Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
In you own opinion what is the best equipment for a heat transfer business. What is best laser or inkjet. WHY?
This information is all over this site but posted in comments of other posts. Just wanted to get a tread started so that others can compare setups and why they pick that setup.
ex: printer type, paper type, press, setting (time, pressure, heat).....
I use a Canon CLC 1110. It's the type that uses silicon oil. I chose it because it cost less than it's counterpart model from Fuji Xerox. When using oil type CLC's you can use the cheaper oil type Laser transfer papers and get the best results. On white garments, the results are even comparable to silk screen printing, IMHO.
The problem with a question like this, and why there are so many of them out there, is that it simply depends on what your specific needs/wants are. Different equipment is good for different people.
Most people are using some flavor of Inkjet, and usually an Epson since they usually work better with pigmented inks. The Epson C88+ is a decent choice that's very cheap, but it's only 8.5x11, which is too small for some people. The 1280 seems to be a pretty popular choice for a wide-format printer, but do be advised that it can be difficult to get a bulk ink system to behave correctly with these.
The best papers are generally considered to be either the IronAll/JetFlex/MiraCool/EverSoft/SoftFeel or the Magic Jet/Transjet II papers (slashes indicate same paper under a different name). The IronAll paper has a very soft feel to it, but can sometimes be hard to use (not as bad as it used to be with recent formulations, though). Transjet II has been a standard for a while and is still running strong; it won't be quite as soft as the IronAll, but lasts a long time and shows vibrant colors.
The press will also vary. Check out Josh's video on YouTube to get an idea of the differences between Clamshells, Swing-aways, and Draw presses. After you know what style you want, you have to consider size; 15x15 is usually the smallest recommended, to give you a quality machine that has room for almost anything you'll need to press. Hix and Stahl's (Hotronix, Phoenix) brand presses are probably the most popular around here. Other features may or many not be worth paying extra for to you (digital settings, auto-open, easy-close, etc.)
Settings will vary both by paper/transfer type and by press. It's really impossible to give "best" settings for general use; I suggest following the directions for the transfer type and adjust from there. For example, some plastisol transfers might be 10 seconds at 325 degrees, but a dye-sub job might be 50 seconds at 400 degrees.
I am also looking for information on equipment. Specifically, we (our co) have been looking at getting into sublimation. However, we do have jobs coming up that require designs on black or dark colored tees. Sublimation will not do the job (or so we understand.) Would DTG be a viable alternative, i.e. will it print on dark colored materials effectively? Also, We can get into sublimation for approx. $5k. What would be the equipment cost to get into DTG? Any help is appreciated.
The best equipment for a resonable Price. 
www.busyPrinting.com
Heat Transfer Paper Price List
