GT-782 Brother Garment Printer FAQ

Q. What type of printer is this?
A. The printer is a computer controlled large format ink jet printer that prints directly onto your garments. The printer has two work stations and is capable of printing in CMYK and white.
Q. Are the prints produced very detailed?
A. The printer produces graphics with up to 600 dpi. In comparison, traditional 4-color process screen printing is approximately 72 dpi.
Q. How many colors will the printer produce?
A. By using the 5-color printing process (CMYK and White) it can produce over 16 Million colors including white.
Q. How is the ink supplied to the printer?
A. Ink is supplied to the printer via 8 high-capacity 470cc usable ink cartridges. These 8 ink cartridges consist of 4 White ink cartridges and 4 CMYK cartridges (1 – Cyan 1 – Magenta 1 - Yellow and 1 – Black).
Q. How long does it take to print a shirt?
A. It really depends on the design. A standard 10" (H) x 12"(W) design printed on a dark garment takes approximately 2 minutes. The same design printed on a light garment finishes in less than 1 minute.
Q. Is there any pre-treating of the garment before printing?
A. Yes. The print area of the garment must be covered with Brother pre-treatment solution and cured in a heat press at 356 degrees F for 35 seconds, with a pressure setting of 65 to 75 PSI, before printing.
Q. How is the Brother pre-treatment solution applied?
A. The Brother pre-treatment solution can be applied to the print area using a hand-held sprayer or an automatic pre-treatment machine.
Q. Is there any post treating of the garment after printing?
A. Yes. Ink must be cured using one of the following methods: 1) Using a standard heat-press set at 356 degrees F and press for 35 seconds. 2) Use a conveyor dryer set at between 320 to 340 degrees F with a 5-minute dwell time. Brother recommends that you test the cure time and temperature prior to production as this can affect wash fastness.
Q. What color of garments can it print on?
A. We can print on any color shirt from white to black.
Q. What type of fabric can it print on?
A. All 100% cotton garments and some polyester/cotton blends. Brother recommends that each user print a one-time sample of each garment type before the start of production.
Q. Will the ink withstand washing?
A. Yes, we have done extensive wash testing and we have found that the ink is very durable. In most cases, it is equal to screen-printing.
Q. What is the maximum printing size?
A. The standard platen prints a 14" wide by 16" long design. The optional extra large platen is capable of printing a 16” wide by 18” long design.
Q. Is any special software or a RIP required?
A. No, graphics can be produced by using most of major Windows® based, design software programs.
Q. Is any special art separation or preparation required to print a white underbase design?
A. No. Simply design your graphic and select the White Underbase and Highlight options in the Brother print dialog box. The Brother driver handles all the extra steps associated with white printing.
Q. What is the difference between the Brother GT-541 and the GT-782?
A. The GT-782 has all the functionality of the GT-541 with the additional capability of printing white ink. This allows the user to print any range of colors on any color of garment. The GT-782 offers two workstations, allowing the user to load the next garment while the first is printing.
Q. How many garments can be printed in an hour?
A. The printer can produce 30 to 50 dark garments with white underbase and full-color CMYK/White print, and approximately 60 light garments with no white underbase and full-color CMYK print. This should be used as an estimate only as your results may differ depending on the printable area of the design, loading time, color selection, and other factors.
Q. Can you print a white only design?
A. Yes. The Brother white ink is designed to be a stable underbase for color printing as well as durable stand-alone white ink.
Q. Does the printer require any special maintenance?
A. Yes. The white ink requires quick daily maintenance and the white ink lines must be cleaned weekly. Refer to the maintenance documentation for procedural details.
Q. Does the white ink maintenance procedure waste ink?
A. No. The white ink is drained from the lines and returned to the ink cartridge so as little white ink as possible is wasted in the cleaning process.
Q. Can this printer be used to generate transfers?
A. No. Our ink is not transferable.
Q. What is the machine's size and weight?
A. The printer is 45.0" long x 106.0" wide x 33.0"tall. It weighs about 507 lbs. .
Q. Can the printer fit through a standard door?
A. No. A double-door entrance is required.
Q. What operating system(s) is required?
A. Windows Vista® 32 bit, or Windows® XP Home or professional.
Q. Is financing available?
A. Yes, financing is available through third-party leasing companies.
Q. Can the printer be used on a network?
A. Yes. A GT-782 printer can be networked using Windows® native printer-sharing function.

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