DTG Printing

You are in the DTG Printing area of Noisebridge, where digital printing meets textiles. The Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing station brings professional-grade fabric printing to the community, enabling radical self-expression through custom t-shirts, hoodies, and other textiles. EXITS: Front, Sewing, Fabrication, Hackitorium >

The DTG Printing station is one of Noisebridge's Fabrication Resources. CHANNELS: We have a #dtg-printing channel on Discord. RESOURCES: We have a RICOH Ri 1000 Direct-to-Garment Printer, along with necessary accessories for high-quality textile printing. EVENTS: We are looking for volunteers to host regular DTG printing workshops. Interested? Reach out and get involved! NOTES: When logging problems or maintenance, edit so the date descends! MAINTAINERS: Nick and others TBD.

RECRUITING! Maintainer volunteers wanted, consider volunteering to become a maintainer.

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PRINTER WE HAVE

https://ricohdtg.com/hubfs/19965518/wp/2020/04/Ri-1000-User-Manual-Rev-1.2.6-4-6-20.pdf

Move-in and Setup Log

Current Status: Moved in to 2nd floor, northeast corner, await initial setup.

Next Steps:

1. Identify an appropriate location in the Printshop.
2. Acquire or repurpose a sturdy table.
3. Establish contact with RICOH customer support, and get records transferred to Nick
4. Get a waste ink tube -- https://store.ricohdtg.com/detail/J1024151
5. Get an empty gallon jug and strap it to the table for use as a waste ink tank
6. Clean waste ink sump and print heads - what is the solvent needed for cleaning?
7. Put in real ink cartridges - are our ink cartridges expired?
8. USB slot functionality - Why is the USB slot on printer not recognizing a USB stick? It's freshly formatted as FAT32
9. Rip backups of software and serial #s
10. Setup software with ethernet connection to printer
11. Establish maintenance and operational procedures.

Date	Name [handle]	Notes
2025-02-26	Nick [outrightmental]	Moved RICOH Ri 1000 up to the 2nd floor, northeast corner and set it up on the table. Plugged in UPS power supply. Plugged in printer. Turned on printer. Confirmed no new errors, printer is warming up. Plugged in the fancy new heat press. It's totally awesome, with an auto-off and everything. The only problem is, apparently, it got dropped, and it is completely defective. It almost caught fire while plugged in, but the switch was off. Cut the cord and I will remove this piece and bring it to the dump today. Wrote to RICOH support with message "Hiya, I have a RICOH Ri 1000 that I purchased with a business partner. Unfortunately, the relationship went sour. I gained access to our space, followed all moving protocols and have brought the machine to its new location. I'm trying to setup an account at my.ricoh-usa.com to talk to RICOH. However,  entering serial number R879X100050 and ZIP code 94110, I get an error 'Your equipment information could not be verified'" Following instructions at https://ricohdtg.com/ricoh-dtg-university/episode-01-start-your-printer-after-months-of-shutdown https://ricohdtg.com/support/video-ri-1000-service-replace-right-ink-sump-tank My main concern about turning on the printer now (it's 6 pm Pacific) is that I won't have enough time to stick with it. I plan to return in a follow-up session to 1. connect a waste ink tube and designate some waste ink tank, 2. empty and clean the right ink sump, 3. While printer is off, swap in the 6 real ink cartridges, and 4. Turn on the printer and let it charge itself with real ink (which will also expel the cleaning fluid into the waste ink tank)
2025-03-05	Nick [outrightmental]	Submitted Transfer of Ownership form to RICOH Still blocked by not having a proper waste ink tube, I want to make sure I get the right one, which should be pretty standard, but I need to make sure I use the right size. I got an estimate of the ID/OD of that tube from RICOH, but the official replacement part is $22 so I'll just spring for that
2025-03-19	Nick [outrightmental]	I placed Ricoh order #125388 for a Ri 1000 Drain Tube (part #J1024151). The tube itself cost $21.00, with FedEx Ground shipping at $13.21 and tax of $1.81, bringing the total to $36.02.
2025-03-19	Nick [outrightmental]	I placed Ricoh order #125393 for one gallon of Image Armor Ultra (part #IAUD001G) at $50.00 and one bottle of Ricoh Cleaning Liquid Type 1 (part #257058) at $40.00, for a total of $90.00 in product cost. The FedEx Ground shipping charge was $13.79, and tax came to $7.76, bringing the total to $111.55.

Parts/Supplies needed

• Waste ink tube
• Waste ink tank
• Heat press
• CAT6 ethernet cable
• Black nitrile gloves

Overview

The RICOH Ri 1000 is a high-end direct-to-garment printer designed for bold, vibrant prints on a wide variety of fabric materials. This printer makes it possible to create radical t-shirts, experimental textile projects, and unique prints on items like tote bags, sneakers, and even full-garment wraps.

Pros

• High-quality fabric printing – professional-level prints in full color.
• Accessible radical design – enables anyone to create custom clothing.
• Diverse applications – print on t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, and even shoes.
• Comes with licensed software – supports advanced print configurations.
• RICOH’s reputation – known for good service and reliability.

Cons

• Large footprint – requires a sizable table, plus space for supplies and a heat press.
• Complex maintenance – needs a standby mode to cycle ink, regular cleaning, and ink line flushing when not in use.
• Expensive ink – a full set of cartridges costs ~$350 but can print ~200 full-coverage shirts.
• Dust sensitivity – may need protective covering and workspace cleanliness measures.
• Environmental conditions – may require specific humidity and temperature control.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

According to the user manual, the printer requires:

• A sturdy table with enough room for the printer, ink, cleaning supplies, and a tabletop heat press.
• Proper ventilation to handle ink fumes.
• Minimal dust exposure to avoid clogging print heads.
• Stable temperature and humidity levels to ensure print consistency.

MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS

Daily:

• Leave the printer in standby mode to keep ink lines active.

Weekly:

• Perform routine nozzle checks to prevent clogs.

Monthly:

• Conduct deep cleaning and ensure proper ink circulation.
• Verify that humidity and dust levels are within operational tolerance.

When Not in Use:

• Pump cleaning solution into the ink lines before shutting down.

9 Essential Tips for Keeping Your RICOH Ri 1000 in Top Shape

As part of our commitment to your success, we want to make sure that you are getting optimal performance from your RICOH Ri 1000 while also minimizing any issues that easily can be prevented by following a few simple tips:

1. Always leave your printer on to allow the machine’s automated maintenance sequences to run. This is necessary to keep the printer in optimal condition and avoid potential damage that can be prevented easily. If it is necessary to power down the machine for over 12 hours, be sure to fill your printer with cleaning fluid. Refer to Section 8.3 of your User Manual for more information.
2. Always shake new white ink cartridges thoroughly before installing them in your printer. Adequately shaking your new white ink cartridges helps ensure that your prints will come out bright and vibrant. Refer to the User Manual, page 18, for more information. Also shake the ink cartridges each day as prompted by the printer.
3. Make sure your ink is at 5% or above when you are done printing for the day or plan on leaving your printer idle for a few hours. While you can continue to print using cartridges with less than 5% remaining, the machine’s vital automated maintenance sequences require at least 5% or above in order to complete. If you do not have replacement ink available, you can fill your printer with cleaning fluid. Refer to Section 8.3 of your User Manual.
4. Clean encoder strip weekly or every 30 prints to help avoid blurry prints, double prints, and error codes. Refer to Section 8.2 of your User Manual or watch the AnaJet University: Ri 1000 Weekly Maintenance Video.
5. Make sure the obstacle sensor is on. If the sensor is off, head strikes may occur and cause damage to the carriage. To check if your obstacle sensor is enabled, navigate to the OPTIONS panel. The sensor is on when the blue light is illuminated on the OBSTACLE SENSOR button.
6. Set the table height correctly — just below the obstruction sensor. If the table is too low, the extra space may cause misting and printer damage. If the garment is dressed on the platen, the number on the table height adjuster should be between 0-2. If not dressing the garment, the number value should be no more than 4. Refer to Section 2.2 of your User Manual.
7. Perform a nozzle check daily, so you can spot and quickly address potential issues with the printer.
8. Check the downloads page to ensure you are on the most up to date firmware and AnaRIP.
9. Exercise care when adjusting table height or changing platens. While ruggedly constructed, the RICOH Ri 1000 is a precision tool and care should be taken when making adjustments to the machine. Do NOT over-tighten the tableheight-adjustment knob past “0” and carefully install platen without banging it against the print table.

Additional resources

https://www.gpisupplies.com/products/dtg-magic-clog-cleaner-for-ricoh-print-heads

PRINTING GUIDE

1. Prepare your design using the provided software.
2. Pre-treat the fabric (if required) with a spray applicator.
3. Load the garment into the printer’s platen.
4. Print the design onto the garment.
5. Cure the print using the tabletop heat press.
6. Inspect the final print for quality control.

GET INVOLVED!

This is a brand-new initiative, and community participation is key! Whether you're interested in learning the process, maintaining the printer, or organizing workshops, we’d love your input.

Ways to help:

• Join the #dtg-printing Discord channel.
• Assist with setup and maintenance.
• Volunteer to host DTG printing workshops.
• Contribute ideas for making this a thriving resource at Noisebridge!

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Want to help bring DTG printing to life at Noisebridge? Reach out to Nick or join the discussion on Discord!