Since November 2019, our team has been receiving requests from customers to add white ink to the DTF solution. During the development of the light-colored DTF solution, due to the excellent performance of Polytech inks on EPSON printers, we initially tried to test the use of EPSON printers.
Polytech DTF with Epson 3280 printer plus our applicator
We tested EPSON’s original solvent-based and pigment-based printers, such as the P10080, but these EPSON original printers significantly limited our use of white ink. Even though some machines have two or even four channels available for injecting white ink and printing, third-party RIP software didn’t provide enough support for these machines, resulting in insufficient white ink output and an inadequate underlayer coverage effect.
Polytech DTF with Roland printer plus our applicator
Ultimately, we chose printers with domestic motherboard systems, which gave us much more flexibility. In terms of hardware: the arrangement of the print heads, the circulation of ink tubes, and the installation of white ink filtration components all ensured the stable operation of the DTF solution with white ink. In terms of software: we were able to customize the waveform for Polytech ink, select the appropriate ink drop size, and achieve the best matching and calibration between the color and white inks.
Polytech DTF with Local I3200 printer plus our applicator
From Polytech’s journey of developing the DTF solution, we’ve witnessed the success and inevitability of DTF in China. First, Polytech's R&D team combined the fundamental scientific technology of nano-particle dispersion from the U.S., which was not only used for ink development and production but also excelled in surface treatment on various substrates. These two aspects brought mature DTF color and white inks as well as DTF transfer PET. Second, around 2019, the software and hardware of Chinese domestic printers improved simultaneously. The domestic board card systems gradually matured, and with EPSON sells print heads to Chinese printer manufacturers directly, the maturity of both software and hardware, along with the core component of the print heads, enabled a breakthrough in DTF white ink printing equipment. Finally, starting in 2020, while many other countries were in a state of turmoil, China's relatively stable situation allowed the Polytech team to continue exploring under difficult conditions, leading to the true maturity of the DTF solution.
Polytech’s team, combining elites from the textile and chemical industries in the U.S., Hong Kong, and mainland China, is a result of economic globalization. The maturation of printer software and hardware is an inevitable outcome of China’s scaled manufacturing. Therefore, the Polytech team deeply feels that the emergence of the DTF solution in China reflects the progress of China’s manufacturing industry.
Additionally, Polytech’s development of ink, water-based cutting film, water-based printable PET, and DTF transfer film has been driven by market demand. The team’s R&D capabilities and persistent spirit of meeting customer needs are rare qualities, making the emergence of the DTF solution in China a low-probability event.
