| 1. What kind of ink does it use? |
| The Direct Jet series uses a unique eco-solvent ink formula available in dye and pigment versions |
| 2. Which ink should I use? |
| The dye ink bonds more readily with a wider variety of substrates including brass, acrylic, wood, ceramic tile, and glossy metal pendants. The pigment based ink provides more UV and solvent resistance and is preferable for items that will be exposed to sunlight regularly, or items that will be used in an industrial environment where they may be exposed to solvents. The dye ink provides more vibrant color. About 80% of Direct Jet users prefer dye ink, which is used in the starter pack shipped with each printer. |
| 3. Will it print on anything? |
| A Direct Jet will imprint almost anything, including brass, glass, acrylic, wood, ceramic tiles, metals, plastics, PVC, pens, golf balls, baseballs, and anodized aluminum. It will not print on rubber, or products with a silicone or Teflon coating. It will not print to polypropylene unless the substrate is flame treated, corona treated, or chemically wiped before printing. |
| 4. What about UV and abrasion resistance? |
| Abrasion resistance is provided by the clear-coat option, which encapsulates the ink. Multiple layers of clear-coat can be applied for higher levels of abrasion and UV resistance. |
| 5. How does it compare to dye sublimation? |
| Direct Color Systems MultiSolve inks are more versatile than dye sublimation, which can only be imprinted to polyester and polymer coated substrates and which requires curing at 400 F. With a Direct Jet, not heat press is required, and the pigment ink option gives Direct Jet imprints more UV and solvent resistance than sublimated objects. Also the Direct Jet’s white ink option gives it better image quality on metallic and colored substrates than sublimation. |
| 6. How good is the print quality? |
| The Direct Jet, powered by its bundled ColorByte RIP, can output images at up to 5760 dpi for astoundingly precise high quality prints. Maximum resolution reduces production speed, so most work is done at 1440 x 1440 or 1440 x 2880 dpi. |
| 7. What is the average print cost? |
| Single pass color imprints cost only 0.5 cents/square inch. The ink cost to imprint a typical 6” x 8” plaque is only 12 cents. |
| 8. Does it print on different colored or dark substrates? |
| Yes. The Direct Jet comes with eight cartridges and can be loaded with CMYK (process color), white ink, and clear-coat. The white ink is a Ti02 formula similar to that used in direct to garment printers, but with a more viscosity to prevent clogging. Because of its higher viscosity, it is not as opaque as direct to garment TI02 formulations and is not recommended for printing on black or darks substrates. It works very well for metallic finishes like silver, bronze and for printing to light colored substrates. |
| 9. Will the white ink clog the printer? |
| No. The ink formula is designed to work with the most advanced piezo electric print heads. These heads produce ink droplets as small as 1.5 pico liters so the Titanium dioxide formula in Direct Jet inks is in a very fine solution designed to work with these heads. Therefore, it will not clog lines or heads, but is not opaque enough to cover black substrates. |
| 10. What kind of maintenance is required? |
| A daily head wash is recommended, but if the printer is being used daily, one wash per week is sufficient. If the printer will be idle for more than a day, we recommend that the ink be replaced with the wash cartridges. Before printing, run two cleanings, then insert the ink and begin. The process takes about 15 minutes. Complete maintenance recommendations and instructions are in the users guide. |
| 11. How thick a substrate can I use? |
| Direct Jet printers will imprint objects up to 6” thick! The 1309, 1314, and 1324 will print on substrates up to 2”, 3”, and 6” respectively. |
| 12. What’s the print speed? |
| Print speed is relative to resolution. At 1440 x 1440 dpi, an 8” x 10” image can be printed in just under 2 1/2 half minutes. Allowing time to align, place, and remove substrates, hourly production of about 15 8” x 10” plaques is a reasonable expectation. |
| 13. Can I use it with my laser engraver? |
| Yes. ColorByte PRO rip supports print and laser cut workflow. You can design an image with vector cutting paths and print it on a laser cuttable substrate with the Direct Jet, then place the substrate in a laser engraver and send the cut path information from ColorByte and cut out the object. ColorByte has drivers for all major brands of laser engravers, including the Pinnacle MII series and LaserPro Spirit engravers available from SignWarehouse. Samples are available upon request. |
| 14. Does it come with software? |
| Direct Jet printers all come with a powerful ColorByte RIP that manages print quality, ink and clear-coat combinations. (The basic RIP does not support white ink or clear coat. These features are available in the ColorByte Pro upgrade). |
| 15. Is it MAC compatible? |
| ColorByte RIP is available for Windows 32, and 64-bit operating systems, but is not MAC compatible. |
| 16. Can I use it with my graphic design applications? |
| Yes. ColorByte is compatible with all standard vector and raster graphic design applications. |
| 17. Where is it made? |
| Direct Jet printers are all engineered and made in the USA. They’re engineered and built to exacting standards of precision and durability unmatched by cheaper Asian imports. |
| 18. Does it require special electricity? |
| Direct Jet printers use standard 110volt household electric current. |
| 19. Does it require ventilation? |
| No ventilation is required. |
| 20. Who supports it? |
| Tech support is available from Signwarehouse and Direct Color Systems. The Direct Jet line is covered under the SignWarehouse Premium Support Plan and comes with 90 Day PSP support followed by lifetime free email and knowledge base support. Longer term PSP plans can be purchased at time of printer purchase or at any time during the initial 90 days. |
| 21. What kind of warranty does it come with? |
| Each Direct Jet printer comes with a one year limited warranty. Extended warranties and on site installation and training packages are available. |
