Troubleshooting the Prestige A3+ & A3+R DTF Printers
PRESTIGE WEEKLY ZOOM TRAINING
Weekly training held by DTF Station, the manufacturer of the machine. Includes instruction on setup and maintenance, as well as a Q&A session
Every Tuesday at 2pm EST & Friday at 6pm EST --- Zoom Meeting
RED LIGHTS ON START UP
New printers come with a CR Lock to hold the print head in place. If this is not removed, the printhead cannot move freely. It will cause red lights on start up.
ALTERNATING RED LIGHTS
Two alternating red lights is typically due to the waste tank thinking it's full. Epson File is available here.
SIMULTANEOUS RED LIGHTS (NOT AT START UP)
Check your system for error codes. Epson File is available here.
Below are some solutions for common results. For Fatal Error, please contact Swing Design. Please provide Swing Design Customer Support a screenshot of the error code as well as your serial number.
Error Code: 2 R CR Load Position
You can manually reset the load position. Follow these videos in order until fixed:
CR Lock Manually Bypass -
CR Lock Manual Bypass + Reset -
Head Height Adjustment
61 H : PW sensor error
Resetting sensor error -
You can also view the “cleaning encoding strip” video below.
RED MAINTENANCE LIGHT STAYS ON (INK DROP)
This alert is typically due to low ink levels. If your inks are full, you need to reset the ink levels. Epson File is available here.
RED PAPER/TRASH LIGHT STAYS ON
If this light remains on, check the printer to ensure there is no film stuck inside the machine. Turn the printer off from the front, and then from the back. Leave off for 10-15 minutes. Restart the printer.
WHITE INK NOT PRINTING / PRINTING THIN
Mix your white ink thoroughly with the handle of a cleaning swab
Check the condition of the dampers on your machine to ensure they are not damaged, and that they are filled with ink. Gently shake the dampers to mix the ink.
Pull approximately of ink through the lines through the waste tank tubing. This will ensure there are no air bubbles in the line.
Complete a head clean on the machine
Check your white strength. White strength should be adjusted depending on the surface the print will be adhered to.
BANDING
Banding is thin lines running through a print. It can be caused by a number of things, such as printhead clog/damage, print mode, damaged dampers, issues with the ink or the film. If you are experiencing banding, please try the following:
Perform a head clean
Check that your dampers are in good working order and do not have any damage.
Check that your ink is not expired
Perform a printhead deep clean
NO INK THROUGH THE WASTE LINE
If no ink is able to be pulled from the waste ink line, check your dampers for damage. If there is no damage, complete a head clean. If issues continue, complete a printhead deep clean.
PRINT HEAD DEEP CLEAN
If the printhead appears to be clogged and other methods to resolve the clog have not been successful, a full deep clean of the printhead may be required. To remove the printhead for cleaning, follow the beginning steps of video #1 before switching to the video #2.
Removing the printhead (Video #1 until 2:26) -
Cleaning the printhead (Video #2) -
PRINTER NOT CONNECTING TO SOFTWARE
If CADLink is not recognizing your printer, or you are getting an “Unknown Error”, you may need to reset your queues.
DAMAGED DAMPERS
Dampers should be. If any ink is leaking or they feel soft like deflated balloons, they should be replaced. Dampers are available for purchase here.
CLEANING ROLLERS
If your machine is getting streaks, or is having issues with feeding forward, your rollers may need to be cleaned. There are external rollers and internal rollers that can be cleaned.
External -
Internal -
CLEANING ENCODING STRIP
If your machine is not feeding correctly, or is stopping mid print, you may need to clean the encoder strip. This is a recommended task to complete once a week as part of regular maintenance.
DRAIN INK
If the machine needs to be transported, or the ink has expired, you will need to drain the ink.
CHECK ERROR CODES
If a solution can not be found from the above methods, it is often best to check the system for error codes. This can provide additional information for troubleshooting as well as providing information for the support team.
When opening the link for the file, you should see a downward arrow on the upper right to download the file. It may ask you if the file is safe. You will want to keep going. Once it opens a file, it should show "1390 clear". You will then need to "Extract All". Finally, once you get the new folder open, you can click on the "1390 clear" to open the resetter.exe file. Your computer may ask again if you trust the program, and you should click "Run". The video should be easy to follow from there. Please make sure you are plugged into your DTF printer and the power is on in the front when doing these steps.
