Converting an Epson L1800 or L805 to DTF: what you need and what goes wrong

What you need

• DTF inks: CMYK + white pigment inks made for DTF (not sublimation, not regular Epson dye).
• White in two of the six tanks — two channels of white double the white flow and let the RIP print colour and white in one pass. Kits differ on which two: light cyan + light magenta on many, cyan + magenta (with cyan and magenta moved to the light tanks) on others, like the L805 we tested in a shop. ZoroPrint starts the L805, L800 and L1800 with white in M + C; the other layout is one click in Printer › Ink settings › Inks in the printer.
• PET film (hot or cold peel), TPU powder, a curing oven or heat press with a cover sheet.
• A RIP that drives the printer directly. On Mac that means ZoroPrint; on Windows also AcroRIP, CADlink or BlackBox.
• Optional but worth it: a white ink agitator and a roll feeder for the L1800.

The four mistakes

1. Skipping the channel test. Kits differ; some put white in different tanks. Five minutes on film prevents the blue print.
2. Printing on paper to “test”. White is invisible on paper and the film’s ink behaviour is different. Test on film, always.
3. Letting the printer sit. White settles in days. Purge strip every 2–3 days, stir daily.
4. Double colour management. Photoshop converts, RIP converts again, colours drift. Convert once, in the RIP.

Which model

• L805: A4, 216 mm wide, cheapest to run, perfect for logos, patches and small gang sheets.
• L1800: A3+, 329 mm wide, roll film with a feeder — the workhorse for gang sheets.
• Successors L8050 / L18050 and the ET-8550 / L8180 use a newer head; ZoroPrint drives them too (currently marked experimental until confirmed on hardware).