This article provides a comprehensive guide on setting up an SFTP folder connection for Gelato, enabling seamless transfer of print files between your system and production station. The setup process varies based on whether your SFTP server is hosted on-site or in the cloud. Once established, you will configure the Gelato application to ensure it can automatically access the necessary files.

Understanding the SFTP Setup Process

The process of setting up the SFTP folder connection consists of three main steps:

Set up the SFTP folder connection (choose on-site or cloud based on your setup).
Make the folder available on your production station as a drive letter.
Configure the Gelato application to read from and write to the correct folders.

On-site SFTP Server Setup

If your SFTP server is hosted on-site, it is likely on a NAS (Network Attached Storage). The NAS provides a shared folder accessible via SMB/SFTP, which can be mapped as a network drive in Windows. This shared folder contains the print files required by your production station.

What to do:

Follow the official step-by-step guide from Synology for mapping a shared folder as a Windows network drive:

➡️ Synology DSM — Access files with Windows

When following the Synology guide, input your NAS details as follows:

Step 1 — Folder path: (example) \\GC-FTP\GelatoConnect
Step 2 — User name:gcw-operator
Step 3 — Password:<your-password>

💡 If you don't know these values, your IT administrator or whoever configured your NAS will have them.

After completing these steps, your shared folder will be available on the production station as a mapped network drive. You can now proceed to configure the Gelato application.

Cloud SFTP Server Setup

For cloud-hosted SFTP servers, Windows cannot natively mount them as a drive letter. Instead, you will need to install two free tools: WinFsp and SSHFS-Win. These tools allow you to expose the remote SFTP folder as a local drive (e.g., Z:).

Step 1 — Install WinFsp

Download and install WinFsp from: ➡️ https://winfsp.dev/rel/

Step 2 — Install SSHFS-Win

Download and install SSHFS-Win from: ➡️ https://github.com/winfsp/sshfs-win/releases

Step 3 — Map the Drive

Open a command line as Administrator: type cmd in the Windows search field, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
Run the following command, replacing the placeholders with your SFTP server details:

net use Z: \\sshfs\@!22 /persistent:yes

(!22 is the SFTP port; /persistent:yes keeps the drive mapped after restarts.)

When prompted for credentials, enter:
- User name:<your-sftp-username>
- Password: the password for your Cloud SFTP server

💡 Your IT administrator or cloud provider will have your SFTP server address, username, and password.

Once completed, the remote SFTP folder will be accessible on the production station as drive Z:.

Configuring the Gelato Application

With the SFTP folder connection established and the drive letter (e.g., Z:) available on the production station, you can now configure Gelato to read from and write to the appropriate folders.

In Gelato, navigate to Work Settings → Printers → DTG textile printer, then:

Select your machine in the first two fields (e.g., the Brother model you are using).
Set the Source folder to Z:\DTG — this is where Gelato reads incoming print files from.
Set the Target folder to D:\GelatoOutput — this is where Gelato writes processed output files. Create this folder locally on the production station first if it doesn't already exist.
Select the driver you are using.

Final Steps

Your production station is now connected to the SFTP folder. The Gelato application is configured to read input files and write processed output, allowing your printer to pick up jobs automatically.

If files are not appearing as expected, double-check that the mapped drive is still connected and that the source and target folder paths in Gelato match the folders on your station exactly.