| Business stage | Useful starting class | Primary gate |
|---|---|---|
| Validating demand | Outsource transfers or compact desktop | Prove weekly order volume |
| Side business | A3-class desktop system | Maintenance time and ventilation |
| Growing shop | Wider roll-fed system | RIP, powder/curing and service capacity |
| Production operation | Dealer-supported commercial line | Uptime, operator training and parts |
PRIMARY-SOURCE SHORTLIST
Exact-machine workflow matrix
Values below are a July 29, 2026 documentation snapshot—not a promise of current stock, price, output or warranty approval. Open each model source and obtain a dated seller quote before financing.
| Decision field | Procolored F13 Pro | Mimaki TxF150-75 | Epson SureColor G6070 | Roland TY-300i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US hardware price snapshot | $5,699 for the F13 Pro + oven configuration; the page showed a $5,199 promotion. Bundles and promotions change. | $11,995 USA/Canada list price. Obtain a written quote for powder and final-curing equipment. | $14,995 MSRP. Installation, powder/curing equipment and extended service are separate cost lines. | $23,195 MSRP; the page showed $17,195 through Aug. 28, 2026. Approved shaker/dryer shown separately at $7,495. |
| Maximum printable width | 13 in / 330 mm | 31.5 in / 800 mm | 35.4 in | 28.9 in / 736 mm |
| White-ink management path | Manufacturer describes motor agitation plus a pump-driven siphon circulation loop. Ask for the current model flow diagram. | MCTv2 circulates white ink to the damper above the printhead; degassed ink packs, NCU and NRS are documented. | Sealed UltraChrome DF packs, Nozzle Verification and automated maintenance are documented; Epson does not publish a full circulation-path diagram on the product page. | Four white cartridges and improved white-ink circulation are documented; request the current fluid-path and idle-state procedure. |
| Included RIP / computer gate | Procolored RIP; Windows only. Product page states C: drive ≥50 GB and RAM ≥8 GB. | RasterLink7 supports TxF150-75; Mimaki recommends Windows 10/11 Pro 64-bit and 8 GB RAM, with 16 GB for parallel RIP. | Fiery Digital Factory Epson Production Edition and Epson EdgePrint PRO full editions; activation and Internet access required. | VersaWorks 7 and Roland DG Connect included. |
| Powder and curing workflow | The cited configuration includes a batch oven; shaker bundles are separate. Confirm ventilation, dwell time and who supports printer-to-cure integration. | Three-way printer heaters dry/stabilize the film; powder application and final cure still require a quoted downstream workflow. | Printer platform only. Add compatible powder application, curing, ventilation and heat press to installed cost. | Optional approved shaker/dryer automates powder and cure. Treat it as a separate capital, power and service item. |
| Routine maintenance evidence | Procolored publishes daily ink-level and nozzle-check guidance. Circulation does not remove daily operator checks. | NCU can detect blocked nozzles and trigger cleaning; NRS can substitute working nozzles. Get the dealer maintenance schedule in writing. | Automated maintenance plus fabric-wiper cleaning; Epson still requires manual cleaning and replacement of specified maintenance items. | Guided cleaning and improved circulation are documented; Roland lists end-user maintenance consumables on its support page. |
| Warranty exclusions and service path | Dual-head mainboard is excluded. Registered XP600 heads get six months/one replacement; non-Procolored ink blockage and misuse are excluded. Shipping after month one is not covered. Remote support and a California repair center are listed. | Mimaki USA states a one-year minimum Total Care printer warranty and 90 days for parts; service begins with the authorized seller. Obtain product-specific exclusions and response SLA. | One year or 5,150,000 carriage passes, whichever comes first. Damage from non-Epson ink/delivery systems and unauthorized installation is excluded; limited warranty includes on-site support. | One-year coverage requires registration within 60 days and continuous approved-ink use. Authorized dealers and factory-trained service are the documented path. |
| Replacement head / service availability | Procolored lists replacement heads online, but price and compatibility vary by selected head. Confirm the exact XP600 SKU and whether installation affects coverage. | No public TxF150-75 head price found. Require dealer parts lead time, labor rate and emergency-response terms before signing. | No public user-replacement head price found. Quote on-site coverage and out-of-warranty service rather than assuming self-service. | No public head price found. Quote dealer response time and service-contract coverage for the actual shop ZIP code. |
| Consumable / operating-cost inputs | Specification states 20–25 ml/m² ink use; starter set is 5 × 500 ml. Model delivered ink, film, powder, cleaning, failures and daily labor. | PHT50 packs: 600 ml CMYK and 500 ml white. Use dealer-delivered prices plus cleaning, film, powder, labor and downtime. | 1.6 L UltraChrome DF packs. Epson notes ink is also used for maintenance; add service-plan, maintenance-set and separate cure costs. | 500 ml S-PG2 cartridges; printer draw is listed near 840 W in operation. Add shaker power, film, powder, cleaning, labor and service. |
Treat this as a shortlist, not a one-to-four ranking
The F13 Pro lowers entry capital but places more responsibility on the owner and remote-support path. Mimaki, Epson and Roland pair wider production platforms with dealer or on-site support, but require a much larger installed-cost case. Score the workflow against actual orders, local service and acceptable downtime.
Quote the complete installed workflow
A printer price is not a production-system price. Request one dated quote that separates every required component and every recurring item.
- Printer, RIP license and a computer that meets current requirements
- Ink, film, powder, cleaning fluids, maintenance parts and waste handling
- Powder application, final cure, heat press, ventilation and electrical work
- Freight, installation, operator training, service response and financing fees
Price downtime and warranty exclusions before speed
Ask the seller to identify who diagnoses a failed printhead, who pays shipping and labor, which ink or parts preserve coverage, and the realistic part lead time for your ZIP code. A fast printer without a credible recovery path can miss more orders than a slower supported system.
Run three economics cases
Use base, downside and stress cases. In the downside case reduce volume and raise failures; in the stress case add one service event and outsourced rush transfers. Buy only when the downside payback and cash reserve remain survivable.
- Start with delivered consumable invoices—not marketing cost-per-shirt claims
- Count operator cleaning, setup, reprints and scheduled maintenance as labor
- Separate contribution margin from revenue and include monthly fixed costs
- Keep outsourcing as a benchmark and overflow plan
Evidence boundary
PrintRig has not physically tested these machines. Specifications and maintenance statements above are manufacturer-published claims checked on July 29, 2026. Prices, promotions, software and warranty terms can change; obtain a dated written quote and current agreement before purchase.
SOURCE LEDGER
Manufacturer documentation checked
- Procolored F13 Pro product and included workflowChecked 2026-07-29
- Procolored DTF Pro technical specificationChecked 2026-07-29
- Procolored siphon circulation descriptionChecked 2026-07-29
- Procolored warranty policyChecked 2026-07-29
- Procolored support and service pathsChecked 2026-07-29
- Mimaki TxF150-75 product pageChecked 2026-07-29
- Mimaki TxF150-75 specification sheetChecked 2026-07-29
- Mimaki RasterLink7 system requirementsChecked 2026-07-29
- Mimaki USA Total Care warrantyChecked 2026-07-29
- Epson SureColor G6070 product pageChecked 2026-07-29
- Epson SureColor G6070 limited warrantyChecked 2026-07-29
- Roland TY-300i product and specification pageChecked 2026-07-29
- Roland warranty and supportChecked 2026-07-29
See an outdated specification or broken source? Use the correction policy.
DOWNLOADABLE COST DATA
Carry the machine evidence into an operating-cost and payback model.
The DTF operating-cost index separates hardware price, cure scope, maintenance, service recovery and the orders required to recover capital. A dated CSV is included for quoting or analysis.
NEXT DECISION
Run the economics before asking for financing.
Build a saleable-transfer cost with the cost-per-print calculator, then pressure-test the capital with the break-even model.