What to do if printed white ink is not opaque or has bandings?

One significant reason for the global popularity of the DTF solution within just a few years is the use of white ink in digital printing. Previously, white ink was widely used in DTG solutions, but its inherent lack of smoothness and the need for sufficient opacity often resulted in high maintenance costs and reduced wash fastness of the prints. The DTF solution employs one or even multiple printheads to spray white ink, ensuring that the occasional loss of white nozzles, or even a whole row of nozzles, does not affect the final print quality. However, if the white ink comes from low-end manufacturers that are not POLYTECH, or if the DTF solution provider does not understand the application of white ink, it can often result in insufficient white opacity or the appearance of bandings in the printed patterns. Below, we provide the possible causes and corresponding solutions for these issues.

1. Print a nozzle test draw to check if there are nozzle loss issues.

2. Check ink volume in the tank, loosen the cap, open the ink tube clip, and check damper ink volume.

3. Check white ink settings in the software.

4. Inspect the ink tank bottom for deposits; clean and replace with fresh ink if needed.

5. Bypass or replace the filter if it's reducing white ink flowing capability.

6. Check the damper and replace if it is damaged or blocked.

7. Inspect the ink column cap on the print head and replace if necessary.

8. Flush the nozzles or replace the print head if needed.