Introduced as an upgraded follow-up to the R2800 model printer of Epson, the Epson R3000 DTG printer earned an excellent reputation quickly. It is a wide-format printer known for its exceptional monochrome prints. It has a solid fan following both online and offline markets. The following section details the printer’s various aspects and whether it is the right product to buy over its counterparts.
Overview
Printing Technology: Inkjet Printing
Color: Black
Connectivity: Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB
Model: R3000
Specifications
- Resolution: 5760×1440 dpi
- Printable Size: 13”x19” maximum size
3.5”x5” minimum size
- Printing Speed: 1 Minute 33 Seconds to 2 Minutes 30 Seconds
- Ink: Pigment-based Ultra Chrome ink
- Color Palette: 9-Color palette
- Operating Systems: Windows, Mac
- Voltage: 110V to 120V AC
- Weight: 15 Kilograms
Performance
The wide-format direct-to-garment printer model R3000 from the Epson brand features a high-quality print output and a relatively higher printing speed. It has a printing speed of 1 minute 33 seconds, which varies a bit according to the thickness of the paper or material used.
This highly efficient DTG printer uses the Epson Ultra Chrome ink cartridges, ensuring the prints’ clarity and quality. These ink cartridges also offer nine varieties of colors, and recently a vivid Magenta and four sharp blacks were added to the lot.
The product comes with two roll media holders, ink cartridges, a DVD/CD printing tray, a power cable, and several installation disks. The printer setup process is straightforward, and the user needs no professional help with the procedure.
Concerning performance and print quality, the printer offers various colors and shades. But generally, the prints turn out slightly darker or more profound than the original image. But the monochrome prints are perfect and precise.
Although the printer features a maximum printable size of 13×19”, the additional roll media trays enable the printer to print sizes much beyond that. But an essential flaw of the printer is the absence of an automated paper/material feeding system. The printable surface has to be manually fed, which consumes a significant amount of time.
The printer comes with several default settings, which indeed produce high-quality prints. If the user seeks to have much more quality regarding the images, they can customize the specifications in the menu section. But the high-quality settings did not make much difference to the prints and looked quite similar to the default product settings.
The longevity of the prints from the Epson R3000 DTG printer is also impressive. If appropriately maintained, the images can last up to 300 years, but with repeated usage and overexposure to sunlight and air, the life of the prints could be reduced to just over 60 years.
But one of the significant flaws affecting the printer’s performance and life is that the manufacturers do not specify a proper duty cycle for the printer. That is, the user is not provided with information on the monthly printing limit of the printer. This could lead to overusing the printer and resultant reduced life expectancy.
Pros
- Quick printing
- Wide-format printing up to 13×19.”
- Additional roll sheet holders for advanced printing
- High-quality default printing settings
- Easy-to-setup
- High-capacity ink cartridges
- High compatibility with multiple operating systems
- A relatively high lifetime of up to 300 years
- Photo Black and Matte shades of black ink are present for higher contrast
- High-quality Ultra Chrome ink technology
Design
The design quality of the R3000 printer deserves special mention. It features sturdy and stable input and output trays and a sleek and clean outlook that suits both office and household purposes. It features a front-load design and sturdy media trays.
The rear part of the printer features a protective cover that keeps dust and debris from entering the insides. The loading part of the printer is relatively straight and is broad and robust enough to support even stacks of thicker paper and other materials. The manufacturers claim that the paper-loading part can hold materials of thickness up to 1.3 mm.
The printer sports a flat and compact design when the covers are shut. The printer has a compact footprint of 615x841x424 mm in its closed status. Also, the top surface of the printer features a flat surface.
Some of the significant parts of the printer’s design are:
Control Panel:
The control panel present on this printer is the latest and most advanced addition. It is highly appealing to the eyes and equipped with a relatively simple user interface. It has a Power button, ink level indicator, Cancel button, menu section, Direction buttons, and Back button.
The menu section is shown on the 2.5 inches LCD in the middle of the control panel. The menu section helps load, print, and maintain the printer. It also consists of instructions on the printing procedure when various materials are used.
Input Trays:
Input trays of the Epson R3000 DTF printer are advanced enough to hold rolls of paper or fabric conveniently. It features a couple of roll media holders attached to the printer’s back part. It also features a standard sheet input tray, but being a large format printer, the roll holders are often put to good use.
Menu:
As mentioned earlier, the printer’s user interface is simple enough for any layman to operate the printer efficiently. The simple, straightforward, and self-explanatory menu section primarily constitutes the printer’s simple user interface. The menu section holds all the necessary information on the functional elements of the printer, the initial setup procedure, on-screen guidance during printing, instructions on the maintenance of the printer, and many more. It acts as the one-stop solution for all queries and clarifications needed on the printer.
Usage
The Epson R3000 DTG printer sports a highly user-friendly interface.
Loading paper or material:
- This printer features manual feeding; thus, the surface should be placed on the input tray or the roll paper holder first.
- The printer’s top should be opened, and the paper tray and the extension should be pulled out.
- The output tray should also be pulled out and kept in place to receive the printed paper.
- Insert the paper in the short edge-first manner, and the printable side should be kept upwards.
- Click the OK button to make the paper go into the printer further.
- If you want to remove the paper from the printer, wait until the screen shows a Ready message and then press the delete button on the control panel. The paper will eject out through the output tray.
Loading roll paper or larger surface:
- Remove all the remaining paper from the printer.
- Extend the output tray and the roll paper holder.
- Open the paper roll and check whether the ends are cut straight for smooth insertion into the printer.
- Arrange and appropriately align the roll paper holders on the two ends of the paper roll and secure them.
- Attach the roll holders to the concerned positions on the printer.
- Once the roll is in place, take the end of the paper and insert it into the printer as much as possible.
- Once the paper is in the printer until the resistance, the printer will automatically load the paper after that.
Printing:
The printing process has very mild changes according to the operating system used. The following steps detail the process of printing in Windows.
- Choose the image or document to be printed and click on the Print option. A dialogue box appears on the screen.
- From the dialogue box, choose the name of your printer.
- Now, click on the Properties or Preferences option.
- Three sections named Main, Page Layout, and Utility will appear on the screen.
- On the Main menu section, choose your print requirements under the color settings, print quality settings, speed settings, mode settings, source settings, size settings, etc.
- Choose the layout of the print in the layout section. And then click OK. The settings are saved now.
- Once the chosen settings are saved, click OK or Print. The machine will starts printing right away.
Replacing the cartridges:
The cartridges used in the Epson R3000 DTG printer should be replaced whenever the ink level seems low on the ink indicator.
- Open the top of the printer. Find the cartridge section inside and remove its top cover.
- Each individual cartridge is secured in its place using a tab. Press on the tab of each of the cartridges to remove them safely.
- It is advisable to pick the cartridge straight up; otherwise, the residual ink inside the cartridge may spill on the printer.
- Take the new cartridge pack and make sure to shake it well before opening the package. The ink may have settled by sitting idly, and a good shake would enable it to return to its active state.
- Take the cartridges out of the package. A yellow tape would be visible in the bottom part of the cartridge. Slowly remove this yellow tape.
- Insert each cartridge into its respective position in the printer and gently push it inside until you hear a click.
- Once the cartridges are safely arranged, close the concerned cover and the printer’s top cover.
- Wait a little while for the printer to align with the cartridges correctly. You can try printing a sample paper to make sure that the arrangement is well and good.
Comparison
When compared to the previous generation of Epson printers, the Epson R3000 DTG printer is definitely a step up. The latter features a quicker printing process than most other Epson printers. The ink cartridges used in them are pretty similar, but the R3000 is much more capable of handling bigger-sized papers and materials. The additional roll paper holder further increases the scope and potential of the R3000.
R3000 also has an additional color Magenta and four more shades of sharp black, which offer better color performance by the printer. Compared to the Epson F2000 Direct-To-Garment printer price and the Epson F3070 DTG price, the R3000 features an affordable price. The quality of all Epson DTG printers is similar in nature, yet the R3000 can boast of the highest quality default settings amongst the Epson printers.
Compared to similarly priced printers from prominent manufacturers like Canon and HP, the R3000 exhibits better color performance. Regarding the printable sizes and surfaces, the Epson R3000 DTG printer also scores ahead. But in terms of printing speed, R3000 lags a bit behind. Some of the Canon printers do print quicker than the R3000. The difference in speed is ignorable, considering the upper hand that the R3000 has in the remaining sections.
FAQs
1. How much is DTG printer?
DTG printers are usually on the expensive side. A standard DTG printer could cost anywhere around $1000. The Epson R3000 DTG printer price is about $900 on the online market places. But the complete DTG printing setup costs much more than a regular DTG printer. The whole setup includes a printer, heat press, and a pre-treat machine, each of which will cost a reasonable amount separately and costs around $10,000 and more.
2. What are the cons of DTG printing?
One of the most criticized aspects of DTG printing is its expense. The printing equipment and the ink used are all more expensive than a regular screen-printing procedure. Another flaw is that it is a comparatively slower printing process. It does take a couple of minutes or more for the DTG printer to print thicker or bigger materials completely. Also, the materials used for DTG printing must be treated prior to the process, or the prints won’t last much longer. The pre-treatment process involves specialized equipment and, thus, is expensive.
3. How much does the DTG ink costs?
The DTG printing inks are some of the most expensive printing inks currently in use. It is estimated that each DTG printing ink cartridge costs around $200 minimum. As the number of colors available on the printer increases, ink costs simultaneously increase. A general study reveals that it may cost around $400 a month as ink expenses for any basic DTG printer model. Also, the shelf life of the DTG printer inks is much limited; thus, the user will not be able to purchase bulk amounts of ink and keep them for future use. After a while, the inks start to go wrong.
I’m Susan Rockett, I am dedicated to providing effective solutions for all your printing needs. From troubleshooting common printer issues to recommending the best printers for your specific requirements, our website offers valuable insights and resources.