You have a big order to finish, and the presses are running full speed until you spot it. Smudged ink. Faded colors. Streaks across the full-front design on not one but several t-shirts. Now, you’re stuck troubleshooting while the non-negotiable deadline for your band merch looms.
Print quality issues can turn a smooth operation into a stressful scramble, costing you time and materials. But don’t worry, our expert tips will help you keep your machines in tip-top shape and your prints crisp, vibrant, and professional every time.
Perfect Your Printer Settings and Calibration
To prevent those pesky (and costly) printing errors, regularly check your printer settings and make sure the machine is calibrated correctly. Calibrating your printer is a must, not a maybe, for achieving the best possible print quality, color accuracy, and durability with clean, sharp resolution.
Here are the best practices for calibration:
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Printhead Alignment
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Check that your printheads are correctly aligned to prevent color ghosting or banding.
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Use your printer’s built-in alignment tool to fine-tune any adjustments.
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ICC Color Profile Setup
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Use a calibrated ICC profile for your specific film, ink, and powder combination.
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Regularly re-profile using a spectrophotometer for accurate color reproduction.
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Ink Flow and Density Adjustment
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Adjust your ink levels to prevent over-saturation or under-coverage.
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Perform nozzle checks to ensure you don’t have any clogs or inconsistent ink flow.
How to Avoid Common Print Defects
Two of the most common issues for printers are ink smudging and streaking. Smudges or streaks typically occur when there’s too much ink on the print or the ink hasn’t dried enough. These issues can also occur from clogged or dirty print heads.
Take these steps to correct these problems:
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Perform a maintenance check and clean your printer nozzles. Most machines have an automatic cleaning feature and you can run a variety of cleaning cycles through the control panel.
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Do a light cleaning and then perform a test print to see if you’ve resolved the problem.
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Still see streaks or smudges? Run a deep cleaning cycle and do another test print.
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If you still have a streaky print, your machine might have a clogged nozzle. To fix this, manually clean the nozzle by dipping a rubber-tipped cleaning stick in a cleaning solution and gently wipe away any visible ink residue or build-up.
Another quick tip: Shake your ink regularly to prevent coagulation. Ink quality plays a huge part in preventing print defects, as we’ll cover later in this article.
If these steps don’t fix the issues, contact your printing manufacturer service team for support. At Arcus Printers, we’re known for our exceptional customer service! Our staff is happy to help you troubleshoot any of your printer needs.
Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance!
Routine maintenance and cleaning are key factors for getting consistent print quality in your shop and prolonging your printer’s life. Not doing regular maintenance can lead to poor prints, repairs, and downtime, resulting in loss of profit and resources. Printer maintenance should be performed regularly, daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally/annually/long term.
Follow this quick checklist to achieve the best quality printing in your shop:
Daily
- Perform test prints to monitor print quality.
- Clean your print heads with a cleaning solution.
- Check nozzles, caps, and wiper blades to ensure they’re residue-free.
- Check your ink levels and gently shake ink cartridges so they’re mixing properly.
- Wipe down your entire print station to remove excess powder residue.
- Check your temperature and humidity levels to ensure they’re correct.
Weekly
- Wipe down the platen and exterior of the printer to keep it free of dust and residue.
- Gently wipe your encoder strip with a lint-free cloth. Be careful not to scratch or damage the encoder strip when you’re cleaning it.
- Inspect the rollers and belts to ensure they’re in good working order.
- Check your supplies and determine if you’re low on cleaning solution, wipers, or cleaning swabs. Place orders to keep supplies well-stocked.
Monthly
- Organize spare printer parts and check for proper labeling.
- Conduct a deeper cleaning of internal components (e.g., ink delivery systems).
- Lubricate your printer’s key parts according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Check for any software and firmware updates.
Annually or Long-Term
Schedule a professional service check to thoroughly examine your machine’s performance to prevent major breakdowns and downtime.
Seasonal Adjustments
Depending on your location, you may experience more humidity or dryness during certain times of the year. Pay close attention to your humidity levels and have the proper equipment to regulate your printing zone, like a humidifier/dehumidifier, air conditioner or heater, or fans to circulate the air for proper ventilation. Your environment can affect the ink and performance of all types of printers.
Proper Storage
If you’re not using your printer for an extended period, store it with ink cartridges installed to keep air from entering the lines unless your manufacturer recommends otherwise.
Make the Right Consumables Choices
When it comes to industrial printing, choosing the right consumables is also important for print quality and machine longevity. High-quality inks, films, powders, pretreatments, and cleaning solutions result in sharper prints with vibrant colors, better wash resistance, and print durability. The best-quality consumables also provide consistent ink flow and reduced maintenance issues.
Whether you’re using Direct-to-Film (DTF,) Direct-to-Garment (DTG,) UV-DTF, or Dye-Sublimation printing, here’s how using high-quality consumables affects your results:
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Ink Quality Affects Color Vibrancy and Durability
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High-quality inks result in better color accuracy, brightness, and wash fastness.
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Low-grade inks can cause clogging, fading, and banding due to inconsistent viscosity.
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DTF and DTG: Use inks designed for specific fabric types like cotton, polyester, or blends.
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Proper Film and Paper Prevent Smudging and Blurring
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DTF: High-quality PET films ensure even ink absorption and powder adhesion.
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DTG: Using pre-treated garments improves ink adhesion and prevents bleeding.
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Sublimation: Premium transfer papers increase ink retention and crisp detail.
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Inkjet and Laser: Quality paper reduces the risk of paper jams, misfeeds and smudging or inconsistent prints.
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Adhesive Powders and Pre-Treatment Solutions Improve Durability
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DTF powder: Choose a powder that melts evenly without excess residue. Otherwise, choosing the wrong one affects your prints’ flexibility, softness, and wash resistance.
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DTG pre-treatment: Apply pre-treatment consistently to get vibrant colors and strong ink bonding on dark fabrics.
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Printhead Maintenance is Affected by Ink and Cleaners
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Poor-quality ink and cleaning solutions can clog nozzles and damage printheads.
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Use recommended cleaning solutions to extend printhead life. Pro Tip: Maintenance liquids help flush ink lines and prevent buildup.
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Curing and Heat Press Equipment Impacts Your Final Print Quality
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Inconsistent curing causes peeling, fading, or cracking in DTF and DTG prints.
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Using the right heat press, conveyor dryer, or curing oven ensures proper bonding.
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Pro Tip: Follow the manufacturer-recommended temperatures and times for curing.
Why Does This Print Issue Keep Happening?
Yes, it’s very frustrating when you experience recurring print flaws, but don’t get too discouraged. With systematic diagnostic methods, you can get to the root of the issue and solve your problem. Using the ICE (Identify, Check and Evaluate) acronym can help you remember the best practices when looking at print quality issues.
1. IDENTIFY your print defect.
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Do you notice smudging, ink bleeding, banding, ghosting, double imaging, color shifting or inaccurate coloring, cracking or peeling, misfeeds on the printer? These are just a few of the complex printing errors you may come across.
2. CHECK yourself.
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Before adjusting hardware or software, make sure you’ve loaded your print job correctly. Then check software and image settings, it could be that you have a bad file or you need to run a software update. If your settings all look standard, then check your hardware. Examine the ink system and print heads to ensure they’re clog-free.
Shake your bottles or cartridges to refresh your ink and check their viscosity. Expired or stagnant ink can cause blockages. Checking your ink’s health guarantees you can keep it flowing smoothly. Clean printheads, the capping station and wiper blade to prevent blockages, and also perform a nozzle check to identify missing or clogged nozzles. These steps help guarantee smooth ink flow and efficient print production.
3. EVALUATE your printing space.
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What’s the condition of the environment, so are temperature and humidity a factor? Are your consumables in good condition? Have any of your materials been compromised in a way that would impact the outcome of your print? Inspect your hardware and make sure that all of the components clean and free of debris or residue that would cause them not to function properly.
By identifying, checking and evaluating your printing process, you can logically solve print flaws on your own. Of course, if you get into a problem you can’t seem to work out on your own, the expert team at Arcus Printers can help!
Here’s a quick summary to highlight the general best practices for industrial and office printing:
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Perform regular maintenance, including cleaning your printer’s capping station, wiper blade and ink lines.
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Use high-quality inks and consumables to prevent fading or clogging.
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Do test prints frequently before large production runs to ensure consistency.
Compromised prints can be a real hassle in your fast-paced printing environment, but it doesn’t have to be a headache if you can troubleshoot and keep your printers well-maintained. If you’re in the market to update or add to your printer fleet, we are here to guide you!
Arcus Printers, a division of Axiom America, provides cutting-edge decorating technologies and equipment nationwide. Specializing in direct-to-film printing, wide-format digital fabric printing, laser cutting, embroidery, and more, we deliver high-quality solutions backed by expert support. Since 2004, our team has empowered businesses of all sizes to unleash creativity and achieve exceptional results.
Learn more at arcusprinters.com.
