Prestige R1 - Operation Guide

Prestige R1 - Operation Guide

Operation

1. Safety Tips

DTF Station — General Safety & Best Practices

Purpose

Follow these guidelines to maintain equipment performance, protect your workspace, and ensure user safety throughout daily DTF operations.

Air Filtration & Maintenance (00:00–00:30)

  • Phoenix Air, L2 Purifier, and Miro 13 all use:
    • HEPA filter
    • Charcoal filter
  • Filters should be replaced monthly.
  • This maintenance applies even if your machine has a built-in purifier.

Ventilation Recommendations (00:00–00:45)

  • Always use additional ventilation, even with built-in purification.
  • Recommended practices:
    • Open a window
    • Use a fan
    • Ensure airflow around the equipment
  • Especially important for home-based setups.

Powder Handling & End-of-Day Safety (00:00–01:02)

  • Always return unused powder back into its bag after printing.
  • Reasons:
    • Maintains powder quality and longevity
    • Reduces airborne exposure
    • Improves overall user safety
  • Treat powder handling as a mandatory safety step, not optional.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (01:02–End)

  • Recommended additional safety precautions:
    • Gloves
    • Protective eyewear
    • Face mask (optional but encouraged)
  • DTF Station tests all inks and powders for safety, but PPE adds another layer of protection.

Support & Safety Documentation

  • Contact your local dealer for:
    • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
    • Ink and powder safety documentation
    • Additional handling guidelines

Key Reminder

DTF Station prioritizes both performance and safety.

Safe operation protects you, your workspace, and your equipment long-term.

2. Beginning of Day Procedure

Prestige R1 — Daily Maintenance (Before Printing)

Purpose

Complete these steps before starting any print job to ensure ink flow, print head health, and consistent print quality.

Step 1: Power On & Initial Checks (00:00–00:20)

  1. Turn the printer power on from the right side.
  2. Confirm the front heating is activated.
  3. Check that the printer boots normally with no error alerts.

Step 2: White Ink Preparation & Storage (00:00–00:45)

  1. Locate the white ink bottle.
  2. Shake the bottle for 30 seconds.
  3. Store ink bottles in a cool, dry area after shaking.
  • Checklist
    • White ink alarm system is functioning
    • Ink containers are not overfilled
      • Do not exceed 50% capacity

Step 3: Film & Ink System Checks (00:00–01:05)

  1. Check the film supply.
  2. Replace the roll if necessary before printing.
  3. Confirm white ink circulation is set below 20%.

Step 4: Waste Ink Bottle Inspection & Disposal (01:05–01:49)

  • Checklist
    • Inspect the waste ink bottle
    • Empty the bottle if nearing capacity
    • Handle waste ink carefully due to chemical composition
  • Disposal Guidelines
    • Follow local hazardous waste regulations
      • Disposal options:
    • Pour waste ink onto damaged garments and allow to dry
      • Dried water-based ink can be treated as general waste
    • Use a water-based ink hardener
      • Mix hardener powder into ink
      • Once solidified, dispose as general waste
  • Consult a recycling center or professional disposal service if unsure

Step 5: Fill Ink Procedure (01:49–02:35)

  1. Press Menu.
  2. Press the Down button three times.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Press the Down button two more times.
  5. Press Enter again.
  6. Select One Head.
  7. Allow fill ink to run for 10–30 seconds.
  8. Visually confirm ink flows into the waste ink bottle.
  9. Press Cancel to stop the process.

Step 6: Head Cleaning Procedure (02:35–03:07)

  1. Press the Cleaning button to perform the first head cleaning.
  2. Verify:
    1. Capping station cap is fully engaged
    2. Wiper blade contacts the print head surface
  3. Press the Cleaning button again for the second cleaning.
  4. Confirm:
    1. Ink on the cap flushes into the waste bottle
    2. Wiper blade wipes the print head surface twice

Step 7: Software Check & Nozzle Verification (03:07–End)

  1. Confirm the film is loaded correctly.
  2. Close all printer covers.
  3. Turn on the computer.
  4. Open DTF Station Pilot.
  5. Verify the print start position is correct.
  6. Perform a nozzle check.
  • Evaluation Checklist
    • Nozzle pattern matches the video or
    • Nozzle check is 90% or better
  • If nozzle check is poor
    • Perform additional head cleanings
    • Run fill ink again if needed
    • Repeat nozzle check until acceptable

Step 8: Idle-Time Rule (End)

  • If the printer is idle for more than 20 minutes:
    • Perform another nozzle check before resuming printing
    • Execute fill ink and cleaning as needed

Result

The Prestige R1 is properly maintained, primed, and ready for safe, high-quality printing.

3. Pilot Software Basics

DTF Station Pilot — Settings Overview & Recommendations

Purpose

Understand each setting in DTF Station Pilot, what it controls, and DTF Station’s recommended defaults for performance, quality, and speed.

Suction (Printer Bed Vacuum) (00:00–00:45)

  • Off
    • Vacuum activates only when the print head carriage moves onto the media
    • Recommended setting
  • Open
    • Vacuum runs continuously
  • Purpose:
    • Controls how the media is held flat on the printer bed

General Settings — Print Speed & Direction (00:00:45–01:10)

  • Print Speed
    • Low → slowest, highest control
    • Middle → best print quality
    • High → fastest print speed (recommended for most jobs)
  • Print Direction
    • Bidirectional (BiDirect)
      • Prints left and right
      • Fastest option
    • Left Only / Right Only
      • Prints on a single pass
      • Slower but increases accuracy and sharpness

Pre-Flashing (01:10–01:40)

  • Open (recommended)
    • Printer spits a small amount of ink into the capping station before printing
    • Ensures proper ink firing
  • Close
    • Disables pre-flashing

Auto Clean Options (01:40–02:10)

  • Close (current default)
  • Available cleaning options:
    • Clean Flush – quick pre-flash into capping station
    • Clean Weak – same as pressing the regular cleaning button
    • Clean Normal – longer dwell time with increased pump pressure
    • Clean Strong – longest dwell time and highest pressure
  • Automatic behavior:
    • Printer stops after 10,000 passes to perform a cleaning automatically

Carriage Margin Settings (02:10–02:55)

  • Type: Together (recommended)
    • Print head only travels the width of the actual image
    • Faster printing for small graphics
  • Type: Off
    • Print head travels full media width regardless of image size
    • Slower printing
  • Auto Reset: Yes (recommended)
    • Resets travel width for each new image
    • Prevents slowdowns when switching between different image sizes

Media Settings (02:55–03:18)

  • Print Start Position
    • Example shown: 50 mm
    • Value depends on how the media is loaded
    • Measure distance from carriage home position to media edge

Confidence Strip Settings (03:18–04:22)

  • Purpose:
    • Prints a small ink strip on the media edge
    • Prevents CMYK inks from drying during long white-only prints
  • Mode Options
    • Wedding
    • Status
    • Wedding & Status
  • Recommendation
    • Minimum: Wedding
    • Best quality: Wedding & Status
  • Position
    • Closest to home position (right side) — recommended
    • Opposite side increases carriage travel
    • Both sides further slows printing
  • Strength
    • Weak
    • Normal (recommended)
    • Strong (more ink flow)
  • Width
    • Example: 3 mm
    • Adjustable thinner or thicker
  • Distance from print
    • Recommended: ≥ 1 mm
    • Too close → difficult trimming
    • Too far → wasted media
  • Mode
    • Light → fastest, everyday production
    • Normal → higher resolution
    • Depth → higher resolution than normal
    • Super Eclosion → highest resolution, slowest speed
  • Type
    • Fog Type → prioritizes speed
    • Strong A → prioritizes quality

Ink Charge (05:27–05:55)

  • Used for:
    • First-time ink filling
    • Resolving clogging
    • Long idle periods
  • Behavior:
    • Capping station lifts
    • Ink pumps into waste bottle
  • Can be used for:
    • Initial setup
    • Periodic maintenance
  • Print Mode
    • CW (Color + White) — recommended
    • 4C — color only
  • Color Control
    • Normal — recommended
    • Color — color inks only
    • White — white ink only

Ink to Deepen (06:37–07:05)

  • Default: Off
  • Modes:
    • Mode 1 → slightly darker
    • Mode 2 → darker
    • Mode 3 → darkest
  • Does not affect print speed
  • Useful when prints appear lighter than expected

Mirror Print (07:05–07:20)

  • Typically handled in DigiRip
  • Option available for horizontal mirroring if needed

Global Ink Setting & Spot Color (07:20–End)

  • Global Ink Setting
    • Allows doubling ink output
    • Commonly used to double white ink
    • Significantly reduces print speed
  • Example impact:
    • Normal speed: ~0.9 m/hr
    • Double white: ~0.3–0.4 m/hr
  • Recommended use:
    • Disable unless specifically needed
  • Spot Color
    • Not currently utilized
    • If enabled, uncheck and save

Key Takeaway

  • Most production slowdowns are caused by
    • Single-direction printing
    • High overlap modes
    • Global ink doubling

DTF Station’s recommended defaults balance speed, quality, and reliability for daily production.

4. Basic Operation ft. Phoenix Oven

Prestige R1 — Basic Operation Overview (Printing to Curing & Pressing)

Purpose

Walk through the end-to-end DTF workflow using the Prestige R1 with Fenix Air Oven, from pre-print checks through curing and heat pressing.

Step 1: Pre-Print Checks & Nozzle Verification (00:00–00:45)

  1. Open DTF Station Pilot.
  2. Perform a nozzle check.
  3. Complete daily morning maintenance.
    1. Refer to the Daily Maintenance video if needed.
  4. Open the printer cover.
  5. Verify and adjust the print start position.
    1. Set it close to the media guide to maximize print area.
  • Checklist
    • Nozzle check quality is 90% or higher
    • If idle for 20+ minutes, perform another nozzle check
    • If nozzle check is poor:
      • Perform cleanings
      • Refer to maintenance or troubleshooting videos
      • Contact DTF Station technicians if needed

Step 2: Film Advance & Speed Settings (00:00:45–01:46)

  1. Enable Advanced Film Advancing.
  2. Set advancing increment to 100 mm.
  3. Set film feed speed to match print speed.
    1. Common speed: 3.73 m/hour

Step 3: Job Setup in NeoStampa (01:46–03:21)

  1. Open NeoStampa.
  2. Pin NeoStampa to the taskbar for easy access (recommended).
  3. Click New Job.
  4. Select your printer and scheme.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click Add File.
  7. Import images:
    1. Single image or multiple using Ctrl + click
  8. Resize images if needed to fit print bounds.
  9. Rotate images if necessary to bring them within bounds.
  10. Copy and paste images as needed.

Step 4: Nesting & Sending the Print Job (03:21–04:28)

  1. Click the Nest icon.
  2. Set Minimal Separation to 0.25 in.
  3. Click OK to auto-arrange images and reduce media waste.
  4. Click Print.
  • Print Dialogue Checklist
  • Connection: TCP/IP Port (recommended)
  • If not selected:
    • Click Configure
    • Select TCP/IP Port
  • Job Processing Method:
    • Process and send simultaneously (common)
    • Verify computer RAM and system requirements if slow

Step 5: Monitoring the Print Queue & Oven Prep (04:28–05:52)

  1. Confirm the job appears in the print queue.
  2. If a status error appears:
    1. Check Pilot error log
    2. Confirm printer cover is closed
  3. Turn on the Fenix Air Oven.
  4. Ensure the oven power cord is plugged in.

Step 6: Cutting, Powdering & Pre-Heating (05:52–06:52)

  1. When printing completes:
    1. Hold film with one hand
    2. Cut with the other
  2. Place printed film in the oven:
    1. Ink side facing up
  3. Pre-heat film for a few seconds:
    1. Reduces humidity and static
  4. Apply powder:
    1. Pour evenly over printed areas
    2. Shake off excess powder
  • Checklist
    • Powder film within 2 hours of printing
    • Seismo S20 shaker may be used for efficiency
    • Turn oven on at least 10 minutes before curing
    • Do not activate air purifier while oven is heating
    • Replace HEPA and charcoal filters regularly

Step 7: Curing the Print (06:52–07:40)

  1. Set curing temperature:
    1. Minimum 120°C / 248°F
    2. Follow powder label instructions
  2. Cure time:
    1. Start at 60 seconds
    2. Adjust based on:
      1. Humidity
      2. Ambient temperature
      3. Altitude
  3. Inspect cured film:
    1. Powder fully melted
    2. Regular Color Prime powder shows glossy orange-peel texture
  4. Increase time or temperature if powder is not fully cured.
  5. Trim or peel off the confidence strip after curing.

Step 8: Heat Press Setup & Garment Prep (07:40–08:40)

  1. Turn on the heat press.
  2. Set temperature, time, and pressure.
  3. Thread garment onto lower platen.
  4. Center the garment.
  5. Pre-press for 5–10 seconds:
    1. Remove moisture
    2. Flatten fibers
    3. Confirm medium pressure

Step 9: Pressing the Transfer (08:40–09:08)

  1. Place cured film onto the garment.
  2. Cover with a Teflon sheet.
  • Press Settings
    • Quick Glide Film
      • 140°C
      • 10 seconds
      • Optional second press: 10 seconds
      • Instant / hot peel
    • Universal Film
      • 150°C
      • 10 seconds
      • Optional second press: 10 seconds
      • Warm peel (wait 5+ seconds)

Step 10: Peeling & Optional Second Press (09:08–End)

  1. Peel film according to film type:
    1. Quick Glide: peel immediately
    2. Universal: allow to cool, then peel slowly
  2. Optional second press:
    1. Improves hand feel
  3. Optional cover materials for second press:
    1. Teflon
    2. Cotton
    3. Polyester
    4. Canvas
    5. Parchment paper
  4. Using fabric during second press can:
    1. Create matte finish
    2. Transfer weave texture
    3. Absorb glycerin from print

End-of-Day Reminder

Refer to the printer maintenance video for shutdown and end-of-day procedures.

Result

A complete, safe, and optimized DTF workflow from print preparation through final garment press.

5. A Deep Dive into NeoStampa

NeoStampa — Advanced Capabilities Deep Dive

Purpose

Understand how to create, manage, modify, and optimize print jobs in NeoStampa, including file handling, white ink control, color adjustments, and color matching.

Section 1: Importing, Modifying & Saving Jobs (00:00–03:17)
Creating Jobs & Importing Images

  1. Click New Job.
  2. Select your printer and scheme.
    1. Example: Prestige R1 with 720 × 440 scheme.
  3. Import images using any of the following methods:
    1. Click Add File
    2. Drag and drop an image from the desktop
    3. Click Open Job
  4. Observe that each import method may create a new tab, representing separate jobs or batches.

Modifying a Job

  1. Resize images as needed.
  2. Duplicate images if required.
  3. Click Nest.
  4. Set nesting margin to 0.25 in to allow cutting space.

Saving Job Files

  1. Click File → Save.
  2. Save the job as a CPS file.
    1. CPS files:
      1. Open in NeoStampa
      2. Remain fully editable
      3. Ideal for reprints and reorders
  3. Close the job tab.

Printing & PRT Files

  1. Modify the second batch as needed.
  2. Click Print instead of Save.
  3. This creates a PRT file.
    1. PRT files:
      1. Open only in DTF Station Pilot
      2. Cannot be reopened in NeoStampa
  4. Wait for processing to finish before moving or using the PRT file.
Notes
Always confirm the correct scheme when reopening CPS files.
CPS = editable NeoStampa job file
PRT = print-ready file used by Pilot

Section 2: Adjusting White Ink Amount & Choke (03:17–05:42)
Method 1: Adjusting Individual Images

  1. Select an image.
  2. On the right panel, click White Effect Layer.
  3. Under Flat Method, adjust Intensity (%).
    1. Example: Reduce to 70% if too much white ink is present.
  4. Click Save.

Method 2: Adjusting via Profile Settings

  1. Click the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner.
  2. Select the correct profile next to Five Color.
  3. Click the White Ink icon.
  4. Adjust the Intensity (%).
  5. Click OK.

Adjusting Choke

  1. In the same menu, locate Choke.
  2. Right-click to change units to mm.
  3. Enter the desired choke value.
    1. Example: 1 mm to reduce white edge pickup.
  4. Click OK → Save.
  5. Confirm saving when prompted to apply changes to all images.

Section 3: Adjusting Colors (05:42–06:52)
Per-Image Color Adjustments

  1. Select an image.
  2. Click Color Adjustments (upper-right panel).
  3. Adjust:
    1. Brightness
    2. Contrast
    3. Saturation
  4. Preview changes.
  5. Click Apply.
Notes
  • Adjustments apply one image at a time.
  • Batch adjustment is possible but not recommended for accuracy.

Making Adjustments Global

  1. Click the three-dot icon.
  2. Select Advanced.
  3. Click Input Defaults.
  4. Enable color adjustment options.
  5. Adjust values as needed.
  6. Click OK → Save → Yes.
  7. All future images will now inherit these adjustments.

Section 4: Color Matching & Replacement (06:52–End)
Manual Color Replacement

  1. Select the image.
  2. Click the Color Replacement tool.
  3. Click the target color in the image.
  4. Review the existing RGB values.
  5. Adjust RGB values as desired.
    1. Example: Change R value to 255.
  6. Click OK.
  7. NeoStampa will now replace this RGB value whenever it appears.
Notes
  • Color replacement can be deleted if it affects gradients or unintended colors.

Using a Color Chart for Accuracy

  1. Open the Color Replacement tool again.
  2. Select the target color.
  3. Click Variations.
  4. Adjust:
    1. Deviation
    2. Step count (example: 8 for larger charts)
    3. Patch size
  5. Click OK to generate the color chart.
  6. Rotate and prepare the chart for printing.
  7. Click Nest → OK.
  8. Print the chart.
  9. Identify the preferred RGB value.
  10. Update your artwork accordingly.

Result

  • You now understand how to:
    • Create and manage NeoStampa CPS files vs Pilot PRT files
    • Control white ink intensity and choke
    • Apply image-specific or global color adjustments
    • Perform accurate color matching using replacement tools and charts


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