Guide to UV DTF Printer Maintenance: FAQs

Tech Time for UV DTF Printer Maintenance !

Feeling overwhelmed by DTF suggestions and solutions but struggling to find useful information for UV DTF? Look no further! Below, we've compiled five UV DTF FAQs sourced from social media platforms. If you encounter any operational issues, don't hesitate to reach out to us for assistance!

Written by Procolored - Published on Aug 19, 2024

8 minutes read

Written by Procolored - Published on Aug 19, 2024

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PASSAGE SUMMARY

Question 1: How to get UV DTF Mini to print flat? Where should the waste film go?
Question 2: No white ink on the printing at all?
Question 3: The final sticker is not sticky enough?
Question 4: Why the graphics are always far too left and off the film?
Question 5: Why the UV lights not working?

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Question 1: How to get UV DTF Mini to print flat? Where should the waste film go?

UV DTF Mini issue - We've been trying to load the films, but the prints come out with ripples instead of being flat. How can we resolve this issue and achieve flat prints?

Also UV DTF Mini issue - Can someone provide a photo showing how the waste film should be coming off? My bars are sticky with thick glue, and I suspect I might have done something incorrectly.

Answer:

Indeed, the UV DTF Mini can be a bit more complex compared to other Procolored printers due to its handling of various films within a short timeframe. To clarify the process, let's outline a general side view of the UV DTF Mini and mark out the different films involved:

A Film (Base Film): This film is equipped with adhesive and comes with a protective layer on its sticky side. Before printing, this protective layer is removed.

B Film (Backing Film): This crystal film will later be laminated with the A film to transfer the printed designs.

Protective Film (Waste Film): Also known as the waste film, this is the protective layer of the A film that must be peeled off before the printing process begins.

Finished Film: This is the final product, consisting of the laminated A and B films combined.

Let's follow the red arrow marks to simulate the complete UV DTF Mini printing process and determine the path of the waste film. The A film is divided into two parts:

1) Protective Film (Waste Film): Rolls back to the roller at the upper back of the machine.

2) Glue Side of A Film: Gets printed and cured by UV lights, then passes through the heating bar with the B film, getting laminated and transferred.

Finally, the finished film exits from the film exit (or is rewound into a roll at the lower front of the printer if you have an extra stand and rewinder).

To achieve flat printing, the key is to finely adjust the critical components based on the performance of your UV DTF Mini. There are two specific locations where adjustments need to be made:

1) Near the Orange Heating Bar: At both ends of the heating bar, there are thumb screws that can be adjusted to apply varying pressures to the films. The crucial point is to ensure that these thumb screws maintain equal pressure to prevent the films from gradually deviating.

2) The ones near A film. Proper torsion set by adjusting the wing screws here can guarantee a flat feeding of A film. If the torsion is too tight, A film will be arched during the printing; if too loose, the protective film will fail to auto retract and instead wrongly be sent into heating bar.

Question 2: No white ink on the printing at all?

Strangely, my printer stopped printing white ink after only three or four prints. What should I do to fix this problem?

Answer:

This may be caused by print head clogging issue. To effectively solve this, we recommend below procedures:
1) Shake the ink bottle to increase ink vitality.
2) Pull out 5ml of ink from each white ink dampers.
3) Pull out 5ml of ink from the waste ink tube.
4) Do a head cleaning.
5) Print a nozzle check page to see if white ink finally comes out.

Question 3: The final sticker is not sticky enough?

As shown in the picture, when I peeled off the layer of sticker, the print cracked and some residue remained on the film. Additionally, there are lines on the print. How can I prevent these issues?

Answer:

Possible Cause: Low Temperature of the Heating Bar A suitable heating temperature is crucial for optimal printing performance. Increase the heating bar temperature to see if it improves the results.

The heating bar temperature may need occasional adjustments due to changes in room temperature, particularly in winter. Before running your UV DTF printer for extended periods, perform some small print trials to optimize the heating temperature for lamination.

Question 4: Why the graphics are always far too left and off the film?

My images are printing too far to the left and off the film. How can I adjust the settings to make them print correctly on the film?

Answer:

Use the X Reset function in your PrintEXP software, as ① shown in picture above. By processing this function, the print head will automatically go back to the initial place to start a proper printing.

However, if you have set the Base Point on the machine and the print head has already moved to the farthest right position, remember to adjust the X margin in your PrinteEXP software (the smaller the value, the further to the right it prints), as indicated in ② in the picture above. Failing to do so may cause the printer to start from an incorrect initial position in your next printing session, resulting in a clipped or incomplete graphic.

One more friendly reminder: it seems your graphic per se has been too big for the printer canvas. Please make sure the entire graphic has been placed within the canvas before your every printing.

Question 5: Why the UV lights not working?

My UV lights aren't turning on, and as a result, my image just goes under the roller and smudges. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Answer:

In this case, please feel free to contact our tech team immediately - great possibility that your UV lights have been broken due to expired lifespan or any electrical circuit problem, better let our professional techs step in.

For your convenience, here are some tips for using UV lights:

1) Monitor UV Light Lifespan: Periodically check the lifespan of the UV lights. Ideally, UV lights can last up to 6 months if not subjected to excessive use.

2) Check Cooling System: Regularly inspect the cooling system to ensure it is functioning efficiently. An effective cooling system helps prevent the UV lights from overheating.

3) Clean UV Lights: Routinely clean the UV lights to prevent accumulation of dust or ink residues.

About the Author - Joyce

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

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Tech Time for UV DTF Printer Maintenance !

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