What is pretreatment made of?

Pretreatment is a liquid solution that is mostly clear but can be a milky translucent color too. For the most part, pretreatment is made up of more than half water and up to 20% calcium nitrates. It will also have a low percentage of vinyl chloride polymer so that it adheres to the material.

How does Pretreatment work?

The pretreatment “flashes” the white ink causing it to change properties and become more or less a semi-solid surface so when you print CMYK on top of the white ink, it doesn’t mix and look muddy. Pretreatment is the cornerstone of direct to garment printing. It is the foundation of your garment.

Do you have to pretreat for DTG?

Light Pretreatment Light garment pretreat is used mainly on white t-shirts or white material. Let’s begin with some history and understanding about printing on white shirts with using DTG (Direct-To-Garment) printers. Something you may not already know is that you do not really need to pretreat a white shirt.

Is DTG pretreatment toxic?

Early DTG inks and pretreatment solutions included extremely toxic chemicals, which necessitated wearing a mask and using them in isolated areas.

Do you need a pretreatment machine for DTG?

When it comes to printing dark garments with direct to garment printers a pretreatment is always required. This has been and still is a requirement for all DTG printing. For a long time the application was done by hand using a Wagner power sprayer and is still very popular today.

What does it mean to pretreat a shirt?

Pre-treatment is a solution applied to help white ink gel properly to the T-shirt you want to use. Make sure your pretreatment solution is correctly diluted before utilization. Likewise, you are encouraged to wear a cover and gloves to secure your eyes and face against the chemicals in the pre-treat arrangement.

What is DTG pretreatment made of?

Probably 95% Purified water and 2 and 3 % salt and glue.

How long does DTG pretreatment last?

You can pretreat and then store garments. Different pre-treat manufacturers have various recommendations for how long they can be stored but all agree on at least 3 – 4 weeks.

How do I apply the pre-treatment to my print?

You may apply the pre-treatment utilizing a paint roller and a handheld sprayer or a pre-treatment machine. The nature of the laydown will affect the quality of the print. A pre-treatment machine is the most consistent strategy to get your work done.

What is pre-treating and how does it work?

Pre-treating helps the color to stay longer on the shirt. To pre-treat your shirt, you start by utilizing a heat press joined with a heat-resistant sheet to make the surface smooth and flat.

What is pre-treating for T-shirts?

Pre-treatment is a solution applied to help white ink gel properly to the T-shirt you want to use. Mostly used on dark-colored shirts, pre-treatment is the glue-like structure that binds your ink to the shirt and keeps colors protected on the surface. Pre-treating helps the color to stay longer on the shirt.

Should you use light or dark pretreatment when printing?

Light pretreatment can be utilized in different colors like pastels. However, the color in the picture compared to the shirt’s shade will be a deciding factor. The standard guideline for this is if the colors in the graphics to be printed are darker than the clothing shade, then use light pretreatment.