​The day has finally come, and your all-star Kornit operator walks into your office and gives you his two-week notice. You are speechless as your stomach turns and your forehead sweats; what will you do now? I know this feeling since it has happened to me just in the past and just recently. Here are some suggestions on what to do when your operator quits.

​Kornit printers are glitchy, and trying to write a complete manual on all the little problems would turn into a 500-page novel. There is no way to cover every Kornit operating hiccup. The scary thing is all this knowledge is stuck in the operator's head and not documented anywhere. Once the all-star person leaves, you start over from scratch like a company that has never used a Kornit before. 

​The way to make a basic operating manual is to have the operator train you as if you had never used a Kornit before. You start by documenting the machine turn-on process and cleaning the printheads at the start of the day. If you are busy running your business, try to go back and do 30 minutes of daily training. I suggest making simple videos showing the steps and then going back and watching the videos and typing out the steps. 

​Here is the job description I use when hiring a Kornit Operator. The one thing I can't stress enough is, "Do not hire a screen printer." They are never computer and tech-savvy. 

​Direct to Garment Operator Job Duties
A local family-owned apparel printing company of 45 years is seeking to hire a direct-to-garment printer operator for this fast-growing industry. Are you computer savvy, have an eye for detail, and are willing to learn new skills and grow with the company?
 
We will teach you to become a printer operator using Kornit, the finest direct-to-garment printer in the world. Direct-to-garment prints full-color designs on t-shirts and sweatshirts using environmentally friendly water-based ink. The printer is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and the print heads look like a giant version of your desktop printer.
 
This job is an 8-hour per-day full-time job, and we would train you on-site. You must have computer proficiency, stand on your feet, and work at a steady pace for 8 hours daily. 
 
Understanding the basics of drawing programs like Photoshop or Corel Draw will benefit you tremendously. You should be able to use Windows 10 to drag around files and folders. The printers require maintenance and troubleshooting, so being mechanically inclined is a plus.
 
What we look for in a candidate

• You have a love for graphics, artwork, and t-shirts.
• Be a critical thinker and active listener who can learn the printer functions with a positive attitude.
• Organized, self-motivated, and able to perform duties with minimal supervision.
• You must be a team player with excellent attendance. 

Requirements

• Computer skills are essential for running a direct-to-garment printer. You must be proficient at using Windows and comprehend moving files and folders. 
• You understand basic graphic artwork and are familiar with Adobe Photoshop and different types of graphic files.
• You are comfortable working in a fast-moving production-type environment. 
• You can regularly lift and move up to a 40 lb box.
• You can stand for 8 hours day-to-day while using your hands to load and offload t-shirts from the printer.
• You should have strong math and counting skills. All orders require counting, folding t-shirts, and filling out paperwork.
• You can learn how to troubleshoot printer errors and malfunctions and perform daily maintenance.

FIFO Error
Today we received a FIFO error on both our Kornit Storm Hexas. The error caused the design to print out of registration. This glitch is a FIFO error, which means First In and First Out. The printer isn't receiving all the design data, and possible data corruption. 
​
Check data transfer from the server to the printer.
The first thing you need to check is the connection from your server to the Kornit printer. The data from the server to the Kornit can become corrupted on large designs. The way to test this is by copying the design to a USB thumb drive and transferring the design directly to the printer to rule out any ethernet cable connection issues. 

Check the size of the design.
The size of the design file may cause issues. If the design file is big, like a Photoshop file, it will cause a FIFO error. We tried different file types; .png, .tiff, and .jpg and found out the .png worked the best and solved our FIFO issue. ​

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Kornit owners, please help me with my blog.
The hardest thing about writing a blog is finding interesting and essential content. I need other Kornit owners to help me with topics, interviews, videos, and tech tips to better the Kornit Universe. 
Topics I would like to interview Kornit owners.

• Tips and Tricks to keep your Kornit running.
• How to market your Kornit shirts? 
• How do you price your shirts?
• Keep your comments POSITIVE. 
• Anything else you can think of

Please reach out and lets chat ideas
​ Erik Mickelson at erik@nwcustomapparel.com or call 253-922-5793. ​