30 seconds or more before printing white. Could also be not enough glue powder. If you don't have full coverage, you could get spotty muted results. Also, be sure your powder is completely dry. Don't use pressure on your heat press to dry the powder, leave the heating element hovering over the transfer until the glue doesn't fall off. One more thought, transfer paper only works on one side, if you print on the wrong side, the print transfers weird. Let me know how it goes jledrew@melco.com
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I was wondering what the differences are in the end product between DTG printed and heat transfer shirts. Is one more vibrant? Is on more durable and looks better after the same amount of washes? Is there a texture difference (does the heat transfer have a "ridge")?
Good questions. Since we're using water based inks the print is breathable as opposed to vinyl transfers and the feel is soft and will soften even more after some washes. Durability is the same as if you printed directly on the garment. There is a bit of a transfer feel initially though there are no visible or ridge feeling. Vibrancy is actually increased on budget blanks or polyester. It's my preferred method of decorating on DTG if I'm using budget blanks that normally don't have vibrant DTG results. You'll love it.
Dude. This is a serious game changer for me. I'm bringing an upwards of 1500 shirts to trade shows because of how many designs I carry. It's hard to travel 18 hours with all that stock!! And set up/break down. This will definitely lower my shirt stock needs and help me expand my available art! Just bring blanks and transfers to shows and press right there! Thank you for this QUALITY video. Time for me to experiment.
That is great to hear! Keep up the good work and keep us posted.
I literally just received my f2100 I haven't even unpacked it . I came across this video and your saying that you could use this machine to print transfers for polyester when I was told that this machine doesn't work / print on polyester shirts ? This just opened a whole new opportunity for my small shop because everyone wants polyester shirts now a days . I'm going to buy your products and experiment.
Absolutely! The F2100 is now exponentially more versatile, no fabric is off limits.
@@MelcoEmbroidery Thank you for the reply. So can I just print directly on polyester shirts or does it have to be transfered? I've been screen printing for20+ years and this is completely new to me .
My DTF printer's printhead has been dead for almost 3 weeks now. Thank goodness I found your video & immediately started doing transfers using an Epson DTG. Cheers from Borneo
It makes me so happy to hear this, great work!
Wow thanks! First time DTF’er here. Used your material and instructions and the first 4-5 prints was a success!! 💯
That is music to my ears. Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Great video! If you add a 5 sec pause doing the white you can easily then cancel the job once the pause is activated and the platen is out.. This makes it a bit easier when "timing" the job cancel step. At least it is for me. Again awesome vid. Thanks for the knowledge.
Yes absolutely, great suggestion!
When putting on the white, could we use the white design setting from the drop down menu?
Yeah, that works too but sometimes parts of the white are dropped out when converting. If you set the pause between passes to 600 Dark Color T Shirt Standard works best.
Hi i have the epson F2000 may I do the same thing with it ????
Yes, you can do this process with the F2000 as well.
I see two powders white and black. He uses white in this video on a dark color shirt. Is there a big difference if you used the black powder?
Some folks like black powder for black shirts. It's personal preference, either will work fine.
Thanks but I have few questions ,we have to pre treatment first, Can work in cotton and polyester thank you again
No need to pretreat with Direct to Film and you can apply to most any fabric. It works great on Poly, Cotton, Blends, and all sorts of other fabrics.
thank you .
Do you have to do the white print if you are going to be using the print transfers on white tshirts?
You don't need to use white ink if you are gong to make color transfers for white garments. I made a video on
I was told the uni directional setting was necessary for DTF prints is this true? i didn't see that in your instruction?
Thanks
I haven't tried that, but uni directional does allow for a cleaner print.
Thank you for this comment! I kept getting streaks in my DTF prints. Switched to uni-directional and now they’re turning out great!
Hello, I would like to bay ink chip for epson f2100 or chip reseter. Where can I bay it? Best quality.
I am unaware of a reliable ink chip resetter for the 2100
Do you have a timeline on when the videos you mentioned at the end will be done?
Working on more now. Should be this week!
maybe this is a stupid idea, but couldn't you use the Dark Colour T-Shirt (White) preset for the white ink part, instead of using the Dark Colour T-Shirt (Standard) and then stopping the printer after the white pass? shouldn't it give the same result?
Yes you could, but the white laid down in the dark color shirt white option has gradients and halftones where dark color standard lays down a full white underbase. It would be art specific I suppose. Good question.
I was thinking the same thing. Did you try this option?
You have answered all my stressful prayers!!! Printing white on black polyester and can’t get a successful print to save my life! Going to give this method a try. Are the temperature (300 degrees) settings the same for polyester? Every where I searched said you shouldn’t heat press 100% polyester higher than 285? Also, I have to print two larger prints on both back and front of the black poly shirts. After curing the front, will it be okay when I flip it over to heat press and cure the back? I’m so happy I came across your videos and can’t wait to try this method!
Yes this is definitely one of the better ways to decorate the dreaded polyester. I think 300 for 15 seconds should be fine. Be sure you experiment and test on a practice shirt before you commit to the full job. Flipping the shirt to do front and back will not be a problem. Thread the shirt through the heat press platen and work with one side at a time.
Shucks! I don’t know if my heat press has a platen attachment. I have a Geo Knight DK20 clamshell.
Hahah never mind I figured it out! I didn’t know I could put the bottom of the shirt under the heat press. Learning so much every day. Thank you for these videos!
I noticed that when I print in black I get little grey lines, do you know by any chance what that could be? The design I'm using has a lot of black.
Not 100% sure, send me a photo. Jledrew@melco.com
Great video, sorry for my english, i am italian. What is the difference between the F2100 (4C) and the F2100 (5C). What's in the box besides the printer? are there already inks to start? thank you very much
I am sorry, I am not familiar with the code 4C or 5C. My understanding is all F2100's are the same regardless of location. The 2100 does come with ink however you will need to buy at least 2 more 600ml white ink cartridges as the 250ml that come with the printer are only enough to prime the lines. Color ink is fine and will produce 2-3,000 prints before needing changed to 600ml. Otherwise, everything is included to start printing shirts right out of the box.
@@MelcoEmbroidery Thank you very much for your reply, you have given me a lot of important information. Thank you!
I have an F3030, it prints colour and white simultaneously. How to stop it from printing colours on top?
That is a great question. I'm not positive but I believe you will need a 3rd party rip like CadLink or Wasatch.
Im getting white lines when i print white underbase. Looks perfect when it prints colors first but white undercoat add lines and seems to lighten up the image as is if is mixng with white. I tried to let it sit and also tryed to dry in between printing. have you seen this issue?
Could be a few things. Do a nozzle check, how do the white channels look? If they are not filled in completely, do a head cleaning until they are. Also, use less white ink in the over print. I have found since this video that Level 1 white - 15 white density and -4 reduce white area seems to work great in GC. You can also demo our new DTG Transfer software, download a demo version here. shopmelco.com/dtg-transfer-rip-for-f2100/
great video! I just attempted using your instructions. How do I rid the powder residue? I did the following:
-dry before powder
-dry with powder
-dry after initial press
I get this powder residue around my artwork. I'd show a photo if I could
Send me an email jledrew@melco.com Power residue could be too much pressure when heat pressing, or possibly power is not dry enough before applied.
I found static electricity to be an issue. I know use dryer sheets to wipe down my platten before I lay the film down and also wipe the backside of the film. Haven't had powder issues since.
Is there a workaround if the colors are printed very lightly? When printing with the recommended settings, if the color density is set low, the color will be quite light.
Especially when printing with 100% cyan, the color of cyan is lighter than when printing with the dtg method. I confirmed that the nozzle was not clogged and used dtgpro's f2000 sheet.
I want you to tell me if there is a workaround
I have found that if you lay down a bit more color then let it dry for 30 seconds or more before laying down white, colors pop a bit more. If they appear faded, white is seeping into the color, solution, let the color dry a bit longer before layering on white.
@@MelcoEmbroidery thank you for your reply I will try the method thank you very much
Thank you Sir for this video. I was really searching for these settings.
Can you please let me know how to calculate the cost of each print?
You are welcome, hope it was helpful. Here is a quick, though slightly outdated, video I made on the Cost Estimator Tool. You will need to increase the ink price slightly but everything else still applies. th-cam.com/video/nkYHEx2enAw/w-d-xo.html
@@MelcoEmbroidery Thanks for the help 😊😊
If I chose to sell the transfers instead of using them personally, how would I go about storing? Would I need to take all of the same steps, minus the press?
That is a great idea. Make sure the glue powder is dry then you can stack them and put them in folders. As long as they are not exposed to high temps or moisture, they should last for a year or more.
Hello. I tried this today, but the yellow ink gets printed way too thick. I can see lots of spots and cracks in the cured product. How to reduce the color thickness/density?
Depending on the art I will print color on level 2 or level 4. You can also reduce density to a negative number if more reduction is needed.
@@MelcoEmbroidery do y'all have any vides on GC and how each element effects the print- meaning how does ink density, color, etc. Not necessarily on the transfer but in general printing? Thanks!
in the vidéo you show the bottle of DTF so I buy them and install on my f2000. bt it always tell me that it doesn't recognize the ink as the original
Don't use DTF ink, use Epson DTG Ink. The bottle of DTF in the video is the adhesive powder.
@@MelcoEmbroidery hello i have made it i change DTG INK FOR DTF INK and it works very good so i use it for DTF only until i buy new White DTG INK
Hello i change my first ink DTG. for DTF ink in my epson f2000
i want to know if it is possible
I would highly recommend never using any aftermarket ink in your F2000. But if you do, let me know how it goes :)
Aside from the polyester ability with dtf, why use dtf instead of dtg, is it the vibrancy of the print ?
Thank you
Good question. A lot of times you won't use transfers over straight DTG Printing though those certain brands or fabrics that are hard to get bright colors, transfers are a great option.
Do you have to print the white under layer if you don’t have any white in your image?
As far as I know yes, the glue sticks to the white ink. If you test it without white, send me a note, I'd like to hear about your results.
Thanks Mel
Glad to help
Ok so now that your creating transfers is there still a need to pretreat the shirt?
You do not need to pretreat a shirt if you are applying a transfer. You only need to pretreat if you are printing white ink directly on a garment.
Hey have a questions do any of your DTF transfers come out with an oily residue and if so how did you fix that issue.
I have not seed that. Can you send me photos? jledrew@melco.com
@@MelcoEmbroidery any insight on this? I've had the same issue! followed the process to a tee!
How are you all printing with the top up, it keeps telling me to close it.
Good question, here is a little hack. Find the tab on the top that fits into the sensor box. That plastic tab, fits into the box and keeps the top up sensor from going off. If you fold up a small piece of cardboard and slide it into the sensor box, you can simulate the tab on the cover. Hope that makes sense.
What is your color profile? Is it RGB? We used this method and it definitely works to use as a transfer. However, the colors are not the same. We screen printed the original, three color design in Pantone colors. Converted them to RGB for the DTG and we cannot get them to look the same. The transfer came out very dull, even with very light pressure. Any thoughts?
Yes I use RGB, 300dpi. I'm not exactly sure but I have some ideas. Could be time under the heat press, 15-20 seconds at 300 degrees. Could also maybe be GC settings? Maybe bump your color settings up to level 3. I'd let the color ink dry for 30 seconds or more before printing white. Could also be not enough glue powder. If you don't have full coverage, you could get spotty muted results. Also, be sure your powder is completely dry. Don't use pressure on your heat press to dry the powder, leave the heating element hovering over the transfer until the glue doesn't fall off. One more thought, transfer paper only works on one side, if you print on the wrong side, the print transfers weird. Let me know how it goes jledrew@melco.com
@@MelcoEmbroidery I sent you an email! Thank you!
I wish it allowed to do a much larger print
16x20 on the Epson, pretty standard. If you want bigger, look at the Aeoon Kyo. Reach out for pricing.
Can this work on nylon fabric?
Yes, I tried nylon briefly and it seemed to work. I haven't tried washing but so far it's held up. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
This is the first F2100 “how to” video I’ve found. I’m super excited! What is the feel like?
I think you'll like it. It's a little transfery feeling at first but after a wash, it softens right up.
Do we need to change ink with DTF INK ????
No, stay with Epson ink, it works great.
Same ink as DTG?
That is correct, no need to change ink. Epson UltraChrome DTG ink works beautifully.
does the ink need to be swapped out of the Epson?
I used stock F2100 Epson ink in this video, works perfect.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I was wondering what the differences are in the end product between DTG printed and heat transfer shirts. Is one more vibrant? Is on more durable and looks better after the same amount of washes?
Is there a texture difference (does the heat transfer have a "ridge")?
Good questions. Since we're using water based inks the print is breathable as opposed to vinyl transfers and the feel is soft and will soften even more after some washes. Durability is the same as if you printed directly on the garment. There is a bit of a transfer feel initially though there are no visible or ridge feeling. Vibrancy is actually increased on budget blanks or polyester. It's my preferred method of decorating on DTG if I'm using budget blanks that normally don't have vibrant DTG results. You'll love it.
@@MelcoEmbroidery Thank you for the reply!
Fantastic!
Much obliged. Here's to a new chapter in DTG printing
Epson F2100 Transfer Materials on ShopMelco: www.shopmelco.com/Melco_Epson_F2000.../113.htm