AnaJet Frequently Asked Questions (General)

Q. What kind of printing technology do AnaJet printers use?
Q. Why do you call it Direct to Garment Digital Apparel Printer?
Q. What is the advantage of direct to garment digital apparel printing?
Q. Do the prints show details?
Q. How do you keep ink from bleeding on the garments?
Q. How many colors does AnaJet use?
Q. How are the inks supplied to the printer?
Q. How long does it take to print a shirt?
Q. Do the garments need any pretreatment before printing?
Q. Do the garments need any post treatment after printing?
Q. Can you print on White as well as Black garments?
Q. Will the prints withstand washing?
Q. How much does it cost to print a shirt?
Q. What is the machine's size and weight?
Q. Do we need any special software or a RIP programs?
Q. What kind of computer is needed?
Q. How does the printer connect to the computer?
Q. How much maintenance is required?
Q: What kind of training would I need to run the AnaJet printer properly.
Q. What kind of inks are used in AnaJet?
Q. How is a garment loaded into the printer?
Q. Is financing available?
Q. Can you print on other fabric items besides shirts?

Jump to SPRINT Printer specific FAQ page

Q What kind of printing technology do AnaJet printers use?
A. AnaJet uses the latest drop-on-demand inkjet printing technology and garment handling system, specifically designed for garment printing. It prints directly on garments using a high speed print head with 1,440 nozzles. Using variable ink drop size, the print head can jet large and small volume ink drops at an ultra high speed suitable for the specific textile material being printed. The new SPRINT model print head and FP-125 model replacement head are a significantly improved version, providing better ink flow and reduced maintenance.

Q. Why do you call it Direct to Garment Digital Apparel Printer?
A. In the past, some printers printed images on a transfer paper, which then was transferred to garments with a heat press. This is called heat transfer or iron-on. As opposed to heat transfer, AnaJet prints by jetting multi-color inks directly onto garments, thus direct-to-garment digital apparel printing.

Q. What is the advantage of direct to garment digital apparel printing?
A. Heat transfer, or technically dye-sublimation, can only be used on 100% polyester or on poly-cotton for less bright images. Polyester, however, is a very warm material and is not suitable for many garments such as t-shirts. The AnaJet printer can print on a wide range of apparel fabrics: 100% cotton, poly-cotton, certain types of 100% polyester, nylon, spandex, rayon and others. Furthermore, direct to garment printing is easier and a less costly method compared to dye-sublimation .

Q. Do the prints show details?
A. AnaJet prints in 720 (normal), 720x1,440 (fine) and 1,440 (super fine) dpi resolutions. At the normal resolution, all the desired details will be vividly shown. Fine and Super Fine modes can be used for even more details. This compares well with screen-printing, which prints typically at a 72~160 dpi resolution.

Q. How do you keep inks from bleeding on the garment?
A. AnaJet systems have an ink volume test pattern generator. A test pattern printed on the textile you plan to use will show the optimal ink level so that the ink will not bleed but will still give you sufficient ink saturation for color brilliance and good washability.

Q. How many colors does AnaJet use?
A. The AnaJet Digital Printer can produce over 16 million colors, whether you print on cotton, polyester, or other materials.

Q. How are the inks supplied to the printer?
A. From sealed Bulk Ink Cartridge Systems, which have many advantages compared to open ink bottles used by other systems. The sealed cartridges are an integral part of the closed-loop ink delivery system. Just to name a few of the advantages: (a) Superior ink flow, (b) Convenience, (c) No chance of contaminating inks, (d) The printer is easily movable.

Q. How long does it take to print a shirt?
A. For a 10"x10" design printed on a white or light colored shirt, it takes between 40 and 70 seconds. The printing time depends on the design, size, material and desired ink saturation level. Black shirt printing takes about two and a half to three minutes per shirt for a typical design.

Q. Do the garments need any pretreatment before printing?
A. For white and light colored cotton, cotton blends, polyester or spandex garments, no pretreatment is necessary. For black or dark-colored garments where a white base coating is necessary, you need to lightly spray AnaBright Pretreatment Liquid to the printing area prior to printing. For nylon and rayon, it is recommended to spray a bit of PolyBright Primer for best results.

Q. Do the garments need any post treatment after printing?
A. Yes. To insure wash fastness, heat treatment is needed. You can use a heat press or textile oven. Typically it takes about 30 to 90 seconds of press depending on the ink and material.

Q. Can you print on White as well as Black garments?
A. Yes. With the provided AnaJet Print Program, you can print on white and light or pastel color garments. Using the optional RIP Program, you can also print on black or dark colored cotton or cotton blend garments.

Q. Will the prints withstand washing?
A. Yes, with the post-printing heat treatment. Extensive wash tests show that white shirt prints have as much durability as any screen-printed garment. Our textile ink pigments bond deeply inside the fabric fibers. Our black shirt prints will last without losing white inks, wash after wash, if the pretreatment is applied properly. Black shirt prints, however, will not last as long as white shirt prints.

Q. How much does it cost to print a shirt?
A. A t-shirt typically costs about a dollar and a half wholesale. Ink cost for a white t-shirt print is about $.40 to $.60, but this depends on the design and ink saturation level. For black garments, the ink cost will come to about $1.50 to $2.50 per shirt. But these are estimates for typical graphics; for any specific graphic, it may be more or less. For the ink consumption study, refer to our detailed study paper published on this website.

Q. What is the machine's size and weight?
A. AnaJet printer models are approximately 30" wide, 32" deep, and 16" tall. They weigh about 82 lbs. Check the Specification page for details.

Q. Do we need any special software or a RIP programs?
A. AnaJet Print Program allows you to use any graphics produced by most of the major Windows based graphic design software programs, and commercially available graphics and photo files. PhotoShop, PhotoShop Elements, Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are the most popular.

For printing on black garments, it is necessary to use an optional RIP program supplied from AnaJet.

Q. What kind of computer is needed?
A. To run the AnaJet printer program, you need a PC on Windows XP or Windows Vista Platform. The AnaJet print driver and RIP software do not require a high capacity computer, but the graphics programs usually require a lot of computing power. If you are buying a new PC to run this printer, we recommend a computer with a Pentium 4 Processor, Intel Dual Core Processor or equivalent, with at least 1GB of memory. Please note that the AnaJet driver and RIP software can be run on Mac if you use Bootcamp or an emulation program such as VMwear Fusion.

Q How does the printer connect to the computer?
A. The printer connects to the computer via a USB 2.0 port.

Q. How much maintenance is required?
A. Like any other commercial production equipment, all inkjet garment printers require regular maintenance. AnaJet's Auto Print Head Maintenance feature reduces much of the manual maintenance required of typical garment printers. With the AnaJet SPRINT model, the recommended maintenance is only a weekly cleaning of the Maintenance Station and Wiper Blade, a five-minute procedure. For model FP-125, daily head cleaning is recommended as well. A more thorough cleaning is recommended once a month. With the Auto Print Head Maintenance, an improved print head and the Closed-Loop Ink Delivery System, AnaJet requires less maintenance than any other equipment in the industry.

Q. What kind of training would I need to run the AnaJet printer properly.
A. Direct-to-Garment printing technology is rapidly evolving, and most customers need proper training to get the most out of this commercial production system. Our training and support programs are renowned in the industry. There are several options: in-class all day training at AnaJet University held every week, DVD video training programs, Webinar and other resources in our tech support website.

Q. What kind of ink is used in AnaJet?
A. AnaJet's AnaBright inks are water-based pigment inks developed especially for general printing on cotton and cotton blends. PolyBright inks are for polyester, rayon, nylon, spandex and other synthetic fibers.

Q. How is a garment loaded into the printer?
A. With the provided Hooped Table, you can either simply place the garment on the print table for a quick and easy loading and unloading process, or place the hoop over the garment. The hoop is particularly useful to hold the garment, or non-garment items like tote bags, flat on the table. For printing on children's garments, sleeves or pants legs, there are suitable optional tables like the Youth Table and Long Table, etc.

Q. Is financing available?
A. Yes. Many third party leasing companies offer leasing arrangements. Inquire with the AnaJet Regional Managers for approved leasing companies. With a leasing program, the monthly payments can be as low as $250.

Q. Can you print on other fabric items besides shirts?
A. Yes, any garment or textile product that you can place on the flat printing table can be printed on. Examples are dresses, blouses, aprons, pillow cases, golf towels, etc. Some use the AnaJet printer for novel and innovative applications: surfboard decoration, printing on sand dollars and advertising specialty items. Truly, imagination is the only limit. Visit the Beyond Tees page for some exemplary products.