Pre-Treating A T-Shirt - Epson SureColor F2000 Series User Manual

T-shirts (commercially available)
For best results, use a T-shirt that is 100% cotton with thick and tightly-woven material, and a cotton
blend ratio of 100 to 50%. Since the print quality cannot always be guaranteed for some types of
fabric, perform a test print first.
Pre-treatment solution (available from Epson)
Pre-treatment solution is necessary for printing White ink (White Edition). If pre-treatment solution is
not applied to the T-shirt, White ink does not image correctly or adhere to the T-shirt. Also, colors that
are printed on the White ink do not develop properly. For best results, use a paint roller or sprayer to
apply pre-treatment solution to the T-shirt.
Distilled water (commercially available)
Distilled or purified water is used to dilute the pre-treatment solution.
Paint roller and tray (commercially available)
A paint roller is used to apply the pre-treatment solution to the T-shirt. The tray is used to allow the
pre-treatment solution to soak into the roller. Choose a paint roller made of short polyester fiber with
excellent liquid absorption. The handle of the roller should be made from aluminum to prevent rusting.
When using a paint roller, make sure to apply the pre-treatment solution evenly, or the whiteness may
not be as bright or printed colors may appear distorted.
Sprayer (commercially available)
A sprayer is used to spray the pre-treatment solution onto the T-shirt. For best results, use a sprayer
that allows you to spray a fine mist (an electric sprayer works best). Using a sprayer is quicker and
easier than using a paint roller; however, more of the pre-treatment solution is used because of
overspray.
Sticky tape or lint roller (commercially available)
Use sticky tape or a lint roller to remove lint from the print surface of the T-shirt. Take care not to pull
fibers up from the T-shirt.
Hard roller (commercially available)
A hard roller is used to press the fibers flat on the print surface of the T-shirt. For best results, use a
hard roller that is different from the one you use to apply pre-treatment solution.
Parent topic:
Related tasks
Pre-treating a T-shirt with a Roller
Pre-treating a T-shirt with a Sprayer

Pre-treating a T-shirt

Follow the instructions in these sections to prepare your T-shirt for printing.
Basic Printing
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