Skip to content

How to Make a Homemade DTG Printer?

how to make a homemade DTG printer

Now you can also add to your regular printer the DTG printing features very easily at your home. How to make a homemade DTG printer shall teach you to make one right in your home in a cost-effective way, just by adding a few parts to its features. As you are reading ahead, things shall surely become further simplified for you into doing so. 

DTG printer

how to make a homemade dtg printer

Direct To Garment or DTG printers are the printers using which you can easily make prints over the garments. These printers have special features that can help you make prints and various designs of your choice on your t-shirts. Now the other aspect of these types of printers is that if you are going to buy a commercial DTG printer then it can cost you somewhere around between $5,000 to $10,00. This actually is a little expensive deal especially if you are not a professional but doing such prints just as a hobbyist.

So what shall you do now? Shall you reject this idea of your hobby? Certainly not! There are a few ways that can help you how to build a homemade DTG printer. Yes, it’s true, now just by following a few hacks, you can make your own DTG printer at a very cheaper price and easily pursue your hobby in DTG printing.

How to make a homemade DTG printer

Just by following some DIY DTG printer instructions carefully, you can easily learn the task of how to do DTG printing at home. To build your own DTG printer you shall be requiring a few things:

  • ¾ inches plywood/particle board/MDF
  • ½ inches MDF/particle board/plywood
  • 1 and ½ inches of wood screws
  • 24 inches drawer track of ball bearing
  • Aluminum scrap 1/16 inch of thickness
  • Printer preferably Epson as it is one of the best for this purpose. Any other printer shall do as well

Here the thing to remember is that it is very important what printer you are using or even choosing to use as well. The features in the printer shall render you support in this hack. There are various inkjet printers you can choose that can prove to be very purposeful for this cause. Some of them are HP Deskjet 3845, Brother MFC420CN, CanoniP1500, Epson Stylus c40, and also Epson Stylus Photo 820 as well.

Both these two models of Epson are perfect printers for this reason because it uses stepper motors that make it much easier to take. And also apart from that, it has only a single easy-to-manage sensor for paper. So, this is the reason why Epson printers are the best choice for this purpose. The ink for the Epson printers is also easily available as they are widely sold.

Now the next part of this is to take care of the software of your Epson you can use the default drivers which are the most appropriate for this cause. Now, let us list a bit of the tool that you shall require.

  • Square
  • Measuring tape
  • Chalk/pen to make the markings
  • Table saw
  • Jigsaw
  • Circular saw
  • Dremel
  • Drill/drill press (also an assortment of bits)
  • File/sandpaper

Now, to begin, take apart the printer. Since each printer has a different working mechanism so it is difficult to specify the details here without knowing about the printer that you are using. But no matter what printer you may use, all you shall require here from it is the carriage, head, shaft, paper feed motor, and power supply.

Cut down the wood as it has been instructed here:

In the case of a 3/4th inch

1/26 inches by 10 inches

1 x 26 inches by 11 and 1/12 inches

In the case of ½ inch

2 x 26 inches by 1 and ¾ inches

2×26 inches x 5 inches

Clamp the two boars measuring 26 x 5 inches together. Now, six inches from the edge and two inches, and from the bottom 3/8 inches, drill a hole right through the board that measures 5/8 inches. This space shall be for feeding in the paper sheet. 

how to make a homemade dtg printer

For the metal track mount the outer ¾ part from the top and then flush the other end of the board by 26 x 5 inches. For the inner part of the track, it shall be 1 inch and 1/8 part in addition to that as well. Try using the metal L in order to attach the corners of the wood together. Now attach the remaining two 26 x 1 inch and ¾ with the 26 x 10 inches. Having done so, mount the drive motor now.

Snug it against the gear. But don’t make it too tight or it shall grind the wood. Taking the assemble, remove its top shelf and pop it to the side. Mount the motor on the top of the 26 x 5 inches piece. Place the shaft and align everything. You can draw a circle here around the base for your help. 

With the large hole saw remove it out and then file it for fitting in the motor smoothly. Put in the shaft and ensure that everything has been in the same alignment. To modify the carriage of the printer cut the paper slot. Mount it over the two 26 x 5-inch pieces adjusting it to six inches back. Put the mounting screws. The platen that has just been created is the place you put in the t-shirt for printing, also ensure that you have connected the paper feed sensor as well.

Now mount the power supply and get it soldered along the motor of the driver board. Power it on and start making your first print. So, this is how you can easily modify your printer into a DTG printer in your home and make prints over the garments very easily without having to spend on buying the costly DTG printers.