Overview

This article covers everything you need to prepare your site, equipment, and team for accurate, uninterrupted layout with the Dusty FieldPrinter. The FieldPrinter lays out full-scale drawings directly onto flat, rigid, and stable surfaces — concrete, wood, steel, and more — with high precision. Use this guide when powering on the system for the first time, preparing a site for layout, or troubleshooting in the field. You don't need to memorize it; it's here whenever you need it.

Inside you'll find: best practices for high-accuracy printing, ink and environmental guidance, site and control requirements, a jobsite-readiness checklist, and operation and training requirements.

Product Use

Intended Use and Printing Surfaces

The FieldPrinter is built to print full-scale layout onto flat, rigid, and stable surfaces. Supported surfaces include:

• Concrete
• Wood
• Steel
• Plastics / Polymers

Ink Types

Dusty Robotics offers water-based and solvent-based inks. Each ink type performs better in particular environmental conditions and on particular surfaces. Choose the ink that matches your jobsite conditions.

*Lightfastness varies with surface type and jobsite conditions.

🔍 For more on choosing and using ink, see the Help Center articles FieldPrinter Water and Solvent-Based Ink Types and Best Practices and What Is the Best Ink to Use for Different Environmental Conditions and Flooring Types.

Ink Permanence and Erasability

⚠️ Clear coat spray is recommended in high-traffic areas or areas susceptible to rain. Clear coat reduces ink erasability and could cause permanence.

⚠️ Because surface types and surface applicants vary widely, Dusty cannot guarantee the permanence or erasability of our inks. Running your own small test on your specific surface or material is advised.

For ink removal guidance, see How to Remove Dusty Ink from Concrete in this Help Center.

Recommended Operating and Storage Temperatures

🔍 To reduce the risk of overheating, keep equipment in shaded areas whenever possible.

For more detail, see Operating and Storage Temperature Ranges for Dusty Equipment and Ink.

Maintaining Optimal Operating Temperature

• Overheating: Keep equipment in a shaded area. During operation, solvent-based ink cartridges can be stored in a cool box — but avoid direct contact with ice to prevent damage.
• Acclimatization: If cartridges were stored in a cold environment (below 14°F for water-based, below -4°F for solvent-based), allow them to reach room temperature (68°F – 72°F) before use.
• Regular use: Printing regularly keeps ink flowing and prevents it from drying out.
• Ink storage: Store cartridges in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight, ideally between 35°F and 85°F.

⚠️ Do not store solvent-based ink cartridges in enclosed spaces exposed to heat or direct sunlight (for example, gang boxes or vehicles). Temperatures can exceed safe limits and cause cartridge failure.

FieldPrinter Operation Requirements

Surveyed Control Points

Control points are surveyed points with known coordinates that align with the coordinate system of the CAD file. These points guide the FieldPrinter in accurately printing objects.

Placement and visibility:

• Mark at least 3 non-collinear control points with crosshairs across the layout area on horizontal surfaces, every 100-150 feet — preferably all at the same Z-elevation.
• The finer the crosshair, the better for consistent printing accuracy.
• For every station, the laser tracker must have clear visibility to at least 3 control points.
• Ideally, have at least 5 control points every 150-foot radius.

Alternative methods of setting control include surveyed control on walls and columns, and surveyed grid offsets. For more information, see the Dusty blog post Understanding Control in Construction Layout: Methods, Pros, and Cons, and the Help Center articles Control Point Creation Requirements for Surveyors and How to Select Control Points for Better Stationing Accuracy.

Site Preparation

Cleanliness and safety:

• Ensure the printing area is broom-swept and free of equipment and material.
• Install edge protection around trenches, slab edges, slab openings, column diamonds, and other potential fall hazards.

Site conditions:

• The site must be free of standing water.
• Printing is prohibited during active rain. If it's too wet to snap a chalk line, it's too wet to use Dusty.

Power supply:

• In addition to the batteries included in the FieldPrinter set, keep site power available as a backup for each floor.

• We advise using a wall power supply or an EcoFlow to power the tracker as the first-choice option.      

Site Coordination with Other Project Teams

Communication: Notify other trades of the FieldPrinter's deployment schedule to minimize disruptions. Heavy foot traffic or active construction labor in the print area can significantly reduce productivity.

Optimal timing: For the most productive and complete print job, print before risers are installed, or wait until temporary shoring is removed.

⚠️ For the highest productivity, mobilize the FieldPrinter as early as possible — ideally just after the slab is poured and before any obstructions like temporary shoring, plumbing stub-ups, or risers are installed. Printing after these installations is possible, but it significantly reduces efficiency due to frequent interruptions between the laser tracker beam and the FieldPrinter.

Equipment Delivery, Storage, and Power

• Delivery: The FieldPrinter is delivered to the address provided 1–5 business days before deployment.
• Storage: Store the FieldPrinter set in a secure, sheltered location, such as a trailer office or jobsite box.
• Power: The customer must provide power to charge the batteries.

FieldPrinter Operation

Access and equipment: Ensure all operators have access to the Dusty Portal, and that all batteries are fully charged before printing.

Training and certification:

• Have at least one and up to five people available full-time for 1–2 days of on-site training.
• We recommend training at least two people for redundancy.
• Complete the Dusty Academy courses, and ensure operators receive on-site training and pass the certification test.