Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment Printer Beginner Tutorial and First Project

The Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment (DTG) Printer is a really easy and fast DTG printer for the small home-based craft business. 

The direct to garment printer allows you to print on cotton, filling a void left open by sublimation which requires a high polyester count or polyester coating for hard goods. This tutorial will walk you through a beginner first print with the Roland BT-12 DTG printer and finishing oven. 

Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment (DTG) Printer vs Sublimation Printing

Sublimation has become very popular with Silhouette crafters for the ease of use, ability to use the same designs as Silhouette Studio, and stunning vibrant colors. 

The biggest drawback to sublimation is you can only sublimate onto blanks with a poly coating, and in the case of apparel, polyester.  For some small t-shirt businesses that leaves a pretty big void without being able to apply to cotton shirts. Sublimation's cousin, Direct to Garment or DTG, fills that gap with the ability to print directly onto cotton or textile products with at least 50% cotton.

Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment Printer Unboxing and Setup

Setting up the Roland BN-12 Direct to Garment printer is a pretty quick and easy process..you can literally go from opening the box to completing your first print in less than an hour. 

One of the great things about the Roland BN-12 DTG is just how beginner friendly it is even if you've never printed directly to garment before. This beginner Roland BN-12 unboxing and set up tutorial will take you through step by step.  

If you're not even sure what Direct to Garment (DTG) is or how it's different than sublimation, you can check out this tutorial for an introduction to DTG.

Best Printer for Small Business 2023: Is Inkjet, Sublimation, Ecosolvent, Print and Cut, DTF, DTG Best for You?

Whether you're a home crafter looking for a basic inkjet printer to do print and cut with Silhouette, want a low cost sublimation printer or are looking to expand a small business by investing in some type of sticker printer or transfer printer - I'm going to help you finally decide which is BEST for you. 

Unfortunately there's not one printer that will do it all. Especially if you're on a budget and have space restrictions. However, there are a wide variety of printers for both hobby crafters and small businesses. 

Which Printer Should I Get Next? Sublimation vs DTG vs DTF vs White Toner Printer vs Roland BN-20A

One of the best things about Silhouette Studio is not only how powerful a program it is, but the fact you can export from it in various file types allowing for printing on a wide range of printers. 

When it comes to pairing a printer with Silhouette Studio or Silhouette CAMEO, print and cut is usually the first thing to come to mind. But it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to printing and Silhouette! 

Unboxing Roland BN-20A: Initial Software and Machine Setup in 8 Steps

Setting up the Roland BN-20A for the first time is a several step process, but it's nothing to be overwhelmed about! 

In this Roland BN-20A beginner tutorial I'll take you step by step to set up the 20" eco solvent print and cut machine including the machine, (optional) stand, software package, blade and material to get you ready for your first print and cut with the Roland BN-20A. 

 

The Roland BN-20A is an eco solvent, desktop print and cut machine that will take any small vinyl business to the next level and open up expanded opportunities for Etsy sellers and their customers!  It's similar to the original Roland BN-20, but without the white and metallic ink options allowing a lower price point. 

If you're coming from the crafting side where you're used to a Silhouette CAMEO machine the Roland will seem like a print and cut dream!  But before you can get to printing and cutting vinyl stickers on this 20" printer and cutter we need to get it all setup....and I would recommend devoting a few hours to a half day to do that. 

21 Silhouette Tutorials That You Can't Craft Without! (January 2021 Wrap Up)

Officially one month into 2021 and we've already been having so much fun here at Silhouette School. 

I blink and it's time for another Silhouette tutorial wrap up.

21 Tutorials, Tips and Tricks (December 2020 Wrap Up)

Well you guys, we did it! We made it to the end of 2020!! 

And we are still crafting through it all! 

19 Silhouette School Tutorials You May Have Missed In January 2025

We are wrapping up the first month of 2025 here at Silhouette School. 

January was a whirlwind of creative inspiration here at Silhouette School! 

20 Silhouette Tutorials You Don't Want to Miss (February Wrap Up)

So it's the beginning of March and here we are wrapping up February! 

We've been having so much fun here at Silhouette School that I blink and the month's over and it's' time for another Silhouette tutorial wrap up.

SVG Designs: Why They're the Best Cut File Type for Crafters

SVG designs are extremely versatile as far as how they can be used and in which software programs and  machines they can be used with.  The same SVG design can be used to make everything from stencils to stickers to laser cut projects to sublimation transfers and vinyl decals

For this reason Scalable Vector Graphics, or SVGs, are my favorite cut file type. It also means when you add new equipment to your craft room or invest in your small business you don't need to start all over with your designs.  Check out all these different ways you can use the same SVG designs

21 Silhouette Tutorials, Tips and More (December Wrap Up)

You guys! Can you believe that we are wrapping up another month...and end of another year here at Silhouette School? 

We made it to the end of 2021...crafting through it all! Before we move forward, let's take a look back at all the awesomeness that went down in December!

How to Start a Small T Shirt Business With a Silhouette CAMEO

If you're a beginner looking to start a tshirt business with Silhouette CAMEO, I have so much info to share with you today that I jammed it into a video! 

We're talking the biggest mistakes to avoid when starting an at home t shirt business and the best equipment to have to set up your shirt business.  Plus pros and cons of various at home heat transfer printers and where HTV shirts SHOULD fit into your business. 

Prestige A3+ DTF Printer Review: Pros and Cons of the Desktop Direct to Film Printer

If you're considering getting into DTF (direct to film) and looking for a Prestige A3+ DTF Printer review - you'll find it here. 

If you're not even sure what Direct to Film printing is or how it fits into your Silhouette business, you might want to start here first.  Then be sure to come back to read the pros and cons of the desktop Direct to Film printer so you can make a decision if it's the next best printer for your small business. 

Silhouette School Craft Room and Home Office Tour

When you do what I do running a craft education business -  creating content, testing products, review products, and providing education on equipment - you tend to have a lot of "stuff."  In my case, stuff is printers, machines, heat presses...just stuff. 

I get questions almost every time I do a Facebook Live about pretty much anything visible in the camera shot. So today I figured I'd take you an office and craft room tour and provide a little behind the scene look at how my dream space came to be. 

Everything is linked so you can grab whatever it is you're wondering about!