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Hello,
I have been making T-shirts for a little while now. I have always used heat transfers because I feel it is the best route to go if you are just starting out. Plus there are some really good transfers out there. Ironall is the best I have used so far. I know that a lot of people are giving it bad reviews, but it has really improved over the past few years. Very nice feel and still looks great after washed too.
Anyways, I want to know the best software to use for designing T-shirts using heat transfers. I will be using words and pictures. I'm looking for the easiest and best software to use.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
Quote:
Originally Posted by belancergolf7
Hello,
I have been making T-shirts for a little while now. I have always used heat transfers because I feel it is the best route to go if you are just starting out. Plus there are some really good transfers out there. Ironall is the best I have used so far. I know that a lot of people are giving it bad reviews, but it has really improved over the past few years. Very nice feel and still looks great after washed too.
Anyways, I want to know the best software to use for designing T-shirts using heat transfers. I will be using words and pictures. I'm looking for the easiest and best software to use.
Thanks.
Hey,
I am acctually new at the whole heat transfer thing. Just starting up, the first thing I started doing. I have a good program and it is not too badly priced. I got Photoshop Elements 5. I got it free with a Wiccom tablet, I got for about $99. and it seems like alot, but it has helped us so much editing and designing. I would really do that, I may upgrade to the $200 tablet with photoshop elements 6. I hope this helps you, get other opinions and really see what works for you! That is the best thing to do, I hope you can resolve your problem.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
Do you have any software now? What are you using with ironall?
The best software for pictures is photoshop. The best software for sizing your designs to whatever size you need without losing sharpness is a vector program like illustrator or Coreldraw.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
I have made and sold hundreds of designs using Photoshop 7. I am not sure how similar PE is as mentioned above. I just started using Inkscape to vectorize art for my cutter, it has been pretty intuitive so far, but I have been using a very small subset of features in it.
In my signature below you can fish around to see the type of apparel work I do. Best found under Horse Stuff, Reiner Stuff and RV Stuff
__________________ www.stuffnthingz.com - "You can never have too much stuff", however, "The best things in life aren't things" is also true. XPS1530 | DK20 | Mighty Press 15 |Chinese hat press | Oki5800 | 88+ | LP24
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
Quote:
Originally Posted by stuffnthingz
I have made and sold hundreds of designs using Photoshop 7. I am not sure how similar PE is as mentioned above. I just started using Inkscape to vectorize art for my cutter, it has been pretty intuitive so far, but I have been using a very small subset of features in it.
In my signature below you can fish around to see the type of apparel work I do. Best found under Horse Stuff, Reiner Stuff and RV Stuff
I have seen all photoshops... and Photoshop elements is a basic photoshop.... its the watered down version, but alot of my friends have cs2 and all those, and they do the same thing on mine. im sure there is more on the expensive version. But Elements is a basic program and it has worked good for me and I am sure there is 100 out there better, but this was free when I got my tablet and has done me very well!
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
Thank you everyone for all your responces to my questions. Seems as though a lot of people are recommending photoshop. What im doing is still pretty basic. Just using pictures and words. Nothing too fancy. Does it matter what series of photoshop i use? I know there are a lot of them. What series do you recommend?
Joe right now the software I'm using is just a simple t-shirt software. Really cheap software I bought a while ago..very basic. So I definately want to upgrade. Right now I have been using my ironall for just light t-shirts. I would like to use them on mousepads, and totebags as well.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
it really depends on what your plans are for your business. if you are just starting out and don't have alot of money then go for the cheap programs that you can learn the basics on. also it depends on what you plan on doing in the future as far as making your designs. if you don't plan on becoming a designer yourself then you're ok, but if you plan on doing high-end stuff with complicated output then invest in the full versions. photoshop, illustrator and corel draw are the big three (at least from what i know). make it a business investment and write it off.
i'm sure ironall is fine for what you're doing. my feeling has always been that the printer is the most important thing when doing heat tranfers.and what software is compatible with your operating system will make a difference in your decision too. i had to upgrade computers to use the newest adobe suite. ouch! -good luck.
Last edited by miktoxic; February 13th, 2009 at 03:34 PM.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
Photoshop elements, depending on which version you have, will only operate in RGB and has a limit to file size capability. If you are just printing images onto transfer paper from an inkjet printer it will probably suffice. You might have better results with your type setting using a vector based program like Illustrator, though.
Re: Best Design Software to use with heat transfers
The best software for heat transfers is of course the best software in general. Photoshop. I don't know exactly what is or isn't included with stuff like Photoshop Elements or what you precise needs are, but of course at the professional level, Elements won't cut it. It's not meant to be a pro product, just an introduction to the product Adobe eventually expects/hopes you will buy. At the same time, if you don't really know the product, then you still may not realize just what can be done with a monster program like Photoshop
Best Design Software to use with heat transfers 
