Wondering how to max out the print quality of your Direct Jet flatbed printer? Check out our list of direct-to-substrate inkjet printing FAQs. Includes information for printing on golf balls, glass and wood.
We have additional FAQ pages set up for our Multisolve™ Ink Sets:
The Millennium printer driver is compatible with XP, Vista or Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit).
Very little maintenance is required to keep your Millennium printer running in optimal condition. Simply changing the sticky roller for the card cleaning system is basically all that is required. In fact, a new replacement roller is included with each new ribbon!
Use the adhesion promoter when printing on non-porous surfaces like metal, glass, ceramic and rubber. Otherwise, no preparation is needed.
DCS recommends that all substrates be tested and approved before beginning a job. However, with the use of our Adhesion Promoter, we have successfully printed to glass, brass, aluminum, silver, and stainless steel. Without Promoter, we have also printed to PVC, acrylic, plastic and sealed wood. Because the 1024UV and 1014UV print to nearly all standard materials, there are very few "custom" materials being made for it.
All. The inks are UV stable.
Yes. The UV inks are resistant to cleaners and solvents.
Yes. The inks should be stored at room temperature and inside a cabinet with no light.
Inks are viable for 12 months from DOM and 6 months after opening.
Using a glossy PVC or similar material will allow you to view the clear ink with a nozzle check. Photo paper or regular paper will not work.
The ink is dried virtually instantaneously after printing due to the curing of the UV LED light at the side of the print head.
The white ink is made to be over-coated with the clear ink. Refer to the Direct Jet User's Guide for instructions on using the clear ink process.
A single pass of clear ink printed over a color image at 2880 DPI (separation curve 4) will improve the abrasion resistance 2X to 3X and will give resistance to Windex and other types of ammonia based glass cleaners. Two passes of clear ink over a color image will give IPA resistance when wiped with a cloth soaked in IPA. Soaking the image with IPA for 30-60 seconds will still cause the clear ink to soften and expose the color image below.
Please note, all substrates should be tested for image receptivity and durability with final acceptance and suitability determined by customer.
Yes, providing you have Color Byte Rip Pro. Color Byte Rip Lite will not support the clear ink option.
White images printed onto most materials now have the same degree of durability described above.
Using a glossy PVC or similar material will allow you to view the clear ink with a nozzle check. Photo paper or regular paper will not work.
No, there are no UV inhibitors in IR4 clear ink. For greater UV resistance, please consider our IR7 Pigment-Based Inks.
Yes, testing to date shows the same reliability in ink flow compared to the colored ink set.
Yes, it will have immediate increased durability as soon as it is dry but durability will increase in the span of 24-48 hours as the clear ink totally cures..
For best results, ensure the color ink is dry prior to overprinting it with the clear ink, except when using simultaneous clear applications like the InkMark™ print modes. In normal production, this will occur with standard print times. For small samples, insure the color image is dry by either delaying the clear ink pass or utilizing "full width print" in the print options portion of your printer pkg.
Follow the maintenance procedures in the User's Guide using the IR5 wash weekly, or for heavy users, daily, to clean the ink from the print head and prevent ink buildup in the print head.
Printing two color passes at the same print mode will give the image more opacity. If white is needed in an image, white will also increase the opacity but often just two color passes will work best..
Streaks are usually caused my improper wiping of the substrate. Streaks can be identified as swirls of diagonal wiping marks on the print. You must spray the substrate lightly with Novus and use one lint free cloth to wipe, let the Novus dry slightly, and then buff the substrate with a separate link free cloth.
Additionally, two color passes will also alleviate these "steaks" from the wiping process. When doing two passes of color on a white substrate, often times you will need to reduce the Max Ink value from between 50 – 75 units depending on the substrate you will be printing to..
Prime the area to be imaged to with the clear ink. Change the separation curve up to between 8 or 10 and print one or two passes depending on the type of wood and the finish on the wood. To lay down the maximum volume of clear, change the resolution up to 2880 or 5760. Be sure the clear ink is dry before you print the full color image. Additionally, you may need to print the color image at a lower resolution ie. 1440x1440 dpi, print two passes and drop down the Max Ink level by about 50 units. If the ink still wants to bleed into the grain of the wood, changing the print option from bi-directional to uni-directional will also help stop the colored inks from absorbing into the wood as much.
Glass or crystal may have a residue on the surface from the manufacturing process. This must be cleaned thoroughly using solvents (alcohol). If it isn't cleaned thoroughly the ink may puddle or pool up causing a mottled look. Print a white pass first (2 passes if you need it more opaque) at a separation curve of 2. Use 2880 dpi print mode. Print the full color twice. Note that the surface of crystal or glass do not all have the same texture thus some may print better by first printing a clear ink pass before printing the color passes.
Some may print better by just printing the color passes with no white or clear passes. On smaller images (under 7" in width) it may necessary to increase the ink drying time between print head passes. To increase the drying time, draw a hair line, vertically down the right side of the image more than 8" from the left edge or enough to have it print off the substrate. This will give the ink time to dry before he head passes and sprays more ink.
Another solution is in the "Job Ticket", "Printer Options" change the "Print Direction" from Bi directional to uni directional. This will give more drying time to the ink between head passes. In some cases a combination of both can be used to increase the drying time further.
The largest diameter you can print on a golf ball is approximately .5 inches. First you must set the height to the highest point of the ball, then tap the down arrow once to allow the head to get closer to the ball. Print the ball at the 720x720 IR3 Photo print mode with two passes. Make sure the ball is unable to move in the fixture.
Depending on the substrate, to increase durability the clear ink is used as a last pass. Use the 1440x1440 or 2880x2880 IR3 Photo print mode with a separation curve of 3-4. The higher the resolution, the more ink will be laid down and a thicker coating weight of the clear ink will be applied.
The clear ink is not allowed to dry long enough between head passes causing it to re-solvate colored ink. To correct this, draw a hair line, vertically down the right side of the image more than 8" from the left edge or enough to have it print off the substrate. This will give the ink time to dry before he head passes and sprays more ink.
Another solution is in the "Job Ticket", "Printer Options" change the "Print Direction" from Bi directional to uni directional. This will give more drying time to the ink between head passes. In some cases a combination of both can be used to increase the drying time further.
The ink is not allowed to dry long enough between head passes causing it to puddle and blur. To correct this, draw a hair line, vertically down the right side of the image more than 8" from the left edge or enough to have it print off the substrate. This will give the ink time to dry before he head passes and sprays more ink.
Another solution is in the "Job Ticket", "Printer Options" change the "Print Direction" from Bi directional to uni directional. This will give more drying time to the ink between head passes. In some cases a combination of both can be used to increase the drying time further.
The print head is too high or there is too much static electricity. Make sure the print head height is set correctly and that you have cleaned the substrate with an anti-static spray recommended by DCS prior to printing.
Prime the area to be imaged to with the clear ink. Change the separation curve up to between 6 or 10 and print one or two passes depending on the type of material and the finish on the material. To lay down the maximum volume of clear, change the resolution up to 2880 or 5760. Be sure the clear ink is dry before you print the full color image. Additionally, you may need to print the color image at a lower resolution ie. 1440x1440 dpi, print two passes and drop down the Max Ink level by about 50 units.
If the ink still wants to bleed into the grain of the material, changing the print option from bi-directional to uni-directional will also help stop the colored inks from absorbing into the material as much.
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