Me & My: Epson Surecolor F2130

Describe your company
Traditionally a family run business for industrial goods like nuts and bolts, Evertight Fasteners, ventured into the e-commerce business for direct-to-garment (DTG) printing in 2015. The Jalandhar-based firm offers print-on-demand and customisation services for DTG printing for t-shirts.

When did you invest in the Surecolor F2130 machine? 
We invested in the Epson Surecolor F2130 a four-colour DTG machine in February 2018. We have been using Epson machines since we commenced our operations in 2015.

What does the machine do? 
The machine is built specifically to print directly on garments and can print with a resolution of 1440x720dpi. This, according to me is the highest in the market. Also, the machine is equipped with Epson’s PrecisionCore TFP printhead and uses Epson UltraChrome DG ink.

Why did you choose this particular machine?
The Surecolor F2130 can produce a print output of 25 t-shirts per hour. It is relatively economical to print and suits our online business requirement. Also, it is an international wash test (AICTCE) certified and has an excellent colour fastness.

Did you look at any other similar machine?
No, as mentioned we have been using machines from Epson since we started. Also, the ability of the machine to print with a resolution of 1,440dpi is superior to the existing DTG printing machine counterparts available in the market.

What features of the machine do you particularly like?
Apart from the high print resolution, the machine features white ink management system which effectively enables auto circulation of ink to avoid clouding issue faced in DTG machines. This prevents the print heads from clogging. Also, I prefer that all the consumables are supplied by a single manufacturer. 

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?
I hope Epson develops a machine which will eliminate the pre-treating of dark coloured garments before printing. This is not specific to this machine, but such a development will be significant for businesses like us.

How fast is it?  
The specified speed of the machine is 25 t-shirts per hour. And till now, the maximum speed achieved by us has been 72 t-shirts in two and a half hours.

How much time or money has it saved?
It has definitely saved us time and enables quick time-to-market along with customisation. Also, it can print in multiple colours all at one go in under 10 minutes unlike in the screen printing process which can take hours.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes, the printing cost is low with Epson, and one can achieve the break-even within 10-18 months of investment if there are required volumes.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?
The service team from Epson typically respond within 48-72 hours once the complaint has been registered.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
No. The installation process was smooth. The machine is user-friendly, and anyone with basic knowledge of computers can easily operate it. 

Who do you think is the machine right for?
The machine is right for the firm dealing with textile printing and wants to offer customisation with a faster time-to-market. It can be a clothing brand, retail stores, and merchandise for coffee shops, among others.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such machine?
When we are able to increase the volume of sales to 50-70 t-shirts per day, we will be ready to invest in another machine.