Complete Guide: DTG Pretreatment

DTG printing changed the way industry works since the day it arrived in the market. DTG printers made printing easy with their compact design and easy design process. Using it, you can have vibrant and lively colors.

One of the main factors of DTG printers is pretreatment. Over the course of 10 years, they have evolved rapidly. For years, designers, manufacturers, and owners were suffering from decoration issues. But, the introduction of DTG pretreatment made it easy for the decoration process to be robust. Today more than ever, businesses can easily print any type of designs with ease and a fast process.

DTG printers + pretreatment made it easy for print business owners to carry out complex designs procedures comfortably and produce vibrant colors. With the ease of the printing process, today, it is easy to fulfill customer demands and serve better.

If you have recently bought DTG printers and are confused about what pretreatment is or where to start. Here, we will discuss everything you need to know about DTG pretreatment solutions. Without further ado, let’s start:

Quick Brief about DTG Pretreatment

What is Pretreatment for T-shirt Printing?

Pretreatment is a solution applied to let the white ink properly mix with the t-shirt. It is mostly useful when working with dark garments. Pretreatment solutions work like glue and bind your ink with the t-shirts. Pretreated shirts last longer and have a protected surface.

You can apply the under-base of white ink layer on the actual design to make the colors on the top more vibrant. The white ink printed remains on the top of the t-shirt and does not soak in the fabric. Additionally, it prevents the ink from changing color from white to gray and does not provide a smooth surface to print further.

How Pretreatment Works?

To pretreat the shirts, it starts by flashing the white ink to the extent that it changes its inherent properties. Further, it changes the white color from liquid to semi-liquid state and produces a smooth, printable surface. Once you have applied the under the base and dried it, next up, you can apply other color inks. As the under-base will be applied, other inks will not fade away and produce vibrant colors on the t-shirts.

Remember to use gloves and cover your eyes while carrying out pretreatment processes to keep your eyes and face protected as there will be lots of chemicals you will be dealing with. There are multiple ways you can apply pretreatment on t-shirts; we will see further.

Types of Garments You can Pre-treat

Before, it was possible to pretreat only cotton garments and natural fibers. But, over the course of time, it is possible to pretreat other materials like polyester cotton. Today DTG pretreatment solutions are specially designed for various types of materials.

In fact, today, many companies sell pretreated shirts and apparel. It has helped them to get a better return on investment as better quality products are coming.

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Importance of DTG Pretreatment Solutions

Better Color Vibrancy

Pretreated shirts stand out from the crowd easily because of the color vibrancy. Without the pretreatment, your t-shirts will not look good and are very likely not to last longer. If you don’t use DTG pretreatment solution, the color absorbs faster with the fabric and fades away early. Businesses who prefer to provide custom t-shirts can build their market niche in pretreatment.

Fewer Chances of Ink Fading

Pretreatment works as a primer for your garments. If you don’t apply it, they are very likely to fade away. Many factors affect the fading of your t-shirt designs, due to which many times printing shop owners had to suffer. Thus, the invention of pretreatment has worked as a boon for the printing industry. Less fading helps businesses to sell better quality products.

Essential while using White Ink on Dark Garments

If you are using white inks on dark garments, you cannot make the mistake of missing on pretreatment. Specifically, the major purpose of using it on dark garments is that white garments stick with the garment. You will be having multiple types of garments, and each of them is essential to apply a layer of under base below several inks.

For example, you are planning to use white ink on your black hoodie, if you don’t do pretreatment, your t-shirt is very likely not to have good print designs, and they will appear to be gray or much muted. It will fade away the prints and will be hard for you to sell. Thus, if you are using proper pretreatment, then the colors will appear vibrant.

Types of Pre-Treatment for T-shirts

There are two ways to pretreat various types of t-shirts. Let’s see each of them in detail:

Dark Pre-Treatment

The main functionality of dark treatment is to create a surface such that white ink can be imprinted on it. If you don’t do pretreatment, your garment is likely to dissolve with the fabric. Why should you use dark pretreatment?

When the white ink drops on the shirt’s surface and begins to mix as it comes in contact with pretreatment, it prevents the ink from remaining wet and forms bubbles. It provides the ink surface to print on and not drain or blend.

When the shirt is placed in the heat press, it activates the pre-treatment as a bonding agent so the print can get into fibers and mix well. Buying inks and pretreatments from your manufacturer will ensure that the item is 100% true and is perfect for your t-shirts.

Light Pre-Treatment

A light piece of clothing pretreat is useful mostly on white t-shirts or materials. But, in many cases, you don’t need to pretreat a white shirt. Remember that there will be vast differences between quality, color, and details with and without pretreatment.

When and why should you utilize light pretreatment?

When you are planning to print your white t-shirt, then you will require light pretreatment. When you pretreat a white t-shirt, you will see a bit of contrast with no pretreatment. The color will be darker, stronger, and vibrant.

The pretreatment will work as a bonding agent when the heat is pressed and increases the wash quality. You can also use it in different pastel colors. But, still, the color in the picture will be decided on the basis of the shade of the t-shirt. The standard guideline is to follow the graphics color which you want to print. If it is darker, use light pretreatment.

If you plan to print a dark, purple, blue, or red picture on a pink shirt, you can use light pretreat. If the design is either in yellow, lime green, sky blue, color on a pink shirt, you will need dark pretreatment and white ink.

As the ink is transparent in nature, the t-shirt’s pink color will change one shade lighter. If the picture has any white color in it, you will need to use dark pretreatment.

Two Ways DTG Pretreatment is Applied

Hand Spraying Method

This is an old and manual method to apply DTG pretreatment to your t-shirts. Start by keeping the shirt under the heat press to remove any moisture and flatten the surface for pretreatment. The clothing should be on a flat and even surface.

Next up, start with a sprinkling from left to right from the top and move downwards. Remember, you don’t have to print the entire t-shirt but only the area you need to print the design. Furthermore, apply the solution adequately and make sure that no area remains wet. Next, is spray in the form of strokes vertically unless the content of the box is over.

Afterward, use a roller to spread the solution. It will flatten the fabric fibers that may arise during the pretreatment process.

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Automatic Pretreat Machine

The easy and the fastest method is via the use of an automatic machine. It will enclose the device where the t-shirt is led, and pretreating starts via the machine at a button’s press. You get the exact amount of spray at, same time at the same spot.

Automation has advanced the process to laser guide system and also saving the settings for each garment type is available with some pretreat machines. While using a pretreat machine you will have to adjust the width of the spray pattern and the amount of solution dispensed. Also, make sure the machine is clean and is maintained after each use.

Its major advantage is that it is faster compared to manual pretreatment and uses controlled solutions. The disadvantage is that for startups, it is a bit costly. But, when your production increases, it helps a lot and is a time saver.

Conclusion

Pretreatment works like a magic wand for your company. We all know pretreated shirts look without pretreatment. It will be difficult for your business to sell t-shirts without pretreatment. Today, more than ever, pretreated shirts have become a need of an hour to increase sales and provide better quality shirts. Adding pretreatment in your service will help you to serve your customers better and, in turn, increase return on investment.

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