Procolored F13 Panda review
Product photos: Procolored.
Buyers who want Procolored's long-running L1800 model, with a second white channel for dark garments. Double white channel (CMYK+WW) on a 13-inch roll-fed printer.
The catch: Six letter-size prints an hour is slow for the price, and the product page still advertises a one-year print head promotion that ended on June 30: the policy in force gives 6 months.
- Print width
- 13 in · A3
- Print head
- Epson L1800
- Stated speed
- 3.9 sq ft/h
- White ink care
- 2 automatic
- Computers
- Windows
- Head warranty
- 6 months
Verdict in 3 lines
The F13 Panda is Procolored's long-running 13-inch roll printer, built around an Epson L1800 head: $2,299 on sale when we checked (list $2,999).
It lays white through two channels, circulates it, warms the print and cleans its head every 10 hours.
Two reservations: 6 letter-size prints an hour is modest for the money, and the page still advertises a one-year print head promotion that ended in June. The policy in force gives 6 months.
Who the F13 Panda is for, and who should skip it
Buy it if
- You want Procolored's long-running model rather than its newest.
- You print dark garments with large solid areas of white.
- You are happy on Windows.
- You found it close to the K13 Lite price.
Skip it if
- You want Procolored's newer Studio Lite software: it comes with the K13 range.
- You need more than about 200 shirts a week, the size Procolored itself suggests.
- You want a compact machine: it is 33 inches wide and 44 lb.
Not the target? The closest printer on price is the InkSonic Spark F13 at $2,099: the cheapest way to get an oven: printer plus oven for $2,199.
How much is the Procolored F13 Panda? Price and kits
Procolored sells it 5 ways. The price we use for the score is the F13 (printer only) at $2,299, read on November 15, 2026, against a list price of $2,999. Sale price during Procolored's Black Friday early deals: check the date on the store before you order.
Where to buy: Procolored's own US store, which had it in stock on November 15, 2026. Check price at Procolored
What else do you need to buy with the F13 Panda?
A DTF printer prints the film. To get a shirt out of it you also need adhesive powder, a way to cure it, a heat press and a stock of film and ink. Here is where the Procolored F13 Panda stands:
- Curing: the cheapest kit with an oven is $2,699 (F13 + Oven), so $400 on top of the printer.
- Heat press: the kit with a press is $2,999 (F13 + Oven + Heat Press).
- Supplies: the box includes a starter stock (see below); after that you buy Procolored ink, as the warranty requires.
- Computer: Windows.
Our DTF printer cost guide adds up a full starter budget for six printers, with every price dated.
Print width and speed: how many shirts an hour?
Procolored gives 10 minutes for a letter-size print, 6 an hour, at 1440 x 1440 dpi in 8 passes, with 3.75 ml of ink per print. Its own size chart drops to 19 an hour for 5.5-inch designs and climbs to 59 for small visor logos. The head is an Epson L1800 in a single array, with a CMYK+WW configuration: two white channels where the K13 Lite has one. Film comes off a 13-inch roll and a cutter is built in.
Does the white ink clog? Circulation, cleaning and idle days
The F13 has a white ink circulation system and a preheating function with adjustable temperature, which keeps the ink flowing in a cool room. Left on, it cleans the head every 10 hours and uses about 1 ml of ink a day doing it, by Procolored's figure. There is no stirring and no humidity control, so the daily shake of the white bottle is yours.
Which RIP software, and does it work on a Mac?
The F13 runs Procolored's Pro RIP, on Windows only. Procolored presents its newer Studio Lite, with preset color curves for beginners, on the K13 range; the F13 page makes no such promise. Budget an evening with Procolored's tutorials before your first paid job.
How much room, and what about ventilation?
At 33 x 15 x 11.8 inches and 44 lb it is the largest of the single-head Procolored models, so measure the desk. As with every DTF setup, the oven wants a ventilated spot: Procolored's manuals say curing produces an odor. The smokeless oven kit costs $300 more than the standard oven kit.
What is in the box, and how hard is the setup?
- F13 printer
- DTF ink set, 5 x 250 ml (CMYK + white)
- Nozzle protection fluid, 250 ml
- 500 g adhesive powder
- PET film roll, 100 m
The box holds the printer, a 5 x 250 ml ink set, nozzle protection fluid, 500 g of powder and a 100 m film roll. Setup is the classic sequence: fill, prime, nozzle check, load the roll. The video below is an owner's full tutorial on starting a shirt business at home with the F13: watch it before ordering.
Maintenance and known problems
Same routine as its siblings: shake the white ink daily, nozzle check before a job, wipe around the head at the end of the day, weekly attention to rollers, capping station and waste bottle. Procolored's manual for the K13 Lite warns that more than two weeks idle can clog the head; nothing suggests an L1800 is more tolerant.
For the daily and weekly routine that applies to every printer here, see our DTF printer maintenance guide.
What does the F13 Panda warranty cover? Read closely
Read the policy, not the product page. The F13 page still carries a note about a one-year print head promotion that ended on June 30. Procolored's warranty policy, which applies to every single-head printer, gives one free print head replacement and one free motherboard replacement within 6 months of shipment, and 12 months on parts that do not touch ink. Pumps and dampers are excluded. Registration and genuine Procolored ink are required.
Source: Procolored warranty terms, read November 15, 2026.
What do owners say about the F13 Panda?
Procolored's store showed 331 customer reviews for the F13 at 4.93 out of 5 when we read it, on the brand's own widget. The testimonials Procolored highlights on the page use the words "reliable" and "not the fastest", which matches the spec sheet. As a company, procolored.com stood at 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 743 reviews.
Cost per transfer with Procolored supplies
One letter-size transfer (8.5 x 11 in)
- Ink, 3.75 ml
- $0.29
- Powder, 3 g
- $0.17
- Film
- Roll price not published
Procolored's own table for the F13 counts $0.40 of ink, $0.45 of film and $0.06 of powder per letter-size print. Source. Ink and powder prices from Procolored's US store, read November 15, 2026. Arithmetic, not a promise of profit.
Questions to ask Procolored before you order
- Does the one-year print head promotion shown on the page still apply, or is it the 6 months of the policy?
- Is the sale price still on, and until when?
- Standard oven or smokeless oven: what is the real difference in a small room?
- Is the film roll in the box 13 inches wide?
F13 Panda alternatives: the closest rivals on price
| Criterion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,299 (list $2,999) | $2,099 (list $2,599) | $2,549 (list $3,499.99) |
| Cheapest kit with an oven | $2,699 | $2,199 | $2,799 |
| Print width | 13 in (A3) | 13 in (A3) | 13 in (A3) |
| Print head | Epson L1800 | Epson L1800 | Epson F1080 (original, per HTVRONT) |
| Ink channels | CMYK+WW | CMYK+WW | 6-channel (CMYK + white) |
| Stated speed | Letter/A4 print in 10 min, 6 prints per hour | 5 to 8 min per A3 print | Up to 16 sq ft per hour |
| White ink care | Circulation, scheduled self-cleaning | Circulation, stirring, scheduled self-cleaning | Circulation, stirring, scheduled self-cleaning |
| Software | Pro RIP | InkSonic RIP | IdeaStudio (design + RIP in one) |
| Computers | Windows | Windows | Windows |
| Weight | 44 lb | 42.7 lb | Not stated |
| Warranty | 6 mo head · 12 mo machine | 6 mo head · 6 mo machine | 6 mo head · 12 mo machine |
| Where to buy | Check price at Procolored | Check price at InkSonic | Check price at HTVRONT |
The InkSonic Spark F13 review covers the Spark F13 ($2,099): the cheapest way to get an oven: printer plus oven for $2,199. The HTVRONT D2 review covers the D2 ($2,549): crafters moving up from a heat press who want a kit that arrives complete. Open the three in the comparison tool.
- Procolored K13 Lite vs Procolored F13 Panda: the head-to-head
- xTool Apparel Printer Plus vs Procolored F13 Panda: the head-to-head
- Procolored F13 Panda vs Procolored P13: the head-to-head
- Best DTF printer for small business: No. 8 of 12
- DTF printer for beginners: No. 6 of 9
- Cheap DTF printer: No. 6 of 8
- DTF printer with shaker and oven: No. 6 of 9
- Best DTF printers 2026: No. 8 of 12
Procolored F13 Panda specifications
| Price | $2,299 (F13 (printer only)), read November 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Print width | 13 in (A3) |
| Print head | Epson L1800 |
| Ink channels | CMYK+WW |
| Resolution | 1440 x 1440 dpi (8 pass) |
| Stated speed | Letter/A4 print in 10 min, 6 prints per hour |
| Media feed | Roll-fed, with cutter |
| White ink care | White ink circulation system; automatic head cleaning every 10 hours when left on (about 1 ml of ink a day, per Procolored). |
| Software | Pro RIP |
| Computers | Windows only |
| Dimensions | 33 x 15 x 11.8 in |
| Weight | 44 lb |
| Warranty | Procolored's warranty policy covers every single-head printer the same way: one free print head replacement and one free motherboard replacement within 6 months of shipment, and 12 months on parts that do not touch ink. Pumps, dampers and other ink-contact parts are not covered. Registration and Procolored inks required. The product page still shows a one-year print head promotion that ended on June 30. |
| Ink and film | Warranty requires genuine Procolored inks. |
What the score is built on
The 8.0/10 comes from one published formula applied to the figures below, the same for every printer.
| Criterion | Figure used | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Print speed | 3.9 sq ft an hour (Letter/A4 print in 10 min, 6 prints per hour) | 20% |
| White ink care | Circulation, scheduled self-cleaning | 20% |
| Print width | 13 in (A3) | 10% |
| Software and computers | Windows | 10% |
| Weight on the desk | 44 lb | 5% |
| Warranty | 6 months head, 12 months machine | 15% |
| Price | $2,299 on Nov 15, 2026 | 20% |
Sources, read November 15, 2026: procolored.com product page · procolored.com warranty page
F13 Panda questions buyers ask
Is the Procolored F13 Panda the same as the "L1800 DTF printer"?
Yes. Procolored sells it as the F13 Panda DTF Printer 13" A3 L1800: the name refers to its Epson L1800 print head.
How fast is the Procolored F13?
Procolored states 10 minutes for a letter-size print, so 6 an hour, and suggests it for shops making 200 or more shirts a week.
F13 or K13 Lite?
The K13 Lite costs $300 less and comes with Procolored's newer software. The F13 has a second white channel and one more print an hour. See our head-to-head.
What is the F13 Pro?
A dual-head XP600 version of the F13, sold on the same store at a higher price. We have not reviewed it.