Are these useful? We will be doing mostly fabric, t-shirts and flat items like coasters and such.
Do they wear out quickly? I read somewhere they are only good for 200 presses?
Which is better to get?
Do I need multiple sizes? I have also read that the pad or pillow must be smaller than the transfer paper, to keep ghost images of the paper off the garment?
Last, but not least, where is the best place to get these?
You are asking good questions. The prints on sublimation items will last the life of the substate. Sublimations are dye inks. Items that have been pressed using heat transfer willl fade and crack with usage and washing.
The teflon pillow prevents the edges of the showing on the garment after pressing. Pro Spray helps to prevent ghosting. Once sprayed on the paper, it gives the image a tacky feel and prevents the paper from being lift and set back down on the shirt when the press is open.
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Sonya Blackwell - Conde Systems Tech Support
800-826-6332 ext. 205
You are asking good questions. The prints on sublimation items will last the life of the substate. Sublimations are dye inks. Items that have been pressed using heat transfer willl fade and crack with usage and washing.
Thank you for the reply. My question about longevity was about the pillows and pads themselves. I have read that they only last about 200 uses.
They do last, but as any work-aid you should expect to replace the pillows. You should indeed have many different sizes as you will be pressing various sized images. The foam or pillow should be smaller than the paper but larger than the image to eliminate paper lines. This is caused from the edges of the transfer paper leaving a permanate press line on the substrate. I recommend (and use) Vapor Apparel Foam. It is inexpensive, easy to work with and can be cut to size!
Happy Decorating!
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Mike Brockway - Reich Supply Co. - 1-800-338-3322
According to the Conde site, it's necessary to have teflon sheets(different sizes), teflon pillows(different sizes), nomex pads(different sizes), green silicone pads(different sizes), parchment paper and a foam kit. These are all for different substrates. One could easily spend over $500 on just these accessories.
Do I really need all of these or can one or two do the job for most substrates?
Besides coffee mugs, I only print flat substrates like coasters, key tags, and jar openers. I bought a teflon sheet just large enough to completely cover the heat press platen. I was informed the reason for the teflon sheet is to protect the press. I really don't see why you would need different sizes of this, as long as the one size is large enough for everything.
Teflon Pillows and rubber pads Question 
