Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
I am purchasing a direct-to-garment printer (DTG HM1C) in the near future and it does not have the capability to print on mesh athletic jerseys (Polyester) What is the best route to take for my business for being able to do material like this ? (inkjet transfer, vinyl, etc.....) or has someone found a way to print on material that is mostly poly with a DTG ?
I've tried printing on 100% polyester with fairly poor results with my brother gt-541. I'm not experienced with ink-jet transfers. I'll tell you this though, if you're going to be doing athletic uniforms, you can't go wrong with a vinyl cutter and a heat press (which you'll be getting one for your printer, unless you get/have a tunnel dryer). You'll be able to cut player/team names, #'s, and some not-so-detailed graphics. You can also call a supplier like Stahl's and have them cut whatever you need. Long-run, you're better off buying a cutter.
If you go down the vinyl cutter direction is it only one color ?
Oh no. There are many color options. Each color is on a roll. You cut one color, take that roll off, put another color on the cutter, and so on.
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And are you happy with your DTG?
One of the best investments my business has ever made. We were apprehensive about not being able to print dark garments, but we more than make up for that by not having to turn away something we either couldn't/wouldn't screen print or use vinyl for. It is something that needs to be used fairly often. One of the reasons I am so happy with it is because The maintenance on the brother is so simple. I've heard horror stories of other printers (and a few about the brother to be fair), but ours has worked flawlessly for the 2 years we've had it.