Understanding DTF Printer Performance

Since the launch of the three main DTF printers - F8, F13 and F13 pro, Procolored has progressively achieved upgrades on both machine configuration and printing workflow, and successfully updated the three DTF printers with the advanced upgrades.
This blog is to offer the most up-to-date understanding of the three Procolored DTF printers to support a more informative purchase.

Written by Procolored - Published on Nov 23, 2024

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9 minutes read

9 minutes read

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Written by Procolored - Published on Nov 23, 2024

PASSAGE SUMMARY

1.  Brief Comparison
2.  F8 - Perfect for DTF New-Beginners
3.  F13 - Right for Your Business Upgrade
4.  F13 Pro - Ideal Partner for High-Volume Printing Studio

Title

1. Brief Comparison

DTF printing, also called Direct-to-Film printing, is one inkjet printing method that can be perfectly applied on fabrics including cotton, polyester fiber, wool, nylon, silk and so forth materials.
Thanks to its vibrant color reproduction and the hassle-free operation, DTF printing has been preferred by a large amount of printing hobbyist and experts. According to market.us, apparel printing dominantly accounts for 37.5% of the POD market in 2023, ranking as the most popular POD products.

Implying such a huge and lucrative market, a suitable DTF printer shows up its importance in saving upfront investment and fitting different business scales. To accordingly achieve a higher cost-efficiency, Procolored provides three featured DTF printers on sale - F8, F13 and F13 pro, and each of them exhibits different advantages as the chart below generalizes. In the following passage, we will break down the chart and understand the three DTF printers separately.

Procolored F8 DTF

Procolored F13 DTF

Procolored F13 Pro DTF

Print Head

L800

L1800

XP600*2

Printing Speed

Letter/A4:7min

Letter/A4:10min

Letter/A4:4.5min

Print Size

Width: 8.2"(210mm)

Width: 13"(330mm)

Width: 13"(330mm)

T-shirt

[M]Executive Size Prints

[7"x10.5"]

[L]Executive Size Prints

[8.5"x11"]

[XL]Executive Size Prints

[8.5"x14"]

Retail Sell Price

$15.9

$21.9

$25.9

Total Cost Per Unit

$3 Blank Apparel

$0.4 Inks

$0.45 Film

$0.05 Powder

$3 Blank Apparel

$0.4 Inks

$0.6 Film

$0.06 Powder

$3 Blank Apparel

$0.6 Inks

$0.75 Film

$0.07 Powder

Prints Per Hour

8pcs

6pcs

13pcs

Average Waste

15%

15%

15%

Profit Per Day

$474.6

$528.71

$1382.35

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2. F8 - Perfect for DTF New-Beginners

F8, as we simply call it, actually refers to the Procolored F8 Panda DTF Printer 8.2" A4 L800. This is the most compact-sized one of all the Procolored printing products, acting as the upgrade version of the previous Procolored L805 (delisted product already).

2.1  Basic Specification

Printer dimension: 21*11*7inch

Printing width: 8.2"(210mm)

Print head: Single Printhead, L800

Printing speed: 7min for an A4 size print

Film type: Roll film

Ink color setting: CMYK+W*2

Ink circulation: Siphon White Ink Circulation System

Printhead safeguard system: Yes

Film cutter: Yes

Auto cleaning function: Yes

2.2  Further Understanding

When talking about compact-sized electronics, people always worry that the machine performance and outcome quality would be quite limited due to the portable sizes —— but not for Procolored. To provide DTF new-beginners with simplified and cost-efficient experience, Procolored designed this L800 in compact size but of exceptional configuration:

Less consumable consumption: L805 was an A4 DTF printer that’s once on sale. One reason we halted its production and got it replaced, is its over-consumption on the sheet films. In DTF printing, roll film is often seen as more convenient and efficient, as it allows for continuous printing, exhibits less limit on graphic size and reduces the need for manual intervention.

Built-in triple shields: Smaller size, as L800 is, it’s still equipped with three complete built-in systems as other Procolored DTF printers. One is Procolored Siphon Circulation that ensures stable supply of white ink; the second one, auto printhead cleaning function that activates every 10 hours when a printer is on but idel; the last one is Printhead Safeguard System that performs real-time monitoring on printing status. These there shields guarantee a smoother printing workflow with stable ink supply, smooth film feeding and accurate printing, efficiently reducing nozzle clogging issues.

New things terrify us since they may be unpredictable or uncontrollable. But for DTF new beginners, this L800 featuring with all the above advantages, can be their powerful guide into the new world of DTF printing, providing friendly operations, seamless machine configurations and vibrant print output.

3.  F13 - Right for Your Business Upgrade

F13, as we simply call it, actually refers to the Procolored F13 Panda DTF Printer 13" A3 L1800. F13 has been ranked as the best selling product of Procolored for quite a long time, being considered as one with the highest cost-efficiency for growing printing business.

3.1  Basic Specification

Printer dimension: 31*13*8inch

Printing width: 13"(330mm)

Print head: Single Printhead, L1800

Printing speed: 10min for an A4 size print

Film type: Roll film

Ink color setting: CMYK+W*2

Ink circulation: Siphon White Ink Circulation System

Printhead safeguard system: Yes

Film cutter: Yes

Auto cleaning function: Yes

3.2  Further Understanding

Wider print size: Compared to F8 (8.2” printable width), F13 enables prints of wider printable size to 13”. Given the only slightly heavier and bigger printer body, a broader graphic choice greatly magnifies F13’s advantage - an acceptable weight increase exchanged for a more flexible business niche. Take t-shirt printing for example, when handling an order of just one graphic print, F13 can produce garments in a broader size range, while F8 may only be capable of producing small-sized garments.

And that’s also the reason why we recommend F13 to users that own growing printing business - only a medium-volume printing needs make the machine pay for itself quicker. Without frequent use and regular cleaning, a printer might get clogged or dried quickly, highly increasing its maintenance cost also interrupting your business or individual printing schedules.

4. F13 Pro - Ideal Partner for High-Volume Printing Studio

F13 Pro, as we simply call it, actually refers to the Procolored F13 Pro Panda DTF Printer 13" A3 Dual XP600. As the word “Pro” in the name suggests, this printer has been significantly enhanced compared to other Procolored DTF printers, with several notable improvements that we will discuss below.

4.1  Basic Specification

Printer dimension: 39*21*18inch

Printing width: 13"(330mm)

Print head: Dual Printhead, XP600*2

Printing speed: 4.5min for an A4 size print

Film type: Roll film

Ink color setting: CCMMYK+W*6

Ink circulation: Siphon White Ink Circulation System

Printhead safeguard system: Yes

Film cutter: Yes

Auto cleaning function: Yes

3.2  Further Understanding

Ace - dual printhead: F13 Pro obviously exhibit the highest print speed among all the Procolored DTF printers - an A4 size print takes F8 7mins, F13 10mins, but only 4.5mins for F13 Pro, thanks to the dual printhead. 
So does the two-printhead make difference exactly?
First let’s understand how a Procolored DTF printer works - generally as the printhead assembly moves, it first prints out white ink as the base layer of a print, then covers it with color inks depicting the graphic content. For single-printhead printer like F8 and F13, the 6 ink cartridges are listed as CMYK+W*2 (referring to Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black and White in sequence); but for F13 Pro, its double printheads are in charge of designated colors - the first 6 cartridges controls CCMMYK, the second ones deposit white ink only, greatly improving graphic printing speed.

Combing with the three built-in shield systems, with no doubt F13 Pro exhibits the most stable and efficient performance. For printing studios handling high-volume orders, this printer guarantees a smooth, continuous printing workflow with a high standard. The majority of our F13 Pro users also purchased our auto powder shaker to handle the spreading and curing process of DTF adhesive powder, successfully turning DTF printing into a high leveled automated business.

About the Author - Joyce

Joyce has worked with Procolored since the first day she joined inkjet printing career. Through continual  training courses and years of working experiences, Joyce has formed a comprehensive understanding over Procolored products and a thorough knowledge of printing technologies.

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