The Top 5 T-Shirt Printing Machines

Today we’re going to break down 2018’s top five DTG t-shirt printing machine models:

Epson F2100
With a roughly 3’ by 5’ foot print, the Epson F2100’s footprint is more rectangular than the GTX from Brother — and at just over 1.5’ high, it is certainly smaller. This is a table or bench top design and is not free standing, so you’ll need to plan on where it will be setup. Overall, the F2100 is a very quiet operating machine with a polished, put-together profile that works as easily in a home-based business as it does in a full production environment.

Brother GTX
At 4.5’ by 4.25,’ the GTX is a little boxier and immediately conveys an industrial look with its predominately metal exterior. The GTX is a table or bench top unit but with a custom stand available. This stand is recommended, as it allows users to take advantage of the open bottom design of the printer for humidification, which is often necessary for consistent operation.

Col-Desi (DTG Digital) M2
Being the only dual platen printer of this group, the natural thought would be that it has a much larger foot print. At about 4’ x 3,’ it occupies a similar space but with a much larger shadow as it’s nearly a complete rectangle. A tabletop/bench top unit as well, the M2 will require proper arrangements. Quieter than the Brother GTX but not to the level of the Epson F2100, this unit can be an option for users that need an extra-large imaging area.

Kornit Breeze
As the introductory machine from Kornit, the Breeze is the smallest in their line-up but one of the largest in this group. The 4’ x 5’ framework is the most modern looking by far. As the only machine in the group with an integrated pre-treatment system, the overall foot print may be smaller. Kornit’s inks are typically cured with a gas dryer which can serve as the base table for this printer.

M&R M-Link-X
As the only free-standing unit in this group, the M-Link X also has the distinction of being the largest at 4.5’ x 5.5.’ With a rugged steel frame and squared-off edging, the M-Link has the most industrial look and feel. Not the best option for home-based businesses, this unit is better suited for a production environment.

   In comparing these models, I feel it’s best to start with their intended target audience.  M&R and Kornit’s focus have always been toward production shops while Epson, Brother and Col-Desi have tried to broaden their audiences to include smaller garment shops and even sign and graphics shops where t-shirts are often a complimentary workflow.  In the cases of Epson and Brother they’ve taken that a step further targeting home based business with their ease of use as well.   That’s not to say that the F2100 and GTX can’t handle production, because they are both capable of running regular shifts in production shops. (note the production volumes in the chart below)

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Maintenance is usually the one of the first questions out of potential users mouths and in this regard the Epson and Brother printers receive high marks for their automated daily maintenance, freeing the operator from the downtime many DTG users have come to expect.  Epson does edge out Brother however on cost with weekly solution costs of $3-5 vs $20 respectively.  Brother’s automated maintenance procedures however, are similar to Kornit’s refreshing operation, in that they end up purging a significant amount of ink in their wet capping stations (¼ to 1/3 of ink volume depending on machine usage) making it an additional maintenance cost factor.

M-Link-X receives high marks with relatively low cost (~$30 a month) and minimal time ( <10 minutes ) especially when compared to its output. Col-Desi’s M2 using older Epson photo print heads and Kornit’s Breeze having the pre-treatment ( binding agent ) inside the machine will run well over an hr or two per week in maintenance time.

Service & Training typically falls in line right after maintenance questions.   On training, I always encourage on-site installation/training by a service technician.  This way you know your machine is functioning properly and you’re operating it correctly.  In this area Col-Desi receives a poor grade as they offer only remote training or at their corporate offices in Florida.  Service when you need it is always important any DTG printer it’s going to start with your distributor.  Some are going to be much more adept at addressing smaller service questions and getting you back up and running.  When it comes to getting a technician on-site, Epson comes out the winner here as they have a 48 hr on-site guarantee built right into their warranty.

Operating Costs typically begin with extensive discussion on ink costs and shirt costs.  Far more important is the actual operation costs of a particular printer.  This is going to give you real world costs on what producing an actual garment is, not just the cost of the ink on the shirt.  Shirt cost analysis done with only the ink cost on a shirt are misleading at best and are often numbers that get flaunted by manufacturers to one up a competitor.   Every shop is going to have different operation costs so an individual analysis should be done with your distributor to understand your overall costs, but from an equipment standpoint Epson and Brother are the most transparent in their operations costs with easy to calculate on shirt costs as well as expected maintenance material and time costs. Ink cost on a particular shirt alone can be a small fraction of the overall operation so don’t be lured in simply by this figure alone.

We’ve created a chart to compare some of these leading printer models side by side. If you’re in the market for a Direct to Garment Printer,  we always recommend a consultative analysis to get started and demoing the equipment your looking to bring in-house.  Trade show demonstrations can be a good step in initial review but spending some hands-on time thoroughly reviewing the entire workflow and production is the best way to understand all the caveats of operation.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below and let us know your experiences with t-shirt design software.

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