Achieving vibrant, high-fidelity colour output in Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing requires a perfect chemical harmony between your hardware, your pigment inks, and your transfer substrate. Yet, many print professionals face the same recurring production headaches: sudden colour shifts, uneven ink dots, micro-banding, and oily watermarks on the cured film.
When colours look muted or fine lines bleed, the immediate impulse is to adjust colour profiles or run intensive printhead cleaning cycles. However, advanced technical analysis shows that the culprit is rarely the print engine or the liquid ink chemistry itself.
Instead, the issue frequently stems from unstable coating matrices on substandard DTF PET films.
To maintain perfect colour accuracy and flawless textile transfers, print shops must treat film as an active chemical component rather than a passive plastic sheet. Before choosing your next consumable source, ask your film supplier these four technical questions to safeguard your print quality.
The brilliance of a printed transfer relies entirely on how the film coating manages the liquid surface tension of incoming ink droplets. Budget suppliers often rely on fragmented supply chains, buying master rolls from third-party coaters who use semi-automated, high-variance production lines.
When a supplier utilises a fully automated, closed-loop coating system, human contact is completely eliminated. Automated manufacturing maintains a highly stable surface energy, measured in millinewtons per metre or dyne levels. This ensures that when your high-saturation CMYK channels and heavy white ink underbases hit the matte layer, the mechanical dot gain remains completely controlled. Without this processing control, the ink droplets spread erratically, causing immediate loss of image sharpness and muddy colour transitions on your apparel prints.
The coating layer on premium DTF film must hold wet, high-density pigment inks securely before releasing them cleanly during the heat transfer process. A thickness variation of just a couple of microns drastically impacts how colours register on the media.
The film lacks the necessary ink-absorption capacity. This causes premium high-density DTF inks to pool, bleed, or puddle, turning sharp graphics into blurry gradients.
The liquid ink cannot properly interface with the underlying release agents, leading to trapping issues, boiling bubbles during the curing phase, and premature washing failure.
While low-cost factories speed up their web production lines to over 60 metres per minute to cut costs, premium film manufacturers slow their lines down to roughly 40 metres per minute. This deliberate pace allows real-time laser or ultrasonic sensors to monitor coating thickness continuously across the entire width of the roll, making micro-adjustments on the fly to guarantee a perfectly uniform ink-reception surface.
Consistency is everything in professional colour printing. A brilliant test print on a sample roll means very little if the next batch of film produces an unexpected colour cast or requires you to completely alter your heat-press time and temperature settings.
Inconsistent batch manufacturing indicates that the factory's environmental variables, like humidity and temperature during chemical application, were allowed to drift. Top-tier consumable manufacturers produce their films in strictly climate-controlled environments and archive physical samples from every batch for long-term traceability. This meticulous control means you can load a fresh roll of 30cm DTF Sumex Film into your machine and achieve the exact same colour profile, ink curing properties, and wash-fastness metrics as your previous production run.
High-definition DTF film is an advanced multi-layer composite. A transparent, high-quality supplier should easily be able to detail the exact structure of their film layers, which typically features a specialised top ink-absorption layer, primary and secondary matte release coatings, and a dedicated anti-static backing layer.
This multi-layer architecture directly influences your shop's daily output and final garment quality:
For print operators using compact production units like the A3 Super-Mini DTF, an advanced anti-static backing is vital. Without it, the film generates static electricity as it feeds, attracting stray thermoplastic polyurethane powder particles to unprinted zones. This causes fine powder specks to fuse to the fabric, resulting in a cloudy finish that ruins the crisp, professional look of your design. Furthermore, a properly engineered multi-layer release mechanism determines whether your team can execute a swift, confident hot peel or if they have to slow down the workflow waiting for the film to cool down.
Before you spend time altering your RIP software colour curves or swapping out your liquid inks, evaluate the technical integrity of your transfer film. Reach out to your current supplier and audit them on these four manufacturing pillars.
If you want to eliminate the variables of unstable consumables and unlock the true colour potential of your equipment, explore our range of matched DTF inks, powders, and premium Sumex film rolls at Perfect Colour Technologies. Investing in batch-tested, highly regulated film structures is the fastest path to achieving repeatable, vibrant colour outputs and maintaining flawless production consistency on every garment you print.
One of the most common frustrations in digital printing is simple: the colour on the screen doesn't match the colour on the final print.
You spend time designing the perfect artwork, approving colours on your monitor, and preparing the job for production. Then the finished print comes off the machine and something isn't quite right. The red looks orange, the blue appears purple, or the company logo simply doesn't match previous print runs.
This is where colour management becomes essential.
What is Colour Management?
Colour management is the process of ensuring that colours remain consistent throughout the entire printing workflow – from design and artwork creation to the final printed product.
Different devices interpret colour differently. Monitors display colour using light, while printers reproduce colour using inks. Without proper colour management, each device may interpret the same colour differently, resulting in unexpected variations.
The goal is simple: what you see on screen should closely match what comes out of the printer.
Why Colour Accuracy is Important
For many businesses, colour is more than just appearance – it is part of their brand identity.
A company logo, corporate colours, packaging design, or promotional material needs to look consistent every time it is printed. Even small colour variations can affect the professional appearance of a product or marketing campaign.
Consistent colour reproduction helps businesses:
Maintain brand integrity
Improve customer satisfaction
Reduce costly reprints
Deliver predictable results across multiple print runs
The Cost of Poor Colour Management
Without a proper colour management process, print operators may experience:
Inconsistent colours between jobs
Variations between different printers
Wasted media and ink
Increased production time
Customer complaints and rejected work
In a competitive printing environment, these issues can quickly impact profitability.
How Modern Colour Management Helps
Today's colour management software and printer technologies make it easier than ever to achieve accurate, repeatable results.
By using calibrated devices, colour profiles, and workflow controls, printers can reproduce colours more consistently across different materials and production environments.
This is particularly important for:
UV Printing
DTF Printing
Sublimation
Signage Production
Packaging
Promotional Products
Small Adjustments, Big Results
Many print quality issues are not caused by the printer itself but by inconsistencies in colour workflows.
Investing time in proper colour management can dramatically improve print quality, reduce waste, and create a more professional end product.
The Bottom Line
Colour management may work behind the scenes, but its impact is visible in every successful print job.
Whether you're producing signage, promotional products, labels, packaging, or custom graphics, accurate colour reproduction helps ensure that your customers receive exactly what they expect.
In digital printing, consistency matters. And when it comes to delivering professional results, colour management is one of the most important tools in the production process.
If you’ve ever approved a design on your screen, hit print, and then wondered why the final result looks duller, darker, or just… off, you’re not alone.
Screen-to-print colour mismatch is one of the most common frustrations in printing, especially for new print shop owners and businesses producing their own graphics. The good news? This problem is completely fixable once you understand why it happens.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly why prints don’t match screen colours and give you practical, real-world steps to get far more predictable, professional results.
The Core Reason: Screens and Printers Speak Different Colour Languages
The biggest reason your prints don’t match your screen comes down to how colour is created.
Screens Use RGB (Light-Based Colour)
Screens create colour using Red, Green, and Blue light.
Colours appear brighter, more vibrant, and backlit.
RGB can display colours that printers physically cannot reproduce.
Printers Use CMYK (Ink-Based Colour)
Printers use Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black ink.
Ink absorbs light instead of emitting it.
Colours will always appear more muted than on a screen.
Key takeaway: A screen shows you what light can do. A printer shows you what ink can do.
Why Your Prints Look Darker Than the Screen
This is one of the most common complaints, and it usually comes from screen brightness settings.
Most monitors are:
Too bright.
Too contrast-heavy.
Not set up for print work.
When your screen is overly bright, you subconsciously design darker images, and those dark areas become even darker once printed.
Quick Fix
Reduce monitor brightness to around 90 – 120 cd/m².
Avoid designing in dark rooms with high screen brightness.
Judge shadows carefully, printed shadows close up fast.
Monitor Calibration: The Step Most People Skip
An uncalibrated monitor is essentially guessing at colour.
What Calibration Does
Aligns your screen to a known colour standard.
Ensures whites, greys, and skin tones are accurate.
Makes colour decisions predictable instead of random.
Your Options
Best: Use a hardware calibrator (Datacolor Spyder, X-Rite, etc.)
Minimum: Use your operating system’s built-in calibration tool.
Even basic calibration can drastically improve print accuracy.
Colour Profiles Matter More Than You Think
If you’re not using ICC colour profiles, you’re leaving colour accuracy to chance.
What ICC Profiles Do
Tell your printer exactly how to interpret colour.
Compensate for ink, media, and printer behaviour.
Ensure consistency across different jobs.
Common Mistake
Using the wrong profile for the media:
Glossy vs matte paper.
Sublimation paper vs photo paper.
Different ink sets.
Always match the printer profile to the exact media you’re printing on.
RGB Files Sent Straight to Print: A Silent Problem
Many designs look great on screen because they’re still in RGB. When printed, the printer must convert them to CMYK, often automatically and poorly.
Best Practice
Convert designs to CMYK before printing.
Preview colours using “soft proofing” in your design software.
Adjust colours manually after conversion.
This lets you see in advance what the printer will realistically produce.
Paper and Media Change Colour More Than You Expect
The same file printed on different media will never look identical.
Examples:
Matte paper absorbs ink → flatter colours.
Glossy paper reflects light → more vibrancy.
Sublimation paper behaves very differently from photo paper.
This is not a fault, it’s physics.
Pro Tip:
Always test on the final media, not a substitute.
Lighting: The Final Illusion Nobody Talks About
Prints are affected by ambient lighting, screens are not.
A print viewed under:
Cool LED lighting.
Warm indoor bulbs.
Natural daylight.
…will appear different in each environment.
Best Practice
Judge prints under neutral daylight-balanced lighting.
Avoid approving colour under yellow or mixed lighting.
A Simple Colour-Accuracy Checklist
Before blaming your printer, check this list:
Screen brightness reduced.
Monitor calibrated.
Correct ICC profile selected.
File converted to CMYK intentionally.
Correct media profile used.
Print viewed under proper lighting.
If even one of these is off, colour accuracy suffers.
When You’re Stuck, Don’t Guess, Get Support
Colour management can feel overwhelming at first, especially when you’re running a business and need results, not theory.
This is where having access to experienced technical support makes a real difference.
If you ever hit a wall:
Unsure which profile to use.
Getting inconsistent results.
Switching media or inks.
Seeing unexpected colour shifts.
Having knowledgeable support staff who understand real-world printing scenarios can save you hours of trial and error and a lot of wasted material.
Perfect Matches Are a Myth, Predictable Colour Is the Goal
No print will ever look identical to a glowing screen. But with the right setup, calibration, and workflow, your prints can be consistent, predictable, and professional.
Once you control the variables, colour stops being a frustration and starts becoming a competitive advantage.
If you’d like guidance tailored to your printer, media, and workflow, our team is always happy to help you dial things in properly.
UV printing is known for its sharp detail, instant curing, and excellent colour durability, but those benefits only hold if the ink itself is handled and stored correctly. For many small businesses, colour issues blamed on printers or files can often be traced back to poor UV ink storage.
UV inks are chemically engineered to react to light and temperature in very specific ways. When stored incorrectly, they can degrade, separate, thicken, or cure prematurely, leading to colour shifts, clogging, and inconsistent print results. Understanding how to store UV ink properly is essential if you want reliable colour output and longer ink life.
Why UV Ink Storage Directly Affects Colour Accuracy
Unlike water-based or eco-solvent inks, UV inks remain liquid until exposed to ultraviolet light. This makes them extremely efficient during printing, but also more sensitive to environmental conditions.
When UV ink is exposed to excess heat, light, or air over extended periods, its chemical balance begins to change. Pigments may settle unevenly, viscosity can increase, and curing behaviour can become inconsistent. These changes don’t always show up immediately, but over time they lead to faded colours, banding, or uneven gloss levels in prints.
Proper storage preserves the ink’s stability, ensuring that the colour you see today is the same colour you’ll get weeks later.
Temperature Control Is Non-Negotiable
One of the most critical factors in UV ink storage is temperature. UV ink should always be stored in a cool, stable environment, ideally within the temperature range recommended by the manufacturer.
When ink is stored in areas that are too hot, such as near windows, heaters, or poorly ventilated workshops, the ink can thicken or begin reacting prematurely. Cold temperatures, on the other hand, can cause separation or changes in flow characteristics, which negatively affect jetting and colour consistency.
A controlled indoor environment with minimal temperature fluctuation is far better than a garage or storeroom that heats up during the day and cools down at night.
Protecting UV Ink from Light Exposure
Because UV ink cures when exposed to ultraviolet light, even indirect light exposure over time can compromise ink quality. This doesn’t mean ink will instantly harden, but prolonged exposure can weaken pigments and alter curing performance.
Ink bottles and cartridges should always be stored away from direct sunlight and strong artificial lighting. Even workshop lighting positioned too close to open ink containers can contribute to long-term degradation.
Keeping ink sealed, shaded, and stored in its original packaging when not in use significantly reduces this risk.
Why Sealing and Air Exposure Matter
Air exposure is another silent contributor to ink degradation. When UV ink containers are left open or improperly sealed, oxygen can slowly alter the ink’s chemistry. This often leads to thickening, sediment buildup, or colour inconsistency between prints.
Always ensure caps are tightly closed immediately after refilling or maintenance. Avoid decanting ink unnecessarily, and never leave containers open while performing other tasks. Small habits here make a noticeable difference over time.
Shelf Life Is Real and Ignoring It Is Costly
UV inks have a defined shelf life for a reason. Over time, even perfectly stored ink will naturally lose stability. Using expired ink may seem harmless at first, but it often leads to subtle colour shifts that become harder to correct as jobs progress.
Old ink can also place extra strain on print heads, increasing maintenance needs and reducing output consistency. Rotating stock properly and using older ink first helps maintain consistent colour across jobs.
Ink Storage and Printer Performance Go Hand in Hand
Proper ink storage doesn’t just protect colour, it directly supports printer performance. Printers designed for precision UV work rely on ink with consistent viscosity and pigment dispersion.
When UV ink is stored correctly, printers like the PL-UVA3-MAX UV Printer can operate at their intended performance level, delivering sharp detail, stable colour, and reliable curing across different materials. Poorly stored ink undermines even the best equipment, leading to avoidable troubleshooting and downtime.
Transporting and Handling Ink the Right Way
Ink handling doesn’t stop at storage. Shaking ink excessively, storing it on vibrating surfaces, or exposing it to heat during transport can also affect pigment stability.
Ink should be moved carefully, allowed to settle before use if transported, and brought to room temperature before loading into the printer. Rushing this step can introduce air bubbles or uneven pigment distribution, which directly impacts print quality.
When Colour Issues Appear, Ink Storage Should Be Checked First
When colour inconsistencies suddenly appear, many users immediately adjust files or printer settings. While those factors matter, ink condition should always be checked early in the troubleshooting process.
Ink that has been stored incorrectly often produces problems that no amount of profile adjustment can fully fix. Identifying and correcting storage issues early saves time, materials, and unnecessary calibration work.
The Value of Expert Guidance in UV Printing
UV printing is a powerful tool, but it rewards proper handling and informed workflows. Small storage mistakes can have outsized effects on colour and reliability, especially as production volumes increase.
Having access to knowledgeable technical support helps ensure that ink storage, printer setup, and maintenance practices are aligned. This kind of guidance not only preserves colour quality but also extends the lifespan of both ink and equipment.
Good Ink Storage Is Good Colour Management
Storing UV ink correctly isn’t an optional best practice; it’s a foundational requirement for consistent, professional printing. Temperature control, light protection, proper sealing, and stock rotation all work together to preserve colour accuracy and printer performance.
When UV ink is treated with the same care as the printer itself, colour becomes predictable, maintenance decreases, and print quality stays where it should be: consistently high.
For many small businesses, colour printing starts with excitement and quickly turns into frustration. Logos don’t look right, brand colours shift between jobs, and finished prints never quite match expectations. In most cases, this isn’t caused by faulty equipment, it’s caused by avoidable colour workflow mistakes.
Understanding where colour printing goes wrong is the first step to producing consistent, professional results. This article walks through the most common colour printing mistakes small businesses make, explains why they happen, and shows how to avoid them before they cost you time, materials, and credibility.
Designing for Screen Instead of Print
One of the earliest and most common mistakes is designing artwork purely based on how it looks on a screen. Screens are backlit and use light to create colour, which naturally makes colours appear brighter, richer, and more saturated. Prints, on the other hand, rely on ink laid onto a physical surface, which absorbs light rather than emitting it.
When designs are approved based on screen appearance alone, the printed result often feels dull, flat, or darker than expected. This disconnect is especially noticeable with deep blues, reds, and gradients. Small businesses frequently assume the printer is at fault, when in reality the design was never prepared with print limitations in mind.
Designing with print in mind means anticipating ink behaviour, media absorption, and realistic colour ranges rather than chasing screen vibrancy.
Ignoring Colour Profiles and Letting the Printer “Decide”
Another major mistake is printing without proper colour profiles, or relying entirely on automatic printer settings. Colour profiles exist to translate digital colour information into accurate printed output, accounting for ink type, printer technology, and media characteristics.
When profiles are ignored or mismatched, printers are forced to make assumptions about colour interpretation. This results in unpredictable shifts, especially when switching between materials or reprinting older jobs. The problem becomes even more noticeable in branded work where colour consistency matters.
Printers like eco-solvent, UV, and DTF systems all behave differently, and each requires correct colour handling to perform at its best. Consistency comes from controlling the process, not leaving it to default settings.
Using the Wrong Media for Colour-Critical Work
Small businesses often choose media based on cost or availability rather than colour performance. While this may work for basic signage or internal use, it becomes problematic when colour accuracy is important.
Different media absorb and reflect ink in different ways. Matte surfaces soften colours, glossy materials enhance contrast, and textured substrates can distort fine detail. UV printing introduces another layer, where ink sits on the surface rather than soaking in, changing how colour is perceived under different lighting conditions.
Without testing and understanding how media affects colour output, businesses end up chasing “fixes” in the file rather than addressing the real cause.
Expecting One Printer to Handle Every Colour Job Perfectly
A common operational mistake is expecting a single printer setup to handle every application equally well. Eco-solvent, DTF, and UV printing each serve different purposes and excel in different colour scenarios.
Eco-solvent printers are ideal for rich, smooth gradients and large-format graphics where colour transitions matter. DTF printing shines when transferring bold, vibrant designs onto textiles – but requires careful colour management to avoid oversaturation. UV printers offer incredible durability and sharpness – but behave differently due to instant curing and surface-level ink application.
Problems arise when businesses treat all print technologies the same and expect identical colour results across vastly different processes.
Skipping Test Prints to Save Time (and Losing More Time Later)
In an effort to move quickly, many small businesses skip test prints altogether. While this may seem efficient, it almost always leads to reprints, wasted material, and unhappy clients.
Test prints reveal issues that screens never show, colour shifts, shadow loss, over-saturation, and media interaction problems. Even a small test can prevent a full production run from going wrong.
Printers capable of fast setup and consistent output make this step far less disruptive, allowing businesses to validate colour without slowing down operations.
Poor Lighting When Evaluating Prints
Colour doesn’t exist in isolation. It is heavily influenced by lighting. Reviewing prints under incorrect lighting conditions is a mistake that leads to unnecessary adjustments and confusion.
Warm indoor lights, mixed lighting environments, or dim workspaces can all distort colour perception. A print that looks too yellow indoors may look perfect in daylight, while a print approved under harsh LED lighting may fail in real-world use.
Consistent, neutral lighting is essential when judging colour, especially for branding or customer-facing work.
Overcorrecting Files Instead of Fixing the Workflow
When colour looks wrong, the instinct is often to “fix” the file by adjusting brightness, contrast, or saturation repeatedly. This leads to files that are heavily modified to compensate for workflow issues rather than being designed correctly from the start.
Over time, this creates confusion, inconsistent results, and files that behave unpredictably across different jobs or printers. The smarter approach is to correct the workflow, not endlessly tweak the artwork.
Underestimating the Value of Technical Support
Perhaps the most overlooked mistake is trying to solve colour problems alone. Colour management has a learning curve, and small issues can become persistent frustrations without guidance.
Having access to experienced technical support can dramatically shorten the learning process. Whether it’s setting up a new printer, selecting the right media, or troubleshooting colour inconsistencies, knowledgeable support helps businesses avoid costly trial-and-error and get productive faster.
This becomes especially valuable when working with advanced equipment or expanding into new print applications.
Colour Consistency Is a Business Asset
Colour printing mistakes are rarely caused by one single error. They usually stem from small workflow oversights that compound over time. The good news is that once these issues are identified and corrected, colour becomes predictable, repeatable, and far less stressful.
For small businesses, mastering colour isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about protecting brand integrity, reducing waste, and delivering professional results with confidence.
With the right setup, the right equipment, and the right guidance, colour printing stops being a guessing game and starts becoming a strength.
If you are planning to start a new printing business or have already opened a print shop, understanding the differences between CMYK and RGB is not just a technical luxury. It is a business-critical foundation. Many costly printing mistakes, customer complaints, and reprints happen simply because this difference is misunderstood.
This guide explains CMYK vs RGB in plain language, from the perspective of someone investing in printing equipment, serving customers, and trying to get consistent, professional results.
RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue. An easy way to remember its use is to know it as the Colour of Screens, as this colour model is used by:
Computers and laptops
Smartphones and tablets
TVs and digital displays
RGB works by adding light together. The more light you add, the brighter the colour becomes. When all three colours are at their full strengths, you end up getting white. Okay so what does that actually mean? RGB is what customers see on their screens, and not what printers use to put colour onto physical materials.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (Key). It gets its name from the fact that these are the four inks used by most colour printers, from entry-level machines to industrial production equipment.
CMYK works by subtracting light. The ink is laid onto the white material, absorbing certain wavelengths of light to create colour. So, as an example, if you need to print an image of white clouds in a blue sky, the ink will only be where the colour is; where there is pure white, there will be no ink output. CMYK is how colour is physically produced on paper, board, plastic, wood, and other printable materials.
Many new print businesses make the same mistake:
“It looks perfect on screen, but the printer version looks dull or different.”
This happens because RGB can display colours that CMYK physically cannot print. Bright greens, blues, and reds are the most common problem colours. When converted from RGB to CMYK, they often lose their vibrancy.
For your business, this can mean:
Customer dissatisfaction
Reprints at your cost
Wasted ink and materials
Loss of trust in your quality
RGB should be used when designing content for websites or social media, viewing customer artwork on screens, or creating digital previews. CMYK should be used when printing business cards, flyers, brochures, posters, packaging, labels, or signage. Basically, when running any production jobs on any colour printer.
A business rule to remember is: if ink touches a physical surface, CMYK should be involved somewhere in the process.
As you progress in your business, you will see that this is extremely common, especially with new customers. Be careful because if you print an RGB file, the printer will automatically convert it to CMYK, causing the colours to shift without warning. This will cause varying results between printers and materials.
The best way to manage customer expectations is to always inform them that the colour may change. Let them know you will be converting the files to CMYK yourself (don’t be afraid to charge for this additional work). By doing this, you are setting realistic expectations before running the print. This clear communication will protect your margins and your reputation.
You are probably saying to yourself but why does everyone not just use RGB? Why must there be two different options? Don’t worry, this is a common misconception that CMYK produces inferior colours, while in reality, CMYK is real-world ink and material, where RGB is unlimited light. CMYK reflects what is physically possible.
Understanding CMYK helps you reduce failed print jobs, thus avoiding unnecessary reprints. Train your staff on this, and it can help to use ink more efficiently by standardising the colour output across jobs. Over time, these all add up to improve your profit margins, production speed, and customer confidence.
If you are investing in printing equipment, learning CMYK early is non-negotiable. Learning the difference between CMYK and RGB will help you to avoid beginner mistakes, educate your customers confidently, deliver professional and repeatable results, all resulting in building a brand your customers can trust.
Successful print businesses are not built on machines alone. They are built on knowledge, process, and expectation management.
Recently, I've been seeing more issues with Tecjet and their Eco Solvent machines that have seemingly "outdated" dongles. If you look at the attached images, at 50% scale on the print, there is no watermark. However, when you take it up to 100% scale, the watermark is automatically there, even though the dongle is plugged in. Uninstalling and reinstalling the software has no effect.
The only thing that we can do is to update the dongle firmware. Should this be needed, you can contact Perfect Laser for assistance.
Using the software is very simple: Simply have your dongle plugged into the PC (this can be done remotely too), open up the mtru.exe, then click the "Upgrade physical rockey" button in the bottom right. When it is done, the application will ask you to unplug the dongle. That's it; you are done.
While not explicitly required, I will advise restarting the PC and the printer just as a safe measure.
If your dongle does not need a firmware upgrade, the application will say "No upgrade data," like mine, and nothing will happen, so don't worry about damaging a dongle through this process.
Note: Kindly contact your nearest branch and ask to speak to a technician so that they can send you the software required to update your maintop dongle.
Long-term Shutdown Procedures, Printer Inactivity Guidelines and how to recover from a Shutdown
We understand that towards December, most companies shut down their printers for extended periods of time. The shutdown period is normally between mid-December and early January the following year.
To protect sensitive components and reduce the risk of component damage, a long-term storage procedure needs to be followed. The procedure will differ depending on which printer model and the duration of the desired shutdown.
0-7 Days:
Do your normal daily maintenance procedure and try to print a test print every second day.
7-14 Days:
Our recommendation is that you request a call-out from us to send a technician who will properly decommission your machine. The procedure normally entails the following
1. Flushing of the printer head
2. Flushing the head cap and pump
3. Cleaning the rubber lining on the head cap
4. Covering and securing the dampers, etc.
The purpose of this is to try and avoid the stagnant/idle ink in the head or any other component from drying.
After the shutdown, we recommend you call us out to come and recommission and recalibrate the printer for you.
To print white as a spot colour on a wide-format printer (Super Mini DTF), you'll need to define a spot colour in your design software and then configure the printer to use that spot colour for white ink printing. This involves creating a selection of the desired area in Photoshop that you need to print white and adding it to a channel. The printer's software or RIP (Raster Image Processor) will need to be set up to recognise and print this spot colour as white.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
1. Define a Spot colour:
In your design software (Photoshop), create a new spot colour swatch. Name it something like "Spot colour" or "Spot White" for easy identification.
2. HOW:
Identify areas of your design that you want to print in white. This can be done by making a selection on your artwork using the various selection tools within Photoshop. When done, select the Channels menu next to the Layer menu, then navigate to the far right, where you will see an icon with 4 lines, click on it and scroll down to “New Spot Channel”. Set your Solidity to 100%. Click okay, then save your artwork as a TIFF file.
3. Rip Your Artwork:
Open RIIN, import your artwork and click on the “Spotcolour” tab and make sure the data source is set to Spot. This helps your printing software (Better Print) recognise and use the spot colour you defined.
4. White Ink Options:
RIIN offers different white ink printing modes, such as:
Spot colour: Prints a specific spot colour defined as white.
Image Density: Prints white ink based on CMYK values, creating a white ink dot for all pixels except CMYK 0,0,0,0 (media white).
Substrate: Prints white ink on the entire bounding box of the job, independent of individual pixel colours.
By following these steps, you can effectively print white ink as a spot colour on your wide-format printer and create visually striking and impactful designs.
The video attached demonstrates how to create spot layers for white ink printing with Photoshop, how to Rip the file in RIIN and how to print your file in Better Print.
I had to change the Motherboard on my DTF Super Mini, and when I put the replacement board in, some parameters were set incorrectly, specifically around the cleaning process and capping station.
Attached, you can find the document I wrote up that can assist you with it.
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