Procolored K13 Lite Review: How Well Does DTF Printing Work for Beginners?

A printer, some ink, pick a design, and you’re good to go? With DTF printing, it works a little differently. Before a graphic can be turned into a printed apron, chef’s hat, or T-shirt, it must first be printed in reverse on film, coated with fusing powder, sent to the oven to cure, and then placed under the heat press. So the K13 Lite handles only one part of a rather long process. Visually, our test unit immediately stands out: Instead of plain printer gray, it comes in a soft baby pink, complete with a matching roll holder. For our Procolored K13 Lite review, however, something else was crucial: How well does the entire process work if you don’t want to throw away every other transfer and constantly fiddle with settings? We put it to the test with an apron, a chef’s hat, a T-shirt, and canvas.

Technical Specifications of the Procolored K13 Lite

Product	Procolored K13 Lite
Device Type	Roll-fed DTF printer
Print Head	LiteHead LH-500
Print resolution	up to 1,440 × 1,440 dpi
Maximum print width	330 mm or 13 inches
Ink system	CMYK and white
Film feed	PET roll film
Software	Procolored Studio Lite
Operating System	Windows
Connection	USB
Dimensions	approx. 74 × 32 × 23 cm
Weight	approx. 18 kg
Price	€1,873.95 (Special Sale: €1,767.95)*

Shipped in multiple packages

For the test, the Procolored K13 Lite arrived well-protected in a standard shipping box, held in place inside by thick foam inserts. Upon unpacking, everything was in perfect condition: nothing bent, nothing loose, and no scratches on the casing. We tested the combination of the pink K13 Lite and the Procolored Smokeless Oven. And this is where it’s important to note that not everything arrives in the same package. In addition to the printer, the ink, toner, and the oven arrived in their own separate boxes. Depending on the shipping method, there may be a few days between deliveries. So if you already have the printer in hand but are still waiting for the ink, there’s no need to get anxious just yet.

Still, having a second person help with unboxing doesn’t hurt. While about 18 kilograms is still manageable, the K13 Lite’s wide body makes it a bit unwieldy to handle alone. The 13-inch film roll also weighs more than it initially appears in the product photos.

What’s Included with the K13 Lite

After unpacking, there’s an astonishing amount of small parts on the table. Some of them are needed right away during setup, while the rest are intended for cleaning, maintenance, and minor repairs. Our package contained:

• the Procolored K13 Lite with LH-500 printhead
• a 13-inch-wide, 100-meter-long roll of PET film
• 5 bottles of DTF ink in cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and white
• DTF bonding powder and 1 bottle of nozzle protection fluid
• 2 rear film holders, 1 metal shaft, and 2 pink roller adapters
• 1 front tray with integrated cutter
• 1 power cable and 1 USB data cable
• 1 USB dongle for the printing software
• 5 funnels for filling each ink color separately
• Syringes, ink tubes, lint-free cloths, and cleaning swabs
• 1 humidifier for the print head
• Replacement dampers, fuses, and 1 replacement blade for the cutter
• 2 screwdrivers and other assembly hardware
• 1 transparent acrylic plate with “Fluffy Panda” lettering printed in white
• 1 printed quick start guide with a link to the model’s support page

One part deserves a special mention. The USB dongle looks like a regular USB flash drive, but it’s required for the printing software. Accordingly, you shouldn’t let it get lost among cables and other accessories after installation. Whether a Smokeless Oven or heat press is included depends on the bundle you choose. Our test package included the oven; we still had a press left over from our Procolored P13 review—but you’ll definitely need one for the final step.

A dream in pink—large and quite sturdy

It’s anything but subtle. We’ve already said what needs to be said about the color, but it’s definitely carried through consistently: the housing, roll holders, and tray are all pink. If that’s too much for you, go for the white version, which is technically identical.

There’s a large viewing window on the lid, behind which the print head and design remain visible during operation. It’s not necessary, but it makes the printing process easier to follow. Especially on your first try, you’ll be constantly checking to see if the film is actually running through the printer anyway.

The casing feels high-quality; nothing wobbles, and the screw-on mounts are secure after assembly. The transparent acrylic panel on the lid, on the other hand, is purely decorative. Its white Fluffy Panda print echoes one of the display themes—a nice detail, but nothing more.

The K13 Lite is operated via two control areas. To the left of the print area is a button panel for film feed, printhead cleaning, and automatic ink refill. To the right of the output tray is the touchscreen with a status display and menus. This is also where you can select the three pixel themes. Of course, these only change the appearance of the display and have no effect on the print quality.

Setup in About an Hour

In our test, it took about an hour from the moment we opened the first box until the Procolored K13 Lite was set up. That wasn’t a record—and that was intentional. We first sorted through the accessories, kept referring to the manual, and took our time tightening the screws. However, anyone already familiar with the process can usually get through it much faster and be ready to go.

The assembly itself remained straightforward. The most important step is the yellow shipping lock on the ink carriage. It must be removed before the device is powered on for the first time. Everything else follows a clear sequence:

1. Loosen the yellow shipping lock on the ink carriage and remove it completely from the device.
2. Secure the transparent acrylic plate to the cover using the included screws.
3. Loosen the four pre-installed screws on the back and attach both film holders so that their small rollers face inward.
4. Insert the two pink roller adapters into the film roll and thread the metal shaft through the roll.
5. Place the film roll onto the rear holders. The arrow on the roll points toward the printer.
6. Loosen the two front screws, hook the tray into place, and tighten the screws again.
7. Remove the shipping tape from the cutter and feed the film straight into the printer.

Once the roll adapters are properly seated, the shaft rests securely on the brackets. The film can then be easily fed all the way to the front tray using the feed button.

First Startup Without Ink

After setup, we deliberately turned on the K13 Lite without ink at first. The blue power button flashed, the ink carriage moved back and forth, and the device completed its first self-test. Afterward, the button remained steadily lit in blue. This quick test run is well worth it. If there’s still a clog in the device or if the carriage can’t move freely, you’ll notice it now—and not only after the ink system is already full. On our printer, the test ran through without a hitch.

Fill with ink, press the button, wait a moment

The five tanks are labeled Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White, and there’s a separate funnel for each color. This prevents the inks from mixing during refilling.

When testing the Procolored K13 Lite, however, it’s still a good idea to wear gloves. DTF ink is thin, brightly pigmented, and doesn’t forgive mistakes. A drop on your pants or a tabletop stays right where it is. We emptied the bottles slowly and didn’t fill the tanks all the way to the brim. The system remained completely leak-free—nothing leaked from the tanks, hose connections, or tubing. Even after the automatic refill, we didn’t find any damp spots inside.

The actual process of filling the lines is almost unspectacular. You hold down the INK button for about ten seconds, and the printer takes care of the rest on its own. The ink visibly flows through the transparent tubes, after which a printhead cleaning cycle starts automatically.

Finally, we printed a nozzle test and a color bar test. Both came out completely, with no missing lines or missing colors.

Procolored Studio Lite runs only on Windows

Without the drivers and Procolored Studio Lite, the K13 Lite won’t work at all. Both files are available on the model’s support page and are installed separately. After extracting the files, we simply had to run both setup programs one after the other; the installation was completed quickly. With the P13, things were different in our test back then: We needed assistance from Procolored Support before everything worked. There’s just one annoying thing here: The K13 Lite works exclusively with Windows. Anyone who designs their images on a Mac must first copy them to a Windows computer to print them.

In Studio Lite itself, the graphic is prepared for printing. Here, you set the size, position, print direction, and the white base layer; for our first design, the default values for white ink and print direction were completely sufficient. We were spared a lengthy color correction process. That said, the process isn’t entirely foolproof—a mistyped format or poor placement can quickly waste a large portion of the film roll. So before each print job, we made sure to double-check the dimensions and alignment.

Our First Larger Print

For our first larger print, we chose a design measuring approximately 25 × 25 cm. It took about 5 to 6 minutes from the start of the print job until the finished film was dispensed.

However, this figure cannot be generalized. How long a print takes depends heavily on the design, as size, white content, print direction, and quality level all affect the time. Our figure therefore applies specifically to this print and is not a rule of thumb for every 25-centimeter design.

The Procolored K13 Lite is definitely audible, but we didn’t find it distractingly loud during printing. The print head moves across the film with a steady mechanical whirring sound, accompanied by the slow feed of the roll. We didn’t experience any loud rattling or strong vibrations.

During our prints, the film ran centered on the front tray and didn’t wrinkle. However, there is still no proper lateral guide for the roll. If the film isn’t positioned perfectly straight, it can therefore veer slightly off course. At least the K13 Lite was less sensitive to this than the P13, which was more likely to stop working in such situations during our previous test.

Adhesive powder must be applied to the ink while it’s still wet

Immediately after printing, DTF adhesive powder is applied to the white ink layer, as it will later melt in the oven to form the adhesive layer that holds the design to the fabric. We applied the powder generously to the print and gently moved the film back and forth until the entire printed area was covered. It’s best not to touch the ink while it’s still wet with your fingers.

Afterward, shake off the excess powder. A large bowl or a smooth surface helps immensely here, because without such a catch area, the fine powder will spread all over the table in an instant. It’s also worth taking one last look at the uncovered areas of the transfer sheet, because otherwise, individual grains of powder next to the design will also stick to the fabric during pressing.

Curing in the Smokeless Oven

Place the powdered transfer sheet into the Smokeless Oven with the printed side facing up. In our test, the transfers were cured at 135 °C for 280 seconds. During this time, the bonding powder melts into a continuous adhesive layer. The film should lie as flat as possible and not touch the inner walls.

You can also tell when the transfer is done by looking at the surface. The dry, grainy powder layer disappears and becomes slightly glossy and uneven—a bit like orange peel.

The oven isn’t exactly quiet during operation. A slight odor was noticeable during curing, but we didn’t find it unpleasantly strong. In a small or enclosed space, we’d still make sure to get some fresh air. You can also hear the fans running during operation.

When the timer runs out, the Smokeless Oven makes itself known quite clearly: It beeps several times in a row, making it almost impossible to miss.

From the Film to the Apron, Hat, and Canvas

For our transfers, we didn’t just use a classic T-shirt. We applied the Pixel Buddy design to a white apron, our Basic Tutorials logo to a chef’s hat, and a black dog graphic to a small canvas. We also tried a much larger design on a black T-shirt.

Preparing the apron was quick and easy. We briefly pre-pressed the fabric, ran a lint roller over it, and then aligned the transfer. What matters less is the shape of the garment than whether the area for the design can be laid flat under the press.

We set the heat press to 135 °C and the timer to 60 seconds. In practice, however, we usually checked the progress after about 30 seconds, and often the transfer was already complete by that point. The exact time depends on the fabric and the transfer used, so we didn’t rely solely on the timer here.

Our film was a cold-peel film. After pressing, the transfer had to cool completely before the backing film could be peeled off. The cooling block that came with the oven shortened the wait time somewhat. Afterward, the film could be slowly peeled off.

Finally, we briefly pressed the design again under a sheet of Teflon film. This made the surface of our transfers slightly smoother and gave it a slightly more matte finish.

Basic Tutorials logo on the chef’s hat

For the chef’s hat, we deliberately chose a small, simple design. Its wide brim lay surprisingly flat on the press, so the Basic Tutorials logo was quickly aligned. Despite the unusual shape, we didn’t have to improvise much during the pressing process.

The result was also satisfactory. The blue stands out vividly against the white fabric, the logo’s contours are clear, and nothing bled at the edges.

DTF Printing on Canvas

For a slightly different surface, we tried a small canvas panel. We printed a black dog graphic on it featuring many fine lines and hatching. We were able to use the pre-stretched canvas right away, and the transfer pressed on without any major issues.

It’s the surface in particular that makes the result interesting. The typical texture of the canvas remains visible beneath the black design, making the graphic look almost like a drawing. Even the thin lines and hatching are still clearly visible, and nothing peeled off at the edges.

The print remains flexible but is noticeable

With the large design on the black shirt, you quickly notice where DTF has its quirks. The print remains flexible and stretches along with the fabric. However, the printed area naturally feels different from the cotton next to it. With a large, largely solid design, this is much more noticeable than with a small logo, lettering, or graphic with many open spaces.

After the first wash, the shirt looked practically unchanged to us. Nothing had come loose at the edges, we couldn’t spot any tears, and we didn’t notice any difference in the colors either. Of course, a single wash cycle isn’t enough to make a statement about durability over months, but the transfer passed the first machine wash test without any visible damage.

With an apron, chef’s hat, T-shirt, and canvas, we’ve already tested a pretty wide range of substrates. Procolored lists even more possibilities. According to the manufacturer, suitable materials include hoodies, denim, canvas bags, and caps, as well as heat-resistant materials such as greeting cards, gift bags, or wood. However, we haven’t tested these additional options ourselves with the K13 Lite.

A standard desk is barely enough

The biggest practical drawback we encountered while testing the Procolored K13 Lite was space. The printer alone took up almost the entire desk—the film roll needs room behind the unit, and the output tray protrudes from the front. The Smokeless Oven isn’t exactly tiny either, and our workspace simply couldn’t accommodate the printer and oven side by side for extended periods. On top of that, the heat press requires a firm, stable surface.

So we split up the process. First, we printed and dusted several designs; then we rearranged the setup, set up the oven, and cured one transfer after another. This works, but it’s less spontaneous. If you print frequently, you should plan for a longer workbench or two separate work areas—and it’s not just about the equipment. Films, powders, finished transfers, and the process of aligning the textiles all need a place too.

Maintenance: Just turning it off and leaving it isn’t enough

Despite its automatic functions, the Procolored K13 Lite isn’t entirely maintenance-free. During normal operation, you hardly notice any of this: the white ink is circulated within the system, cleaning cycles run automatically, and even the initial ink feed worked for us without any manual intervention. Still, there are a few things you should keep an eye on.

First and foremost is the waste ink container. During cleaning and flushing cycles, quite a bit of waste ink gradually accumulates there, so it’s worth checking the fill level from time to time.

It takes a bit of getting used to dealing with longer printing breaks. With the K13 Lite, “turning off the power switch and turning it back on next week” isn’t quite the same as with an office printer. In particular, the white pigment ink shouldn’t sit idle in the system for long periods, which is why the printer uses automatic maintenance routines.

If the device is to be taken completely out of service for an extended period, the process becomes more involved. In that case, the ink system must be prepared and cleaned, rather than simply turning off the power. Anyone who plans to pull out the K13 Lite only every few months to print a single shirt should therefore not underestimate this step. For regular use, the design works much better.

Who is the K13 Lite best suited for?

The K13 Lite is ideal for anyone who regularly creates their own transfers and doesn’t want to pay a printing service for every design. Small merch projects, club shirts, personalized gifts, or a manageable side hustle fit the bill perfectly. For a DTF printer, the first steps are pleasantly straightforward—setup, ink feeding, and film feed didn’t cause us any major issues, and the first prints turned out well even with the default settings.

However, you should have at least a little interest in technology. Each transfer goes through several steps, and the printing itself isn’t the only part of the process. For just a single shirt here and there, the system is simply too large and requires too much maintenance.

A Quick Comparison of the K13 Lite and P13

We’d previously tested another DTF printer from this brand: the Procolored P13. Back then, the P13 arrived in a solid wooden crate, weighed about 28 kilograms, and overall looked more like a small production machine. At about 18 kilograms, the K13 Lite is lighter and much less intimidating when you first set it up.

There are also differences in the software. With the P13, we used Pro RIP and PrintEXP; the K13 Lite runs on Procolored Studio Lite. However, Windows is required here, whereas the P13 could also be used on a Mac in our previous test.

In terms of print quality, however, we couldn’t detect any significant difference between the two devices. Small text, subtle gradients, and solid white areas come out just as convincingly with the K13 Lite as they did back then with the P13.

We find the waste ink tank on the K13 Lite to be better designed. It’s located behind a flap on the side and is easily accessible. On the P13, the tank was exposed on the back, so we first had to pull the heavy device forward to get a proper reach.

Overall, the P13 remains the more substantial system. The K13 Lite seems a bit more accessible at first glance, but it’s not exactly small or space-saving either.

Conclusion of the Procolored K13 Lite Review

The Procolored K13 Lite removes some of the hurdles we’ve encountered with DTF printing in the past. We quickly got the hang of setup and the initial ink fill; the ink system remained leak-free, and using the default settings in Studio Lite, our first designs came out without a series of misprints. Small text, fine lines, color gradients, and bold solid areas looked great both on the film and after transfer onto an apron, chef’s hat, canvas, and T-shirt.

That said, this doesn’t make DTF a surefire success. Adhesive powder, an oven, and a heat press are still part of the process, along with the considerable space requirements, the need for Windows, and the maintenance of the ink system. Especially for those who only want to print a single design every few months, using a service provider is likely to be a much more stress-free option.

On the other hand, anyone who wants to produce their own transfers regularly will find the K13 Lite to be a relatively accessible entry point into this class of devices. Operating the printer was less of a hassle than we expected—the real work lies in the steps surrounding the printer. That’s exactly what you should know before buying.