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TJet3 PLUS Manual 1.1.indb

1. Business and Marketing DVD s Since the business and marketing side is often complex and sometimes frustrating there is an excellent DVD called Business and Marketing that covers all aspects of running a successful garment decorating enterprise There is also I a good set of DVDs on marketing and selling W called the Marketing Toolbox A How To Bo M ovo or Boreen Internet The number one website for the industry is www screenprinters net There you will find a wealth of articles industry links a Buyer s Guide and open Forums Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 1 Introduction Our Advice When starting a business it is often easy to think nothing will go wrong You need to be positive about your venture but in the beginning expect the worse If you take orders for printed shirts before you have even received your machine you might find that deadlines are hard to meet because of the learning curve and unexpected problems The garment business is one of deadlines such as event shirts shirts for soecial occasions and shirts with dates on them You must always give yourself room for error Shirt suppliers might not ship on time You might not have checked your ink inventory and end up running out of a color And yes you will ruin a few shirts Accept this as a fact of life in the garment decorating industry To have the most success allow extra time fo fill orders and don t make commitments that might be hard
2. Located at 1901 East 5th Street Tempe AZ 85043 Telephone 480 929 2937 Declare under sole responsibility that the product identified herein complies with 47CFR Part 2 and 15 of the FCC rules as a Class B digital device Each product marketed is identical to the representative Unit tested and found to be compliant with the standards Records maintained continue to reflect the equipment being produced can be expected to be within the variation accepted due to quantity production and testing on a statistical basis as required by 47CFR 2 909 Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 132 Appendix A Requirements and Notices Type of Product Factory Refurbished Inkjet Printer Model T Jet3 PLUS European Union Declaration of Conformity CE A sample of this equipment has been tested against the Essential Health and Safety Requirements of the Machinery Directive Based on conformity with the Machinery Directive the Equipment Under Test T Jet3 PLUS from U S Graphic Arts Inc doa U S Screen Print amp Inkjet Technology in Tempe Arizona USA is deemed in compliance with the Machinery Directive 98 37 EC and the Council Directives amending the Machinery Directive 21 368 EEC and 93 44 EEC In addition the Equipment
3. Preparing your T Jet PLUS for Downtime In the event that your T Jet3 PLUS will sit for more than a week without use it will be necessary to connect the cleaning solution system The purpose of this procedure is to flush all of the ink out of the bulk ink system ink lines cartridges print head and capping assembly This helps prevent ink build up and promotes the life of the capping station and print head NOTE For best resulfs make sure that the cap assembly is clean and free of any dried ink or debris Flushing the Ink System 1 Using the adjustment program reset the maintenance tank Counter on the T JET3 Plus This will insure that during this procedure the maintenance tank Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 92 Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving will not read as full Refer to Chapter 7 Maintenance Utilities to Improve Print Quality Resetting the Waste Ink Counter for instructions 2 Press the ink button This will release the carriage off of the capping assembly Refer to Chapter 4 Printing Basics for more information on the control panel buttons 3 Turn the power off using the power switch located on the back of the machine near the power cord Move the head off the capping assembly to gain access to the bulk system Ink cartridges 4 Using a pair of pliers or a nut driver carefully loosen do not fully remove the nut that attaches the black chain to the metal carriage bracket
4. User s Manual JULY 2008 VERSION 1 1 C O ENS NAI TM U Screen Print amp Inkjet TECHNOLOGY Tempe Arizona USA Please read this entire Manual before attempting to Print Make sure to follow all warnings on the printer Use the proper power source type indicated on the printer s label Connect all equipment to grounded outlets Do not use the same outlet for any other system such as a copy machine or an air conditioning unit that turns ON and OFF Place the printer where the power outlet is easily seen Do not allow the power cord to be damaged If you are using an extension cord make sure the extension cord s power ampere rate does not exceed that of the printer s cord Keep electromagnetic devices and other potential sources of magnetic fields away from your printer Do notuse the printer in locations that have high humidity shocks vibrations debris or dust e Leave enough space around the printer for proper ventilation e Do not leave the printer near heat sources such as radiators or heat vents e Do not leave the printer in direct sunlight e Place the printer on a stable surface that extends beyond the length and width of the printer supports The printer will not work properly if it Is tilted or leaning e When packing and moving the printer do not set the printer on its side or upside down This may cause the ink to spill e Turn the printer OFF before cleaning Clean with a damp cloth and a
5. 650 and as of this writing version 9 0 CS3 is the most current version It is always nice to have the latest and greatest version but frankly you can do everything mentioned here with version 5 5 or higher If you are a student teacher or work for a school you may be eligible for an Educator Version from places like www academicsuperstore com File Types and Resolutions FastARTIST and Photoshop will let you qa Open a wide variety of files including t a TIFF JPEG GIF EPS PSD Al and others If you open a file that is vector based like one from Adobe Illustrator Photoshop will convert the file from mathematical vectors to small pixels This is called Rasterizing a file The important point here is to keep the file resolution high enough for the image to remain sharp It is generally taught that a file needs to be at 300 DPI at the final size in order for if fo remain crisp In T Shirt printing you can get away with file resolutions of 150 to 300 DPI at the final size The default setting for opening vector files in Photoshop is 72 DPI The picture at Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 26 Chapter 3 Software Overview the right shows a magnified view of a file that is 300 DPI bottom and one that is 72 DPI top Obviously the 72 DPI file will be softer Check File Mode This is step that most new users will over look when opening a file It is very important to note the file attributes when first o
6. Chapter 7 Utilities to Improve Print Quality Once you have entered data on this screen you must click on the Input button FIRST and then click on Finish If you do not follow this sequence or you click on any other buttons in between Input and Finish your data will not be stored properly and you must rerun this _ calibration process Auto Bi Directional Adjustment You will need to place a standard 8 5 x 11 sheet of paper on a Shirtboard to perform this procedure Once the paper is loaded from the main selection screen of the Adjustment Program select the Auto Bi D Adjustment routine On the next screen select Perform and the routine will print automatically and make the necessary calibrations You will not need to input any data manually When the Auto Bi Directional Adjustment procedure is complete you MUST click on Finish for the data to be properly stored You will then be taken back to the main selection screen PF Roller and Eject Roller Adjustments PF Adjustment Utility You will need to place a standard 8 5 x 11 sheet Adjustment Program of paper on a Shirtboard to perform each of PF adjustment these procedures and both are run from the PF aay i of ie Photo Papar oh ASF Adjustment Utility Tit 5 Input your decided pai Prini Select the PF Roller Utility and press Print A group Kars offset boxes will printout along with 7 colored Paper Ste boxes at the bottom of the page The offset boxe
7. From the Setup window select a oe N eee nee Page Setup In the Page Setup window STE select Custom under the Page option him Enter the Height and Width of the Non textile item you have measured After Oo entering the values click OK to return to i LE ow 4 the workspace Orientation 3 Select Layout gt Page Size For the Page Size enter the Height and Width of the Non textile a ja e Portait item you have measured After entering the t EEA values click OK to return to the workspace _ The non textile item dimensions will now be represented by a black box located within the aka a workspace If this is not displayed click View gt j Pe dx po dee Show Page Size to view the black box Arrange Transfo Bitmap View Options Help Objects 0 soo x 0 00 Si 0 00 10000 4 000 510 21131 84 E 24 N 0 00 F t 000 F 100 00 Ha 3 7 RIIKI mma gf 4a 2 SHK io lt 424 0 0 5 1 1 5 2 2 5 3 3 5 4 Resize objects proportionally Advanced n Upper Left hand Corner is 0 0 Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 F 4 Chapter 6 Printing on Other tems Now that the total print area has been set you must now determine the location for each individual image that will be printed 4 Using the first non textile item that is closest to the upper left hand corner of the print bed measure from the left side of the print bed to the center point whe
8. The T Jet3 PLUS has a sensor that will stop the machine if its beam is broken by a garment or Shirtboard If the Load button is flashing there is something in the way Remove the obstruction and completely power OFF the machine including the main power switch Clear the print job from the Queue and then power the machine back ON gt The sensor light turns from Amber and Green to solid Green when there is an obstruction Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 44 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Prepare Your Artwork for Printing 1 Create or choose the artwork to print from within your favorite graphics application FastARTIST preferred e Make sure the image is the correct physical size and that you have placed it in your graphics program on a Page that is the same size as the Shirtboard you will be using aa Gi ki k n s e The easiest way to get the correct print placement is to work ona 13 x 18 33 x 45 7cm Page as your layout If you need to print an image that is wider than 13 33cm you can rotate the image in your graphics program and load the shirt sideways onto the Shirtooard 90 clockwise CELL Peer reer ad d e When working within FastARTIST select the Page Size from the Layout gt Page Size window You will also use this template when importing images You must also set the Page Size within FastRIP Within FastARTIST go to File gt FastRIP Setup and select the applicabl
9. X 11 Turn OFF your Fast T Jet3 PLUS by using the Power button and Power switch located on the rear of your printer adjacent the power cord 12 Manually center the Print Bed by applying a light pressure against it with your hand 13 The final step is a Manual Reset of your printer This will complete the Waste Tank Reset process While holding down the Power button flip the Power switch The Print Bed will begin to move back and forth Don t interfere with its movement this is part of the reset process Allow the Print Bed to move back and forth at least 2 times then turn OFF the printer using the Power switch 87 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 14 Turn ON your printer using the Power switch but this time DO NOT hold down the Power button 15 Press the Power button and allow the printer to go through its start up cycle In the event that you damage the Print Head by means of a head strike the Head will probably need to be replaced If you can t get the Head to print in alignment after numerous alignment routines it is most likely permanently damaged and will have to be replaced By design replacing the head is fairly straightforward and should take less than 30 minutes Replacement Print Heads are available from us and come with complete written instructions If you are dependent on your T Jet3 PLUS and cannot afford to be down for a few days while awaiting a shipped replacement we recommend
10. around the image If the marching ants selection goes into the main design Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 32 Chapter 3 Software Overview change the Tolerance on the Property Bar adobe Photoshop The default is 32 Depending upon the variations and gradients in the background it may require some trial and error with Tolerance settings and several selections before the background is completely removed If the first click of the Magic Wand does not get all the Unwanted areas you can add to the selection by holding down the Shift key and clicking another area You can subtract from the selection by holding down the Alt key and clicking on a area Photoshop and FastARTIST both have Magic Wand tools it looks like a wand with a sparkler on the end Using the Extract Filter Photoshop also has a Filfer called Extract This will allow you to draw around an image and fill the center with color Photoshop then removes all the areas around the image leaving you with a transparent background Extract does a decent job but the Magic Wand is the preferred method Keep in mind the Magic Wand and Extract filters perform best when the background is a solid color and not a gradient Making Your Selection a New Layer The goal behind all this is to get your main image on a layer with a transparent background This will show as gray and white checks all around the image With a transparent backgroun
11. fibers allowing the Pretreatment stick to the shirt and not the fibers Perform regular machine maintenance Keeping your machine clean is the key to having great prints on a Dark garment Frequently run Head Cleanings and Nozzle Checks to keep your nozzles flowing properly Take the time to get to know your machine and your software Make sure you start off using the default Underbase settings provided in Chapter 9 of the FastARTIST Manual 107 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Problem There is horizontal banding across print in one or all colors Causes e Ink in the Nozzle has dried out o Do Head Cleanings and Nozzle Checks until the problem is resolved o Use acleaning cartridge and run Head Cleanings until the problem is resolved O A serious or permanent clog may require replacing the Print Head e The Capping Station is not cleaning the Print Head If the Capping Station is dirty it will just add more debris to the Print Head causing it to become clogged Thoroughly clean the Capping Station If can be cleaned with swabs included in the maintenance kit and a glass cleaner like Windex Be sure to clean the rubber seal around the Capping Station as well as the rubber wiper blade e Air bubbles in bulk system tubing are causing small amounts of ink to dry inside Print Head Nozzles Run Head Cleanings and print Nozzle Checks until a satisfactory test print is achieved e You are using a High Speed HS Print Mode Try using a 2
12. if your printer has not been used for several days a Cleaning may be required to unclog the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly Although Head Cleanings can use a lot of ink we recommend you do at least one regular cleaning each day To initiate a this cleaning cycle hold down the Ink button on the T Jet3 PLUS Control Panel for three seconds When your T Jet3 PLUS is not in use make sure that the power is OFF so that the Print Head remains docked with the Capping Station This will help prevent the ink within the Nozzles from drying up and clogging When the printer is powered ON it will proceed with its normal start up cycle Epson Adjustment Program There are four Utilities that may be run to calibrate Print Head Alignment and ensure your Fast T Jet3 PLUS will print the best quality images possible In fact should you have banding or registration issues these utilities may solve the problem without the need for a strong Head Cleaning Try these first gt Adjustment Program EPSON adjustment program These Utilities are accessed through the Eoson Adjustment Program software that is available for download from the Support section of www mytjet com To run these maintenance procedures you must install the application on the computer to which your Fast T Jet3 PLUS is connected This is the adjustment mode You can select particular which all of necessary adjustment item like a adjustments and its corr
13. Connection port and interface card along with an IEEE 1394 cable Connection of a mouse and Dongle will require additional free USB ports Recommended System Requirements PC with a Dual Core Processor Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athalon X2 and Windows XP 2000 or Vista Operating System Windows ME is not supported 3 GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics card with 512 MB of onboard memory A minimum of 10 GB of free disk soace on your hard disk for program installation and 100 GB for saved files A display monitor with high resolution 1280 x 1024 CD R W or DVD R W drive s for installing software and burning back up copies A dedicated USB port 2 0 The connection of a mouse and Dongle will require additional free USB ports 3 lt lt T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual This equioment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular in
14. FastARTIST Only 77 Finish with Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment 78 Post Treatment Warnings and Safety Information 79 Chapter 7 Maintenance Utilities to Improve Print Quality 81 Epson Adjustment Program 81 Head Angular Adjustment 82 Auto Bi Directional Adjustment 83 PF Roller and Eject Roller Adjustments 83 Head Cleaning Utilities 84 Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis 85 Emptying the External Waste Bottle 85 Resetting Waste Ink Counter 86 Print Head Replacement 88 Support Hours 88 Chanter 8 Preventative Maintenance Problem Solving 89 Keep Your Encoder Strip Clean 89 Clean the Encoder Strio DAILY 90 Clean Capping Station and Wiper Daily 90 Cleaning the Wiper 9 Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis 91 Turn Your T Jet 3 OFF at Night 91 Cautions About Ink Levels 91 Humidity and Environment Control 92 Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 s X11 Table of Contents Print With the Lid Closed 92 Preparing your T Jet 3 for Downtime 92 Flushing the Ink System 92 Eliminating Ink Drops on Shirts 95 Clean Bulk System Chip Blocks 95 Have A Lot of RAM for Your Computer 95 When in Doubt Unplug Everything 95 Clean Drive Belt and Roller 96 Shake Shirts or Preheat to Minimize Lint 96 Keep Excess Ink from the Ribbon Cable 96 Five Minute Daily Maintenance 97 Weekly or Monthly Maintenance 98 RS232 Cable 98 Auto Head Cleaning Optional from FastRIP 99 Daily and Weekly Maintenance Schedule Checklist 100 Chapter 9 Troubleshooti
15. T Jet Non Textile Primer is not necessary 1 Load the Golf Balls into the Holder and place the Overspray Shield on top of the balls The Shield will protect areas not intended to be printed upon from Pretreatment and overspray 2 Dip a fine bristle brush in the Pretreatment wiping off any excess on the side of the bottle Gently apply the Pretreatment to the exposed golf ball surface making sure there are no uneven areas 3 Allow the Pretreatment to dry thoroughly before printing Dry time will vary but it may take up to one hour or more To speed up the drying process use a hair dryer heat lamp or heat gun set on a low temperature setting Golf Ball Holder Placement Align the four holes in the base of the Golf Ball Holder with the four pins of the Adjustable Shirtboard base and then place into the Print Bed without a Shirtboard Place several golf balls within the Holder and use the Maximum Height Bar to make sure they maintain the proper clearance from the Print Head when loaded Use this Bar as a reference but remove before printing Refer to Chapter 2 of this Manual for more details Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 76 Chapter 6 Printing on Other Items Additional Instructions for Printing Non Textiles using a T Jet3 PLUS QCoeeeee designed to print 1 offset from e A A Q 9 9 6 the top and bottom of the Golf M al i 4 A 2 Ball Holder Do not place golf 000 vL balls in the first and la
16. Under Test complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 73 23 EEC and the EMC Directive 89 336 EEC 133
17. a Windows based Operating System MAC users can create their artwork in their favorite program and simply network or copy the files over to the PC workstation Graphics and RIP Software Your T Jet3 PLUS includes the latest versions of both FastARTIST and FastRIP FastARTIST is a Windows based taa tau graphics application that will make preparing an Image for print as easy as a click or two of the mouse With one click wonder Underbasing and simple clipping features FastARTIST can help ease the transition if you are not familiar with graphic applications For avid users of Photoshop CorelDRAW Illustrator etc you may choose to work within your graphics application of choice and still set up the image properly for printing There is also the option of importing an image into FastARTIST from other graphics applications in order to take advantage of the one click Underbase Wizard Once a graphic file is ready to print it needs to be sent to special software called a RIP Raster Image Processor This software tells the machine what image resolution to use how many passes of each color to make when and 21 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual how to print the Underbase and Highlight and how much ink to lay down To do all of this for you we have included with your printer package our own very special RIP program called FastRIP For best results turn OFF all Screen Savers when printing to your T Jet3 PLUS Note
18. bulk ink bottles having the cleaning solution in them and adjustable shelf bracket to secure in place In the example to the right the red dotted line identifies proper tape placement 4 Place asmall piece of tape over the breather holes on the ink bottles If you will be shipping the printer via a freight carrier you must completely disconnect and remove all Bulk Ink System Bottles and the Waste Ink Bottle You WILL NOT ship these items Failure to do so will void your warranty The T Jet3 PLUS reguires 2 people to lift Make sure you observe the following holding points DO NOT lift your T Jet3 PLUS by the Print Bed Lift from underneath the side panels Lifting by the Print Bed may cause serious damage Shipping Procedures If you are shipping your printer to another location or returning it to U S for Warranty or Non Warranty repair Pack only the Printer in the original box DO NOT include Bulk Ink System Bottles of FastiINK Shirtboards T Jet Manual T Jet Software Drivers Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 1 2 0mm Chapter 10 Transporting the Printer Syringes Gloves USB printer cable Proper Packing Please note the example to the right does not contain any loose items that could damage the printer during shipping Improper Packing Major damage to the printer can be a result of loose items and or missing side supports as pictured below Shipment Checklist W
19. discoloration of your image Red garments will turn your Whites Pink and even Yellow shirts will tint your image Print only on pastels or White garments when using White ink and blended fabrics Images without White will not be affected In addition when printing on 100 polyester or other synthetic materials you may not achieve the same print brightness The printer is ONLY compatible a Windows XP 2000 or Vistas based Operating System and the latest versions of both FastARTIST and FastRIP are included as part of your kit FastARTIST is a Windows based graphics application that will make preparing an image for print as simple as a click of the mouse With a one click Underbase Wizard and simple clipping features FastARTIST can help ease the transition into graphics design if you are not familiar with other applications For avid users of Photoshop CorelDRAW Illustrator etc you may choose to work within the application of choice and still set up the image properly for printing Macintosh Users can still create an image in their favorite graphics application they will just have to transfer it to a PC for printing Every image must print to FastRIP for final output FastRIP works as the Queue and Print Manager allowing you to not only select different Print Modes and other attributes but also archive print jobs for future reprints Maintenance Although the T Jet3 PLUS is simply an inkjet printer the number one Technical Support i
20. drivers Additionally you MUST download the applicable 32 bit OR 64 bit driver based on your Operating System NOT your processor These drivers are NOT interchangeable The T Jet3 PLUS is a highly modified version of the Epson 1800 with hundreds of additional parts not provided by Epson As a result the T Jet3 PLUS and any driver software is NOT supported by Epson All support for the Epson driver and internal Epson components will come from us If you have any concerns installing the driver contact our Support Department and they will gladly walk you through the process Printer Driver Installation Steps 1 Like any inkjet printer driver installation you first need to epson12398 exe extract the file Double click on the zipped exe file 35 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 2 A security warning screen will open Press EIEC R U A The publisher could not be verified Are you sure you want to run this software Name epson12398 exe Publisher Unknown Publisher Type Application From iInstalls Printer Drivers Epson 4880 Run Cancel Always ask before opening this file Win ip Self Extractor publisher ou should only run software from publishers you trust g This file does not have a vald digital signature that verhies its How can decide what software to run 3 Click OK for epson12398 exe Stylus Pro 4880 Printer Driver th e S e If Windows P 32 bit Vista 32 bit The following self extracting fi
21. from us to protect the garment If you use a silicone based paper it will seal the Pretreatment on the shirt surface and the White ink may not stick well enough You may use a Quillon treated baking pan liner to dry the Pretreatment However if the paper sticks to the Pretreatment after you are done pretreating the shirt you may have applied too much Pretreatment or the heat press is set for too much pressure Standard butcher paper or brown Kraft paper can also be used as a heat press protector when drying the Pretreatment Clamp the press down with medium pressure for 8 to 10 seconds when drying Pretreatment at 330 F Some users have reported slightly better wash durability if you spray the shirt with water BEFORE spraying it with Pretreatment IMPORTANT POINT Too much Pretreatment may cause poor wash durability When printing ink will fend to cling to any loose fibers sticking up from the shirt When using a White Underbase it is possible for these fibers to become saturated and show through any color that has been applied This is why we recommend the use of a Heat Press with light pressure before the print to flatten to fibers properly A conveyor dryer or similar method of drying the Pretreatment will not flatten the fibers and may result in a lower quality print a gt A AuwtolTREAT Pro We recommend taking a look at the AvutoTREAT Express and PRO Pretreatment Centers These machines make pretreati
22. have a clog a Head Cleaning may E aes a RESTE be the solution g issues you will have To execute a Head Cleaning make sure your printer is ON but not printing and all of the Red Ink lights are off Load the Epson Adjustment Program and select Particular Adjustment mode From the main selection screen choose Head Cleaning From the Head Cleaning window press Cleaning and follow the on screen instructions A Head Cleaning will take about 45 seconds during which time the printer makes noise and the Power light and the red Ink lights will flash You should never turn OFF the printer while the Power light is flashing This may damage the printer A Head Cleaning cycle also wipes the bottom of the head therefore it is recommended you initiate a Head Cleaning if you start to see drops of ink on garments or if the Print Head comes in contact with a garment Perform a Nozzle Check When both the Power light and the Ink lights stop flashing perform a Nozzle Check You will need a few sheets of letter size paper OR clear inkjet film for this purpose It is hard to see White ink on White paper when doing a Nozzle Check so the film is a better choice Lay the paper or film on top of the Garment Holder butting up against the zero point of the bed Next click on Print from the Nozzle Check section of the Head Cleaning Utilities Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 84 Chapter 7 Utilities to Improve Print Quality Sc
23. ink cartridges are showing empty Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 16 TJ JJ lt gx x S030 a Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Problem The color of the shirt is showing through the Underbase Causes There was not enough Pretreatment applied to the shirt O Use a good spray gun such as the Wagner Control Sprayer to lay down an even coot of Pretreatment O Press the shirt in a Heat Press prior to pretreating This will flatten the garment fibers allowing the Pretreatment to stick to the shirt better O Be sure to cover the entire printable area O Use 100 Pretreatment Try not diluting it with water to see if prints improve The White Nozzles are clogged O Run a Nozzle Check on a piece of clear film to see how the Nozzles are performing O Clean the Capping Station O Run a Head Cleaning and a Nozzle Check in succession O Flush out the ink system Refer to Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving The Underbase settings in FastARTIST are not strong enough or not set up correctly Check your Underbase settings and compare them to the default settings listed in Chapter 9 of the FastARTIST Manual Keep in mind every image will vary this is just a starting point Prevention Practice is the only way to master the art of pretreating a shirt Eventually you will develop your own style for to applying Pretreatment Try pressing your shirts before applying Pretreatment This will fatten loose
24. inside the Print Carriage Press the Ink button on the printer This slides the Print Carriage over Remove all the ink cartridges and then snap each one back into place Press the Ink button again You can also clean the contacts on the chip with a pencil eraser Replace chips if errors still exist Ink cartridge holder has bent prongs that do not make good contact with the chip When you insert an ink cartridge the small chip on the back makes contact with gold prongs These prongs can be pulled out of place if the chip is not installed correctly on the cartridge sticking out of the slot or if the prong hangs on the cartridge as it is being removed WARNING NEVER insert a cartridge without a chip or you will pull the prongs loose when you remove the cartridge Prevention There are a number of reasons the printer may have Red lights flashing or solid Keep the Encoder Strip clean Ensure the Print Head docks properly with the Capping Station Check cartridges for bad chips or poor chip connections 113 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Problem The quality of the printed output is unacceptable when printing bitmap images The images seem soft and are not clean and sharp Cause The resolution of the image is too low Resolution at 72 DPI is for viewing the image on a computer monitor only Images intended for printing need to be between 150 and 225 DPI to maintain a clean and sharp image You can try upsampling the image to a large
25. its documentation will be C e N S e Ag re e M e N t as defined in Clause 52 227 1 9 c 2 of the FAR or in the case of MASA in Clause 18 52 227 86 d of the NASA supplement to the FAR EPSOM EULA Www 0770172001 Press the Page Down key to see the rest of the Agreement Accept Decline 8 The U tility Setu P Will EPSON Printer Utility Setup EPSON Printer Utility Setup Copying Files beg nan q will sta rt s la i will be installed to your system ee E CO pyin g the well E_DP70BE PR_ To C Program Files EPSON PrinterDriverT em COMMON NEcessary files C Software Installation A The software you are installing has not passed Windows Loga testing to very its compatibility with Windows sP Tell me why this testing i Important Continuing your installation of this software may impair 9 A Software Installation warning screen will oust als re oer ee ten ot voli y Em appear Click Continue Anyway os oe eee ee ee rere passed Windows Logo testing Continue Anyway STOP Installation 10 The last screen is a screen that will auto detec t Jie your printer Make sure that your T Jet Is connected to the printer using the USB cord e Power on the printer and the Epson Printer Utility BNS will auto detect it 4 nd fina lize the installation Make sure the printer i turned on and connected to your computer via the USB cable The program will search for the proc ess printer and automatically configur
26. located on the back of the machine near the power cord Move the head off the capping assembly to gain access to the bulk system Ink cartridges 117 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 4 Using a pair of pliers or a nut driver carefully loosen do not fully remove the nut that attaches the black chain to the metal carriage bracket Do not place too much force on the carriage bracket The print carriage is delicate and if not careful you can cause damage to it 5 Gently lift the black chain off of the carriage bracket This will allow more room to get to the ink lines 6 Release an ink line from the cartridge by using the quick release finger screw 7 Next hold the released ink line upwards to allow the ink to flow back into the bulk ink bottle Tip A syringe can be used to force excess ink in the lines back into the bottles by releasing the line from the bottle and pulling the ink through from the bottle end of the hose 8 Reattach the ink line to the cartridge Do not overtighten 9 Repeat steps 6 8 for all of the ink lines 10 Next reattach the black chain to the carriage bracket Tighten the screws so that the chain does not fall off 11 Fill two 500 ml bottles supplied with HD cleaning solution 12 Loosen one of the ink lines attached to the bulk ink system bottles and connect it to one of the fittings on the cleaning solution bottle HINT Completing this one ink line at a time will reduce s
27. modes should be selected when printing solid vector images You will also be able to print White areas as a Highlight White on the color pass only if you use Named Spot Colors and apply the Named Color White Heavy Normal Underbase changes the intensity of the Underbase The Heavy Underbase modes use a preset that applies more ink in dark and light areas then the Normal Underbase modes Because Underbasing Is such a crucial part of image quality we recommend trying out the different print modes to get a general understanding of the difference between each one 47 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Because Underbasing Is such a crucial part of image quality we recommend you familiarize yourself with the different Print Modes to get better understanding of the uses for each one For a complete list of the various CMYK Eight Color and Underbase Print Modes available please refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User s Manual After your T Jet3 PLUS finishes printing the Print Bed will eject from the unit ensure the Bed is in the Eject 2 position by pressing the Eject button again For brighter prints double print the image by pressing the Load button and printing from the application a second time For higher production set the number of Pages to print to a high quantity or choose a 2 pass Print Mode Keep in mind if you tell the application to print dozens of copies FastRIP might build a very large print file that will slo
28. o SHOZLEOPYY HAWOIOZDXOVT WM zos ovo vo os sr oos coz Mares oro os sr M srozoorivanonearami onm evos o sco o9 wos oss Mf res oo 09 o M srotoorzvanomemomimm reos oro mo we ac 9 oo SS AIUO IUM JU IJUGIH SSEG 3U0 SNid HANI apps juo seq pun ssed Kelle al y46iy6IH sn UOIJELUJOJUJ 2UM JUBIJUBIH SNId HAND eaga hp iiiz F cut habe ewl Ajuo SHUIYS yeg pue LINIPIN IUO SHIYS JUHITI yeasq Ayjuenb 19618 e aq J M 24243 pue s ppuenb sajjeuis Uj 240 3509 JIM 31 4211 49d OEg juaumeasjaidg dai dod 667 SIOJOD dayij 480 667 YNI NUM SFIOYd ANI MIN IHL ILON 1007 k L Pasi 0 0 0 JW sad 1509 JE 131 00 0 Ju 43d JSOD 4U YAWO 00 0 JW sad 1509 YU SPYUAA S SOD JP3121g PUP JU 56 Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 5 Advanced Printing with White ink This Chapter of the Manual is designed to provide a brief Overview of the process for printing White ink onto a T Shirt or other garment Please consult your FastARTIST User s Manual for more detailed instructions and specific Hints and Tips Please DO NOT attempt to print ANY image until you have read and familiarized yourself with FastARTIST and FastRIP including their uses and capabilities The process of printing White ink onto a Dark garment was not an easy one to develop Because the openings in Print Heads are so small one can t use thick ink like standard Screen Print Plastisol Pr
29. or Photoshop image editing tools A Quick Note about Photoshop As you begin to work with different kinds of images in different formats and resolutions if is very important to have the proper tools necessary to clean up and make images print ready Even though FastARITIST is a very powerful graphics program there may be times when a program such as Photoshop is required for specific editing functions Don t worry Photoshop works hand in hand with FastARTIST making it a very complimentary program to have when working with bitmap images The goal here is to cover the basics of image editing so that you can print the best looking images possible When first 25 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual learning graphics programs the process Adobe Photoshop e et la eee a tt nt may seem a bit overwhelming but don t get frustrated Just keep in mind the 80 30 rule You use 30 of the program 80 of the time But in this case it s actually more like a 90 10 rule So you might be asking why you need Photoshop at all if you have FastARITIST In a nutshell you can do almost everything i A you need with FastARTIST but Photoshop eo M ar is much more powerful when creating an image with lots of photographic components Plus TT is much more powerful when fixing and cleaning up poor quality artwork Where to Get Photoshop Photoshop is the flagship product of Adobe Systems at www adobe com The program retails for around
30. re install the driver Too many items may be connected to your USB port If you have any additional items connected to your USB ports unplug everything but the mouse and the Fast T Jet3 PLUS The USB bus on your computer only has only a limited amount of power The image file may be corrupt The file being printed may be corrupt Try another file USB cable may be too long Your USB cable should not be MORE than six feet in length Prevention Keep it simple Do not overload the printer port When in doubt first try turning everything off and unplugging things such as the USB cable from the computer to the printer Problem When printing White ink no ink prints or there are no Underbase settings available Causes and Solutions You do not have the correct printer selected in FastRIP Open FastRIP and navigate to Printers Manage Printers and make sure your printer is setup as a Fast T Jet3 PLUS If it is NOT setup as a 3 FastRIP doesn t know that it needs to use the White ink Problem When you send a print job to the printer nothing happens Cause The computer is not communicating with the printer Check the port settings in FastRIP In the FastRIP window go to Printers Manage Printers The port should be set to Epson stylus pro 4800 usb00 Check the Control Panel box on the right Make sure there are no other jobs already in the print queue The printer is not ready to print the job Check to see if any of the
31. says Print status and settings Click on the Reset Ink Pad Counter button and the error should clear in approximately 10 seconds Support Hours Toll Free 888 MYTJETS 698 5387 Technical Support 1 480 929 2937 Corp Office 1 480 929 0640 Fax 480 929 0766 Email support usscreen com Internet www screenprinters net Click on the Support tab Support hours 7 00am to 6 00pm Monday through Friday 9 00am to 3 00pm Saturday Mountain Standard Time USA Note Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time OK the time has come You have installed the Bulk Ink System you have created a image in your favorite graphics program and now you are ready to ruin a few shirts Yes we did say ruin a few shirts Be warned there Is a slight learning curve to printing a shirt and you must get over the fact some will get ruined When printing an image you must be aware of print placement This includes reconciling what you see in your graphics application Page with where the image will sit on the shirt Your printer will also need to be broken in a little When you first install the Bulk System there is a chance not all the inks are flowing yet You won t really know this until you have done a print or two or a Nozzle Check Therefore you should start off by using clean rag shirts or just accept the fact that you will ruin a few new shirts and buy some extras Your first print may NOT be a winner but after you have printed a
32. shipping it to us for repair you will need to install the Cleaning Cartridges Every T Jet3 PLUS is shipped with HD Cleaning Solution 2 Bulk Cleaning System Bottles and a syringe flush the system It is important for you to follow the steps outlined in this Chapter Failure to do so could not only cause serious damage to your printer but may also void your warranty The preparation process should only take about 10 minutes If you have any questions please contact the Technical Support Department Flush the Ink System The purpose of this procedure is fo flush all of the ink out of the bulk ink system ink lines cartridges print head and capping assembly This helos prevent ink build Up and promotes the life of the capping station and print head This procedure is also necessary for preparing the T JET3 PLUS for down time NOTE For best results make sure that the cap assembly is clean and free of any dried ink or debris 1 Using the adjustment program reset the maintenance tank counter on the T JET3 Plus This will insure that during this procedure the maintenance tank will not read as full Refer to Chapter 7 Maintenance Utilities to Improve Print Quality Resetting the Waste Ink Counter for instructions 2 Press the ink button This will release the carriage off of the capping assembly Refer to Chapter 4 Printing Basics for more information on the control panel buttons 3 Turn the power off using the power switch
33. shirts during a printing cycle OG AS S5 JTCRK s v V mw suss usluUG VG SIVIL MOSS T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Problem When you print a White Underbase you get a White box over the entire image Causes e Check your Underbase setup within FastARTIST Within FastARTIST go to File gt FastRIP Setup gt Underbase Setup tab Make sure the top checkbox that says Underbase All Items with this Underbase Color is checked Make sure the bottom check box that says Highlight All Objects with This Color is NOT checked Make sure to view the image in FastRIP s View Raw Data window to see if it looks correct BEFORE printing Please note If you choose a 1440 DPI White Print Mode you will not have the View Raw Data option Problem The quality of the printed output is unacceptable when printing bitmap images The images seem soft and are not clean and sharp The resolution at final size is 72 DPI Causes The resolution of the image is too low Resolution at 72 DPI is for viewing the image on a computer monitor only Images intended for printing need to be between 150 and 225 DPI to maintain a clean and sharp image You can try upsampling the image to a larger resolution but the image still will be soft when printed Problem When sending a print command to the Fast T Jet3 PLUS the Print Head moves like it is printing but no ink is dispensed Causes e Ink is not flowing from the Bulk S
34. this you will need a measuring tape and will need to measure the width and height of the Non Textile item From within FastARTIST select File gt FastRIP Setup 2 From the Setup window select Page Setup In the Page Setup window select Custom under the Page option Enter the Height and Width of the Non textile item you have measured After entering the values click OK to return to the workspace 3 Select Layout gt Page Size For the Page Size Origin Selection Orientation enter the Height and Width of the Non textile FF Porai item you have measured After entering the tn C Landscape values click OK to return to the workspace Current Selection l i mem Custom The non textile item dimensions will now be represented by a black box located within the A Height workspace If this is not displayed click View gt PS 3 BOS inch Show Page Size to view the black box Resize objects proportionally Advanced Cancel Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 12 Chapter 6 Printing on Other tems 4 Import your image for printing and position the image as you would like it to print on the non textile item For further details please refer to your FastARTIST User s Manual 5 Select File gt Print to FastRIP gt Position the image and click on the printer icon located in the Printer Toolbox This will send the image to FastRIP Printing to FastRIP Using Adobe Photosho
35. up the drying process you may use a hair dryer heat lamp or a heat gun set on a low temperature setting e A Heat Press may also be used by setting the non textile item under the heating element However DO NOT allow the heating element to touch the non textile item Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 70 Chapter 6 Printing on Other tems Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment is designed for use as an inkjet ink receptive base coat when printing directly onto non textile materials such as plastic metal and wood For increased durability of the final print use our Fast T Jet Post Treatment on top of the final print When using a Fast T Jet Inkjet to Garment Printer and FastiNK Textile ink you WILL NOT need to change inks when using this product DIRECTIONS e Dip a fine bristle brush in the Pretreatment wiping off any excess on the side of the bottle Gently brush Pretreatment over the surface of the non textile item making sure there are no uneven areas If Primer was applied then the entire Primer treated surface must be covered with Pretreatment e The Pretreatment must be applied in a thin even layer to ensure optimal print quality Use a second brush to apply Pretreatment After the application is complete clean the brush thoroughly with hot water to remove all residual Pretreatment This product may be sprayed on but the application may not be as smooth as necessary f
36. Block Support into the Chip Block Press the back end into the Print Carriage Note the rear placement of the block support Locate the Chip Block with the black sticker and place this into the Print Carriage as well adjacent to the previously installed Chip Block Secure this Chip Block into the Print Carriage with the second Chip Block Support Located on the bottom of the Print Carriage is an Ink Line Guide that currently holds 8 ink lines DO NOT remove any of the 8 lines from the guide until you are ready to connect the bulk ink cartridges Before proceeding to the next step ensure all of the ink bottles are filled in accordance with earlier instructions and none of the Ink Line Clamps are engaged DO NOT not connect any of the Ink Lines to the Ink Bottle at this time Engaged s add 4 E aiT T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 10 Attach the Yellow Ink Cartridge indicated by the sticker to the far left Yelllow Ink Line as shown below This is accomplished by removing the far left Ink Line from the Ink Line Guide and twisting the two connectors together Connecting Ink Lines to the Ink Bottles 11 Connect the Yellow Ink Line to the Yellow Ink Bottle Connectors are color coded to match the Ink Bottle and Ink Lines easily attached to Ink Bottles by a basic twist to connect system Please note that the White Ink bottle uses four connectors 12 Once the Ink Line is connected you must prim
37. Do not place too much force on the carriage bracket The print carriage is delicate and if not careful you can cause damage to it 5 Gently lift the black chain off of the carriage bracket This will allow more room to get to the ink lines 6 Release an ink line from the cartridge by using the quick release finger screw 7 Next hold the released ink line upwards to allow the ink to flow back into the bulk ink bottle Tip A syringe can be used to force excess inkin the lines back into the bottles by releasing the line from the bottle and pulling the ink through from the bottle end of the hose 8 Reattach the ink line to the cartridge Do not overtighten 9 Repeat steps 6 8 for all of the ink lines 10 Next reattach the black chain to the carriage bracket Tighten the screws so that the chain does not fall off 93 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 11 Fill two 500 ml bottles supplied with HD cleaning solution 12 Loosen one of the ink lines attached to the bulk ink system bottles and connect If to one of the fittings on the cleaning solution bottle HINT Completing this one ink line at a time will reduce spillage from any left over ink still in the ink lines 13 Repeat step 12 for all of the ink lines so that each line is connected to one of the cleaning solution bottles CMYK for one and white for the other NOTE Take care not to let the lines tangle Up It s Important to make sure there are no k
38. For information about installing and using FastARTIST and FastRIP consult the FastARTIST User s Manual FastARTIST and FastRIP What makes the T Jet3 PLUS so unique is not only the printer and ink but also SE T BS o allies the software that drives if As mentioned kk Z sees earlier your printer comes with two very powerful programs FastARTIST and FastRIP FastARTIST is a complete graphics program much like CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop You can use it for all of your graphic image creation or you Kk can create images in CorelDRAW or deee a a OMANA ASSOA OITA Ao Adobe Photoshop and import them into FastARTIST to take advantage of the one click Underbase Wizard or simple clipping options EN aa aj mi 24 D 1 MS FastRIP FastRIP is a driver specifically designed _FastRip T Jet 8 5 for Inkjet to Garment printers like your EEE i F Fu Ge ice T Jet3 PLUS A RIP converts the data from EE a graphics program to computer code E ted called Postscript This powerful language allows much more control over a printer making the following possible e Previewing printable images e Control over the amount of ink used e Faster print soeeds compared to a standard printer driver FastRIP is extremely easy to use and is almost transparent when working with the T Jet3 PLUS Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 2 2 Chapter 3 Software Overview Note It is important to have a
39. IP and select Printers Manage Printers Make sure the Epson Stylus port Contro Panel box has a check mark in it You may also be using insufficient or incorrect cables We highly recommend using a USB cable for the best connection DO NOT use a long cable switch boxes hubs or even wireless USB connections Prevention Always double check settings in FastRIP prior to sending a Print command Clean the Encoder Strip daily Always make sure images are the same size when using the Underbase Wizard in FastARTIST Test the communication between the computer and printer Problem Fonts are not printing correctly on the garment Causes Sometimes fonts especially script fonts may not print correctly or print at all This tends to happen when using Vector Programs The printer driver may not download or recognize the font To fix this change the font to a graphic image Depending on the graphics program it may be called Convert to Curves or Create Outlines You may also need to do this if you are printing vector fonts along with a bitmap image Try importing or printing a different file to see if the problem remains Problem The printer stops in the middle of a print routine and stops communicating with the computer Causes Print drivers may need fo be re installed Print drivers are prone to occasionally stop communicating with the 105 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Windows XP operating system The only solution is to
40. Is HARMFUL and MAY AFFECT THE BRAIN OR central NERVOUS SYSTEM CAUSING DIZZINESS HEADACHE OR NAUSEA It may CAUSE NOSE THROAT IRRITATION and LUNG IRRITATION OVEREXPOSURE MAY CAUSE LIVER KIDNEY OR BLOOD DAMAGE If may CAUSE EYE or SKIN IRRITATION Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment is HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational exposure to solvents with permanent brain and nervous system damage Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents may be harmful or fatal CAUTION Do not puncture or incinerate burn container Exposure to heat or prolonged exposure to sun may cause bursting Do not expose to heat or store at temperatures above 120 F Vapors may ignite explosively Keep away from heat sparks and flame VAPORS MAY CAUSE FLASH FIRE Do not smoke while using this product Extinguish all flames and pilot lights and turn off stoves heaters electric motors and other sources of ignition during use and until all vapors are gone Prevent buildup of vapors by opening all windows and doors to achieve cross ventilation Use only with adequate ventilation Do not breathe dust vapors or spray mist Ensure fresh air entry during application and drying If you experience eye watering headache or dizziness or if air monitoring demonstrates that vapor mist levels are above applicable limits wear an appropriate properly filled respirator NIOSH MSHA approved during and after a
41. O Reset Waste Ink Tank Counter Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Cleanings beginning amp ater shit O Power Off at End of Day O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Gleanings beginning amp after shi O Power Off at End of Day O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Cleanings beginning amp ater shit O Power Off at End of Day LJ Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Cleanings beginning amp ater shit O Power Off at End of Day O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Gleanings beginning amp ater shit O Power Off at End of Day O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Cleanings beginning amp ater shit O Power Off at End of Day O Clean Drive Roller and Belt O Clean Capping Station and Wiper O Head Gleanings beginning amp afer shit O Power Off at End of Day O Check and Clean Cap Assembly O Clean Encoder Strip O Check Waste Ink Pad LOO cermre Initials TEMATS ete Initials TE mMHA AtS Sete TEMERS bees cemments 21 Eri Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Problem After printing an image the color looks great but after curing the print looks dull Causes The temperature is set too high on the Heat Press Test the temperature using a touch l
42. Pass or standard Print Mode HS or Bi directional Print Modes require the Nozzles to be in perfect alignment Additionally when using HS Print Modes head clogs tend to appear as banding Prevention e Clean Capping Station daily e Run Head Cleanings before printing in the morning as well as printing a Nozzle Check to gauge the status of the Print Head prior to printing onto garments e Make sure the Bulk Ink System tubes don t have any air in them prior to printing Problem Files take a long time to print Causes and Solutions e Printing from CorelDRAW is causing large spool files Printing from any version of CorelDRAW can create extremely large spool files This happens when one or more copies of a file are sent to the printer while you are trying to print a number of images that require a second pass It can also happen if bitmap images are placed in the document If the spool files are larger than your physical memory the Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 108 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting file may not print or may take a long time processing Ways to reduce this include exporting the file in a JPEG format then bringing the file back into CorelDRAW using the Import function If the bitmap was created with a high resolution try lowering the resolution to around 200 DPI Save this file and Import it back into CorelDRAW Try to print from a different program like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator These graphic programs do no
43. Shirtboard height as necessary to prevent a head strike Use this Bar as a reference but remove before printing Key Points for Printing gt AsaT Jet3 PLUS operator one of the most important aspects of the printing process is to check re check and re check again the clearance of the garments in relation to the Print Head The number 1 reason Print Heads are damaged Is because this step is not taken seriously until the Print Head needs to be replaced Should the Print Head brush against or strike a garment while printing this will render the Print Head unusable Pretreatment from the garment will permanently clog the Nozzles and a collision between the Print Head and the garment may not only damage the Print Head but the Print Carriage as well We are not responsible for any damage caused in this manner gt The desired clearance is 1 8 or 3mm but no less than that Proper clearance must be maintained so that the garment and Print Head do not touch gt The Load Light must be solid before sending a Print command If a Print command is sent while the Load light is blinking the machine will need to be powered OFF to reset gt When creating graphics in your graphics program using a standard Page Setup the upper left corner of the image is the zero point in relation to the Shirtooard You should always create artwork using the same Page Size as the Shirtboard The standard Shirtboard is 13 x 18 33 x 56cm gt
44. a 2 on natural fabric materials A but also on non textile items such as unfinished wood mouse pads golf balls keyboards light switch covers and much more With the help of Fast T Jet Non Textile Series Pre and Post Treatments FastINK will adhere to almost any type of surface If you re printing on smaller items such as hats golf balls or mouse pads these can be placed on smaller Garment Holders available as accessories for your T Jet3 PLUS or you can make your own Spray adhesive or sticky Table Tack can be placed on these special holders to keep the items from moving Just remember to ALWAYS check the Print Head clearance Shirtboards available options a a Standard Youth Infant Sleeve Quad Location and Placement The hardest part of printing on odd size items is determining their print location If you are facing your T Jet3 PLUS the outer right edge Is zero in your graphics 65 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual program You can make a Template or Custom Page Size to match the size of your Shirtboard Fle Edit lege Layer Select For View Winder Hob hp late Seect inner Skew fonigi T lla Untitled 1 12 5 AGO y J l E s OSS A puega Ag a P C mi a t P 4 a 9 t Y 5 3 ENE AOONN KAT s it FastARTIST allows you to adjust the Page Size to match your items in the Page Setup window You must also set the correct page size in FastRIP Setup e FastARTIST Page Si
45. a lot of money in a short period of time But like any business there will be ups and downs You will need to learn about the industry such as trade standards copyright and trademark laws how to price your work how to deal with customers and much more Learning the business and marketing side is offen harder than the actual printing of shirts There are many valuable resources which can help you including websites T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual trade magazines books videos and trade shows The Book One of the most valuable books on the industry is How To Print T Shirts for Fun and Profit Written by Scott and Pat Fresener it T SHIRTS is the Bible of the industry Even though this book is geared a So toward learning the screen printing process if also contains excellent sections on the business aspects of garment decoration including marketing and selling your creations the law creating graphics and best of all a comprehensive Suppliers Directory Computer Graphics DVDs One of the hardest things to learn for the computer novice is computer i graphics There are a number of Of CORELDRAW17 excellent DVDs explaining computer M gra graphics and how to use Adobe tr Photoshop CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator These DVDs focus mainly on the Screen Printing process however they also feature excellent nen 73 23578 sections on how to create designs Se A t AF how to deal with poor quality artwork and more
46. arriage will move back to the capping station and dock back to it s Original position When the ink button light stops flashing the reset is complete Load and Eject Positions Throughout this Manual and in the various Technical Updates we publish you will notice references to the Load and Eject positions of your T Jet3 PLUS The images below illustrate these positions The T Jet3 PLUS in Load position The T Jet3 PLUS in Eject position Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 gt 0 Chanter 3 Software Overview The T Jet3 PLUS is a high performance inkjet printer Graphic files can be large and the data sent from FastRIP to the printer is sent at a very high speed high data rate In order to get the fastest soeed and have fewer communication problems with the printer you need a fast computer You can use a standard desktop computer or even a laptop your printer but for the best performance the computer should have at least 1MB of RAM 2 GB of RAM is better If you want to continue working and creating artwork while the printer is printing having a higher amount of RAM on board your computer is essential Ideally you should have a dedicated computer for use with the T Jet3 PLUS While sending data to the printer using a USB cable do not plug in any other USB devices other than a mouse USB busses do not have a lot of power and the more devices plugged in the more power drain that will occur In order to run FastARTIST you MUST use
47. ate vibrant hues that add an exciting dimensionality to your final output The Eight Color Bulk Ink System is an optional configuration If your printer is not equipped with the necessary inks and supplies you may purchase these accessories from us Refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User s Manual for details on Ink Line placement Underbase Print Modes These Underbase Print Modes may only be selected from within FastARTIST With Cartoon and Photo Print Modes available in three different resolutions you have the ability to select the proper mode to match your graphic image For dark shirts try using the 1440 DPI Print Mode to achieve a stronger more consistent Underbase This is due to the fact that the higher resolution will disoense more ink at a slower speed creating an extremely even coverage If you are printing on lighter colored shirts if may not be necessary to print such a strong Underbase 720 DPI may work better Windows Underbase Windows Underbase Print Modes are used when printing from graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator There are four Print Mode options and each is available in different resolutions Bi directional is also offered for each Print Mode as well Select the Image modes when printing a bitmap raster or gradient image This also applies when printing a gradient image in a Vector program Anytime you have a gradient in any image Image modes must be used Vector
48. basic knowledge of both FastARTIST and FasiRIP Although the manuals may seem very large don t be concerned by the size You do not need to know everything to get started Using Computer Graphics Software In order to print a good looking image on a shirt you need a good piece of artwork The customer typically has no idea about the type or quality of artwork needed so you are often stuck with inferior designs If you don t have computer graphics experience you might print this bad artwork and then blame your T Jet3 PLUS for the poor quality image There are a number of great computer graphics programs designed for creating and manipulating images If you have never used computer graphics programs before you might be inclined to use applications such as Microsoft Word or other word processing programs that are designed for text and are NOT strong graphic programs Recommended graphic programs for this purpose are FastARITIST included you re your T Jet3 PLUS CorelDRAW any version Adobe Photoshop version 7 0 or higher Adobe Illustrator version 7 0 or higher and Macromedia Freehand any version Contrary to popular opinion great images can be created and manipulated on a Windows based PC as well as the Mac platform FastARTIST the graphics application that is shipped with your printer is designed for Windows based PC s only Mac users wishing to take advantage of the FastARTIST Underbase Wizard and other convenient setup op
49. ce or in areas of excessively high humidity The printer must be in an environmentally controlled room with humidity levels between 40 and 80 non condensing Since you will be handling wet ink to refill The bulk system ink bottles you should protect any carpet or floor covering with mats Place the T Jet3 PLUS close to a Heat Press or small conveyor dryer to cure the ink If you have two or more AI printers at a production work station place them around or near the heat source At night and when the printer is not in M use cover it to keep it protected Ensure the entire T Jet3 PLUS is sitting level on a stable worktable or other hard surface All rubber support feet must be safely supported by the same structure When using White ink you must apply a Pretreatment to the shirts before printing DO NOT spray this Pretreatment near your T Jet3 PLUS Pretreat shirts in a different room If possible but at a minimum make a cardboard enclosure for use during applications The Pretreatment is sticky and can ruin the Print Head as well as damage the Encoder Strip The 11 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Encoder Strip is a thin piece of clear plastic with data that is read by the Print Head as the unit operates The Encoder Strip tells the Print Head exactly where to print an image If the Encoder Strip becomes dirty or damaged the printer will get confused resulting in the printing of multiple images strips of solid ink and othe
50. ching Ants small moving lines around the selected area While the area is selected any changes made will only apply to this area To remove the marching ants go to the Select gt De Select You can also use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl D If you want to select square or round areas use the Marquee Tool top left tool and use this the same way you would use the Lasso tool Channels and Layers JO What really separates Photoshop from FastARTIST a and CorelDRAW is the ability to work in Layers to build images Therefore whenever you are using Photoshop you should have both the Channels Palette and Layers Palette open H Ger EER ADE 2PM SAS Jj ON N A TS People often get these confused so here are the rules The Channels Palette is used to create output Channels print The Layers Palette is Used to create or build the image You use the Layers Palette to put various components together including adding Type to an image Layers don t print You will also notice that your Channels Palette shows four channels RGB Red Green and Blue Your test file probably only shows one Layer called Background For more details on using the Layers Palette in Photoshop consult the Adobe User s Manual or In Program Help sections 31 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Setting Transparent Images in FastARTIST To set transparent backgrounds in FastARTI ST PAA double click on the image to enter the E aa Av Bu bitma
51. click the Show More Options check box for additional settings File Edit ae Arrange Transform Bitmap View Options Web Help euh C Be x REI LOGO Long Lines amp Bitmap Editing in FastARTIST Photoshop Is always in bitmap mode because it is a pixel based editing program FastARTIST along with CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator defaults to vector mode when you launch the program so you will need to find the bitmap editing tools in these programs In FastARTIST double click on the image That changes the top Toolbar icons to standard bitmap editing mode very similar icons to Photoshop Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 3 0 Chapter 3 Software Overview Selecting Areas In FastARTIST if you want to apply a Tone Curve HIT adjustment or Unsharp Masking to specific i areas you must double click on the object to make the bitmap tools available You then click on the Lasso tool Hint It looks like a lasso and hold down the mouse button while drawing around the area you wish to modify When you release the mouse you will have a yellow outline identifying the selected area Now anything you do ONLY happens to this area In Photoshop you can choose an area with one of the Selection Tools on the Toolbar Click on the tool that looks like a Lasso and draw around the object while holding down the left mouse button When the mouse button is released the selected area will be identified by what is called Mar
52. con is used to denote important points that may affect the proper operation of your machine or the viability of its output Think of this as more than just a helpful hint This icon indicates recommendations from us based on research and develooment or years of experience within the Garment Decorating business Following these helpful Hints Tips or Reminders will make printing with your Fast T Jet more enjoyable Where you see this icon you should take note of the warnings Failure to follow any of the listed procedures could result in severe damage to your machine large amounts of downtime and or costly repairs or the possibility of severe bodily injury or death Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 aje V111 Table of Contents Cautions Safety Instructions for Ink Cartridges Legend of Symbols Chapter 1 Introduction T Jet3 PLUS Important Points The Basics Maintenance Poor Artwork Important Support Information Support Hours About the Garment Decorating Business and Where to Learn More The Book Computer Graphics DVDs Business and Marketing DVD s Internet Trade Shows and Trade Magazines Our Advice Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup Unpacking Your T Jet3 PLUS Main Box Contents Box 2 Industrial Bulk Ink System Parts Waste Bottle Exhaust Fan Lifting Your T Jet3 PLUS Unit From the Box Preparations Remove Hold Down Clamps Install The Maximum Height Bar Check the Adjustable Shirfboard Height Removing the Packing Tape E
53. cone treated piece of parchment paper a common baking pan liner over the print and close the press When you open the press peel the paper immediately The paper can be used a number of times before it be comes too wrinkled to use e You will only use the silicone treated paper for curing after the entire print has been completed You risk ruining a shirt if you use silicone paper in the Pretreatment phase e If you want a glossy print use a standard Teflon pad rather than silicone treated parchment when curing the print in a Heat Press Teflon pads are available from most Heat Press manufacturers When printing gradient images with White ink you should have two versions of the artwork One version will have a White background and the other will have a Black background These two files can be created in Photoshop Adobe Illustrator CorelDRAW or even in FastARIIST If you use another program simply save or export the files as a JPEG file at 250 DPI resolution for the final print size and Import these files into FastARTIST There is an excellent video tutorial on Underbasing with Two Versions ofthe Artwork on the T Jet Support page Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 62 Chapter 5 Advanced Printing with White Ink For the longest lasting print the shirt should be turned inside out washed in COLD water and dried on delicate If possible include washing directions with the finished print When you apply the Pretreatment co
54. d you can add additional elements to the image including text drop shadows glows and more 33 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual i Fixing Bad Line ArtinPhotoshop FEE d FastARTIST a You may also use a bitmap editing program to improve the quality of line art Earlier we covered file resolution noting how a low resolution file will have very jagged edges By simply upsampling a file to a much higher resolution you will have less of a jagged effect but a softer edge For Black and White images you will want to upsample and then apply a Tone Curve to make edges Black and White without any gray areas This process is available in FastARTIST Photoshop CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator You must take ownership of fixing bad artwork If the file is provided in a pixel based format like TIFF PSD JPG GIF etc you can t assume it is bright sharp of high resolution and ready to print You must check the resolution and upsample the file if necessary Make adjustments if it needs sharpness or boost color saturation if the file is dull Lighten the file if it seems too dark because the image may print even darker Artwork for Light and Dark Garments To set up artwork properly it is imperative to know first onto what color garment the image is to be printed This will then determine if the image background needs to be transparent White Black or in some cases both Black and White For Light colored garments the T J
55. d July 2008 12 Chapter E Unpacking and Setup switch box which can offen cause communication problems Including your printer mouse and Dongle you will need 3 free USB ports Your computer must use a Windows based Operating System if you will be printing with White ink For best results you should use a computer with at least 512 MB of RAM RAM is inexpensive and if you can put 1 GB or more on your computer it will prevent problems when printing large files Users of the Windows Vista OS should have a minimum of 2 GB onboard RAM The Universal Serial Bus USB method of communication is standard on all newer computers but what is not commonly known is that there is only a certain amount of power supplied to the entire bus This means that if you have a number of items plugged into different USB ports on your computer it might cause communication issues with the T Jet3 PLUS Use a dedicated computer to control your printer and do not plug anything else into the extra USB ports when printing Failure to adhere to the recommended environmental power maintenance and operating conditions you can void the warranty of your T Jet3 PLUS The printer does NOT like to be in a hot dry shop with excess dust as well as being plugged into outlets with a lot of other items Please read and understand the operating conditions and maintenance requirements for your money making investment Installing the Bulk I
56. d for images with a hard edge like race designs school mascots corporate logos etc Pixel Based Bitmap Programs like FastARTIST and Adobe Photoshop are called pixel or raster based programs and work i for photographic images Bitmap applications A can lighten darken sharpen and even create Images Photoshop is a common graphics program used by many for manipulating images but FastARTIST also contains similar editing tools Images with lots of gradations or that are photorealistic are generally created and manipulated in programs such as FastARITIST and Photoshop Note FastARTIST is both a bitmap and vector graphic program Summary If you intend to create your own artwork then you will need both a vector and bitmap program The vector program will be used for working with shapes text and edges while the bitmap program will be used for any photographic or detailed images If you don t have two applications or don t wish to spend the money to purchase one of both needed programs FastARTIST is the perfect solution because it will work with both types of images FastARTIST can be used to create the entire image if needed With similar tools to Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 24 Chapter 3 Software Overview CorelDRAW and Photoshop those already familiar with other graphics programs can quickly master FastARTIST Editing Bitmap Artwork in FastARTIST Photoshop The following sections gives Tips and suggestions
57. e bottle print quality is starts to diminish Solution Raise the Adjustable Shelf slightly and continue to raise the shelf as the ink level drops from use You can raise the Adjustable Shelf as far as possible as long as ink doesn t start dripping from the Print Head Waste Bottle Installation with Shelf Bracket The Waste Bottle Shelf Bracket must be installed to hold the Waste Ink Bottle The Shelf Bracket Is positioned behind the T Jet3 PLUS where the Ink Line Tubes exit To install the Shelf Bracket remove the two screws from the side of the Print Bed as identified on the right Using a Phillios head screwdriver and the shelf screws supplied fasten the Shelf Bracket to the side of the Print Bed The Waste Ink Bottle has 2 ink line tube inserts located on the cap Loosen the nut of the insert by turning it to the left counter clockwise allowing the ink line tube to be inserted Turn the nut to the right clockwise to tighten upon the tube Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 14 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup Filling the Ink Bottles When initially setting up your T Jet3 PLUS we recommend filling the CMYK ink bottles to approximately the 34 mark the Full line being 100 and the White ink bottle approximately Y2 full This is due to the different effects that elevation has on ink flow Certain elevations may necessitate the level of ink staying below the bottles full line This is only a suggested start
58. e the Ink Cartridge Locate the syringe included with your Fast T Jet Kit and insert it into the bottom of the cartridge Slowly draw the ink from the bottle through the tube and into the cartridge During priming we recommend you unscrew the top of the Ink Bottle slightly to dissipate any vacuum that may form during this process Ensure you draw ink through the cartridge and into the syringe to eliminate the possibility of air being trapped in the cartridge 13 Remove the syringe and place the newly filled cartridge into its appropriate position within the Print Carriage Each cartridge must be inserted into its proper position Use the guide located above the Print Carriage as a reference Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 18 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup 14 Repeat steps 10 through 13 for each of the CORO emg remaining seven cartridges Jf 15 With all of the Ink Lines connected ensure that Bulk Ink Bottles tops and the Ink Lines are secure including the Waste Ink Tube running into the Waste Ink Bottle Press the INk button on the Control Panel to allow the Print Carriage to dock back onto the capping station 16 Ensure all the Ink Lines are secured within the Print Carriage guides and perform 3 4 Head Cleanings To initiate a Head Cleaning cycle hold down the Ink button on the Control Panel for three seconds Only the initial setup procedures consume a large volume of ink Check the levels of your Bulk Sy
59. e the port IF You want to configure the printer port manually or if your e Click the start menu then click Settings gt Printers Alal hai ae and Faxes From here you can manage your orinters etc Manual Cancel Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 37 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual The T Jet3 PLUS is a highly modified versions of the Epson R1800 with hundreds of additional parts not provided by Epson As a result your T Jet and any driver software is NOT supported by Epson All support for the Epson driver and internal Epson components will come from us If you have any concerns installing the driver contact our Support Department and they will gladly walk you through the process Disabling the Status Monitor For optimal Fast T Jet3 performance you will need to ensure no Epson monitoring services are running To turn this service off please perform the following procedures after installing the Epson R1800 printer drivers and connecting the USB cable to the PC 1 Locate your task bar and or a small printer icon 2 Right click on the printer icon and select Monitoring Preferences In the dialogue box that appears uncheck everything in this window aata ges 3 You will now no longer see TNE printer ICON r annete within the taskbar The Status Monitor has St been disabled Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 38 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Your T Jet3 PLUS ts very easy to use Simply create an image
60. e to the RIP for printing Problem Individual ink lights are flashing ee mda MA M K wi ooo Oo o Causes The printer thinks you are out of a specific color The ink cartridges have auto reset chips on them but if you have been printing a lot of shirts the chips will not have had the chance to reset You can turn the printer off for 30 seconds and then back on BUT if you are in the middle of a job you will lose a shirt You can also press the Ink button once wait until printer moves the Print Carriage off of the Capping Station and parks press the Ink button again and the carriage will return to home position The lights should go out and the printer Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 112 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting will start to print again Prevention Get in the habit of turning the printer ON and OFF between print jobs that use a lot of ink or need a large number of prints Causes The Maintenance Tank Counter may need fo be reset If the printer thinks that you have done about 10 000 to 15 000 pages you will need to reset the Maintenance Tank Counter There is an excellent software program that will automatically reset the printer without you having to take off a cover or get inside of the machine Refer to Chapter 7 for details If ink light is solid ink cartridges may not be seated all the way or they could have a bad chip A chip on an ink cartridge is not connecting properly to the prong
61. e to the proper height WARNING Use the Maximum Height Bar as your guide to prevent Print Head strikes The adjustable kat Shirtboard should be raised to a level where the printable surface of the garment is as close to the Bar as possible but DOES NOT make contact with the Bar at any point The Shirtboard MUST NOT be raised beyond this point We are not responsible for any damage caused by disregarding Maximum Height warnings Replacement of Print Heads is NOT covered by your warranty Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 10 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup Removing the Packing Tape Remove the packing tape that is currently holding the low profile access lid down and open it DO NOT try to move the print carriage off of the capping station as the T Jet3 PLUS locks the print carriage onto the capping station Forcing the print carriage to move will damage the printer Note You may find a small amount of ink on the Waste Pad and or Capping Station during setup This is normal and there is no need to be alarmed Each T Jet3 PLUS is run through a series of print cycles before shipping to ensure it Is operating properly Environmental Controls and Humidity This is a Hi Tech inkjet printer that does NOT like being in a hot or cold shop or garage without proper environmental controls Your T Jet3 PLUS should not be in an area with direct airflow across the machine this will dry out and clog the Print Head dust a strong magnetic for
62. e value FastARTIST Untitled1 CDL FastARTIST Untitied1 CDL Neb Help aaa x 00 00 41000 Hx C oo 4 STRE 0 00 4 t 000 4 100 00 4 8 a AITITE Objects 0 8 283 0 216 in Orientation N Portrait ak C Landscape Current Selection 6x6 6 00in x 6 00 kad k ia 4 x 11 00 inch Advanced Cancel 2 Select the appropriate Print Mode There are a wide variety of Print Modes in the FastRIP software Print Modes give you the advantage of printing higher quality images slower speed when needed or to print low quality simple Spot Color images faster speed when needed 3 You are now ready to print Select the Print command from your graphics application and choose T Jet3 PLUS as your printer 45 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual A Word about Resolutions Speed and Quality The resolution you choose will not only determine print quality but print soeed as well If you use a lower resolution Print Mode you will achieve a much faster print soeed but may not get the quality needed for photo images Lower resolutions apply tewer ink dots per inch which allows the Print Head to move much faster If you use higher resolution Print Modes you will notice a decrease in print speed but an improvement in image quality A higher DPI increases print quality by increasing the density of the dots per inch Therefore we recommend a lower resolution for cartoon images but a higher resolution for pho
63. e will print White When working with vector images if you use Named Spot Colors use the Spot Color White and FastRIP will create a Highlight White when it prints the Top Color pass This means an Underbase will be applied and then Highlight White will be printed in conjunction with the Top Colors In this example the arrow is identifying the use of spot White Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 4 Printing Basics For more information on designing and printing vector or bitmap images Spot Colors and gradients consult your FastARTIST User s Manual and the Help sections of your graphics application Quick Printing Tips You should perform a Head Cleaning if you experience one of the following conditions f streaks appear in the print If small drops of ink appear on the garment outside of the printed image F Its the cap If the unit has been sitting for a Jaa uld be few days HN se of any If the Print Head strikes a a ebris garrment Press the Ink button for three seconds to initiate a Head Cleaning cycle You may do this in the middle of a print job if necessary If you experience severe head clogs you can do a number of Head Cleanings back to back using the Epson utility If you have been printing a lot of shirts you may have to manually wipe the bottom of the head to remove cotton lint e The best way to check print quality is to do a Nozzle Check from the Eps
64. ect previous adjustment program order will guide you once you ar adjustment mode 4 select your replaced repaired parts and multiple selections are available Seguential adjustment mode 81 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Once the application is installed run the program an caja lan irom the followinga Than ellek Model Kare Stylus and select the Particular Adjustment Mode A pop _ siiissiiesionertanasinenne a up window Setting will ask you to select the Port Adjustment a to which your printer is connected Scroll through Initialize PF deterioration offet usio Disenable PF deterioration offset IEEE 1434 ID the list and select Epson Stylus Photo 1800 This is kutt Hend D your Fast T Jet3 PLUS adjust ment Ink Mark Sensor adjustment amp Check You will then be taken to the Main Selection Screen From here you will select the first Utility to ean l run Head Angular Adjustment Waste ink nad al eae Head Angular Adjustment You will need to place a standard 8 5 x 11 m m sheet of paper on a Shirtboard to perform this E procedure Once the paperis loaded press Print rj an rm 0 Band pattern 80 gt gt 0 and the Fast T Jet3 PLUS will print two groups of A band pane chooses tho adjusnem valu by which he ruled ine is parallel lines labeled Band Pass Incline 0 gt gt 80 M and Band Pass Incline 0 lt lt 80 These groups of i lines will be assigned number
65. ee the Print Head move up and fo the left immediately switch OFF the power at the Main Power Switch You may now move the Print Carriage further to the left exposing the Wiper The Wiper will remain in its UP position until the power is turned back ON When you have finished cleaning the Wiper turn the Main Power Switch ON and press the Power button The printer will resume and complete the halted Head Cleaning process The Print Carriage will then dock with the Capping Station when finished Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis The spit tray may become very full depending on the amount of Head Cleanings that are performed For replacement pads contact Technical Support Turn Your T Jet3 PLUS OFF at Night Turn OFF the machine at night using the Power Button Wait for the printer to completely power down Print Carriage will dock onto the Capping Station then turn off the main Power Switch located next to the AC cord DO NOT use a power strip to turn off your printer Cautions About Ink Levels When refilling the bulk ink bottles STOP at the FULL LINE marked on the side of the bottle DO NOT overfill the Bulk Ink Bottles or this will cause excess pressure which can lead to ink dripping out from the bottom of the Print Head Your White Ink levels MUST always be higher than the CMYK ink levels or cross contamination will occur 9 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Humidity and Environmental Control Controlling the environment in
66. en press the Load button to load the garment If you are doing a quantity of shirts with the same design set the number of copies you will need in FastRIP After the shirt loads the Load light will stop blinking send the Print command trom FastRIP When the shirt is completed press the Eject button 2x to fully eject the Print Bed Remove the first shirt and load the next shirt Reset the Passes button to the desired number of passes and press the Load button again Continue this process until your run Is finished Remember the Print Pass Counter will default to 1 with the completion of each garment Printing from Adobe Photoshop When printing a design from Photoshop FastkRIP will determine which components of the image are pure White and configure the output so that those areas do not receive an Underbase RGB 255 255 255 or CMYK 0 0 0 0 If you wish to override these settings set these areas to a slight tint of off White RGB 254 254 254 or CMYK 1 1 1 1 In this first example arrows identify that ppm the N in California has been setto RGB 254 254 254 meaning that it will print White Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 50 Chapter 4 Printing Basics The arrows in this second example show that the background is set to RGB 295 255 255 making the background transparent when printing with FastRIP Color Management must be turned OFF before sending the image fo print Color Management
67. erences You should ALWAYS do periodic wash fests as well as test the temperature of your dryer or Heat Press using an infrared heat gun or Temperature Test Strips If using a Conveyor dryer use a very slow belt and make sure the garment lies flat If using a Heat Press set the pressure to 70 or 80 of maximum 60 PSI You should clamp the heating element down directly onto the print with a piece of paper or a Teflon pad over the print You can also use a baking pan liner for this purpose You will probably scorch a shirt or two doing temperature tests but this is normal in the garment decorating business Some shirts might show a slight discoloration if you use a Heat Press to cure the print This is most offen seen in Red and medium to dark colors other than Black This discoloration will usually go away when the shirt cools or when the shirt is washed 49 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual How to Use the Print Pass Counter The Print Pass Counter makes It easier fo make multiple passes of the Top Colors when printing on dark shirts Without the Counter you would need to stay by the machine and press the Load button each time a print pass is completed With the Counter you can set it for the number of passes and prepare the next shirt for printing When printing light garments you must use a two pass Print Mode in combination with the print passes Counter Press the Passes button until it indicates the desired number of passes th
68. ess infrared thermometer or heat testing strips If the temperature is too hot if could scorch the shirts and ink There is too much pressure being applied to the shirt during curing When curing your shirts make sure you do not apply too much pressure You should apply a medium to heavy amount of pressure The wrong type of paper was used Make sure the paper that is used for curing is either a Teflon pad or silicone treated paper Prevention Get to know your Heat Press or dryer every make and model has its own personality Frequently test the output temperature to ensure it actually matches your desired settings Refer to Chapter 4 for curing times and details Problem The Print Head is leaking dripping ink on garments Causes The Print Head may have been damaged a collision Order a replacement Print Head The Print Head is dripping ink Thoroughly clean the Capping Station The Capping Station can become dirty with garment lint or fibers as well as dried ink This will prevent it from adequately cleaning the Print Head Debris or shirt fibers have collected on the Print Head as well as the Print 101 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Head carriage Gently clean the bottom of the Print Head to remove any debris dried ink and fibers Also check the Capping Station to ensure it is clean and free of debris and lint The ink is not feeding properly to the Print Head Your Adjustable Ink Shelf may be at an inc
69. et by pressing the Ink button Solid Cartridges will need to be to be reset within the Print Carriage If you have any SOLID ink lights you must remove all the Bulk Ink Cartridges including the Chip Blocks to reset the smart chips Power Light The Power light remains solid when printer is on Load Light The Load Light indicates the status of the printer either by flashing or remaining solid Flashing Printer is currently in use or processing an image for print Solid Printer is ready and awaiting a print task Note The Load Light will remain ON except when processing an image or printing When the Load light is flashing DO NOT send a job fo the printer The printer will get confused and require you fo turn it OFF and then back ON in order to clear the error Always wait until the Load light is solid red before executing a print command All Ink Lights Flashing Ink Button and Error Light A fatal printer error has occurred The printer must be completely shut OFF including the Main Power Switch Manually move the Print Bed inward centering within the Printer Assembly and turn the printer power ON 41 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Ink Light and Error Light alternating Flashing Fast The printer thinks the Waste Tank is Full This will only happen after the printer reaches approximately 15 000 prints Open FastRIP and go to Printers gt Printer Properties or click on the last icon in the toolbar that
70. et3 PLUS will print the image just as it appears but it does not print the White Printing in color without an Underbase is the easiest form of garment printing If you require White in the image it will be necessary to Underbase the image Therefore Dark colored garments will always require an Underbase that allows the colors to stand off the garment Please keep in mind this section is intended only as a brief Overview and Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 34 Chapter 3 Software Overview Introduction into the world of software and graphics applications Chapters 6 8 and 9 of your FastARTIST User s Manual covers the file setup process in depth including how to prepare files for printing onto both Light and Dark shirts For step by step instructions and additional Hints and Tips please refer to the FastARTIST User s Manual In addition to a graphics application to create and modify artwork and a RIP to process the art and turn it into an image on a garment you will need a Printer Driver A Printer Driver is the basic software needed to make any printer function For your T Jet3 PLUS to operate properly you will need to download the most current version for the Epson Stylus Pro 1800 available at www epson com Follow the links under the Drivers amp Support section and you will be able to select a driver compatible with your Operating System Windows Vista Users MUST have Administrator authority to download and install any
71. few shirts you will feel like an old pro Just remember if is ONLY a shirt Even when you HAVE become a seasoned pro ruined shirts are a fact of life in the garment decorating industry Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 42 Chapter 4 Printing Basics e Power ON your T Jet3 PLUS The Print Bed should be fully extended Eject 2 DO NOT move the Print Bed by hand Refer to Chapter 2 for images of the Eject and Load positions e Shirts can be full of lint and some shirts have more lint than others Lint is NOT your friend If can get on key components inside the T Jet3 PLUS affecting print quality and printer operation For best results grab a blank shirt by the shoulder seams and give ita little shake before you lay it on the Shirtboard This will actually helo remove wrinkles as well Loading a Garment onto the Shirtboard The T Jet3 PLUS Shirfboard consists of an adjustable aluminum base and a non slip padded surface Lay the shirt over the Shirtboard as shown on the right Again please check to make sure that the collar of the garment is at the top of the Shirtboard Smooth out the garment over the printing surface and fold the remaining garment under the Shirtboard Ensure any excess garment is folded under the Shirtboard T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Check Garment Height Clearance Use the Maximum Height Adjustment Bar as a guide to ensure your garments do not exceed the minimum Print Head clearance Adjust the
72. for creating artwork suitable for printing on your T Jet3 PLUS Remember if you are proficient in a graphics program other than the new FastARITIST create the images where you are most comfortable For advanced users of programs such as Photoshop and CorelDRAW the entire image can be set up to print and then Imported into FastARTIST for printing a White Underbase or Highlight White Please note Underbase and Highlight White options are not available when printing from a graphics application other than FastARTIST Besides the ability to work with vector based images such as hard edge graphics clipart and font manipulation FastARTIST will do a lot of basic pixel editing functions necessary when the customer gives you a pixel bitmap file such as JPEG GIF TIFF or PSD Generally a short run of photorealistic images is not profitable when Screen Printing However should a customer want a picture of the entire team ona shirt no problem One of the T Jet3 PLUS s major strengths is the ability to print short runs of photorealistic images A common problem in the T Shirt business is that customers need high resolution images yet often all they have is artwork that is small and low resolution It is MANDATORY that you learn how to make ANY artwork the correct size and resolution besides knowing how to make the image brighter most images are dull with good color saturation In reality this may be the ONLY time you utilize the FastARTIST
73. g Station is dirty the printer can t do a proper Head Cleaning and fix a clogged nozzle Note When building any image inside any software program make sure you always use RGB color mode because this is how your monitor displays colors Never apply an ICC profile Problem Prints are out of alignment or there are large gaps in the print Causes Different Print Modes are being used Double check settings in the FastRIP Setup screen and make sure all Print Modes are of the same type If using an HS Print Mode for the color then the same Mode must be used for the Underbase i e Photo 720 Standard HS Print Mode and 1440 DPI Image Normal Underbase HS Encoder strip is dirty and needs to be cleaned Clean the Encoder Strip If using an Underbase and or Underbase wizard the Black and White versions of images may be different sizes Double check the images Heights and Widths to make sure they are identical Print Carriage is jumping around and causing a misread of the Encoder Strip Clean the Drive Belt Gear There is a communication error between your printer and your computer Make sure you don t have any jobs in the FastRIP Queue or Windows Print Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 104 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Manager If you do delete them Power down your printer unplug the power cord and leave it unplugged for about 30 seconds Power back ON and try again Make sure you are using the correct port Open FasiR
74. he Main Power Switch and the Power button The printer will cycle through the initialization process Load light will flash then the Print Carriage will dock with the Capping Station The Load light will become solid DO NOT press any buttons on the control panel until the Load light is solid 2 When the initialization cycle is complete press the Ink LOWINK INDICATOR button once This action will automatically unlock the Print MIINA Carriage trom the docking station and move the Print Carriage up and fo the left making the following steps easier Es la 3 Remove all the cleaning cartridges taking care not to allow any of the ink lines to come out of the ink line guide 4 Unpack your Bulk Ink System cartridges including the two Chip Blocks and two Chip Block Supports The two Chip Blocks are color coded for placement one has a Yellow sticker on the top left and the other has a Black sticker Place the Chip Block with the Yellow sticker into the Print Carriage as shown on below Using the sticker as a guide determine the proper orientation it should be visible and align with the Yellow cartridge position Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 16 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup After the Chip Block is in place use a Chip Block Support to secure it The Chip Block Support has arrows in the center bar pointing upward Use these arrows for orientation and place the single end of the Chip
75. hen shipping your T Jet for repair work whether Warranty or Non Warranty the following procedures MUST be followed Prior to receiving a Return Authorization BOTH pages of the Shipping Procedures Acknowledgement must be signed by the Original Purchaser or party responsible for billing In addition all packing procedures as outlined previously in this Chapter must be followed The Shipping Procedures Acknowledgement MUST be faxed to our Support Department Within 2 business days you will receive a Return Authorization number and or a follow up call from our Support Department so please ensure your contact information is correct Failure to obtain a Return Authorization can result in your shipment being refused and additional return shipment charges being incurred Failure to follow the 121 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual procedures described herein for the preparation and packing of your T Jet may result in additional charges for cleaning and or maintenance being incurred EVEN if the repair is authorized under warranty YOU will be responsible for any charges that are a result of a failure to follow packing and shipping procedures Important Shipping Requirements Your T Jet must be insured for full retail value We will do this if we are scheduling the shipping e Your T Jet is covered by a Depot Warranty This means that the customer is responsible for shipping costs Please refer to the Limited Warranty section of this Manua
76. ifference move the Amount slider higher Go all the way to 500 if you need to but don t make the image too grainy Fast ARTIST Untitled COL 29 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Using Tone Curves Whether you are Screen Printing heat transfer printing or Inkjet to Garment printing a common dilemma is that images tend to get a little muddy If you have a file with lots of detail in the shadow areas this will probably be lost when printed so you need to adjust the density levels of the image In FastARTIST go to the Bitmap dropdown menu and then select CMYK Color Adjustments gt Curves In Photoshop go to Image gt Adjustments gt Curves The Tone Curve is a very powerful tool that allows you to adjust specific tonal areas from the lightest Highlights to the darkest Shadows By placing your cursor in the middle of the Midtones curve and dragging the mouse up or down you can lighten darken the medium or Midtones in an image By clicking on the very top corner and dragging the mouse in you can make the highlights lighter Photoshop Play around with the Tone Curve and see what happens A good curve for flat images Is a slight S where you lighten the highlight area 35 and darken the shadow area 75 In later versions of Photoshop CS through CS3 similar adjustments can be made using the Shadow Highlight dialogue under Image gt Adjustments Make sure you
77. in your favorite graphics program load a shirt on the printer choose the appropriate Print Mode printer resolution number of passes and how much White ink to deposit and press the Print button Voila Instant shirt By now you know many of the basic parts of the printer The following section contains more in depth information on the T Jet3 PLUS LOW INK INDICATOR s N n kd WE L i E i i Be al LA ab LS SOS Pvt amp MAST IEI ae Oo et Power Button The Power button turns the printer on and off only when the main power switch is turned on The main power switch is located next to the AC cord 39 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Passes The Passes button selects the number of Underbase print passes or double passes of color that are to be made The desired number 1 7 may be selected by repeatedly pressing the button until the required setting is reached The appropriate number will then be displayed by the LED just to the left of the Passes button When a Job is complete the Passes Counter resets to 1 Ink Button The Ink button is used for two different functions The first function Is used to unseat the Print Carriage trom the Capping Station This allows you to remove or reset the Bulk Ink Cartridges smart chips clean the Encoder Strip or Capping Station or install cleaning cartridges Press the Ink button once and the Print Carriage will unseat fro
78. ing on Other tems Non Textile Printing Required Items and Overview You must have the following to successfully print on Non Textile items 1 Non Textile Pretreatment 53 P F 2 Non Textile Post Treatment PS 3 2 Fine Bristle Brushes V ee 4 a f T aa j a i v A FE Optional materials may be reguired 1 Non Textile Primer 2 A Holder for object s i e Golf Ball Holder 3 Non Textile Print Modes and Templates You can utilize the latest Non Textile Print Modes by downloading the most recent Printer Package for your T Jet3 PLUS from www screenprinters net CAUTION WEAR GLOVES WHEN APPLYING AND USE WITH ADEQUATE VENTILATION HANDLE WITH CARE AND PROTECT EYES WITH SAFETY GLASSES WHEN APPLYING AS A SPRAY BEFORE USE CONSULT THE MATERIAL DATA SAFETY SHEET MSDS THAT IS INCLUDED WITH THESE PRODUCTS KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN Getting Started It is necessary to determine if the surface intended for printing will allow the Pretreatment to stick Certain surfaces will accept the direct application of the Non Textile Pretreatment while others will require first require a coat of Non Textile Primer Generally smooth surfaces such as light switches keyboards lighters and gloss tiles will require an application of Non Textile Primer before the Non Textile Pretreatment To Test Apply a very small thin amount of Non Textile Pretreatment to the intended printing surface If the Pretreatment runs off it will be
79. ing on one Page Size in a graphics program but printing to a different Page Size in FasiRIP Problem only use my printer on weekends and many times when go to use it the heads are clogged Causes Ink is drying within the Print Head due fo lack of use If you are NOT using your printer on a regular basis the ink may partially dry 111 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual within the Print Head causing a clog We have found the best solution to this issue is to turn your printer ON everyday even if you don t intend to print anything When the printer is turned ON it primes the Print Head during startup This process is sufficient to prevent head clogs if done regularly You DO NOT have to do a Head Cleaning unless you want to After your printer has gone through its startup procedures turn if OFF to ensure the Print Head seats within the Capping Station NOTE Always make sure you observe the proper procedures for powering ON and OFF your printer to avoid damaging the Print Head Problem When printing vector graphics the printed colors do not match the previews in my graphics application Causes FastRIP is a bitmap based image processor When rasterizing a vector image FastRIP must convert a vector graphic into a bitmapped graphic Sometimes the translation of color profiles is not exact resulting in a difference in output For consistent color reproduction save your image as a high quality JPEG and send this imag
80. ing point It will be up to you to determine the best ink level for your elevation through testing and use As you perform initial test prints ink can be added as needed to correct for ink starvation DO NOT OVERFILL Once the ink has reached the Full Line STOP Do not fill ink past this mark If ink starvation continues raise the Adjustable Shelf as needed Your T Jet3 PLUS is shipped with FastINK Textile Ink With a normal inkjet printer it is a very common practice to change from the manufacturer s brand of ink to third party inks However this can result in serious issues when using specially formulated textile inks All textile inks are NOT created equal and they must not be mixed Should you decide to try another brand of textile ink in your printer before doing so you MUST flush out the entire Bulk Ink System using a special flushing solution Failure to perform this process can result in a mixture of the two brands creating a chunky mess that might be called severe cholesterol in the ink tubes In fact this mixture will permanently clog the Print Head We are not responsible for any damage to your printer or replacement of the Print Head should you use another manufacturer s ink If you do experience problems with another manufacturer s ink you must contact THAT manufacturer for any available remedies 15 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 1 With the cleaning cartridges installed power ON your T Jet3 PLUS using both t
81. inks or creases in the ink lines 14 Remove one of the waste ink lines from the waste Ink bottle Insert the tip of a plastic syringe included into the waste ink line and pull back on the plunger until the syringe is full of liquid Dump the excess ink from the syringe into the waste ink bottle or other container 15 Repeat step 14 for the remaining waste ink line 16 Go back to the adjustment program on your computer Run multiple power cleanings until the solution that comes from the waste ink bottle is clear Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 94 Chapter amp Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving When you perform a Head Cleaning the Head itself is cleaned and wiped by the printer On occasion this may not clean away small pieces of shirt lint that can collect around the bottom This excess lint can allow ink to accumulate under the Print Head and then drip on the garment The easiest way to clean the Print Head Is to have the Print Bed in the Load position This will provide the needed clearance to clean the Print Head properly Using a foam tip swab water glass cleaner or cleaning fluid clean any lint and ink residue off the edges of the Print Head BE CAREFUL not to touch the bottom of the Print Head This is where the actual nozzles are located and they can be easily damaged Clean Bulk System Chip Blocks The bulk cartridges chip blocks can sometimes get dirty and not make good contact If you ge
82. inting White ink on a Fast T Jet3 PLUS was made possible by a combination of e Very special ink that took over a year to develop e A software print driver called FastRIP that allows the printer to disoense more ink than originally designed e A software package called FastARITIST that creates special Underbase and highlight White files e A revolutionary Pretreatment that allows the ink to set on top of the garment and remain White White Ink Warnings and Gare Your Fast T Jet3 PLUS is shipped with the latest innovation in textile ink FastINK Bright White This ink is the best in the industry at producing bright Whites and brilliant Highlights We recommend that as part of your daily routine you agitate the White Bulk Ink Bottle in the beginning and ending of each day Do this regularly and you will have no settling concerns As a weekly practice vigorously shake the ink you may have on Lssemcros uaa the shelf for about a minute This will help keep the pigment of the s white in suspended and will give you great white prints The white wd ink has a shelf life of 6 months 31 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Pretreatment Basics The Pretreatment solution is a milky colored odorless and nontoxic liquid A chemical reaction between the Pretreatment and the White ink causes the ink s pigments to stay on top of the garment and not be absorbed by the textile fibers Because of these reactive chemicals it is CRITICAL the Print Head d
83. is found in the Print with Preview window Go fo File gt Print with Preview For more information and instructions on how to Print from Photoshop refer to Chapter 9 of your FastARTIST User s Manual Printing from CorelDRAW Design Setup When designing in CorelDRAW set areas where no Underbase is desired as pure White RGB 255 255 255 or CMYK 0 0 0 0 To print an area as White set the area to a slight tint of off White RGB 254 254 254 or CMYK 1 1 1 1 In this first example the selected area E is set to CMYK 1 1 1 1 which is recognized as White and will receive an Underbase when printed through FastRIP When working with vector images if you use Named Spot Colors use the Spot Color White and FastRIP will create a Highlight White when it prints the Top Color 51 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual pass This means an Underbase will be applied and then Highlight White will printed in conjunction with the Top Colors In this example the arrow is identifying the use of spot White Printing from Adobe Illustrator When designing in Adobe Illustrator set areas where no Underbase is desired as pure White RGB 255 255 255 or CMYK 0 0 0 0 To print an area as White set the area to a slight tint of off White RGB 254 254 254 or CMYK 1 1 1 1 For best rest assembly shc clean and fre Dried ink or d In this example the selected area is not a pure White RGB 254 254 254 meaning that the imag
84. keeping a back up head in stock If you need further assistance contact Technical Support Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 88 Chapter 6 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Your T Jet3 PLUS should work trouble free if you take the time to understand and perform the necessary machine maintenance 95 of our technical support calls come from people who have not maintained their machines properly While your T Jet3 PLUS may appear to be just an inkjet printer it is a VERY SPECIAL inkjet printer When printing on garments the printer must print A LOT more ink than when printing on paper This can and will cause excess ink to coat internal parts if the machine is not maintained on a regular basis When printing dark shirts with white ink the use of a pretreatment is necessary This pretreatment is sticky and if it s sorayed near a machine it can get on the internal working parts of the printer Also inkjet printers in general do not like hot dry room conditions or a dusty dirty shop Be aware of the climate and conditions in which you use and store your machine You have made a substantial investment in your business when you purchased your T Jet3 PLUS In order to get the most out of it please take the time to learn the simple steps that will keep your T Jet3 PLUS happy and making you money Keep Your Encoder Strip Clean A main concern of many who call our support department is when the printer gets conf
85. l for further detalls Shipping must be done by Freight Line with the printer strapped onto a palette A T Jet WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED when shipped via FedEx or UPS We can contact a freight company and schedule a pickup for your printer Round trip shipping costs are approximately 500 1000 dependant upon product If scheduling shipping through us shipping fees must be paid prior to pickup Your T Jet must be shipped to usin the original T Jet boxes AND with the proper box inserts Other Warranty and Packing Issues Should you have any questions or concerns please contact our Technical Support Department for assistance Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 122 Anpendix4 Requirements and Notices Windows OS System Requirements for T Jet3 PLUS Operation Minimum System Requirements PC with a Pentium 4 1 8 GHz and Windows XP 2000 or Vista Operating System Windows ME Is not supported A minimum of 512MB of RAM If using Windows Vista OS 2GB is recommended A minimum of 10 GB of free disk space on your hard disk You will also need at least an additional 50 GB for saved files A display monitor with high resolution 1280 x 1024 CD ROM or DVD drives for installing the software One of the following printer fo computer connections A USB port that complies with Windows An IEEE 1284 parallel port connection with D SUB 21 pins computer end and a 36 pin Printer connection OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 Firewire
86. le contains the printer driver Ext ra ctor for the Stylus Pro 4880 This file self extracts to your hard drive on Clepsonlepson12398 pro4880 printer driver 652 Window 4 Another Self Extractor Window opens Where a Win ip Self Extractor epson12398B exe field named Unzip to Folder should detault To unzip all files in epson 2398 exe to the specified to your C drive or Local disk and unzip in a folder press the Unzip button a folder named Epson Do not change omer fe anything here unless it defaults to a different OM a e location If it reads a different location press F When Dons Uraising fur SETUP Help browse and make a folder named Epson on your local disk Click Unzip Licensed to Epson Ametica WinZip Self Extractor epson12398 exe 5 This window confirms that the AEA OO files were unzipped Unzip To Folder successfully Click OK E EPSON Printer Utility Setup Printer Model EPSON Stylus Pro 6 When the Epson Printer Utility Setup 4880 window opens click OK Version 6 15E Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 36 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual EPSON Printer Utility Setup License Agreement Please read the following License Agreement ou must accept the terns and conditions of this Agreement to continue Setup 7 Click Accept to accept the arv unit or agency of the United States Government other than DoD E the Government s rights in the Software and
87. m the Capping Station and move slightly to the left Pressing the button again will cause the Print Carriage to move back onto the Capping Station and lock in place DO NOT hold down the Ink button to perform this function The second function of the Ink button is to initiate Head Cleanings If you depress the Ink button for more than 3 seconds the T Jet3 PLUS will initiate a Head Cleaning cycle Load Button Load Light i he Load button moves the Print Bed to the ready position in preparation for printing hat Button mee The Eject button moves the Print Bed into two different positions Eject and Eject 2 e Eject 1 Press the Eject button once Is the first step in Unloading a garment that has been printed Warning DO NOT load or unload garments from the Eject 1 position This could damage the printer and void the manufacture s warranty e Eject 2 Press the Eject button a second time while in the Eject 1 position Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 4 0 Chapter 4 Printing Basics This completes the process of clearing the Print Bed from the printer Only in this position is it sate to Load or Unload a garment from the Shirtboard Error Button This button is for Technical Support use only Low Ink Indicator lights The Low Ink Indicator lights identify the status of corresponding ink cartridges The three Status modes are Off Cartridge is operating normally Flashing Cartridge needs to be res
88. n the Print Head causing a clog We have found the best solution to this issue is to turn your printer ON 115 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual everyday even if you don t intend to print anything When the printer is turned on if primes the Print Head during startup This process Is sufficient to prevent head clogs if done regularly You DO NOT have to do a Head Cleaning unless you want to After your printer has gone through its startup procedures turn it OFF to ensure the Print Head seats within the Capping Station NOTE Always make sure you observe the proper procedures for powering ON and OFF your printer to avoid damaging the Print Head FOR EXTENDED DOWN TIME Flush out the ink system Refer to Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Problem When printing vector graphics the printed colors do not match the previews in my graphics application Causes and Solutions e FastRIP is a bitmap based image processor When rasterizing a vector image FastRIP must convert a vector graphic into a bitmapped graphic Sometimes the translation of color profiles is not exact resulting in a difference in output For consistent color reproduction save your image as a high quality JPEG and send this image to the RIP for printing Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 116 Chapter 10 Transporting the Printer If your T Jet3 PLUS will be experiencing an extended period of downtime 2 or more days or if you will be
89. n use or processing an image for print o Solid Printer is ready and awaiting a print task Note The Load Light will remain on except when processing an image or printing All Ink Lights Flashing as well as Ink Button and Error Light A fatal printer error has occurred The printer must be completely shutoff including the main power switch Manually move the print bed inward centering it under the printer then power back on the printer Ink Light and Error Light alternating Flashing Fast The printer thinks the waste tank is full This will only happen after the printer reaches approximately 15 000 prints Open FastRIP and go to Printers gt Printer Properties or click on the last icon in the toolbar that says Print status and settings Click on the Reset Ink Pad Counter button and the error should clear in about 10 seconds Problem The image is printing outside of the Shirtboard or in the wrong location Causes and Problems You have a mismatch in the software settings Make sure your working Page Size matches the final print Page Size A common error is working on one Page Size in a graphics program but printing to a different Page Size in FastRIP Problem only use my printer on weekends and many times when go to use it the Print Head is clogged Causes and Solutions e Ink is drying within the Print Head due to lack of use If you are NOT using your printer on a regular basis the ink may partially dry withi
90. nd Error Light alternating Flashing Fast Basic Steps for Printing a Shirt Loading a Garment onto the Shirtboard Check Garment Height Clearance Key Points for Printing Prepare Your Artwork for Printing A Word about Resolutions Speed and Quality Print Modes and FasiRIP CMYK Cartoon and Photo Print Modes 8 Color Print Modes Underbase Print Modes Windows Underbase When a Print Job is Finished Curing Your Garments How to Use the Print Pass Counter Printing From Various Graphic Programs Printing from Adobe Photoshop Printing trom CorelDRAW Printing from Illustrator Quick Printing Tips Production Rates and Ink Cost Chart White Ink Warnings and Care Pretreatment Basics Applying Pretreatment Printing White Ink Washing Directions White Ink Troubleshooting Xi Table of Contents T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Chapter 6 Printing on Other items 69 Printing on General Items 65 Location and Placement 65 Adjusting the Bed Height 67 Printing Baseball Caps 67 Non Textile Printing 69 Required Items and Overview 69 Getting Started 69 Fast T Jet Non Textile Primer 70 Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment 71 Setting up an Image for Print 72 Printing to FastRIP Using Adobe Photoshop 73 Printing to FastRIP CorelDRAW 73 Printing Multiple Items on the Print Bed 73 Setting up FastRIP 75 Printing Golf Balls 76 Golf Ball Holder Placement 76 Additional Instructions for Printing Non Textiles using a T Jet3 PLUS Loading Golf Ball Template
91. necessary to use the Non Textile Primer If this is your first time using a Non Textile Pretreatment it is recommended you pretreat small quantities at first to familiarize yourself with the process 69 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Fast T Jet Non Textile Primer n Fast T Jet Non Textile Primer is designed to be used on high gloss non porous surfaces as a primer coat prior to the application of our standard Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment DO NOT print directly onto this product Protect your work surfaces with newspaper DIRECTIONS e Dip a fine bristle brush into the Primer wiping off any excess on the side of the bottle Gently brush Primer over the surface of the non textile item making sure there are no uneven areas e The Primer must be applied in a thin even layer to ensure optimal print quality e After the application is complete clean the brush thoroughly with hot water to remove all Primer residue This product can be sprayed on but the application may not be as smooth as necessary for good print reproduction If applying with an airbrush spray bottle or paint sprayer you may need to dilute the solution with water If you dilute the Primer two coats may be necessary e Clean up spills and brushes with soap and water immediately after use e Allow the Primer to dry thoroughly before applying the Non Textile Pretreatment Dry time will vary but can take up to one hour or more To soeed
92. ng 101 Chapter 10 Transporting the Printer 117 Flush the System 117 Secure the Print Bed and Ink System 119 Pack the Printer in its Original Box 120 Shipping Procedures 120 Shipment Checklist 121 Important Shipping Requirements 122 Other Warranty and Packing Issues 122 Request for Return Authorization 123 Chapter T1 Product Support 127 Support Policy 127 Support Information and Hours 127 Phone Support 127 24 Hour Emergency Support 128 Support on the Web 128 Create an Account 128 Appendix A Requirements and Notices 131 Windows OS System Requirements for T Jet3 PLUS Operation 131 FCC Compliance 132 Declaration of Conformity 132 European Union Declaration of Conformity CE 133 Limited Warranty 133 xili T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 X1V Chapter 1 Introduction The T Jet3 PLUS is an inkjet printer that has been modified to print on almost any type of fabric material as well as non textiles such as golf balls keyboards tennis balls etc The ink will not work on waterproof nylon and most synthetic materials In the past this type of printing was difficult if not impossible to do because there were no Inks available that would work on both 100 cotton and 50 50 cotton polyester blends AND withstand the rigors of washing That all changed with the introduction of FastINK Textile Ink Designed specifically for these materials FastINK requires only a post treatment of heat to cure when pri
93. ng a garment very easy and apply a perfect application every time Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 60 Chapter 5 Advanced Printing with White Ink Reminder If the printer has been unused for a few days perform two or three regular Head Cleaning cycles to get the White ink flowing properly l When printing with White ink it is very important you set up the file correctly in FastARTIST When Underbasing solid Soot Color images generally you ll print solid White ink and then follow that print with the colors Underbasing Spot Color vector images is as simple as one click of the mouse in FastARTIST If the image has White as part of the design a second pass of White is made at the same time as the other colors This second pass of White is called a Highlight and it boosts the brightness of the White 2 When printing photorealistic images you will need to run a special routine called the Underbase Wizard This feature of FastARTIST will create a separate piece of artwork that FastRIP will use to print an Underbase of White ink When printing a photorealistic image the Underbase is NOT solid White but instead it is Grayscale Grayscale consists of light and dark areas that give the image dimensionality This is the art to printing bright and soft prints on Dark garment 3 You must tell FastRIP what Print Modes to use for both the White ink and Top Colors Once you have made these selections they can be used again for other j
94. nk System Mounting the Adjustable Ink Shelf The Adjustable Ink Shelf hangs off the right side opposite the Control Panel of your T Jet3 PLUS The wing nut in the center of the shelf and two guides allow the shelf to be raised and lowered to compensate for the effects of gravity on the ink Turning the wing nut to the Left Counter Clockwise loosens the Adjustable Shelf Turning the wing nut to the Right Clockwise secures the Adjustable Shelf In place 13 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Important Note When first installing the Adjustable Shelf secure it at its lowest position Make sure you remove the White protective tape covering the shelf All T Jet s utilize the effects of gravity to pull ink through the Print Head The level at which the bulk system sits has a direct correlation to how well the ink flows In extreme cases ink can flow back into the bulk system if the shelf is not adjusted properly It is important to Understand that as you increase elevation there is a decrease in gravity That is why if you are living at a higher elevation beyond a couple thousand feet of Sea Level raising the Adjustable Shelf will be necessary to help gravity do its job During operation the following three conditions may occur requiring adjustment of the shelf e When the Print Head is not receiving enough ink Ink Starvation e When Ink migrates completely back into the bottles e When ink levels drop below 1 4 of th
95. nlight e FastBRIGHT Pretreatment works extremely well with light colored garments and images that have an Underbase Using FastBRIGHT creates vibrant images with rich deep Blacks and Reds that will not discolor when exposed to direct sunlight e FastCOLOR reduces cure times while GREATLY increasing the color brilliance and washability of your print This pretreatment is designed rest for use with images on light colored shirts and containing NO White MES ink WARNING DO NOT mix any of the Pretreatments together or the result will be ruined shirts Proper Pretreatment Application All of our Pretreatments are specially formulated liquids that prevent ink pigments from being absorbed by the fabric of a garment When applying a Pretreatment solution do not saturate the garment 59 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual You don t want the shirt to be soaking wet Move the spray gun from side fo side in even strokes Light shirts only require a misting back and forth but Black and other dark colors will need a slightly heavier application Don t worry the proper amount of Pretreatment needed Is something that you will get the hang of with repetition Please note if you miss a spot or apply the Pretreatment in an uneven spray it will be noticeable in the final print Dry the Pretreatment using a hair dryer Heat Press or conveyor dryer When using a Heat Press use a non silicone Pretreatment paper available
96. nly to ensure a great looking print free from light and dark spots on a Black garment You can use manual spray pumps weed sprayers or any other method you teel comfortable with to apply a uniform coating of FastINK Pretreatment However we strongly suggest the use of a Control Spray Gun commonly used to paint a porch deck or furniture et al Your Fast T Jet3 PLUS kit includes a Wagner Control Spray Gun If you purchased your printer outside of the USA your machine may NOT Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 58 Chapter 5 Advanced Printing with White Ink include the control sprayer These guns are fairly inexpensive 70 USD at home improvement stores However these are not designed for high volume work therefore you should keep an extra gun handy as backup Cleaning the gun Is simple and should be done ona regular basis to extend the life of your sprayer Just fill up the storage bottle with water and run it through the gun as you would normally dispense any other solution Types of Pretreatment Currently we offer three types of Pretreatment FastINK Textile Pretreatment FastBRIGHT Textile Pretreatment and FastCOLOR Textile Pretreatment e FastiNK Pretreatment 1 is soecifically designed for use on Dark colored garments allowing for extremely bright Whites and vibrant colors FastINK Pretreatment should only be used with medium to dark colored garments due to possible discoloration of light shirts when exposed to direct su
97. not complete print jobs kiili kaa check this gear and if necessary clean E it with a brush or computer vacuum Make sure To avoid any contact with the Encoder Strip It is fragile and could be damaged Shake Shirts or Preheat to Minimize Lint T Shirts generate a lot of lint and it is important to minimize the amount of lint inside your machine Get in the habit of shaking a shirt before loading it If you feel the shirts you are using generate excess lint use a Pet Hair Pickup Roller on the shirt after if is on the shirfboard You may also preheat them in a heat transfer press for just a few seconds to flatten down the fibers Keep Excess Ink from the Ribbon Cable If excess Ink leaks or spills onto the ribbon cable it may short out the motherboard When changing cartridges you should ALWAYS wipe excess ink from the bottom of the Carriage and around the l Print Head with the foam tipped swab You must never touch or push in the ribbon cable Clip as this will cause the ribbon cable and the Encoder Strip to rub together Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 96 Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Five Minute Daily Maintenance Since the introduction of white ink for dark shirts and the spraying of pretreatment around the shop daily maintenance has become a very critical part of your printer s performance By not following the required daily maintenance described below you will void your T Jet3 PLUS
98. nt check pattern Read EEPROM data 3 Scroll down and select Waste Ink Pad Counter from the Maintenance section and click on OK 1 Click the Read button to 2 Click the e ni nitializatio on bu When you initialize plea 4 Within the Waste Ink Pad Counter window click ON the Read button aximun value is 17772 points Initialization 5 When the Information POP UP appears click Initial value is 1777 points Initialization on OK Get Status Cleaning lt Back Cancel Help Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 86 Chapter 7 Utilities to Improve Print Quality 1 Click the Read button to pa e present dat Si ck the ia niti alization bu ia sa niti aliz ethe waste rd ad counter value n you initialize please be i replace the waste ink pad 6 The Waste Ink Pad Counter window will still sin al 172 pin be present Click on the Initialization button as shown on the right Initialization Initial value is 1777 points Get Status Cleaning lt Back Finish Cancel Help 7 Another Information pop up will appear indicating that the Waste Ink Counter has initialized properly Click on OK 8 Click on the Read button once more to record the initial value of 1777 9 When the Information pop up appears click on OK 10 Select Finish from the bottom of the Waste Ink Pad Counter window and exit the Adjustment program Get Status Cleaning Enin
99. nted on lighter shirts It s even possible to print with White ink on dark shirts with the application of a Pretreatment This ink is so versatile it can even be used for printing on non textiles by applying Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment to the item before printing and Fast T Jet Non Textile Series Post Treatment to the item after printing Since the T Jet3 PLUS is based on standard inkjet technology with the Epson 1800 being the heart of the system you can print from any graphics application like Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign CorelDRAW Macromedia Freehand or QuarkXPress Another very good graphics application you can use Is FastARTIST which is included as part of your kit Besides being reliable and versatile the T Jet3 PLUS is fast printing a standard T Shirt sized image in under two minutes Whether It s a shirt a towel mouse pads tote bags bibs or baseball caps the possibilities are endless T let PLUS Important Points The Basics You probably can t wait to get started and we share your enthusiasm for the garment decoration process However before you print that first shirt there are a few basics that need to be covered WARNING Please read this entire manual first before attempting to Print on any garment T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual The T Jet3 PLUS prints best on 100 cotton Printing on dark colored 50 cotton 50 polyester blends with White ink is NOT recommended You will notice a
100. nvironmental Controls and Humidity aah KR KR KR WWWWNHN mi 0 0 0 0 00 COON el T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Plug Unit into AC Power Connecting Your T Jet3 PLUS to a Computer Installing the Bulk Ink System Mounting the Adjustable Ink Shelf Waste Bottle Installation with Shelf Bracket Filling the Ink Bottles Changing Ink Brands Installing the Bulk Ink Cartridges Connecting Ink Lines to the Ink Bottles Resetting the Bulk Ink Cartridges Load and Eject Positions Graphics and RIP Software FastARTIST and FastRIP FastRIP Using Computer Graphics Software Image Types Vector Pixel Based Bitmap Summary Editing Bitmap Artwork in FastARTIST Photoshop File Tyoes and Resolutions Check File Mode Check File Size and Resolution Check File Saturation Sharpening Images Using the Tone Curve Bitmap Editing in FastARTIST Selecting Areas Channels and Layers Setting Transparent Images in FastARTIST Removing Backgrounds with Photoshop Making Your Selection a New Layer Fixing Bad Line Art in Photoshop and FastARTIST Artwork for Light and Dark Garments Epson Driver Installation Disabling the Status Monitor Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Control Panel Overview Power Button Passes Ink Button Load Button Load Light Eject Button Error Button Low Ink Indicator lights Power Light Load Light All Ink Lights Flashing Ink Button and Error Light Ink Light and Error Light synchronous Flashing Ink Light a
101. o clean the areas noted below Perform DAILY cleaning of these items For a complete description on cleaning these parts refer to Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Clean Spit Tray Flushing Box Clean Wiper Blade t ID mA lean Capping Station p A er er z J 4 M t 2 A t i a yiz F n S tt ER p Do NOT touch the middle part of the print head where the nozzles are This could damage your print head Solution 5 The Print Head is permanently clogged or damaged from lack of maintenance Before contacting us for a replacement or for other instructions check the print head to see if there is any visible ink or lint stuck to it If so use an alcohol wipe isopropyl only and CAREFULLY wipe the bottom of the Print Head in one direction with VERY LITTLE PRESSURE The print nozzles are very sensitive and can be damaged very easily This procedure should only be completed as a last resort to replacement Flip the alcohol pad and repeat the process NOTE You will need to release the Print Carriage and move the print head to the middle of the machine to gain access to it Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 6 4 Chapter 6 Printing on Other items Printing on General Items The T Jet3 PLUS can print on almost any fabric or material and usually you don t even need a clamping device FastINk for your T Jet3 PLUS is a water based textile ink i designed to work not only K
102. o placing coated articles into service Clean the valve after use by turning the can upside down and spraying a short burst until cleared If the nozzle is clogged or sprays irregularly check for clogging within the opening Scrape off excess coating with a soft object and twist the valve one half turn to close Non Textile Printing Tips o When brushing on any of the treatments make sure they are applied in smooth even and thin layers o Having two brushes can make the pretreatment and priming processes easier Use one for Non Textile Primer and one for Non Textile Pretreatment o Cleaning the brushes when done with hot water and letting dry will prevent them from drying out and ruining the brushes o When printing on Non Textile items use a piece of film that covers the whole item and print a test print to see if it is aligned with the desired printing area o The maximum printable area of a T Jet3 PLUS is 13 x 22 To maximize production you can position multiple items next to each other to print more then one item ata time o If you have a Heat Press you may dry items faster by placing them under the element but you MUST avoid contact between the item and the heated surface Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 78 Chapter 6 Printing on Other tems Post Treatment Warnings and Safety Information Use Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment only in a well ventilated area Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment VAPOR
103. obs For Dark shirts you can get very good Screen Print quality White if you select a 1440 DPI Print Mode for the Underbase For the top colors of Cyan Magenta Yellow Black and the Highlight White choose a 720 DPI Print Mode 4 For medium colored shirts use a 720 DPI Print Mode faster than 1440 DPI for the White ink Underbase In some cases very light colored shirts may not even need a White Underbase These images can be printed using just CMYK and Highlight White to save time We recommend you DO NOT mix Print Modes You will notice that certain Print Modes contain a HS or HS Bi Directional while the standard Print Modes contain neither DO NOT use standard Print Modes in conjunction with HS Print Modes The result may lead to registration issues and ruined prints Please note that this warning is not referring to print resolution i e 720 or 1440 DPI Print resolutions can be mixed and matched as needed If you are not sure how different Print Modes work together do a test print before doing a production run For more information on Print Modes refer to Chapter 4 of this Manual 5 Cure the print Carefully remove the shirt from the Shirtboard and cure the print Keep in mind White ink will need to be cured longer than standard colors Cure in a conveyor dryer or Heat Press See page 59 Curing Your 61 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Garments for specific details If using a Heat Press place a sili
104. oes not touch a pretreated garment even one that has been dried You should also have good ventilation in the area where you are applying the Pretreatment If possible pretreat garments in another room entirely You MUST NOT spray Pretreatment near the printer In fact you should pretreat shirts in a separate room entirely to prevent any overspray from getting inside the Fast T Jet3 PLUS If using another room is not possible a large cardboard box enclosure is a good substitute for applying Pretreatment Your printer has a smart chip for each ink cartridge These chips count the number of drops of ink dispensed in order to warn you when the cartridge is empty Normally you should never run out of ink before the chip thinks you are out since turning the printer ON or OFF resets the chip to read Full However when printing with White ink it does not take much ink usage before the chip tells the printer it is Out If this happens DURING a printing pass the printer may stop printing and the red lights on one or all three of the white colors will be ON If you turn the printer off during this process you will lose the job and ruin a shirt Reset the chip s by using the process described in Chapter 2 pages 19 20 Another option is to turn the printer OFF and back ON again between jobs so that the chips will always read as Full Applying Pretreatment It is essential the Pretreatment solution be applied eve
105. on Adjustment Utilities Program Refer to Chapter 7 for more information e Spots or ink stains must be removed BEFORE the print is cured by using a standard Spot Removal gun Make sure to NOT spray the wet print Once the ink is Cured It is almost impossible to remove spots or smudges e Prints can be laundered as normal If possible give the Customer washing instructions of Turn print inside out before washing or drying Use Cold Water Only and a Medium Dryer Temperature e You can expect a little fading with the first washing This is normal and very similar to what you would get from a screen printed shirt If you experience alot of fading make sure to check your dryer temperature If the shirts are damp from excess humidity you should put them under the heat press for a few seconds to dry out before printing 53 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 54 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Production Rates and Ink Costs The chart on the following page shows the average production rates and ink costs you can expect when using your T Jet3 PLUS Each image is different and the Print Mode and resolution you choose will also have an effect on these figures Ink costs might vary from this chart The ink prices are based on the current prices the summer of 2006 and are in US Dollars The following chart is also available online at www screenprinters net gt Support gt T Jet3 gt Downloads 55 T Jet3 PLUS Use
106. oomed out but very soft m or jagged when you zoom in It will print the way you see it when zoomed in m Me wl Ed WEI lI all 5 k L F fhu an i LETTE TT tl Check File Saturation Quite offen customers images will be flat and in need of a color boost Always check the file to see if it needs a saturation boost by going to Bitmap gt CMYK Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 28 Chapter 3 Software Overview Color Adjustments gt Hue Saturation FastARTIST or Image gt Adjustments gt Hue Saturation Photoshop Sharpening Images Typically an image can be made sharper Even if the file came from an agency or large licensed job don t assume that their artist knew your needs Images that are printed not only get darker but also get softer You must make them as sharp as possible Go to Bitmap gt Filters gt Sharpen gt Unsharp Mask FastARTIST or Filter gt Sharpen gt Unsharp Masking Photoshop Don t let the term Unsharp fool you This term comes from the process camera days and means it only sharpens areas of high contrast The reality is it sharpens the image but keeps it less apparent that you have sharpened the image Move the Amount slider to 150 Set the Pixel Radius to 1 and the Threshold to 8 How does the image look To compare the original to the sharpened version uncheck the Preview check box Photoshop Click it on and off and compare the results If you can t see much d
107. or good print reproduction If applying with an airbrush spray bottle or paint sprayer you may need to dilute the solution with water If you dilute the Pretreatment two coats may be necessary Clean up spills and brushes with soap and water immediately after use e Allow the Pretreatment to dry thoroughly before applying the Non Textile Pretreatment Dry time will vary but can take up to one hour or more To soeed up the drying process you may use a hair dryer heat lamp or a heat gun set on a low temperature setting e A Heat Press may also be used by setting the non textile item under the heating element However DO NOT allow the heating element to touch the non textile item 71 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Since the pretreatment process can take some time to dry we recommend you pretreat as much of the production run as possible to avoid delays due to drying time Do this only after becoming proficient with the Non Textile Primer Pretreatment Setting up an Image for Print To setup an image for print you must use a graphic application such as FastARTIST Photoshop or CorelDRAW Any these applications are capable of printing to FastRIP but for this Reference Guide we will setup the image using FastARTIST The steps required for printing with other graphic applications will be very similar please consult your application s Owner s Manual if needed 1 Setup the printing area in which you will be printing on To do
108. orrect height It the Bulk Ink System sitting too high too much ink will be drawn through the Print Head If The Bulk Ink System is too low gravity will pull the ink back into the bottles starving the Print Head Too much ink Is coming through the Print Head If you filled the Bulk Ink Bottles past the Full Line there could be too much pressure in the Bulk System Ink Lines forcing ink out of the Print Head Altitude can have an effect The Bulk Ink System requires the proper vacuum pressure to siphon the ink into the Print Head If you are having an unusual amount of problems and are at a higher altitude don t fill the ink bottles as full and adjust the height of the shelf bracket Refer to Chapter 2 Faulty bulk system Call Technical Support Prevention Always check the Platen to Print Head Clearance prior to printing Clean the Capping Station on a regular basis Clean debris from the Print Head dally Do not overfill the Bulk Ink Cartridges Problem The printed image Is wiping off washing out fading badly or bleeding Causes The garment was improperly cured Garment ink requires a temperature of 330 degrees F to cure properly Apply this heat tor at least 60 90 seconds for Light garments and for at least 180 240 seconds for Dark garments Too much or foo little pressure was applied when Heat Pressing When pressing the garment the Heat Press should rest on the silicone or Teflon paper with medium to heavy p
109. p Select File gt Print with Preview and click on Page Setup Click on Printer In the Page Setup menu select your Fast T Jet printer Click Properties Click Advanced Set the Page Size Go to the Printer Features section and select the Print Mode menu Scroll down and select the Color Print Mode Drop down the Underbase Mode menu to select the Underbase Print Mode Set the number of ink passes for the Underbase and Top Colors and click OK In Document Properties set to Landscape or Portrait tor Orientation and click OK Click Print Printing to FastRIP CorelDRAW Go to File gt Print From the General tab select your Fast T Jet printer Click Properties Click Advanced and set the Page Size Go to Printer Features Drop down the Print Mode menu to select the Color Print Mode Drop down the Underbase Mode menu to select the Underbase Print Mode Set the number of ink passes for the Underbase and Top Colors and click OK In Document Properties set to Landscape or Portrait tor Orientation and click OK Click Print Printing Multiple Items on the Print Bed When printing multiple items simultaneously you must configure FastARTIST or another graphics application so that each individual image is applied in the proper location 1 The total print area of all items must be determined measuring the total length and height of all the items 73 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 2 Within FastARTIST select File gt FastRIP Setup
110. p edit state DAO D A g paste oH OI Aina Using the Eyedropper tool click on the Red background and then click on the Add Color button in the Color Selection dialog box This will make the selected Red the current color The background color can be any solid color not just red For example it can be White Black Yellow Green etc However it is important to note FastARTIST will only remove ONE color If your image has a multi color or gradient background it will be m necessary to use Photoshop to make the image print ready To make the Red transparent click on the like a toggle switch so selecting it again will deactive any transparent color Removing Backgrounds with Photoshop In order to make removing backgrounds as easy as possible try to maintain a consistent neutral background if possible For example if photographing the motorcycle shown below park in front of a wall or a background that contains a much lighter color than the bike This will helo Photoshop determine the difference between the selected background and the object such as the motorcycle you intend to keep Using the Magic Wand Click and Delete With the Magic Wand you click on the Unwanted areas around the image and then delete them It s a pretty simple process IF the background color is different contrasting from any of the edges of your image Click an area in the background and the Magic Wand will make a selection
111. pening a file as well as determining the file mode Note whether it is CMYK or RGB and make changes if necessary Files must be in RGB because the T Jet3 PLUS does not print spot color If the file is CMYK from another application FastARTIST will Open Import it as RGB However FastARTIST will open the file at a larger resolution than normal drastically increasing the file size For best results convert the file to RGB if you can before importing it into FastARTIST Yes Photoshop will do process color separations called CMYK but for file manipulation and adjustment you should work in RGB mode To check the Mode of the file in Photoshop go to Image gt Mode If CMYK is checked click on RGB Check File Size and Resolution You must know the actual resolution and size of the image Otherwise you could be working on a very small file and not know if In FastARTIST Import a photorealistic file and click on the Bitmap gt Image Size You will see the actual size of the image If the resolution is too small change the size and click Apply Remember that an appropriate image size should be 150 to 300 DPI If the images physical size is too small resize the image before changing the resolution After the image size is adjusted click on the Bitmap and then Image Size Change the resolution and select Bicubic Click Apply In Photoshop go to Image gt Image Size If it says pixels per CM change
112. pillage from any left over ink still in the ink lines Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 118 Chapter 10 Transporting the Printer 13 Repeat step 12 for all of the ink lines so that each line is connected to one of the cleaning solution bottles CMYK for one and white for the other NOTE Take care not to let the lines tangle Up It s important to make sure there are no kinks or creases in the ink lines 14 Remove one of the waste ink lines from the waste ink bottle Insert the tip of a plastic syringe included into the waste ink line and pull back on the plunger until the syringe is full of liquid Dump the excess ink from the syringe into the waste ink bottle or other container 15 Repeat step 14 for the remaining waste ink line 16 Go backto the adjustment program on your computer Run multiple power cleanings until the solution that comes from the waste ink bottle is clear Secure the Print Bed and Ink System 1 Move the Print Bed to the middle of its track Using a Phillips head screwdriver install the bed brackets Position a bracket so that its metal flange sits flush against the Print Bed and tighten the screw Do this for all four corners 2 Place the Waste Ink Bottle in an upright position within the Print Bed and secure it to the T Jet3 PLUS with a piece of adhesive packing tape 9 _JKa gt _e _ _ T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual 3 Place a piece of tape across the
113. pplication Follow respirator manufacturer s directions for respirator use Avoid contact with eyes skin and clothing Wash thoroughly after handling KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN First Aid in case of contact immediately flush eyes or skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes Remove contaminated clothing and shoes Get medical attention Wash clothing before reuse If swallowed get medical attention immediately If you experience difficulty in breathing leave the area to obtain fresh air If continued difficulty is experienced get medical assistance immediately If spilled contain spilled material and remove with inert absorbent Dispose of contaminated absorbent container and unused contents in accordance with local state and federal regulations The Manufacturer shall not be liable for loss or damages whether direct indirect incidental or consequential regardless of the legal theory asserted including negligence and strict liability Read Material Safety Data Sheet before use 79 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 80 Chapter 7 Utilities to Improve Print Quality Banding is a common issue that arises during printing and two of the most common causes of Banding are a dirty or clogged Print Head or one that Is misaligned If your prints are unexpectedly light or should one of the ink bottles in the Bulk Ink System run dry one or more Head Cleanings may be necessary In addition
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115. r Always check the Waste Ink Bottle prior to resetting the counter to determine if it requires emptying Refer to Chapter 7 for instructions on Resetting the Waste Ink Counter The Low Profile Plastic Cover of the T Jet3 PLUS should be cleaned with soap and water only The red Plexiglas that protects the metal T Jet exterior from rust and corrosion will crack severely if cleaned with Windex or Isopropyl Alcohol To prevent any damage use a mild detergent soap and water mix RS232 Cable There is a RS232 cable hidden inside the right metal printer housing for firmware updates only Do not try to connect this cable to your computer unless instructed by a support Technician Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 98 Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Auto Head Cleaning Optional from FastRIP A new feature of FastRIP 9 0 is the ability to schedule an Auto Head Cleaning session One of the most common problems with printing white ink is the ink s tendency to clog the Print Heads The ink must also be stirred on a regular basis to keep its pigments from settling within the bottle The Auto Head Cleaning function tells the printer to perform a Head Cleaning during the night helping to prevent ink settling and head clogging leaving your T Jet3 PLUS ready to print first Thing in the morning To utilize the Auto Head Cleaning function you must set it up within the FastRIP interface on your computer For the scheduled session
116. r resolution but the image still will be soft when printed Problem When sending a Print command to the T Jet3 PLUS printer the Print Head moves like it is printing but no ink is dispensed Causes Ink is not flowing from the Bulk System Unscrew the top of each bottle then reseal The Ribbon Cable to the Print Head is burnt or not connected If you accidentally splash drip ink or cleaning fluid on the gray Ribbon Cable that connects to the Print Head it can short out Check for burn marks on the Ribbon cable connectors Ensure that the cable is connected properly This is a common error that occurs after replacing a Print Head Motherboard is bad There is a chance the motherboard is bad The board could have a defect or some fluid may have been spilled on if If ink or cleaning fluid runs down the Ribbon Cable and drips into the bed it can short out the motherboard Capping Station Clogged The Capping Station may need cleaning If the Print Head did not seat properly ALL of the Print Heads could be clogged as well as the hose with the Green stripe that drains the excess ink into the Waste Bottle This would prevent the Capping Station from draining properly Problem Lights are flashing on the Control Panel Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 114 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Causes The Load Light indicates the status of the printer either by flashing of remaining solid o Flashing Printer is currently i
117. r irregular printing patterns Plug Unit into AC Power Plug the T Jet3 PLUS into its own power source DO NOT TURN THE PRINTER ON YET YOU MUST FIRST INSTALL THE BULK INK SYSTEM Insert the AC cord in unit and plug into a power strip with surge protection Avoid plugging multiple items into the power strip The T Jet3 PLUS has a dual voltage power converter and will work on 50 or 60 cycle current that ranges from 110 volts to 220 volt To prevent power surges from damaging your unit and or ruining shirts during a production run plug the unit into a UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply DO NOT plug other high power use items into the same circuit such as a Heat Press The Press will cycle on and off causing power fluctuations and potentially ruining shirts NEVER shut off your T Jet3 PLUS at the power strip use the Power button then Main Power Switch on the actual unit located by the AC cord During Power Off of any inkjet printer the printer goes through a shut down cycle that seats the head so you won t get head clogs If you shut the unit off at a power strip it does not go through a normal shut down Connecting Your T Jet3 PLUS to a Computer You can connect the T Jet3 PLUS to a computer with a normal parallel cable USB cable or an IEEE 1394 FireWire cable Use the included gold tip USB cable for best results In any situation take care not to use a cable that is excessively long and do not use a Version 1 1 Revise
118. re the image Is to be located X axis Fractions of an inch matter so be precise For reference 1 8 13 1 4 25 3 8 38 1 2 50 5 8 63 3 4 75 7 8 88 5 Using the same item measure from the top of the print bed down to the bottom point where the image should stop on the non textile item Y axis The red dotted line identifies the measurement taken for the bottom of the logo 6 Steps 4 and 5 will give you the location in which to position the first image Using the rulers framing the FastARTIST workspace place the image in the proper location You may also type in the desired location in the X Y boxes with the image selected a 10000 Ae A Fia 410000 As Repeat steps 4 5 and 6 for each of the remaining items We recommend measuring items starting in the upper left hand corner and moving left to right and from top to bottom Setting up FastRIP Once the Print command is given FastRIP will open and proceed to spool the print job 75 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual l Double click on the file in the Queue window 2 This will bring up the Job Ticket Properties window Within the General tab select Max Ink Check the Overwrite Print Mode Max Ink Data box and change the Max Ink Level from 400 to 300 Click OK Printing to Golf Balls For printing golf balls you will need to use the optional Golf Ball Holder Fast T Jet Non Textile Pretreatment and Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment Fast
119. reen Follow the on screen prompts After the Nozzle Check Pattern has printed check to see if the lines have any gaps or bands in them If the Nozzle Check Pattern has no gaps or bands click on Finish If the Nozzle Check Pattern has gaps or bands click on the Cleaning button to clean the Print Head again For serious clogs you may have fo run this routine several times Doing this will use a lot of ink but will generally clear even badly clogged heads We recommend you schedule Automatic Head Cleanings every 12 hours using FasiRIP This will help prevent Print Head and Capping Station issues caused by dried ink This is especially important if the printer will be idle longer than ONE day 24 hrs Refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User s Manual for further details Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis The spit tray shown to the right may become very full depending on the amount of Head Cleanings that are performed For replacement pads contact Technical Support Emptying the External Waste Bottle As your T Jet3 PLUS goes through head cleaning cycles it forces ink through the Print Head This excess ink goes into the External Waste Bottle located at the back of the T Jet3 PLUS on the control panel side To empty the waste bottle simply unscrew the top of the bottle and remove carefully placing the waste bottle top with waste ink line attached on a rag or old t shirt Empty waste bottle and replace waste bottle
120. ressure This allows the moisture within the inks to escape and properly cure without scorching the shirt The temperature of Heat Press was not correct Make sure the Heat Press is heating up evenly and reaching the correct temperature of 330 degrees F You can test this with a touch less infrared thermometer or heat testing strips Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 102 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Too much Pretreatment was applied Avoid soaking the garment with Pretreatment Do not print on shirts where the Pretreatment may still be wet You can use a Heat Press to dry the Pretreatment prior to printing An insufficient amount of Pretreatment may have been applied Apply more Pretreatment on successive shirts and cure again An incorrect type of fabric was used for printing For best results print onto 100 cotton On 100 cotton colors will look their best For 50 50 blends of cotton and polyester the ink needs to be cured quickly to reduce possible bleeding FastINK will NOT work on most synthetic materials such as waterproof Nylon The garment was washed improperly Wash in cold water and dry on a delicate dryer setting Prevention Make sure your Heat Press is heating up evenly and reaching the correct temperature Pretreat evenly and away from printer Cure Pretreat properly NOTE Cure times WILL vary based on the amount of ink used humidity etc These recommendations are general guides You may have to extend
121. rrectly and choose the proper Print Modes you will get very detailed bright prints like these oan cry a gt fas m ng WITH THE E ir White Ink Troubleshooting amp Maintenance Concern White prints seem dull Solution 1 You may not be applying enough Pretreatment or not using a 1440 DPI print mode Solution 2 The Print Head may be clogged If you had bright White prints before and they now seem dull you probably have clogged nozzles Due to the nature of the White pigment you may experience more head clogs than normal These can easily be cleared by doing two or three Head Cleaning Cycles Perform a Nozzle Check to be certain nozzles are firing properly Always follow Chapter 12 Daily Weekly and Montly Maintenance Do not skip a day Solution 3 The Highlight White settings in FastARTIST are wrong You may actually be printing White ink ON TOP of the CMYK colors Reload the image into FastARTIST and run the Underbase Highlight Wizard again Try not applying a Highlight or toning down the Highlight 63 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Solution 4 Dry ink may be causing the Print Head to not seal properly Due to the nature of the White ink pigment it will build Up faster on the capping station and on the wiper blade Dry White ink around the rim of the Capping Station will interfere with the printer pulling ink out of the cartridge during a Head Cleaning cycle Use a sponge foam tipped swab and cleaning fluid or water t
122. rs from around the sides and on the bottom of the Print Head with a foam tip swab water glass cleaner or cleaning fluid Clean the Encoder Strip During printing and Head Cleanings the clear plastic Encoder Strip through which the head receives printing data can get dirty The Encoder Strip is essentially the brains of the printer and if the Print Head can t properly 97 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual receive the data through the strip it will get confused and print in the wrong location dumping ink where it should not be Clean the Encoder Strip with a swab and glass cleaner or Isopropyl Alcohol pad gt Check ink levels Visually check the ink levels of the bulk ink bottles for the following conditions e Ink levels that are past the full line ink might start to drip from the Print Head e Ink levels are too low the ink tubes will run dry MOCHIN or Monthly Maintenance depending on amount of production Clean Print Head guide rails The long round guide rails on which the printing carriage moves can get dirty and dry Wipe this weekly and use the machine oil supplied with your printer sewing machine oil Give it a few drops every other week gt Clean Belt and Drive Gear Remove drive belt and clean with clean cloth and glass cleaner or Isopropyl Alcohol You may have to use a sharp object such as a needle or small wire brush to Pick the garment fibers from the drive gear gt Reset the Waste Ink Counte
123. s will be numbered from 3 to 13 and these are what is used to calibrate the PF Roller input A Read Got Status Cleaning ots Finn _cancot teip Carefully examine the offset boxes and note the group with NO GAP between the upper and lower one Place a checkmark next to PF in the Input amp Read section and enter the number that corresponds with the two boxes you have selected To calibrate the Eject Roller you will need to place a clean sheet of standard 8 5 x 11 paper on the Shirfboard and select Eject Roller and Letter for paper size Press the Print button About halfway down the sheet of paper a thick line will print with a series of small blocks below it These blocks will be numbered 15 to 2 Carefully examine the blocks and select the one that TOUCHES the long bar above it with NO GAP or OVERLAP between them Place a check mark next to Eject in the Input amp 83 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Read section and input the box you just selected into the data field Click on Input and then click on Finish You have now completed the necessary initialization procedures for your Fast T Jet3 PLUS and you may close the Adjustment Program Close the main selection screen and select Quit from the program screen Head Cleaning Utilities If a Head Alignment Procedure does not fix your printin to initiate a Head Cleaning Additionally if your E printer has been idle for several days or you TS a NINA believe you
124. s from 6 to 6 The lines 7 a to either side of the numbered lines are marked on SE sod EE maa NG and these are not used for calibration A ial third printout labeled Head Incline will print at the bottom of the page and will consist of seven boxes broken into horizontal line segments The five boxes of concern will be numbered 70 to 70 Gat Status Cleaning Cancal Halp Examine the first group parallel lines labeled Band Pass Incline 0 gt gt 80 and note which set contains the straightest segment If you look closely you will see most of the lines are slightly offset in the middle Note the number of the one with NO offset and enter this in the applicable data field by placing a checkmark in the Band box and entering the line segment number in the box next to the correct group name Next examine the second group of lines and select the straightest segment from that group Enter that line s number in the next data field Place a check in the Raster Offset box and examine the set of boxes under the heading Head Incline Select the set of interlocking lines that interlock but that DO NOT overlap any line above or below it Enter this number into the applicable data field Click on Input and the application will do some calculations before placing its own data in the fields Once the calculations are complete click on Finish and you will be taken back to the main selection screen Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 82
125. s on it Be careful to NOT scratch it or the sensor will not read it correctly Only use FOAM TIP cleaning swabs or Isopropyl Alcohol Pads when doing any maintenance or cleaning inside your T Jet3 PLUS Clean Capping Station and Wiper Daily The Capping Station seals the Print Head when It is not in use Ink residue around the edge of the Capping Station may keep the head from seating and sealing properly This will cause Print Head clogs Be aware that white ink will build Up faster and thicker than regular colors The Capping Station is the rectangular piece onto which the Print Head seats Make sure that the outer rubber seal is free from dried ink and garment fibers as well as the outer edge of the Print Head Use a foam swab water glass cleaner cleaning fluid or Isopropyl Alcohol to keep this clean Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 90 Chapter amp Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving Note When cleaning the Capping Station be careful to NOT dislodge it out of position or the Print Head will not seat properly If you push down on it too hard it will move off of the mount Cleaning the Wiper The Wiper is concealed within the Capping Station and is designed to clean the bottom of the Print Head during a Head Cleaning It is very important that the wiper is cleaned daily along with the Capping Station In order access the Wiper Press and Hold down the Ink button for 3 seconds to initiate a Head Cleaning After you s
126. same size as the printing area You can simply spray glue this to your normal Garment Holder or use spreadable Table Tack available from us to hold the item in place Table Tack stays sticky for dozens and even hundreds of prints and it can be renewed by wiping it down with a wet rag special double sided tape is also available from us for this purpose It s easy to apply graphics to baseball caps both with and without seams When using the optional Baseball Cap Holder pull the sweatband out of the way push the cap against the spring guides and use your finger to press the point in the crown down around the point on the cap holder Stuff the excess cap under the holder lower the clamp and make a print It s worth noting some caps will require a little more practice to load than others In Addition always make sure to check and double check the Print Head clearance This will minimize Print Head replacement as well as ensure better images 67 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Since a cap may not fit in a Conveyor Dryer or Heat Press for curing a hair dryer or industrial heat gun will also work to cure the final print You may also remove the holder with the cap still in place and lay both under a standard Heat Press If you choose the latter method DO NOT clamp down on the cap and be extremely cautious when removing the METAL holder it could be very HOT Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 68 Chapter 6 Print
127. se retain all shipping materials bags boxes and directions You will need these items should you ever have fo return the unit for repair or for transportation DO NOT return or ship a T Jet3 PLUS without using the original shipping carton or you may void your warranty Main Box Contents e Software Training e Manual e Waste Ink Pads e Power Cable e USB Cable e Maintenance Kit e Adjustable Shelf Bracket e Low Profile Access Lid e Height Adjustment Bar FastARTIST Package e Adjustable Shirtboards e Industrial Bulk Ink System e Cleaning System e Inks e Pretreatment e Sprayer e Parchment Paper Industrial Bulk Ink System Parts e 5 Easy fill bottles Four 80z bottles for CMYK and one large bottle for White ink e 8 Ink Cartridges Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup e 2 Chip Blocks 2 Chip Block Supports e Cartridge Removal Tool e 8 Ink Cartridge Caps for cartridge storage e 16 Ink Line Caps e Syringe e Latex gloves Waste Ink Bottle e Waste Ink Bottle e Secure Nut and Ink Line Fitting e Waste Bottle Shelf Bracket Exhaust Fan e Split power cord Lifting Your T Jet3 PLUS Unit From the Box WARNING DO NOT lift alone Lift with your legs not your back Lift from SIDES ONLY With an assistant lift your T Jet3 PLUS from the box and place it on a firm level surface that supports the entire printer base including the Print Bed If any part of
128. ssue is a lack of maintenance of the machine Printing on T shirts is not the same as printing on paper A shirt gives off much more lint and the amount of ink deposited on fabrics is far greater than on paper Additionally when printing on dark shirts you must apply a Pretreatment to the shirt This Pretreatment can get inside the printer and cause numerous problems so we recommend you pretreat shirts as far away as possible i e in another room If you adhere to the required maintenance schedule printing with the T Jet3 PLUS will be a joy Poor Artwork With so many graphics programs readily available everyone is an artist Poor quality artwork will be one of your biggest concerns because there is no magic to transform a low resolution low quality piece of artwork into a great looking print for a shirt Therefore it is important you spend some time learning as much as you can about graphic art programs and some of the simple methods that can be used to improve the quality of customer supplied artwork Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 1 Introduction Support Hours Technical Support 1 201 797 1504 To Place an Order 800 408 0040 Fax 201 797 1505 E mail support equipmentzone com Internet http support eguipmentzone com Extended Support hours 9 00am to 8 00pm EST Monday through Friday About the Garment Decorating Business and Where to Learn More You are entering a fantastic business one where you can make
129. st row of ee ee the Holder they will not receive an image The FastARTIST Golf Ball Template for the T Jet3 PLUS is 0 2054 Do not place golf balls in these rows Loading Golf Ball Template FastARTIST Only 1 Go to File gt Open and double click on the Golf Ball Holder Template to open 2 Import the images or text you wish to print and place them inside of the grid lines 3 Choose a Non Textile Print Mode For a list of available Non Textile Print Modes refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User s Manual 4 Print to FastRIP 71 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Finish with Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment is a protective coating used for prints on non textile surfaces This post treatment will prevent fading of ink colors extend the life of the image as well as waterproofing and acting as a UV protectant DIRECTIONS Shake the can before each use and apply to non textile printed surfaces only after all ink has dried thoroughly Apply a thin coat holding the can 4 to 8 inches from surface and using a swift motion to prevent overspray and unwanted build up If build up does occur use a lacquer thinner to remove A second coat may be applied after approximately two minutes of drying time Allow treated surfaces to dry for 30 minutes to one hour in a clean dust free area before handling Allow 24 hours cure time prior t
130. stallation lf this equioment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equioment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver e Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help WARNING The connection of a non shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device If this equipment has more than one interface connector do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the authority to operate the equipment For Canadian Users This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES 003 Declaration of Conformity According to 47CFR Part 15 for Class B Personal Computers and Peripherals and or CPU Boards and Power Supplies used with Class B Personal Computers We U S Screen Print amp Inkjet Technology a division of U S Graphic Arts Inc
131. stem Bottles you will probably need to add more ink after this process is complete Don t be alarmed normal printing does not use as much Resetting the Bulk Ink Cartridges Each Chip Block contains smart chips that are designed to count the number of ink drops dispensed After a certain amount of ink has been used a typical inkjet cartridge chip tells the printer it is out of ink However this system is impractical for a continuous flow Bulk Ink System We have equipped each chip block with a new set of smart chips that are designed to always read Full but if you print all day long the chip may still believe the cartridge is low on ink when in reality it is not Should this occur the T Jet3 PLUS Low Ink Indicator lights will warn you that you are low on ink by either flashing or remaining solid Wala al allel waa K Y WW Wi Wa a a a 1 E LOAD JE 1 1 ERROR U S Screen Print amp inkjet TECHNOLOGY 19 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual When an Ink light or multiple lights start flashing press the Ink button once to raise the Print Head from the Capping Station Then press the Ink button again to lower the Print Head The flashing Ink light s should stop If the Ink lights still indicate an error condition 1 Press the Ink button once do not hold in The print carriage will move a few inches to the left 2 When the print carriage stops press the ink button once more The print c
132. t create such large spool files e File resolution is too high A resolution of 150 to 300 DPI at the final print size is all that is necessary for direct printing to garments If you receive larger file resolutions resample them to a lower resolution to speed up ripping and printing times Prevention Keep file sizes small if possible and don t send a lot of print commands at the same time Problem The printer is printing large bands of color vertical colored lines or printing partial images Causes You have a dirty Encoder Strip or Encoder Sensor The Encoder Strip is the heart of the machine and behind the Print Head lies an Encoder Strip Sensor The Encoder Strip has information on it that the Encoder Strip Sensor reads as the Print Head moves back and forth If there is ANY contamination Pretreatment dirt ink or debris on the Encoder Strip or on the Encoder Strip Sensor the printer will be VERY CONFUSED This is the 1 cause of abnormal printing problems Clean the Encoder Strip with Glass Cleaner The Gear for the Print Carriage Drive Belt may be filled with lint and slipping Clean the Gear and Roller Prevention Keep the printing area clean the machine lid closed and pretreat shirts away from the printer Shake shirts before you print onto them to remove excess lint that may get on the Encoder Strip When printing a large volume run clean the Encoder Strip often to prevent Communication errors from ruining
133. t erratic red lights on certain colors clean the chips with a ftoam tipped swab and Isopropyl Alcohol A pencil eraser also works well for this task Have A Lot of RAM for Your Computer RAM is the temporary memory that your computer uses when processing complex data RAM is NOT expensive Most computers ship with 512mb of RAM This is not enough especially when using FastARTIST and FastRIP Your computer should have 1 to 2 GB of RAM If Using or Upgrading to Windows Vista you will need 2GB of RAM for proper operation of your printer and software When in Doubt Unplug Everything Sometimes inkjet printers just get confused especially if you stop them in the middle of a run If the T Jet3 PLUS is suddenly acting abnormally turn everything off AND unplug the power Make sure to unplug the USB cable between your T Jet3 PLUS and the computer to end data transmission that still may be occurring Leave everything unplugged for a few minutes and then plug it all back in and start over You MUST cancel all print jobs for this to be effective or they may start back up when you turn the computer and T Jet back on 95 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Clean Drive Roller and Belt During normal operating conditions lint that is coated with pretreatment can get caught in the Print Head Belt Gear located in the right rear inside of the machine This lint will start to clog the belt gears and the belt will slip causing the bed to jerk and
134. the T Jet3 PLUS base is hanging over the edge or not supported in this manner stress will be placed on the Print Bed causing poor functionality For best results place the unit on a table with extra room for a computer replacement ink and a Workspace Preparations Remove Hold Down Clamps With a Phillips head screwdriver loosen the four Bed Holder Brackets located toward the bottom of each side of the Print Bed You must remove these but replace the screws to T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual maintain machine integrity Move the Print Bed back and forth to ensure smooth movement and then return the Print Bed to its Eject position The Maximum Height Bar You have received a metal bar with a magnetic strip attached to one side Place this bar under the chrome T Jet logo on the front of the printer This bar will act as a simple head strike warning device At NO time should a garment or other item to be imprinted sit high enough on the Shirtboard to make contact with this bar If a garment would brush against this bar there is an imminent danger of a collision with the Print Head A head strike could permanently damage the Print Head resulting in down time and costly repairs Use this Bar as a reference for loaded garments adjusting the Shirtboards etc but remove before printing Check the Adjustable Shirtboard Height Place an adjustable Shirtboard within the Print Bed and use the adjustment knob to raise or lower its surfac
135. this to inches and then enter the image s intended final print size Re adjust the resolution and make sure that Bicubic is selected The physical size should be the final print size Zi T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual If you have an image that is very low resolution change the image size and resolution This is EE often referred to as Upsampling Photoshop S upsamples the image but in doing so it poi ENE Ja must make calculations where to place the extra pixels and what color to make the es pixels Images may have softer edges when KE A Ja upsampled but they will also be less pixilated ceouton I 7 If you can get a higher resolution file from the 7 Document Size M Scale Styles client do SO M Constrain Proportigg emage Bicubic CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator have similar a Image Size functions If the original file is low resolution and not the final size you need to upsample the file to the final print size and 150 to Tuuma pin aas 300 DPI 150 is OK for photos and Images Ble Eat Image Laer oht Filer Yew Window Hop without hard edges 300 to 350 Is better where there is lettering or sharp edges Now you can work on the file and adq type or other elements It is important to upsample the image first so any additional elements you add will be at the higher resolution If you aren t sure if the image is sharp enough simply zoom in on the file It might look great z
136. tions will need to transfer their files onto the PC loaded with FastARTIST by Importing the image We often hear from first time users that they did not think they would need to know about graphics software However getting a great image on a garment is not the same as taking your digital camera s memory card to the drug store and getting pictures made Yes it would seem that simple and it CAN be but in the world of T Shirt printing there are many variables The first variable is that the customer will often bring you artwork that is substandard such as an image their web designer gave them Web graphics are commonly very low resolution not sharp and may need to be enlarged for a full size T Shirt image When you have an image that is of low resolution at a small size enlarging the image will only blur the image more To compensate for this you will need to learn how to make the file the correct size plus how to improve the quality of the file 23 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Image Types Vector Currently there are two types of graphics programs Vector and Bitmap FastARITIST CorelDRAW Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are called vector programs Vector programs create images based on shapes somewhat like a coloring book They typically have hundreds or even thousands of typefaces and many have extensive coloring book type stock clip art that you can use to create artwork Vector programs are generally use
137. to make There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone wearing one of your creations but nothing more disturbing than working all night to meet a deadline Anyone who has been in this industry has experienced the joy and sorrow of both Plan ahead and always have a cushion to make sure you meet deadlines T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 Chapter 2 Identification Chart lt E JECT END Exhaust Fans Access Lid ta Ink Tank an 4 Bulk Ink i A a System Control Strip E lt viia A Ink Lines see diagram N Capping and N i g Wiper Stations Encoder Strip SEEE Drive Belt Quick Reference A 4 P Bed Movement K 4 During Printing Print Head Carriage Ink Cartridges Ink Line Chain Shirt Board lt Print Bed Height Adjust Knob Super Drive ae OO T lt LOAD END gt Please read all of the unpacking and setup instructions FIRST before attempting to setup or use your printer DO NOT plug your T Jet3 PLUS into AC Power until you are told to do so in this Manual Unpacking Your Fast T Jet3 PLUS If the instructions on the outside of the box were followed you have already checked the outside of the box for any shipping damage If you see obvious damage please contact the freight carrier immediately so you can schedule a freight inspection T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Save the box and all of the packing material Plea
138. to take place DO NOT turn OFF your printer when you have completed your day DO NOT LUBRICATE DRIVE SCREW The T Jet3 PLUS Drive Screw MUST NEVER be lubricated or wiped off with a chemical solvent A special coating has already been placed on the Drive Screw to prevent dust buildup that could potentially hinder the movement of the Print Bed Treating the Drive Screw will result in dust buildup and contaminate the drive mechanism Drive Screw 99 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Daily and Weekly Maintenance Schedule Checklist The following checklist can be used as a guide to ensure critical maintenance is performed on a regular basis The check lists can be downloaded from www screenprinters net Click on Support gt T Jet3 PLUS gt Downloads Daily Tasks Performed OO Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Clean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Glean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Clean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Glean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Clean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Clean Print Head Daily Tasks Performed O Check Ink Levels O Clean Encoder Sirip O Clean Print Head Weekly Tasks Performed O Clean Drive Belt O Clean Print Head Guide Pail
139. to type images Print Modes and FastRIP Listed below are a list of print modes available with T Jet printers and FastRIP but with the T Jet3 PLUS all this is not necessary We have simplified using the T jet3 with the PLUS model to a simple 1440 print mode CMYK Cartoon and Photo Print Modes The T Jet3 PLUS has three basic modes for printing Cartoon Photo and Underbase The Cartoon and Photo Print Modes will print the image in color when printing from FastARTIST or any other graphics program These two modes were created to adjust print characteristics based on the image to be printed If you are printing vector graphics with spot color use the Cartoon Print Modes If you are printing photo type bitmap images use the Photo Print Modes Cartoon Print Modes are designed to e Lay down more ink with good color saturation e be used for non critical images e allow a lower DPI to be selected Photo Print Modes are designed to e Lay down less ink with highly accurate colors e reproduce an extremely detailed image e utilize a higher DPI to ensure good print quality Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 4 6 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Eight Color Print Modes The T Jet3 PLUS also supports Eight Color Print Modes that utilize the additional colors of Red Green Blue and Orange in place of the four White ink This configuration of inks cannot be used to print on dark garments however when printed on light garments the additional colors cre
140. top The ink is biodegradable and non toxic so if can be washed down a regular sink or basin drain 85 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual We are not liable for any damage caused by ink to property such as carpets flooring or furniture Please read and understand all operating and maintenance procedures before using your T Jet3 PLUS In the rare instance that your printer thinks you have used enough ink to fill the entire Waste Bottle all of the ink lights will blink and you will be unable to reset the regular counters This can happen once you have printed from 10 000 to 15 000 pages At this point you are not able to run the printer until you reset the Waste Ink Counter in the printer Resetting Waste Ink Counter You may reset the Waste Ink Counter through FasiRIP if you have downloaded Printer Package Update 4 5 for the Fast T Jet3 PLUS You may also reset the Waste Ink Counter using the Epson Adjustment program 1 Open the Epson Adjustment Program and select Sel FORTA pan lanl i ga hii click adjus Particular Adjustment Mode re OK or EAT T IN iji Head angular adjustment Ink Mark Sensor adjustment amp Check Auto Bi D adjustment Manual Bi D adjustment PW adjustment First dot position adjustment 2 The Setting window will appear Locate your Fast ONE ai T Jet3 PLUS Epson Stylus Photo 1800 and click on Maintenance OK arge Refurbishment for DOA Waste ink pad counter Check pattan Pri
141. used on how to print an image The way an inkjet printer tells the Print Head what and where fo print is a thin strio called the Encoder Strip A dirty Encoder Strip can cause everything trom images printing in the wrong location and large blocks of ink spraying on the shirt to double images dark bands across the print thin horizontal lines and much more The printer head continually receives data through this strip while in motion If the strip gets dirty with lint from shirts or ink from overspray it can confuse the printer To avoid this situation do daily and weekly maintenance on the unit as suggested in this section 89 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Clean the Encoder Strip DAILY Press the Ink button to move the Print Carriage off of the Capping Station Manually move the carriage to the center of the print bed This will allow you to clean the Capping Station side of the Encoder Strip You can use foam tipped swabs water glass cleaner or cleaning fluid but for best results use Isopropyl Alcohol Pads Do NOT use Rubbing Alcohol pads Wrap the Alcohol Pad around both sides of the Encoder strip and move the Pad in both directions lf the pad becomes black then use a new pad and clean the Encoder strip again Press the Ink button again to move the Print Carriage back to the Capping Station Clean the rest of the Encoder Strip Allow the Encoder strip to AIR DRY The Encoder Strip is actually CLEAR with small mark
142. void spilling any liquid on the printer Caution Do not unplug the printer to turn it OFF Use the power button instead Do not unplug the printer until the Main Power Switch has been turned OFF Do not block any of the printer s vents or insert foreign object into its slots Do not attempt to service the printer yourself beyond the troubleshooting techniques covered in this Manual Keep the machine on a level surface Vil T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Safety Instructions for Ink Cartridges e Always keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children e While handling ink be careful not to spill it on your skin If ink does get on your skin wash thoroughly with soap and water If ink gets in your eyes flush Them immediately with water e Do not put your hand in the printer or touch the cartridges while printer is IN operation e Do not move the Print Head by hand doing so may damage the orinter e Store ink cartridges in a cool dark place e Allow ink cartridges fo warm to room temperature before using them after storage e Do not dismantle the ink cartridge e Do not touch the IC chip on the ink cartridges This will adversely effect normal printing operations e If you remove the ink cartridges make sure to place them in individual bags and keep them away from dust dirt and debris Legend of Symbols Throughout this Manual you will see three symbols used to notify you of important facts or procedures This i
143. w down your computer 2 Carefully remove the shirt from the Shirtboard for curing 3 Finished prints must be heat cured to fully set the ink Use a Conveyor dryer or a Heat Press Curing Your Garments Finished prints must be heat cured to fully set the ink Use a conveyor dryer or A Heat Press with the following settings Light Garments With or without using FastBRIGHT Cure Time Approximately 60 90 seconds with medium to heavy pressure Cure Temp 330 F 166 C Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 48 Chapter 4 Printing Basics Dark Garments Using FastINK Pretreatment solution Cure Time Approximately 180 240 seconds with medium to heavy pressure Cure Temp 330 F 166 C For areas of greater humidity or where shirts are very damp after printing try increasing the curing temperature to 350 F and curing time to 120 seconds Important Point All curing times and temperatures ARE RECOMMENDED STARTING POINTS Shirts may scorch if cured too long A Heat Press will provide a more even cure and when printing with White ink you will see less shirt fibers through the ink Before doing your first production run it is important that you do a test washing for proper cure Variables such as climate humidity and the amount of ink used on a shirt can extend cure times Certain garment fabrics may also require more time You will have to find the cure time that works best for your location and Print Mode pref
144. warranty as well as damage the machine Many of these items have been covered earlier in this manual but the following list will help you prioritize what key maintenance items should be done on a regular basis gt Turn the machine off at night Turning OFF the machine at night makes sure the Print Head is capped properly on the Capping Station Perform Head Cleanings Every Morning and at the End of Shift After turning on the machine at the start of the day perform 3 to 4 Head Cleanings A shortcut is to press and hold the Ink button for three seconds to initiate this process The preferred method Is to use the Epson Cleaning Utility in the Epson driver Perform Head Cleanings at the end of a shirt run and definitely at the end of each day Clean Capping Station and Wiper The Capping Station is the rectangular piece into which the inkjet printer head seats Make sure that the outer rubber seal is free trom dried ink and garment fibers Use a foam swab and distilled water cleaning fluid or Isopropyl Alcohol to keep this clean Clean the Belt and Drive Gear Clean the carriage motor drive gear and belt with a small computer vacuum or small brush Shirt fibers can accumulate in the drive gear causing the belt to skip Make sure to avoid any contact with the Encoder Strip It is fragile and may get damaged Care also needs to be taken not to contaminate the Encoder Strip Clean the Print Head Clean any accumulated ink or garment fibe
145. which your T Jet3 PLUS lives is a must During the cold winter months dry heat is often pumped into a room This is not a good thing for inkjet printers They prefer humidity levels of 40 to 60 If your room Is dry place a humidifier in the room and buy an inexpensive hygrometer from Radio Shack Target Wal Mart etc to measure the humidity level In the summer months if the humidity is too high use a dehumidifier Try very hard NOT to place this machine in a dusty dirty or non climate controlled environment like a screen printing shop For best results place the T Jet3 PLUS in a dust free room with air conditioning Do not allow fans to blow air across the Print Heads This will dry up the ink and clog your Print Heads seriously effecting your printer s performance Print With the Lid Closed Due to the airborne nature of the white ink pretreatment you should try to pretreat shirts in a different room or far away from the machine If pretreating in a different room is not an option then make sure the lid on the T Jet is kept closed at all times and especially during the print process The pretreatment will immediately clog the Print Heads if comes in direct contact with any ink We strongly suggest creating a separate enclosed area to pretreat shirts in such as a large cardboard box This will keep overspray to a minimum This will not only protect the Print Heads but ensures that the Encoder Strip remains clean as well
146. your cure times depending upon your location and print mode preferences Refer to Chapter 4 for details Problem Printed colors appear different from what you see on the computer monitor prior to printing Causes Your nozzles could be clogged o Run a Nozzle Check on a piece of clear film Clean the Capping Station Run a Head Cleaning and a Nozzle Check in succession Flush out the ink system Refer to Chapter 8 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving with cleaning cartridges The image has an attached ICC Profile FastARITIST uses its own ICC Profile make sure you do not apply one from your preferred graphics program Refer to your graphics application s User s Manual on ICC profiles OOO 103 T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual You have an ICC profile checked in CorelDRAW Go to File gt Print and select the Misc Tab Uncheck Apply ICC Profile The Capping Station is not working properly Clean the Capping Station Prevention Usually when a color prints with an incorrect hue it is because a Nozzle is clogged If you are trying to print an Orange image but it appears more Yellow that means the Magenta is clogged and the pigments can t mix to produce Orange The most important part of your Fast T Jet3 PLUS is the Capping Station Make sure this ALWAYS stays clean The Print Head docks here when not in use to ensure it does not dry out The Capping Station is also used during Head Cleanings If the Cappin
147. ystem Ensure the breather hole in the cap of each ink cartridge has not Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 l l 0 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting become clogged or closed The cartridges need to breathe as ink flows through the lines e Ribbon cable to the Print Head is RastRIe Setup ICC Profle CMYK Color Adjustments Maximum Ink Level Adjustments damaged Pater Ome Paas Piano OO Uhtas Sep If you accidentally splash drip ink or E t cleaning fluid on the gray Ribbon T E cable that connects to the Print Akaa aa Head it can short out Check for pant burn marks on the Ribbon cable connectors Check to make sure it ER sd aja hasn t been crimped or pinched Underbase pint mode Undebase Caton 30 Motherboard is bad ah There is a chance the motherboard T Hh al objects wth this color is bad The board could have a defect or some fluid may have been spilled on it If ink or cleaning fluid runs down the Ribbon cable and drips into the bed it can short out the motherboard e Capping Station Clogged The Capping Station may need cleaning If the Print Head did not seat properly ALL of the nozzles could be clogged 2 Number of underbase coats Problem The image is printing outside of the shirtboard or in the wrong location Causes You have a mismatch in the software settings Make sure your working Page Size matches the final print page size A common error is work
148. ze Go to Layout gt Page Size e FastRIP Setup Go to File gt FastRIP Setup FastARTIST Untitled1 CDL File Edit Layout Arrange Transform Bitmap View Options Web Help ex 000 400 1000 ja Goo 4 Objects 0 a 8 289 0 216 EEE R ee yi oo 4F oo 10000 4 ITIITI ae BS Pa es ee el E E Dy EI r Origin Selection r Orientation o S B Portrait Q Landscape W a ustom 4 Custom Y 13x18 13 00in x 18 00in i A 13x23 13 00in x 23 00in EO 10x12 10 00in x 12 00in Width 6x6 6 00in X 6 00in aa 1 faso 4 x fit00 H inch Resize objects proportionally Advanced Cancel oO Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 66 Chapter 6 Printing on Other tems Adjusting the Bed Height When printing on non textiles that require a special holder you may need to purchase the Non Textile Height Adjustment Board in order to raise the specialty holder closer to the Print Head For the best prints the printing surface should set to 1 Binch 8mm below the Print Head If the item has a seam or excess fabric these areas should be lower than the main printing surface Ensure the garment or non textile item does not sit closer to the Print Head than the preferred of 1 8 3mm Use Spray Glue Table Tack or Double Sided Tape to Hold Items in Place It may be necessary to design a special cutout from foam or other thin material that is the

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