Epson Fast T-Jet 3 PLUS User Manual Download Page 107

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Chapter 8 - Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving

Five Minute Daily Maintenance

Since the introduction of white ink for dark shirts and the spraying

of pretreatment around the shop, daily maintenance has become

a very critical part of your printer’s performance. By not following

the required daily maintenance described below you will void your

T-Jet3 PLUS warranty as well as damage the machine.

Many of these items have been covered earlier in this manual, but the following

list will help you prioritize what key maintenance items should be done on a

regular basis.

Turn the machine off at night

Turning OFF the machine at night makes sure the Print Head is capped

properly on the Capping Station.

Perform Head Cleanings Every Morning and at the End of Shift

After turning on the machine at the start of the day, perform 3 to 4 Head

Cleanings. A shortcut is to press and hold the

Ink

button for three seconds to

initiate this process. The

preferred

method is to use the

Epson Cleaning Utility

in the Epson driver. Perform Head Cleanings at the end of a shirt run and

nitely at the end of each day.

Clean Capping Station and Wiper

The Capping Station is the rectangular piece into which the inkjet printer

head seats. Make sure that the outer rubber seal is free from dried ink

and garment

bers. Use a foam swab and distilled water, cleaning

uid or

Isopropyl Alcohol to keep this clean.

Clean the Belt and Drive Gear

Clean the carriage motor drive gear and belt with a small computer vacuum

or small brush. Shirt

bers can accumulate in the drive gear, causing the belt

to skip. Make sure to avoid any contact with the Encoder Strip. It is fragile

and may get damaged. Care also needs to be taken not to contaminate

the Encoder Strip.

Clean the Print Head

Clean any accumulated ink or garment

bers from around the sides and on

the bottom of the Print Head with a foam tip swab, water, glass cleaner, or

cleaning

uid.

Clean the Encoder Strip

During printing and Head Cleanings, the clear plastic Encoder Strip through

which the head receives printing data can get dirty. The Encoder Strip is

essentially the “brains” of the printer and if the Print Head can’t properly

Summary of Contents for Fast T-Jet 3 PLUS

Page 1: ...User s Manual JULY 2008 VERSION 1 1 Tempe Arizona USA ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ... as radiators or heat vents Do not leave the printer in direct sunlight Place the printer on a stable surface that extends beyond the length and width of the printer supports The printer will not work properly if it is tilted or leaning When packing and moving the printer do not set the printer on its side or upside down This may cause the ink to spill Turn the printer OFF before cleaning Clean wi...

Page 4: ...l printing operations If you remove the ink cartridges make sure to place them in individual bags and keep them away from dust dirt and debris Legend of Symbols Throughout this Manual you will see three symbols used to notify you of important facts or procedures This icon is used to denote important points that may affect the proper operation of your machine or the viability of its output Think of...

Page 5: ... Computer Graphics DVDs 4 Business and Marketing DVD s 4 Internet 4 Trade Shows and Trade Magazines 5 Our Advice 5 Chapter 2 Unpacking and Setup 7 Unpacking Your T Jet3 PLUS 7 Main Box Contents 8 Box 2 8 Industrial Bulk Ink System Parts 8 Waste Bottle 9 Exhaust Fan 9 Lifting Your T Jet3 PLUS Unit From the Box 9 Preparations 9 Remove Hold Down Clamps 9 Install the Maximum Height Bar 10 Check the Ad...

Page 6: ...e Overview 21 FastARTIST and FastRIP 22 FastRIP 22 Using Computer Graphics Software 23 Image Types 24 Vector 24 Pixel Based Bitmap 24 Summary 24 Editing Bitmap Artwork in FastARTIST Photoshop 25 File Types and Resolutions 26 Check File Mode 27 Check File Size and Resolution 27 Check File Saturation 28 Sharpening Images 29 Using the Tone Curve 30 Bitmap Editing in FastARTIST 30 Selecting Areas 31 C...

Page 7: ...or Printing 44 Prepare Your Artwork for Printing 45 A Word about Resolutions Speed and Quality 46 Print Modes and FastRIP 46 CMYK Cartoon and Photo Print Modes 46 8 Color Print Modes 47 Underbase Print Modes 47 Windows Underbase 47 When a Print Job is Finished 48 Curing Your Garments 48 How to Use the Print Pass Counter 50 Printing From Various Graphic Programs 50 Printing from Adobe Photoshop 50 ...

Page 8: ...US 77 Loading Golf Ball Template FastARTIST Only 77 Finish with Fast T Jet Non Textile Post Treatment 78 Post Treatment Warnings and Safety Information 79 Chapter 7 Maintenance Utilities to Improve Print Quality 81 Epson Adjustment Program 81 Head Angular Adjustment 82 Auto Bi Directional Adjustment 83 PF Roller and Eject Roller Adjustments 83 Head Cleaning Utilities 84 Check the Spit Tray on a Re...

Page 9: ... Checklist 100 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting 101 Chapter 10 Transporting the Printer 117 Flush the System 117 Secure the Print Bed and Ink System 119 Pack the Printer in its Original Box 120 Shipping Procedures 120 Shipment Checklist 121 Important Shipping Requirements 122 Other Warranty and Packing Issues 122 Request for Return Authorization 123 Chapter 11 Product Support 127 Support Policy 127 Suppo...

Page 10: ...T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 xiv ...

Page 11: ...any graphics application like Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign CorelDRAW Macromedia Freehand or QuarkXPress Another very good graphics application you can use is FastARTIST which is included as part of your kit Besides being reliable and versatile the T Jet3 PLUS is fast printing a standard T Shirt sized image in under two minutes Whether it s a shirt a towel mouse pads tote bags b...

Page 12: ... an image in their favorite graphics application they will just have to transfer it to a PC for printing Every image must print to FastRIP for final output FastRIP works as the Queue and Print Manager allowing you to not only select different Print Modes and other attributes but also archive print jobs for future reprints Maintenance Although the T Jet3 PLUS is simply an inkjet printer the number ...

Page 13: ...ore You are entering a fantastic business one where you can make a lot of money in a short period of time But like any business there will be ups and downs You will need to learn about the industry such as trade standards copyright and trademark laws how to price your work how to deal with customers and much more Learning the business and marketing side is often harder than the actual printing of ...

Page 14: ...ter novice is computer graphics There are a number of excellent DVDs explaining computer graphics and how to use Adobe Photoshop CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator These DVDs focus mainly on the Screen Printing process however they also feature excellent sections on how to create designs how to deal with poor quality artwork and more Business and Marketing DVD s Since the business and marketing side i...

Page 15: ...s on them You must always give yourself room for error Shirt suppliers might not ship on time You might not have checked your ink inventory and end up running out of a color And yes you will ruin a few shirts Accept this as a fact of life in the garment decorating industry To have the most success allow extra time to fill orders and don t make commitments that might be hard to make There is nothin...

Page 16: ...T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 6 ...

Page 17: ...g your T Jet3 PLUS into AC Power until you are told to do so in this Manual Unpacking Your Fast T Jet3 PLUS If the instructions on the outside of the box were followed you have already checked the outside of the box for any shipping damage If you see obvious damage please contact the freight carrier immediately so you can schedule a freight inspection ...

Page 18: ...Power Cable USB Cable Maintenance Kit Adjustable Shelf Bracket Low Profile Access Lid Height Adjustment Bar Box 2 FastARTIST Package Adjustable Shirtboards Industrial Bulk Ink System Cleaning System Inks Pretreatment Sprayer Parchment Paper Industrial Bulk Ink System Parts 5 Easy fill bottles Four 8oz bottles for CMYK and one large bottle for White ink 8 Ink Cartridges Save the box and all of the ...

Page 19: ... With an assistant lift your T Jet3 PLUS from the box and place it on a firm level surface that supports the entire printer base including the Print Bed If any part of the T Jet3 PLUS base is hanging over the edge or not supported in this manner stress will be placed on the Print Bed causing poor functionality For best results place the unit on a table with extra room for a computer replacement in...

Page 20: ...t Head A head strike could permanently damage the Print Head resulting in down time and costly repairs Use this Bar as a reference for loaded garments adjusting the Shirtboards etc but remove before printing Check the Adjustable Shirtboard Height Place an adjustable Shirtboard within the Print Bed and use the adjustment knob to raise or lower its surface to the proper height WARNING WARNING Use th...

Page 21: ...gnetic force or in areas of excessively high humidity The printer must be in an environmentally controlled room with humidity levels between 40 and 80 non condensing Since you will be handling wet ink to refill the bulk system ink bottles you should protect any carpet or floor covering with mats Place the T Jet3 PLUS close to a Heat Press or small conveyor dryer to cure the ink If you have two or ...

Page 22: ...revent power surges from damaging your unit and or ruining shirts during a production run plug the unit into a UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply DO NOT plug other high power use items into the same circuit such as a Heat Press The Press will cycle on and off causing power fluctuations and potentially ruining shirts NEVER shut off your T Jet3 PLUS at the power strip use the Power button then Main Po...

Page 23: ...use communication issues with the T Jet3 PLUS Use a dedicated computer to control your printer and do not plug anything else into the extra USB ports when printing Failure to adhere to the recommended environmental power maintenance and operating conditions you can void the warranty of your T Jet3 PLUS The printer does NOT like to be in a hot dry shop with excess dust as well as being plugged into...

Page 24: ...eiving enough ink Ink Starvation When Ink migrates completely back into the bottles When ink levels drop below 1 4 of the bottle print quality is starts to diminish Solution Raise the Adjustable Shelf slightly and continue to raise the shelf as the ink level drops from use You can raise the Adjustable Shelf as far as possible as long as ink doesn t start dripping from the Print Head Waste Bottle I...

Page 25: ... PLUS is shipped with FastINK Textile Ink With a normal inkjet printer it is a very common practice to change from the manufacturer s brand of ink to third party inks However this can result in serious issues when using specially formulated textile inks All textile inks are NOT created equal and they must not be mixed Should you decide to try another brand of textile ink in your printer before doi...

Page 26: ...s action will automatically unlock the Print Carriage from the docking station and move the Print Carriage up and to the left making the following steps easier Remove all the cleaning cartridges taking care 3 not to allow any of the ink lines to come out of the ink line guide Unpack your Bulk Ink System cartridges including the two Chip Blocks and 4 two Chip Block Supports The two Chip Blocks are ...

Page 27: ... this into the Print Carriage as well adjacent to the previously installed Chip Block Secure this Chip Block into the Print Carriage with the 7 second Chip Block Support Located on the bottom of the Print Carriage is an 8 Ink Line Guide that currently holds 8 ink lines DO NOT remove any of the 8 lines from the guide until you are ready to connect the bulk ink cartridges Before proceeding to the ne...

Page 28: ...nk bottle uses four connectors Once the Ink Line is connected you must 12 prime the Ink Cartridge Locate the syringe included with your Fast T Jet Kit and insert it into the bottom of the cartridge Slowly draw the ink from the bottle through the tube and into the cartridge During priming we recommend you unscrew the top of the Ink Bottle slightly to dissipate any vacuum that may form during this p...

Page 29: ...of ink Check the levels of your Bulk System Bottles you will probably need to add more ink after this process is complete Don t be alarmed normal printing does not use as much Resetting the Bulk Ink Cartridges Each Chip Block contains smart chips that are designed to count the number of ink drops dispensed After a certain amount of ink has been used a typical inkjet cartridge chip tells the printe...

Page 30: ...old in The print carriage will move a few inches to the left When the print carriage stops press the ink button once more 2 The print carriage will move back to the capping station and dock back to it s original position When the ink button light stops flashing the reset is complete Load and Eject Positions Throughout this Manual and in the various Technical Updates we publish you will notice refe...

Page 31: ...of both FastARTIST and FastRIP FastARTIST is a Windows based graphics application that will make preparing an image for print as easy as a click or two of the mouse With one click wonder Underbasing and simple clipping features FastARTIST can help ease the transition if you are not familiar with graphic applications For avid users of Photoshop CorelDRAW Illustrator etc you may choose to work withi...

Page 32: ...ograms FastARTIST and FastRIP FastARTIST is a complete graphics program much like CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop You can use it for all of your graphic image creation or you can create images in CorelDRAW or Adobe Photoshop and import them into FastARTIST to take advantage of the one click Underbase Wizard or simple clipping options FastRIP FastRIP is a driver specifically designed for Inkjet to Ga...

Page 33: ...her and Macromedia Freehand any version Contrary to popular opinion great images can be created and manipulated on a Windows based PC as well as the Mac platform FastARTIST the graphics application that is shipped with your printer is designed for Windows based PC s only Mac users wishing to take advantage of the FastARTIST Underbase Wizard and other convenient setup options will need to transfer ...

Page 34: ...ages Bitmap applications can lighten darken sharpen and even create images Photoshop is a common graphics program used by many for manipulating images but FastARTIST also contains similar editing tools Images with lots of gradations or that are photorealistic are generally created and manipulated in programs such as FastARTIST and Photoshop Note FastARTIST is both a bitmap and vector graphic progr...

Page 35: ...ble when Screen Printing However should a customer want a picture of the entire team on a shirt no problem One of the T Jet3 PLUS s major strengths is the ability to print short runs of photorealistic images A common problem in the T Shirt business is that customers need high resolution images yet often all they have is artwork that is small and low resolution It is MANDATORY that you learn how to...

Page 36: ... is always nice to have the latest and greatest version but frankly you can do everything mentioned here with version 5 5 or higher If you are a student teacher or work for a school you may be eligible for an Educator Version from places like www academicsuperstore com File Types and Resolutions FastARTIST and Photoshop will let you Open a wide variety of files including TIFF JPEG GIF EPS PSD AI a...

Page 37: ...YK but for file manipulation and adjustment you should work in RGB mode To check the Mode of the file in Photoshop go to Image Mode If CMYK is checked click on RGB Check File Size and Resolution You must know the actual resolution and size of the image Otherwise you could be working on a very small file and not know it In FastARTIST Import a photorealistic file and click on the Bitmap Image Size Y...

Page 38: ...lution and not the final size you need to upsample the file to the final print size and 150 to 300 DPI 150 is OK for photos and images without hard edges 300 to 350 is better where there is lettering or sharp edges Now you can work on the file and add type or other elements It is important to upsample the image first so any additional elements you add will be at the higher resolution If you aren t...

Page 39: ...r Filter Sharpen Unsharp Masking Photoshop Don t let the term Unsharp fool you This term comes from the process camera days and means it only sharpens areas of high contrast The reality is it sharpens the image but keeps it less apparent that you have sharpened the image Move the Amount slider to 150 Set the Pixel Radius to 1 and the Threshold to 8 How does the image look To compare the original t...

Page 40: ...ten darken the medium or Midtones in an image By clicking on the very top corner and dragging the mouse in you can make the highlights lighter Photoshop Play around with the Tone Curve and see what happens A good curve for flat images is a slight S where you lighten the highlight area 35 and darken the shadow area 75 In later versions of Photoshop CS through CS3 similar adjustments can be made usi...

Page 41: ...nly apply to this area To remove the marching ants go to the Select De Select You can also use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl D If you want to select square or round areas use the Marquee Tool top left tool and use this the same way you would use the Lasso tool Channels and Layers What really separates Photoshop from FastARTIST and CorelDRAW is the ability to work in Layers to build images Therefor...

Page 42: ...xt to the selected color This acts like a toggle switch so selecting it again will deactive any transparent color Removing Backgrounds with Photoshop In order to make removing backgrounds as easy as possible try to maintain a consistent neutral background if possible For example if photographing the motorcycle shown below park in front of a wall or a background that contains a much lighter color t...

Page 43: ...it looks like a wand with a sparkler on the end Using the Extract Filter Photoshop also has a Filter called Extract This will allow you to draw around an image and fill the center with color Photoshop then removes all the areas around the image leaving you with a transparent background Extract does a decent job but the Magic Wand is the preferred method Keep in mind the Magic Wand and Extract filt...

Page 44: ...nts if it needs sharpness or boost color saturation if the file is dull Lighten the file if it seems too dark because the image may print even darker Artwork for Light and Dark Garments To set up artwork properly it is imperative to know first onto what color garment the image is to be printed This will then determine if the image background needs to be transparent White Black or in some cases bot...

Page 45: ...available at www epson com Follow the links under the Drivers Support section and you will be able to select a driver compatible with your Operating System Windows Vista Users MUST have Administrator authority to download and install any drivers Additionally you MUST download the applicable 32 bit OR 64 bit driver based on your Operating System NOT your processor These drivers are NOT interchangea...

Page 46: ...nzip to Folder should default to your C drive or Local disk and unzip in a folder named Epson Do not change anything here unless it defaults to a different location If it reads a different location press browse and make a folder named Epson on your local disk Click Unzip 5 This window confirms that the files were unzipped successfully Click OK 6 When the Epson Printer Utility Setup window opens cl...

Page 47: ...ion warning screen will appear Click Continue Anyway 10 The last screen is a screen that will auto detect your printer Make sure that your T Jet is connected to the printer using the USB cord Power on the printer and the Epson Printer Utility will auto detect it and finalize the installation process Click the start menu then click Settings Printers and Faxes From here you can manage your printers ...

Page 48: ...y will gladly walk you through the process Disabling the Status Monitor For optimal Fast T Jet3 performance you will need to ensure no Epson monitoring services are running To turn this service off please perform the following procedures after installing the Epson R1800 printer drivers and connecting the USB cable to the PC Locate your task bar and or a small printer icon 1 2 Right click on the pr...

Page 49: ...y of the basic parts of the printer The following section contains more in depth information on the T Jet3 PLUS Control Panel Overview Power Button The Power button turns the printer on and off only when the main power switch is turned on The main power switch is located next to the AC cord Yo Your ur T T J Jet et3 3 PL PLUS US i is s ve very ry ea easy sy t to o us use e S Sim impl ply y cr crea ...

Page 50: ...g Station and move slightly to the left Pressing the button again will cause the Print Carriage to move back onto the Capping Station and lock in place DO NOT hold down the Ink button to perform this function The second function of the Ink button is to initiate Head Cleanings If you depress the Ink button for more than 3 seconds the T Jet3 PLUS will initiate a Head Cleaning cycle Load Button Load ...

Page 51: ...ht The Power light remains solid when printer is on Load Light The Load Light indicates the status of the printer either by flashing or remaining solid Flashing Printer is currently in use or processing an image for print Solid Printer is ready and awaiting a print task Note The Load Light will remain ON except when processing an image or printing When the Load light is flashing DO NOT send a job ...

Page 52: ...e You have installed the Bulk Ink System you have created a image in your favorite graphics program and now you are ready to ruin a few shirts Yes we did say ruin a few shirts Be warned there is a slight learning curve to printing a shirt and you must get over the fact some will get ruined When printing an image you must be aware of print placement This includes reconciling what you see in your gr...

Page 53: ...y the shoulder seams and give it a little shake before you lay it on the Shirtboard This will actually help remove wrinkles as well Loading a Garment onto the Shirtboard The T Jet3 PLUS Shirtboard consists of an adjustable aluminum base and a non slip padded surface Lay the shirt over the Shirtboard as shown on the right Again please check to make sure that the collar of the garment is at the top ...

Page 54: ... Head but the Print Carriage as well H DUH not responsible for any damage caused in this manner The desired clearance is 1 8 or 3mm but no less than that Proper clearance must be maintained so that the garment and Print Head do not touch The Load Light must be solid before sending a Print command If a Print command is sent while the Load light is blinking the machine will need to be powered OFF to...

Page 55: ...hen working within FastARTIST select the Page Size from the Layout Page Size window You will also use this template when importing images You must also set the Page Size within FastRIP Within FastARTIST go to File FastRIP Setup and select the applicable value Select the appropriate Print 2 Mode There are a wide variety of Print Modes in the FastRIP software Print Modes give you the advantage of pr...

Page 56: ...print modes available with T Jet printers and FastRIP but with the T Jet3 PLUS all this is not necessary We have simplified using the T jet3 with the PLUS model to a simple 1440 print mode CMYK Cartoon and Photo Print Modes The T Jet3 PLUS has three basic modes for printing Cartoon Photo and Underbase The Cartoon and Photo Print Modes will print the image in color when printing from FastARTIST or ...

Page 57: ...ll dispense more ink at a slower speed creating an extremely even coverage If you are printing on lighter colored shirts it may not be necessary to print such a strong Underbase 720 DPI may work better Windows Underbase Windows Underbase Print Modes are used when printing from graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator There are four Print Mode options and each is ava...

Page 58: ...duction set the number of Pages to print to a high quantity or choose a 2 pass Print Mode Keep in mind if you tell the application to print dozens of copies FastRIP might build a very large print file that will slow down your computer 2 Carefully remove the shirt from the Shirtboard for curing 3 Finished prints must be heat cured to fully set the ink Use a conveyor dryer or a Heat Press Curing You...

Page 59: ...cs may also require more time You will have to find the cure time that works best for your location and Print Mode preferences You should ALWAYS do periodic wash tests as well as test the temperature of your dryer or Heat Press using an infrared heat gun or Temperature Test Strips If using a conveyor dryer use a very slow belt and make sure the garment lies flat If using a Heat Press set the press...

Page 60: ... the shirt loads the Load light will stop blinking send the Print command from FastRIP When the shirt is completed press the Eject button 2x to fully eject the Print Bed Remove the first shirt and load the next shirt Reset the Passes button to the desired number of passes and press the Load button again Continue this process until your run is finished Remember the Print Pass Counter will default t...

Page 61: ...er to Chapter 9 of your FastARTIST User s Manual Printing from CorelDRAW Design Setup When designing in CorelDRAW set areas where no Underbase is desired as pure White RGB 255 255 255 or CMYK 0 0 0 0 To print an area as White set the area to a slight tint of off White RGB 254 254 254 or CMYK 1 1 1 1 In this first example the selected area is set to CMYK 1 1 1 1 which is recognized as White and wil...

Page 62: ...nt an area as White set the area to a slight tint of off White RGB 254 254 254 or CMYK 1 1 1 1 In this example the selected area is not a pure White RGB 254 254 254 meaning that the image will print White When working with vector images if you use Named Spot Colors use the Spot Color White and FastRIP will create a Highlight White when it prints the Top Color pass This means an Underbase will be a...

Page 63: ...ou may have to manually wipe the bottom of the head to remove cotton lint The best way to check print quality is to do a Nozzle Check from the Epson Adjustment Utilities Program Refer to Chapter 7 for more information Spots or ink stains must be removed BEFORE the print is cured by using a standard Spot Removal gun Make sure to NOT spray the wet print Once the ink is cured it is almost impossible ...

Page 64: ...T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 54 ...

Page 65: ...hen using your T Jet3 PLUS Each image is different and the Print Mode and resolution you choose will also have an effect on these figures Ink costs might vary from this chart The ink prices are based on the current prices the summer of 2006 and are in US Dollars The following chart is also available online at www screenprinters net Support T Jet3 Downloads ...

Page 66: ...T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 56 ...

Page 67: ...tes special Underbase and highlight White files A revolutionary Pretreatment that allows the ink to set on top of the garment and remain White White Ink Warnings and Care Your Fast T Jet3 PLUS is shipped with the latest innovation in textile ink FastINK Bright White This ink is the best in the industry at producing bright Whites and brilliant Highlights We recommend that as part of your daily rout...

Page 68: ...hip to read Full However when printing with White ink it does not take much ink usage before the chip tells the printer it is Out If this happens DURING a printing pass the printer may stop printing and the red lights on one or all three of the white colors will be ON If you turn the printer off during this process you will lose the job and ruin a shirt Reset the chip s by using the process descri...

Page 69: ...Whites and vibrant colors FastINK Pretreatment should only be used with medium to dark colored garments due to possible discoloration of light shirts when exposed to direct sunlight FastBRIGHT Pretreatment works extremely well with light colored garments and images that have an Underbase Using FastBRIGHT creates vibrant images with rich deep Blacks and Reds that will not discolor when exposed to d...

Page 70: ...the shirt you may have applied too much Pretreatment or the heat press is set for too much pressure Standard butcher paper or brown Kraft paper can also be used as a heat press protector when drying the Pretreatment Clamp the press down with medium pressure for 8 to 10 seconds when drying Pretreatment at 330 F Some users have reported slightly better wash durability if you spray the shirt with wat...

Page 71: ...odes to use for both the White ink and Top Colors Once you have made these selections they can be used again for other jobs For Dark shirts you can get very good Screen Print quality White if you select a 1440 DPI Print Mode for the Underbase For the top colors of Cyan Magenta Yellow Yellow Black and the Highlight White choose a 720 DPI Print Mode For medium colored shirts use a 720 DPI Print Mode...

Page 72: ... Teflon pads are available from most Heat Press manufacturers Important Point When printing gradient images with White ink you should have two versions of the artwork One version will have a White background and the other will have a Black background These two files can be created in Photoshop Adobe Illustrator CorelDRAW or even in FastARTIST If you use another program simply save or export the fi...

Page 73: ...ad bright White prints before and they now seem dull you probably have clogged nozzles Due to the nature of the White pigment you may experience more head clogs than normal These can easily be cleared by doing two or three Head Cleaning Cycles Perform a Nozzle Check to be certain nozzles are firing properly Always follow Chapter 12 Daily Weekly and Montly Maintenance Do not skip a day Solution 3 T...

Page 74: ...ad is permanently clogged or damaged from lack of maintenance Before contacting us for a replacement or for other instructions check the print head to see if there is any visible ink or lint stuck to it If so use an alcohol wipe isopropyl only and CAREFULLY wipe the bottom of the Print Head in one direction with VERY LITTLE PRESSURE The print nozzles are very sensitive and can be damaged very easi...

Page 75: ...pe of surface If you re printing on smaller items such as hats golf balls or mouse pads these can be placed on smaller Garment Holders available as accessories for your T Jet3 PLUS or you can make your own Spray adhesive or sticky Table Tack can be placed on these special holders to keep the items from moving Just remember to ALWAYS check the Print Head clearance Shirtboards available options Loca...

Page 76: ...FastARTIST allows you to adjust the Page Size to match your items in the Page Setup window You must also set the correct page size in FastRIP Setup FastARTIST Page Size Go to Layout Page Size FastRIP Setup Go to File FastRIP Setup a atc tch h yo your ur i ite tems ms i in n th the e Pa Page ge t tAR ARTI TIST ST ll ll t t dj dj t t th th P P S Si i ...

Page 77: ...ou can simply spray glue this to your normal Garment Holder or use spreadable Table Tack available from XV to hold the item in place Table Tack stays sticky for dozens and even hundreds of prints and it can be renewed by wiping it down with a wet rag Special double sided tape is also available from XV for this purpose Printing Baseball Caps It s easy to apply graphics to baseball caps both with an...

Page 78: ... curing a hair dryer or industrial heat gun will also work to cure the final print You may also remove the holder with the cap still in place and lay both under a standard Heat Press If you choose the latter method DO NOT clamp down on the cap and be extremely cautious when removing the METAL holder it could be very HOT ...

Page 79: ...DATA SAFETY SHEET MSDS THAT IS INCLUDED WITH THESE PRODUCTS KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN Getting Started It is necessary to determine if the surface intended for printing will allow the Pretreatment to stick Certain surfaces will accept the direct application of the Non Textile Pretreatment while others will require first require a coat of Non Textile Primer Generally smooth surfaces such as ligh...

Page 80: ...ete clean the brush thoroughly with hot water to remove all Primer residue This product can be sprayed on but the application may not be as smooth as necessary for good print reproduction If applying with an airbrush spray bottle or paint sprayer you may need to dilute the solution with water If you dilute the Primer two coats may be necessary Clean up spills and brushes with soap and water immedi...

Page 81: ...pplied in a thin even layer to ensure optimal print quality Use a second brush to apply Pretreatment After the application is complete clean the brush thoroughly with hot water to remove all residual Pretreatment This product may be sprayed on but the application may not be as smooth as necessary for good print reproduction If applying with an airbrush spray bottle or paint sprayer you may need to...

Page 82: ...your application s Owner s Manual if needed Setup the printing area in which you will be printing on To do this you will 1 need a measuring tape and will need to measure the width and height of the Non Textile item From within FastARTIST select File FastRIP Setup From the 2 Setup window select Page Setup In the Page Setup window select Custom under the Page option Enter the Height and Width of the...

Page 83: ...t the number of ink passes for the Underbase and Top Colors and click OK In Document Properties set to Landscape or Portrait for Orientation and click OK Click Print Printing to FastRIP CorelDRAW Go to File Print From the General tab select your Fast T Jet printer Click Properties Click Advanced and set the Page Size Go to Printer Features Drop down the Print Mode menu to select the Color Print Mo...

Page 84: ...g the values click OK to return to the workspace Select 3 Layout Page Size For the Page Size enter the Height and Width of the Non textile item you have measured After entering the values click OK to return to the workspace The non textile item dimensions will now be represented by a black box located within the workspace If this is not displayed click View Show Page Size to view the black box Upp...

Page 85: ...on the non textile item Y axis The red dotted line identifies the measurement taken for the bottom of the logo Steps 4 and 5 will give you the location in which to position the first image 6 Using the rulers framing the FastARTIST workspace place the image in the proper location You may also type in the desired location in the X Y boxes with the image selected Repeat steps 4 5 and 6 for each of th...

Page 86: ...ine bristle brush in the Pretreatment wiping 2 off any excess on the side of the bottle Gently apply the Pretreatment to the exposed golf ball surface making sure there are no uneven areas Allow the Pretreatment to dry thoroughly before 3 printing Dry time will vary but it may take up to one hour or more To speed up the drying process use a hair dryer heat lamp or heat gun set on a low temperature...

Page 87: ...n the first and last row of the Holder they will not receive an image Loading Golf Ball Template FastARTIST Only Go to File Open and 1 double click on the Golf Ball Holder Template to open Import 2 the images or text you wish to print and place them inside of the grid lines Choose a Non Textile Print Mode For a list of available Non Textile Print 3 Modes refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User ...

Page 88: ... use by turning the can upside down and spraying a short burst until cleared If the nozzle is clogged or sprays irregularly check for clogging within the opening Scrape off excess coating with a soft object and twist the valve one half turn to close Non Textile Printing Tips When brushing on any of the treatments make sure they are applied in o smooth even and thin layers Having two brushes can ma...

Page 89: ... of vapors by opening all windows and doors to achieve cross ventilation Use only with adequate ventilation Do not breathe dust vapors or spray mist Ensure fresh air entry during application and drying If you experience eye watering headache or dizziness or if air monitoring demonstrates that vapor mist levels are above applicable limits wear an appropriate properly filled respirator NIOSH MSHA ap...

Page 90: ...T Jet3 PLUS User s Manual Version 1 1 Revised July 2008 80 ...

Page 91: ...from drying up and clogging When the printer is powered ON it will proceed with its normal start up cycle Epson Adjustment Program There are four Utilities that may be run to calibrate Print Head Alignment and ensure your Fast T Jet3 PLUS will print the best quality images possible In fact should you have banding or registration issues these utilities may solve the problem without the need for a s...

Page 92: ... the bottom of the page and will consist of seven boxes broken into horizontal line segments The five boxes of concern will be numbered 70 to 70 Examine the first group parallel lines labeled Band Pass Incline 0 80 and note which set contains the straightest segment If you look closely you will see most of the lines are slightly offset in the middle Note the number of the one with NO offset and en...

Page 93: ...djustment Utility You will need to place a standard 8 5 x 11 sheet of paper on a Shirtboard to perform each of these procedures and both are run from the PF Adjustment Utility Select the PF Roller Utility and press Print A group offset boxes will printout along with 7 colored boxes at the bottom of the page The offset boxes will be numbered from 3 to 13 and these are what is used to calibrate the ...

Page 94: ...e Head Cleaning From the Head Cleaning window press Cleaning and follow the on screen instructions A Head Cleaning will take about 45 seconds during which time the printer makes noise and the Power light and the red Ink lights will flash You should never turn OFF the printer while the Power light is flashing This may damage the printer A Head Cleaning cycle also wipes the bottom of the head theref...

Page 95: ...n ONE day 24 hrs Refer to Chapter 7 of your FastARTIST User s Manual for further details Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis The spit tray shown to the right may become very full depending on the amount of Head Cleanings that are performed For replacement pads contact Technical Support Emptying the External Waste Bottle As your T Jet3 PLUS goes through head cleaning cycles it forces ink through...

Page 96: ... run the printer until you reset the Waste Ink Counter in the printer Resetting Waste Ink Counter You may reset the Waste Ink Counter through FastRIP if you have downloaded Printer Package Update 4 5 for the Fast T Jet3 PLUS You may also reset the Waste Ink Counter using the Epson Adjustment program Open the Epson Adjustment Program and select 1 Particular Adjustment Mode The 2 Setting window will...

Page 97: ... Counter window and exit the Adjustment program Turn OFF your Fast T Jet3 PLUS by using the 11 Power button and Power switch located on the rear of your printer adjacent the power cord Manually center the Print Bed by applying a light pressure against it with your 12 hand The final step is a Manual Reset of your printer This will complete the Waste 13 Tank Reset process While holding down the Powe...

Page 98: ...replaced If you can t get the Head to print in alignment after numerous alignment routines it is most likely permanently damaged and will have to be replaced By design replacing the head is fairly straightforward and should take less than 30 minutes Replacement Print Heads are available from XV and come with complete written instructions If you are dependent on your T Jet3 PLUS and cannot afford t...

Page 99: ... Encoder Strip Clean A main concern of many who call our support department is when the printer gets confused on how to print an image The way an inkjet printer tells the Print Head what and where to print is a thin strip called the Encoder Strip A dirty Encoder Strip can cause everything from images printing in the wrong location and large blocks of ink spraying on the shirt to double images dark...

Page 100: ...rip to AIR DRY The Encoder Strip is actually CLEAR with small marks on it Be careful to NOT scratch it or the sensor will not read it correctly Only use FOAM TIP cleaning swabs or Isopropyl Alcohol Pads when doing any maintenance or cleaning inside your T Jet3 PLUS Clean Capping Station and Wiper Daily The Capping Station seals the Print Head when it is not in use Ink residue around the edge of th...

Page 101: ...ed cleaning the Wiper turn the Main Power Switch ON and press the Power button The printer will resume and complete the halted Head Cleaning process The Print Carriage will then dock with the Capping Station when finished Check the Spit Tray on a Regular Basis The spit tray may become very full depending on the amount of Head Cleanings that are performed For replacement pads contact Technical Supp...

Page 102: ...fferent room or far away from the machine If pretreating in a different room is not an option then make sure the lid on the T Jet is kept closed at all times and especially during the print process The pretreatment will immediately clog the Print Heads if comes in direct contact with any ink We strongly suggest creating a separate enclosed area to pretreat shirts in such as a large cardboard box T...

Page 103: ...e black chain to the metal carriage bracket Do not place too much force on the carriage bracket The print carriage is delicate and if not careful you can cause damage to it Gently lift the black chain off of the 5 carriage bracket This will allow more room to get to the ink lines 6 Release an ink line from the cartridge by using the quick release finger screw 7 Next hold the released ink line upwa...

Page 104: ... cleaning solution bottles CMYK for one and white for the other NOTE Take care not to let the lines tangle up It s important to make sure there are no kinks or creases in the ink lines 14 Remove one of the waste ink lines from the waste ink bottle Insert the tip of a plastic syringe included into the waste ink line and pull back on the plunger until the syringe is full of liquid Dump the excess in...

Page 105: ...erratic red lights on certain colors clean the chips with a foam tipped swab and Isopropyl Alcohol A pencil eraser also works well for this task Have A Lot of RAM for Your Computer RAM is the temporary memory that your computer uses when processing complex data RAM is NOT expensive Most computers ship with 512mb of RAM This is not enough especially when using FastARTIST and FastRIP Your computer s...

Page 106: ...int T Shirts generate a lot of lint and it is important to minimize the amount of lint inside your machine Get in the habit of shaking a shirt before loading it If you feel the shirts you are using generate excess lint use a Pet Hair Pickup Roller on the shirt after it is on the shirtboard You may also preheat them in a heat transfer press for just a few seconds to flatten down the fibers Keep Exc...

Page 107: ...leaning Utility in the Epson driver Perform Head Cleanings at the end of a shirt run and definitely at the end of each day Clean Capping Station and Wiper The Capping Station is the rectangular piece into which the inkjet printer head seats Make sure that the outer rubber seal is free from dried ink and garment fibers Use a foam swab and distilled water cleaning fluid or Isopropyl Alcohol to keep ...

Page 108: ...ry other week Clean Belt and Drive Gear Remove drive belt and clean with clean cloth and glass cleaner or Isopropyl Alcohol You may have to use a sharp object such as a needle or small wire brush to Pick the garment fibers from the drive gear Reset the Waste Ink Counter Always check the Waste Ink Bottle prior to resetting the counter to determine if it requires emptying Refer to Chapter 7 for inst...

Page 109: ...ing to prevent ink settling and head clogging leaving your T Jet3 PLUS ready to print first thing in the morning To utilize the Auto Head Cleaning function you must set it up within the FastRIP interface on your computer For the scheduled session to take place DO NOT turn OFF your printer when you have completed your day DO NOT LUBRICATE DRIVE SCREW The T Jet3 PLUS Drive Screw MUST NEVER be lubric...

Page 110: ...0 Daily and Weekly Maintenance Schedule Checklist The following checklist can be used as a guide to ensure critical maintenance is performed on a regular basis The check lists can be downloaded from www screenprinters net Click on Support T Jet3 PLUS Downloads ...

Page 111: ...nsure it actually matches your desired settings Refer to Chapter 4 for curing times and details Problem The Print Head is leaking dripping ink on garments Causes The Print Head may have been damaged a collision Order a replacement Print Head The Print Head is dripping ink Thoroughly clean the Capping Station The Capping Station can become dirty with garment lint or fibers as well as dried ink This...

Page 112: ...e Platen to Print Head Clearance prior to printing Clean the Capping Station on a regular basis Clean debris from the Print Head daily Do not overfill the Bulk Ink Cartridges Problem The printed image is wiping off washing out fading badly or bleeding Causes The garment was improperly cured Garment ink requires a temperature of 330 degrees F to cure properly Apply this heat for at least 60 90 seco...

Page 113: ...dity etc These recommendations are general guides You may have to extend your cure times depending upon your location and print mode preferences Refer to Chapter 4 for details Problem Printed colors appear different from what you see on the computer monitor prior to printing Causes Your nozzles could be clogged Run a Nozzle Check on a piece of clear film o Clean the Capping Station o Run a Head Cl...

Page 114: ...e because this is how your monitor displays colors Never apply an ICC profile Problem Prints are out of alignment or there are large gaps in the print Causes Different Print Modes are being used Double check settings in the FastRIP Setup screen and make sure all Print Modes are of the same type If using an HS Print Mode for the color then the same Mode must be used for the Underbase i e Photo 720 ...

Page 115: ...nts especially script fonts may not print correctly or print at all This tends to happen when using Vector Programs The printer driver may not download or recognize the font To fix this change the font to a graphic image Depending on the graphics program it may be called Convert to Curves or Create Outlines You may also need to do this if you are printing vector fonts along with a bitmap image Try...

Page 116: ... a 3 FastRIP doesn t know that it needs to use the White ink Problem When you send a print job to the printer nothing happens Cause The computer is not communicating with the printer Check the port settings in FastRIP In the FastRIP window go to Printers Manage Printers The port should be set to Epson stylus pro 4800_usb00 Check the Control Panel box on the right Make sure there are no other jobs ...

Page 117: ...ng enough or not set up correctly Check your Underbase settings and compare them to the default settings listed in Chapter 9 of the FastARTIST Manual Keep in mind every image will vary this is just a starting point Prevention Practice is the only way to master the art of pretreating a shirt Eventually you will develop your own style for to applying Pretreatment Try pressing your shirts before appl...

Page 118: ... Try using a 2 Pass or standard Print Mode HS or Bi directional Print Modes require the Nozzles to be in perfect alignment Additionally when using HS Print Modes head clogs tend to appear as banding Prevention Clean Capping Station daily Run Head Cleanings before printing in the morning as well as printing a Nozzle Check to gauge the status of the Print Head prior to printing onto garments Make su...

Page 119: ...rty Encoder Strip or Encoder Sensor The Encoder Strip is the heart of the machine and behind the Print Head lies an Encoder Strip Sensor The Encoder Strip has information on it that the Encoder Strip Sensor reads as the Print Head moves back and forth If there is ANY contamination Pretreatment dirt ink or debris on the Encoder Strip or on the Encoder Strip Sensor the printer will be VERY CONFUSED ...

Page 120: ...l be soft when printed Problem When sending a print command to the Fast T Jet3 PLUS the Print Head moves like it is printing but no ink is dispensed Causes Ink is not flowing from the Bulk System Ensure the breather hole in the cap of each ink cartridge has not Problem Wh When en y you ou p pri rint nt a a W Whi hite te U Und nder erba base se y you ou g get et a a W Whi hite te b box ox o ove ver...

Page 121: ...tware settings Make sure your working Page Size matches the final print page size A common error is working on one Page Size in a graphics program but printing to a different Page Size in FastRIP Problem I only use my printer on weekends and many times when I go to use it the heads are clogged Causes Ink is drying within the Print Head due to lack of use If you are NOT using your printer on a regu...

Page 122: ...re flashing Causes The printer thinks you are out of a specific color The ink cartridges have auto reset chips on them but if you have been printing a lot of shirts the chips will not have had the chance to reset You can turn the printer off for 30 seconds and then back on BUT if you are in the middle of a job you will lose a shirt You can also press the Ink button once wait until printer moves th...

Page 123: ...ace Press the Ink button again You can also clean the contacts on the chip with a pencil eraser Replace chips if errors still exist Ink cartridge holder has bent prongs that do not make good contact with the chip When you insert an ink cartridge the small chip on the back makes contact with gold prongs These prongs can be pulled out of place if the chip is not installed correctly on the cartridge ...

Page 124: ...oard is bad There is a chance the motherboard is bad The board could have a defect or some fluid may have been spilled on it If ink or cleaning fluid runs down the Ribbon Cable and drips into the bed it can short out the motherboard Capping Station Clogged The Capping Station may need cleaning If the Print Head did not seat properly ALL of the Print Heads could be clogged as well as the hose with ...

Page 125: ...ould clear in about 10 seconds Problem The image is printing outside of the Shirtboard or in the wrong location Causes and Problems You have a mismatch in the software settings Make sure your working Page Size matches the final print Page Size A common error is working on one Page Size in a graphics program but printing to a different Page Size in FastRIP Problem I only use my printer on weekends ...

Page 126: ...oblem When printing vector graphics the printed colors do not match the previews in my graphics application Causes and Solutions FastRIP is a bitmap based image processor When rasterizing a vector image FastRIP must convert a vector graphic into a bitmapped graphic Sometimes the translation of color profiles is not exact resulting in a difference in output For consistent color reproduction save yo...

Page 127: ... and promotes the life of the capping station and print head This procedure is also necessary for preparing the T JET3 PLUS for down time NOTE For best results make sure that the cap assembly is clean and free of any dried ink or debris Using the adjustment program reset the maintenance tank counter on the 1 T JET3 Plus This will insure that during this procedure the maintenance tank will not read...

Page 128: ...s to allow the ink to flow back into the bulk ink bottle Tip A syringe can be used to force excess ink in the lines back into the bottles by releasing the line from the bottle and pulling the ink through from the bottle end of the hose Reattach the ink line to the cartridge Do not overtighten 8 Repeat steps 6 8 for all of the ink lines 9 Next reattach the black chain to the carriage bracket Tighte...

Page 129: ... liquid Dump the excess ink from the syringe into the waste ink bottle or other container Repeat step 14 for the remaining waste ink line 15 Go back to the adjustment program on your computer 16 Run multiple power cleanings until the solution that comes from the waste ink bottle is clear Secure the Print Bed and Ink System 1 Move the Print Bed to the middle of its track Using a Phillips head screw...

Page 130: ... Bulk Ink System Bottles and the Waste Ink Bottle You WILL NOT ship these items Pack the Printer in its Original Box Failure to do so will void your warranty The T Jet3 PLUS requires 2 people to lift Make sure you observe the following holding points DO NOT lift your T Jet3 PLUS by the Print Bed Lift from underneath the side panels Lifting by the Print Bed may cause serious damage Shipping Procedu...

Page 131: ... to receiving a Return Authorization BOTH pages of the Shipping Procedures Acknowledgement must be signed by the Original Purchaser or party responsible for billing In addition all packing procedures as outlined previously in this Chapter must be followed The Shipping Procedures Acknowledgement MUST be faxed to our Support Department Within 2 business days you will receive a Return Authorization n...

Page 132: ...ranty This means that the customer is responsible for shipping costs Please refer to the Limited Warranty section of this Manual for further details Shipping must be done by Freight Line with the printer strapped onto a palette A T Jet WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED when shipped via FedEx or UPS H can contact a freight company and schedule a pickup for your printer Round trip shipping costs are approximatel...

Page 133: ...mpliant IEEE 1394 Firewire Connection port and interface card along with an IEEE 1394 cable Connection of a mouse and Dongle will require additional free USB ports Recommended System Requirements PC with a Dual Core Processor Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athalon X2 and Windows XP 2000 or Vista Operating System Windows ME is not supported 3 GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics card with 512 MB of onboard ...

Page 134: ...evels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device If this equipment has more than one interface connector do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the authority to operate the equi...

Page 135: ...Directive Based on conformity with the Machinery Directive the Equipment Under Test T Jet3 PLUS from U S Graphic Arts Inc dba U S Screen Print Inkjet Technology in Tempe Arizona USA is deemed in compliance with the Machinery Directive 98 37 EC and the Council Directives amending the Machinery Directive 91 368 EEC and 93 44 EEC In addition the Equipment Under Test complies with the requirements of ...

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