The Roland VersaSTUDIO BT-12 Direct-to-Garment Printer, Inks, & Finishing Tray Bundle is as close to hobbyist or side hustle DTG Printer as you can get!

The Roland BT-12 has solved the biggest issues holding many home t-shirt printer business entrepreneurs from jumping in:

1. Price of Direct to garment printers
2. Complexity of the process
3. Amount of space/equipment needed

Quick Primer on Direct to Garment Printing

Most ways that people make custom t-shirts is by using transfers.

The clamshell press opens just like a clam opens its shell. There's a hinge at the back and you close it and open the press up and down – just like that shell.

Transfer printers – like sublimation or white toner printers – have you print onto a transfer then heat press that to a t-shirt.

A direct to garment printer is an inkjet machine like your home printer. But instead of loading a piece of paper into it, you load a blank t-shirt.

The big advantage to direct to garment printers is that you get some amazing color gradations. And the "smoke effect".

Transfer printers have hard edges on their output – so you could never have smoke trailing up from your design – it would come out in blocks instead.

Because the ink is being applied right to the shirt, you also don't get the stiff feel that you see on some transfer printed custom t-shirts.

The Most Affordable Direct to Garment Printer

Most Direct to Garment Printers that you might consider for a home business sell for between $15,000 and $25,000. Like the ColDesi G4 DTG Printer or the Epson F2100

So the VersaStudio BT-12 is by far the most affordable Direct-to-Garment printer on the market. Even at the retail price of $4,995.

That's at least $10,000 less for the Roland!

It's not just the most affordable direct to garment printer because of the printer itself though. The Bundle we've been talking about for the BT-12 INCLUDES the dryer

With one of the other printers, you'll need to add a high quality heat press in addition to the basic price.

Simple Printing for DTG

The BT-12 is significantly simpler to use than one of the bigger machines.

When using other methods to print custom t-shirts at home, you would need to follow this kind of process. We'll use a family phot as an example:

• Take the photo on your phone
• Upload it to the cloud and download it onto your desktop computer
• Bring the pic into a RIP software -where you manipulate put it on to a transfer
• Print to the transfer material
• Then either heat press it onto a shirt or add a glue layer, THEN put it on a shirt.

Here's the same process with the Roland BT-12:

• Take the photo on your phone
• Send it directly to the Roland software using a QR code
• Print it
• Put it in the dryer

It's actually even easier than it sounds.

What else will you need?

Nothing. When you get the starter bundle for your Roland DTG printer you get everything you need.

Unlike other technologies where you will need a heat press, heat press protection sheets, pretreat sprayers or machines, boxes of paper and more.

What else can you print besides t-shirts?

First, remember that you can ONLY print on white or very light colored cotton/blend shirts for the best results.

But in addition to those you can also print on:

• Jerseys
• Fashion Accessories
• Infant clothing
• Pet vests
• Towels
• More..

More about the Roland BT-12

A Safe, Fully-Enclosed Process
Print onto garments without coming into any contact with chemicals, heat, steam, or complicated processes that present safety issues.

Space-Saving Print Solution

A Safe, Fully-Enclosed Process
The compact printer fits comfortably in any store, office, kiosk, workshop or home environment— the printer and finisher unit can be stacked to maximize functionality.

Durable Stainless Steel Printheads

192 nozzles per channel, 2 channels per head and variable dot printing offer professional print results on a wide range of cotton/cotton mix products.

Software Included

Super simple software that adds to the "Most Affordable DTG Printer" title

Easy to Fit Anywhere

Weighs just 55lbs.
15.7" x 27.5" and just over 20" high including the Finisher