Image Armor Light Formula DTG Pre-Treatment - 1 Gallon
Ready-to-use DTG pretreatment formulated for white and light-colored garments, improving CMYK color vibrancy, image sharpness, dot control, and wash durability on cotton, polyester, and blended fabrics.
Characteristics
The Image Armor LIGHT Formula DTG Pre-Treatment - 1 Gallon is a professional direct-to-garment pretreatment specifically developed to improve the appearance and durability of DTG prints on white and light-colored garments.
While white garments printed with CMYK inks traditionally may not require pretreatment, untreated fabric can absorb and wick the water-based DTG ink into the fibers. This can reduce color intensity and cause printed dots to spread, resulting in softer details and less vibrant finished graphics.
Image Armor LIGHT helps control this ink absorption and DTG dot gain, allowing printed ink droplets to remain more controlled on the garment surface. The result is sharper image definition, improved fine detail, stronger colors, and better overall print presentation.
The formula is particularly effective for CMYK-only DTG printing, helping produce richer reds, deeper blacks, cleaner details, and a wider-looking color gamut without relying on additional CMYK print passes to increase color intensity.
In addition to improving print appearance, Image Armor LIGHT is designed to increase the wash durability and color fastness of compatible DTG ink systems. Proper pretreatment helps anchor the printed image to the garment so prints maintain their appearance longer through repeated washing.
Image Armor LIGHT offers excellent fabric versatility. It can be used on 100% cotton, cotton/polyester blends, 50/50 fabrics, and compatible 100% polyester garments. Image Armor specifically recommends the LIGHT formula for white cotton, white cotton/polyester blends, and white polyester garments. Light-colored garments should be tested because results can vary depending on garment color, construction, and fabric composition.
The pretreatment is supplied ready to use, eliminating the need for dilution or mixing before production. It can be applied with a spray gun or compatible automatic pretreatment machine, with automated application recommended for the most consistent and repeatable results.
Manufactured in the USA, Image Armor LIGHT Formula provides DTG shops with a versatile pretreatment solution for producing sharper, brighter, and more durable prints on white and compatible light-colored garments.
- Professional DTG garment pretreatment
- LIGHT Shirt Formula
- Designed primarily for white and light-colored garments
- Excellent for CMYK-only DTG printing
- Helps improve CMYK color vibrancy
- Produces sharper, more detailed images
- Helps control DTG dot gain
- Reduces ink wicking into garment fibers
- Helps printed ink remain controlled on the fabric surface
- Improves fine-detail reproduction
- Helps produce richer reds and deeper blacks
- Improves overall image presentation
- Helps increase print wash durability
- Improves color fastness of compatible DTG ink systems
- Excellent performance on 100% cotton
- Suitable for 50/50 cotton/polyester garments
- Suitable for compatible blended fabrics
- Works with compatible 100% polyester garments
- Especially effective on white polyester
- Ready-to-use formula
- No dilution required
- Can be applied manually with a suitable spray system
- Compatible with automatic pretreatment machines
- Automatic application provides improved consistency and repeatability
- Suitable for professional DTG production
- Designed, formulated, and manufactured in the USA
- Shake the container before use and before transferring pretreatment into an application machine.
- Image Armor LIGHT is supplied ready to use; do not dilute before application.
- Apply pretreatment as evenly as possible across the entire area that will receive the DTG print.
- An automatic pretreatment machine is recommended for the most consistent and repeatable fluid application.
- Image Armor's general application guidance suggests starting around 15-18 grams for a 14" x 14" print area, then adjusting according to the garment and desired results.
- Higher application amounts may improve wash durability and optical brightness on some garments, so always perform production testing before establishing final settings.
- Heavier garments may require additional pretreatment compared with lightweight garments.
- Garment color, fabric composition, knit construction, and weight can all affect the ideal pretreatment amount.
- Use high-quality garments with a smooth, tight-knit surface whenever possible for optimum DTG image quality.
- Heat press at approximately 330°F for 30 seconds as a starting point.
- If moisture remains after the initial press, continue pressing in approximately 10-second intervals until the garment is completely dry.
- Begin with light-to-medium heat press pressure and adjust when required for the garment being processed.
- A suitable parchment paper, coated Kraft paper, or compatible protective sheet can be used during heat pressing.
- Remove the cover sheet after pressing rather than allowing it to cool on the garment.
- Always ensure the garment is completely dry and moisture-free before DTG printing.
- Test light-colored garments before production because garment dyes and fabric compositions can react differently to pretreatment and heat.
- Avoid using Image Armor LIGHT as the primary pretreatment for dark garments; select an appropriate Image Armor dark-garment formula for those applications.
- Pretreated garments can be prepared ahead of production, but Image Armor recommends using them as soon as practical.
- If a pretreated garment has been stored for more than a day, re-press it for approximately 5-10 seconds with light pressure to remove absorbed moisture before printing.
- Minimize excessive handling, folding, and flexing of pretreated garments before printing to help preserve the prepared printing surface.
- White DTG T-shirts
- Light-colored DTG garments
- CMYK-only DTG graphics
- Full-color photographic DTG prints
- Detailed graphics and fine artwork
- 100% cotton garments
- 50/50 cotton/polyester garments
- Compatible cotton/polyester blends
- White polyester performance garments
- DTG applications requiring improved dot control
- DTG applications requiring increased color vibrancy
- Production where improved wash durability is desired
- 1 Gallon
Image Armor LIGHT Shirt Formula is designed, formulated, and manufactured in the USA.