EFI vs. Procolored vs. DIY Kits: What I Learned Buying Printing Equipment for Our Shop

Why I Ended Up Comparing These Three Very Different Options

When our shop decided to add a new production line this year, I was tasked with evaluating equipment. The budget was flexible, but the requirement was specific: we needed something that could handle short-run, customized orders—the kind that's growing fastest in our client base.

I started looking at three categories that kept coming up in my research: EFI industrial inkjet systems (like the EFI Pro 16h+ or the EFI H1625), Procolored DTF printers (a popular choice for garment decoration), and even a 3D printer kit for prototyping. (Should mention: the 3D printer kit was more of a side project idea, but it ended up teaching me a lot about printer setup that applied to the bigger machines.)

What I found surprised me. The cheapest option wasn't the best value, and the most expensive one wasn't always overkill. Here's what I learned from the comparison.

Dimension 1: Printer Setup & Onboarding

EFI Printers: A Professional, Guided Process

Setting up an EFI printer—whether it's a Vutek or a flatbed model—is not a DIY project. The manufacturer sends a certified technician. In our case, the installation took two full days, including calibration, software integration with our existing Fiery workflow, and training for two operators. (I should add that the training was included in the price, which I initially thought was just a sales pitch, but it turned out to be essential.)

We had to prepare the site beforehand: proper electrical (480V for some models), compressed air lines, and a level floor. The EFI team provided a detailed checklist two weeks before installation. That checklist, by the way, was the single most useful document I received during the whole process.

Procolored Printers: Plug-and-Play (Mostly)

The Procolored DTF printer was a different story. It arrived in a large crate. I assumed it would be ready to use. (Should mention: I learned never to assume after a previous experience with a different vendor.) We set it up ourselves in about 4 hours. The instructions were... adequate. In Chinese, with English translations that made sense about 70% of the time.

The real challenge was the software. The RIP software that came with it was a third-party product, and getting it to talk to our workflow took calls to both Procolored's support (based overseas) and the RIP developer. We lost about 2 days to back-and-forth. If I remember correctly, the solution was a specific driver version that wasn't mentioned in the manual.

3D Printer Kits: The Wild Card

I bought a 3D printer kit as an experiment. Assembly took about 6 hours. Calibration took another 3. The first four prints failed. The fifth one worked. I learned more about printer mechanics from that kit than from any manual.

But here's the thing: a 3D printer kit is not a production tool. It's a learning tool. If you're evaluating one for a print shop, you're probably looking at it wrong. (Oh, and the online forums for 3D printer kits are incredibly helpful—but also full of conflicting advice.)

Dimension 2: Cost of Ownership & Hidden Fees

EFI: High Upfront, Predictable Ongoing

According to market data I gathered (and I should note I'm not a pricing expert, so take this with a grain of salt), an EFI Pro 16h+ hybrid LED printer starts around $150,000–$200,000. That's a serious investment. But the ink costs are known, the parts availability is good in North America, and the service contracts are transparent.

The total cost of ownership includes: base machine, installation and training (usually bundled), ink (EFI uses a subscription model on some inks now), service contract (about $800–$1,200/month depending on coverage), and parts.

What surprised me: the electricity cost. A UV curing system draws significant power. Our facility manager estimated an additional $400/month in electrical costs. Nobody mentions that in the brochure.

Procolored: Low Entry, Higher Variable Costs

A Procolored DTF printer (like the A3 or A2 models) is around $3,000–$6,000. That's accessible. But the ink is proprietary (about $80–$120 per liter), and the powder for DTF costs about $15–$20/kg. For high-volume production, those consumables add up fast.

Also, the print heads are replaceable but not cheap. A single print head failure (which happened to us after 3 months) cost $350 to replace plus a day of downtime. The vendor who couldn't provide proper invoicing on replacement parts cost us $400 in rejected expenses claim later—I ate that out of my department budget.

3D Printer Kits: Cheap to Buy, Expensive to Iterate

A decent 3D printer kit is $200–$500. Filament is $20–$30/kg. Sounds cheap. But the time cost is real. For every successful print, I had about 2 failed ones. That's $60 in wasted filament plus 10 hours of monitoring and tweaking. For prototyping, maybe worth it. For production, no way.

Dimension 3: Print Quality & Consistency

EFI: Industrial Consistency

EFI's inkjet+ technology gives exceptional consistency. Once calibrated, a job printed on Monday will match one printed on Friday. Color matching is precise—critical for clients with brand guidelines. The EFI Fiery XF RIP is a beast; it handles color management, variable data, and queue management better than anything I've used.

I have mixed feelings about the learning curve on the Fiery. On one hand, it's powerful. On the other, it took our operators 3 weeks to feel comfortable with advanced features.

Procolored: Good for Garments, But Inconsistent

The Procolored prints on fabric are vibrant. For DTF transfers, the quality is solid—better than screen printing for short runs in my opinion. But we saw batch-to-batch variation, especially when the humidity changed. (I'm not 100% sure if that was the printer or the powder quality, but the correlation was strong.)

The 'standard size' assumption bit us here too. We ordered transfers for what we thought was 'standard' T-shirt placement. The Procolored software had different margins than our pre-press expected. Discovered this when the first batch arrived and the artwork was off-center by 10mm.

3D Printer Kits: Fine for Prototypes, Not for Products

Unless you're using advanced settings and post-processing, a typical FDM 3D printer from a kit produces visible layer lines. For functional prototypes, great. For customer-facing products, not acceptable without significant finishing. And finishing takes time—more time than the print itself, often.

Which One Should You Choose?

This is where I get to the advice part. Here's how I think about it based on our experience:

If you're a commercial print shop with consistent volume and brand clients: An EFI printer is the right choice. The reliability, service, and color consistency are worth the premium. I'd especially look at the EFI Vutek or EFI Pro series if you're doing flatbed or roll-to-roll work. The Fiery ecosystem integration is a real advantage—not just marketing speak.

If you're starting a garment decoration business or adding DTF to an existing shop on a budget: A Procolored DTF printer is a valid entry point. Just plan for a steeper learning curve with setup and support. Budget for extra ink and powder for the first 3 months while you dial in your process. And get a backup printer if volume is critical—downtime on a single unit hurts.

If you're exploring 3D printing for prototyping or internal jigs: A 3D printer kit is a great learning investment. But don't put it in a production workflow unless you understand the failure rate and post-processing requirements. For production-grade 3D printing, you want a closed-system industrial unit—not a kit.

To me, the biggest lesson was this: printer setup costs and time are part of the investment. The 5 minutes I saved by not reading the full manual on the Procolored? That cost us 5 days of back-and-forth on the software. And the 12-point checklist I created after the whole experience has saved an estimated $8,000 in potential rework so far.

I should add: there's no universal 'best' option here. It depends on your volume, your clients, and your tolerance for tinkering. For us, the EFI was the right call for production, the Procolored is useful for overflow and samples, and the 3D printer kit stays on my workbench as a hobby. If you ask me, that's a balanced setup.