Brother Gt3 Manual

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
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1. Read This First 
1-1. Precautions 
Please observe the following precautions before using your printer. 
z   GT-3 represents the common specifications of GT-381,  GT-361 and GT-341 models. The individual specifications 
are described with each model name.   
z   Please advise the following to your cust omers who buy your printed materials: 
z   Printed colors may transfer when a printed surface rubs on a white or light-colored synthetic leather made of 
PVC (polyvinyl chloride). When printing CMYK-only gar ments, the CMYK ink may transfer to the White-only 
printed garment when they rub against each other. In t hose cases, clean the stains with a soft cloth or 
toothbrush with a household cleaner or alcohol. 
z   Wash away the pretreatment halo marks.   
z   The printer is designed to be used within the temperature and humidity levels below. Less humidity may cause ink 
clogging in Print Head nozzles and higher temperature may c ause splashy print result. Use the printer within the 
range of our recommendation for the best print result.     
 
 Temperature Humidity 
Keeping your printer  32 °F to 104 °F 
(0 °C to 40 °C)  20 % to 85 % 
(no condensation) 
Operating your printer  50 °F to 95 °F 
(10 °C to 35 °C) 
For the best print result 64 °F to 86 °F 
(18 °C to 30 °C)  35 % to 85 % 
(no condensation) 
 
 
z   Do not pull out Ink Cartridge(s) duri ng the operation; it may result in poor print quality or cause damage to your 
printer. 
z   Do not turn off your printer, or open the Front Cover during the operation; otherwise the printer may be damaged or 
spoil the print job. 
z   Be careful in handling a printed T-shirt that has not yet fi xed by heat. Ink is difficult to wash from stained clothes. 
z   Clean the Caps and Wipers, replace t he Wiper Cleaners, Fan Filter, Roller Felts (4), Flushing Plate Sponge (top) 
and Flushing Plate Felt (bottom) according to our ma intenance schedule to maintain good print quality. Those 
Maintenance Parts are packed together in White, Cy an and Magenta (except 180 cc) ink Cartons. Replace them 
when you open the new ink cartridge or you see the warn ing indicated on the display. Print quality may be 
damaged by insufficient cleaning, e.g. dirty printed materials, mis-firing. 
z   Never use alcohol when you clean Head Caps and Wiper  Blade; it will cause damage to the Print Heads. Use 
Wash Liquid when you clean around the Print Heads.   
z   Install the Ink Cartridges in the correct positions as show n. Confirm both the colors of labels on your printer and the 
Ink Cartridges. 
z   The printer indicates empty status Empty XXXX (color) when the ink cartridge is used up. Replace with a new Ink 
Cartridge. Make a new Ink Cartridge available when the icon  on the Operation Panel starts blinking. A small amount 
of ink remains to avoid damage to your printer.   
z   New consumables should be stored away from direct sun light until they are required. Use up the Ink Cartridges, 
Pretreatment and Maintenance Solution before the expi red date, and CMYK inks should be used up within six 
months after opening the new one.    
						

							 
 
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z   Never refill ink, never reconstruct ink cartridges; in k may cohere inside the cartridge bag, tube or even Print Head 
and may cause serious damage to your printer. We assume  no responsibility for any problem caused by using 
them. Only genuine new ink cartridges should be used. 
z   The ink cartridges should always be installed; otherwise the needles may stopped up with ink and your printer may 
be damaged. 
z   Tubes and Print Heads for White must be cleaned with Maintenance Solution once a week by the menu Tube 
Cleaning. The Warning Clean Tube W* is indicated on the di splay of the Control Panel after a week passes since 
the last Tube Cleaning.   
z   If the printer is unused for a period of time there is a possibility that Print Heads and Maintenance Unit may become 
clogged as ink dries. To avoid this, we recommend that  the printer should be turned on at least once a week and 
press the Head Cleaning Button to clean the Print Head. If  you are planning not to use your printer for more than 
two weeks, follow “6-2-5. Required Maintenance for  the Long Storage to keep printer in good condition. 
z   Shake the White Ink Cartridges once  a day before you start printing (30 seconds to 1 minute for each, 1-2 minutes 
for new one). Hold the cartridge  upside down 
to agitate the pigment in the bottom and shake it horizontally.   
z   If CMYK inks are printed on a Pretreatment applied T-sh irt, ink may wash off. Do not apply Pretreatment when you 
print without using White ink.   
z   The clearance between the Clearance Sensor and the su rface of the Print Heads should be app. 2 mm. If the 
clearance is wider, the ink mist will spread inside the printer and the printing material, and may damage the sensors 
inside. If you print with wider clearance (more than 2 mm)  then check the inside of the printer and keep it clean by 
referring to 6-1-6. Cleaning the inside of the printer and restart and 6-1-7. Cleaning the Encoder Strip.   
z   Pretreatment mist may spread out  when you use a spray and/or pretreatment  applicator. Ventilate your room in 
operation. Wear a face mask or goggles as necessary.     
z   Pre-treatment on some T-shirts may be seen after appli ed and cured, wash lightly with water to remove mark. 
Some dyes may be decolorized by Pretreatment; we recommend you test the garment before printing. 
z   Dispose the used waste ink, pretreat ment, maintenance solution (all water-bas ed) or other wastes in accordance 
with your local regulations. Or make contact to your dealer.   
z   The pretreated area may turn yellow when you apply Pret reatment on a white or light-colored garment. Keep the 
pretreated garment away from the sunli ght and wash the printed T-shirt soon.   
 
 Only for the use in the United States 
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is  subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may 
not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must acce pt any interference received, including interference that may 
cause undesired operation. 
  
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
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Product names used in this manual are, in general, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective developer or 
manufacture. However, in this manual, the ® marks or 
TM marks are not used. 
Brother logo is registered trademar k of Brother Industries, Ltd.   
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. 
Corel, CorelDRAW and Paint Shop Pro are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation. 
Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrato r and Adobe Photoshop Elements are either registered trademarks of Adobe 
Systems Incorporated in the United  States and/or other countries. 
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the tr ademarks or registered trademarks of their respective 
owners. 
Screen shots used in this document are in accordance  with the guidelines of Microsoft Corporation.  
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
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  This unit uses software.   
  Agree with the license agreement to use the software. 
 
 
Software License Agreement  
The customer may download and use this software afte r agreeing with the various terms stipulated in the 
Software License Agreement (herein referred to as the Agreement).   
This software cannot be used if the customer disagrees with this agreement. 
1. Ownership 
The ownership of this software and any reproductions bel ongs to Brother Industries (herein referred to as 
Company) or its supplier, Wind River KK. This  agreement does not transfer this companys software 
copyright to the customer. 
2. License Agreement 
2-1. This company hereby grants the customer non-exclusive rights to use this software. 
2-2. The customer may not conduct the following.  (1) Modify this software in whole or in part 
(2) Duplicate this software for  purposes other for backup purposes 
(3) Reverse engineering, reverse assemble, or reverse compile this software 
(4) Rent or lease this software 
(5) Leave a computer in a public location where this software can be downloaded 
3. No Warranty 
Except for the expressed and implied warranties set forth herein, this company disclaim all other warranties. 
This company cannot ensure that this  software is not defective, not compatible with specific applications, 
and the use of this software does not infringe upon third party rights. 
4. Restriction of Liability 
This company shall not be held responsible for any dam age, directly or indirectly, caused by problems or 
any related problems with this software. 
5. Third Party Beneficiary 
Wind River KK. and its suppliers (herein collectively refe rred to as supplier) are third party beneficiaries of 
this software in this Agreement and may have enforceabl e rights of the various terms in this Agreement. 
6. License Termination 
If the customer violates the condi tions stipulated in this Agreement, this company may terminate this 
Agreement without prior notice. 
7. Governing Law 
This Agreement shall conform to and be interpreted according to Japanese Law. 
8. Separate Terms 
Regarding the use of this software by customers not  under this Agreement, this company or the supplier of 
this software shall provide the customer with separate  terms (herein referred to as separate terms). If the 
customer agrees to these 
separate terms, these terms shall take priority over  any terms not covered or infringing upon the provisions 
within the License Agreement. 
 
Agree to abide by the aforementioned terms.      
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
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1-2. Unpacking Your Printer 
 
Your printer must be unpacked by a Brother representative or a Brother authorized shipping company. 
After unpacking, check that the following parts are included. 
Contact Brother Customer Service Ho t Line if any of these is missing. 
z  GT-3 Printer 
z  Install CD 
z  AC cord 
z   Nozzle Cleaning Kit: 2 for GT-381 and GT-361, 1 for GT-341 
z   Print Heads: 8 for GT-381, 6 for GT-361, 4 for GT-341   
z   One Waste Ink Tank 
z  One Encoder Cleaner 
z   One Maintenance Cartridge for GT-381, GT-361 
z   One Tube Cleaning Bottle for GT-381, GT-361 
z   Flushing Plate (including Flushing  Plate Felt and Flushing Plate Sponge) 
z   Print Head Protection Film: 8 for GT-381, 6 for GT-361, 4 for GT-341 
z   Basic Operation Manual 
z   How to uncrate Manual 
 
 
Filter Cartridges (8 for GT-381, 6 for GT-361, 4 for GT-341)are  installed in both Ink Cartridge Slots. Keep them since they 
should be used for maintenance & transport operations. 
 
 
1-3. Required Condition 
Please use your printer under the condi tions described in this section. 
 
1-3-1. Environment 
 Temperature Humidity 
Keeping your printer 32 °F to 104 °F 
(0 °C to 40 °C) 20 % to 85 % 
(no condensation) 
Operating your printer  50 °F to 95 °F 
(10 °C to 35 °C) 
For the best print result 64 °F to 86 °F 
(18 °C to 30 °C) 35 % to 85 % 
(no condensation) 
 
If your room is dry, we recommend using a humidifie r to avoid Print Heads from clogging with dried ink. 
  
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
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1-3-2. Electrical Requirements 
 
Power: 
Single-phase 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz 
 
Power Consumptions: 
0.4 A (average) 
 
 
1-3-3. Software Information 
Supported OS:   
Latest Windows XP (32 bit), Windows Vista (32  bit / 64 bit), Windows 7 (32 bit / 64 bit) 
 
Supported Interface:   
USB 2.0 
 
Minimum System Requirements: 
256 MB RAM (512 MB or more is recommended),   
128 MB free disk space (256 MB or more is recommended),   
1 GHz CPU (2 GHz or more is recommended.) 
 
Recommended Applications for precise output:   
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Pa int Shop Photo Pro (for BMP editing) 
Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW (for Vector Data editing) 
 
1-3-4. Other Requirements 
When purchasing optional tools and devices, choose  one that meets the following requirements. 
USB cable:   
USB 2.0-compliant device cable (A/B) 
 
Using other USB 2.0-compliant device cabl e may result in improper connection. 
 
USB flash memory: 
Capacity under 32 GB, 
FAT 32 formatted,   
 
Heat Press:   
Must be able to handle the area of Platen 14 x 16 (355.6 mm x  406.4 mm) and maintain heat production of 356 °F (180 °C) 
for 35 seconds. Pretreatment must be  cured with the heat press instead of oven to keep the surface flat and smooth.   
 
When you print with White ink, we recommend using oven instead  of heat press. (320°F (160 °C), 3 and half minutes with the 
tunnel 2.4 meter long as a rough indication) 
 
Separator sheet: 
When you cure Pretreatment and ink, be sure to use this to ma ke the surface smooth and flat. When you cure printed ink, use 
this for separation.   
  
						

							 
 
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Urethane mat (continuous foam): 
When you cure Pretreatment, use this to release the hot air quickly.   
 
T-shirt: 
Made with 100 % cotton, 50 % cotton and 50 % polyester (light-colored are recommended) 
 
z   Pretreatment on some T-shirts may be seen after applied and cured. In that case, wash lightly with water to remove mark. 
Some dyes may be decolorized by Pretreat ment, especially dye migration will occur on Polyester garment. Be sure to 
test before your production.   
z   Some manufacturing brands may not work as good as 100% cotton garment. 
You need to test prior to your production, especially  when you print on something new and unknown materials.     
 
 
 
1-3-5. Consumable Requirements and Options 
For ordering new or replacement items please use the codes below. 
 
Consumables Parts Code 
Black Ink Cartridge      180 cc 
                       380 cc GC-30K18 
GC-30K38 
Magenta Ink Cartridge      180 cc 
                       380 cc GC-30M18 
GC-30M38 
Cyan Ink Cartridge      180 cc 
                       380 cc 
GC-30C18 
GC-30C38 
Yellow Ink Cartridge     180 cc 
                       380 cc GC-30Y18 
GC-30Y38 
White Ink Cartridge      380 cc x 2 
GC-30W38 
Maintenance Solution   (5 kg) 
GC-50S5K 
Pretreatment          20 kg  GC-51P2L 
Wash Liquid SA6248 
Maintenance Cleaning Kit SB3168 
Nozzle Cleaning Kit SB3082 
Platen Sheet     PLTN 14x16 SB3035 
Platen Sheet S      PLTN 10x12 SA6401 
Platen Sheet SS    PLTN 7x8 SA8211 
Print Head SB3184 
Pretreatment Roller SB1290 
Capping Cartridge W SB3047 
Wiper Cleaner SB3101 
Grease SB3229 
Waste Ink Tank SB2582 
Maintenance Cartridge W SB3264 
Maintenance Cartridge (Color) SB3265 
Filter Cartridge W SB2512 
Filter Cartridge (Color) SB2508 
 
  
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 
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2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 
2-1. Front 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0043Y 
No. Name Description 
1  Platen  Holds the T-shirt to be printed. 
2 Platen Sheet  Prevents a T-shirt from slipping so  that an image is printed on your desired position. 
3 T-shirt Tray  Keeps parts of T-shirt hanging from the Platen (e.g. sleeves) on this T-shirt Tray. 
4 Front Cover  Open this to work on the inside of your  printer, after you turn OFF the printer. (If you 
open the Front Cover while operating, the power automatically turns off.) 
5  Stop Lever  Unlocks the lock of the Front Cover. Keep pushing it to release the lock when you 
close the Front Cover.   
6  Control Panel  Indicates the status of the printer. Use this to operate your printer.   
See “2-7. Control Panel” for the details. 
7  Power Switch  Turns on/off your printer. 
8 Shoulder Bar  Adjusts the T-shirt position. 
9 USB flash drive Slot  Inserts USB flash drive. 
10 Ink Cartridge Slots  Load the Ink Cartridges of the appropriate color: from the left side W1, W2, W3, W4,   
Black(K), Magenta (M), Cyan (C), Yellow (Y). 
11  Ink Cartridge Storage  Stores the new Ink Cartridges. 
12 Guard Bar  Keeps the loading space of the Platens.   
13 Clearance Sensor  
(Obstruction Sensor)  Cancels an operation for safety, if it detects obstructions on the Platen. When you 
lower the platen for printing thicker materi
als, use Platen Button on the Control Panel 
and check the movement if the material does  not hit the flap of the Clearance Sensor. 
The sensor will not work when the clearance between the print head and the material 
is too wide (the platen is too low). Confir m the platen height by referring 4-5. Placing 
the T-shirt on the Platen.   
14  Model Plate  Indicates the serial number of the product.      
						

							 
 
GT-3 Series 
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts
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2-2. Right 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0044Y 
No. Name Description 
1 Exhaust slot  The outlet of the Exhaust Fan. Do not cover; Leave the space of 20 cm or 
more to release the exhaust air.   
 
 
2-3. Rear 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0045Y 
No. Name Description 
1  AC cord socket  Inserts AC cord. 
2 USB port  Inserts USB cable to PC. 
3 LAN port  Inserts LAN cable to PC. 
4 Rear Cover  Covers the Platen moving area.   
5 Waste Ink Tube  Drains the waste ink.   
6 Waste Ink Tank  Holds the waste ink. Be aware of the room.    
						

							 
 
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2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 
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2-4. Inside of the Front Cover 
 
Cancel any operation, restore the Platens and turn off 
your printer before opening the Front Cover. 
Lift the Front Cover with both hands until the lock is 
set when opening. Keep pushing the Stop Lever to 
release the lock and close the Front Cover with both 
hands.  
  If you open the Front Cover while 
operating, the power automatically turns off. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0047Y 
 
No. Name Description 
1  Print Heads (Front)    Jets the Color Ink to the platen. 
From the left black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. 
2  Print Heads (Back)  Jets the White Ink to the platen. From the left W1, W2, W3 and W4. 
3  Filter Cover, Fan Filter, Exhaust Fan  Absorbs ink mist inside the printer. Exchange 
the Fan Filter inside the Filter Cover at 
the timing when you exchange Wiper Cleaner. See 6-1-4.
 Replacing the Fan Filter.   
4  Roller Felts  Protects the roller by wiping off the surface. Exchange the Fan Filter inside the Filter 
Cover at the timing when you exchange Wiper Cleaner. See 6-1-5. Replacing the 
Roller Felts. 
5  Carriage Guide Shaft  This may be covered with ink mist and dust. Keep Clean to move the Carriage  smoothly. See 6-1-6. Cleaning the inside of the printer and restart . 
0046Y