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tctcfavors · July 19th, 2007

Hi, I already have a oki c3400n laser printer that I use for my other business and was wondering what transfer paper works best with this. Also, do certain transfer papers work better with different brands of tees?

Also, any advice on what kind of heat press to use?
Thanks!!

meyerlanski · July 19th, 2007

Hi Megan,
Have a look at Duracotton HT. There are many posts which talk about it in great detail. I purchased this same printer as you because of how amazing this paper is when used with the 3400 (along with other OKI printers)..

It's a one step that requires no trimming and leaves no hand when done properly. I think its by far the best paper there is for laser printers - especially the oki 3400.

As for the tees, you should be fine with any 100% cotton or 50/50 shirts..

tctcfavors · July 19th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by meyerlanski


	Hi Megan, Have a look at Duracotton HT. There are many posts which talk about it in great detail. I purchased this same printer as you because of how amazing this paper is when used with the 3400 (along with other OKI printers).. It's a one step that requires no trimming and leaves no hand when done properly. I think its by far the best paper there is for laser printers - especially the oki 3400. As for the tees, you should be fine with any 100% cotton or 50/50 shirts..

Thank you! I appreciate the advice... that seems to be the paper that the majority of people I ask are suggesting so I think that will be the one I go with.

I saw a starter combo package on imprintables.com that includes

Mighty Press® 11" x 15" clam
Mighty Press® Cap Press
Phoenix™ Mug Press

Has anyone used these? Just wondering if they are good to use with the paper and printer that is mentioned above (oki3400 - duracotton HT).

Thanks again!

Rodney · July 19th, 2007

Quote:


	Has anyone used these?

If you search the forums for the brand name you want to learn about, you can find people's experiences posted in past threads.

Many people use the Mighty Press with no problems.

If you're not going to be doing hats or mugs, you may want to invest in a bigger heat press. 5 Tips: How to select which heat press to buy?

charles95405 · July 19th, 2007

Paper is good for hats but I have not done any mugs and not sure if anyone has. If you are not sure about how many mugs you might do...I would try mug wraps...such as Cactus Mug Wraps.... put in oven for 15 min and you are good to go

RescueShirts · July 19th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctcfavors


	Thank you! I appreciate the advice... that seems to be the paper that the majority of people I ask are suggesting so I think that will be the one I go with.

I was thinking about starting with DuraCottonHT... but after reading many posts... and even asking questions directly (This post: DuraCotton HT... how is it working for you? ) and getting ZERO responses...

I get the impression that a lot of people are "recommending" DuracottonHT... but few people are using it with CONSISTENT results.

Maybe I am wrong... but when the distributor of the product posts something like this:

"By the end of 3 days, we finally had that press doing ZERO Cutting / Transfer without Borders. It took something like 300 - 400 samples to get it right. We had the temp up to 405 F, time 14 - 15 seconds, pressure was set at 9. "

It makes me very nervous.

I want a transfer paper that has an easier learning curve... and one that will not look good on pressing, then look bad after the first wash. (after all... I am not going to wash my shirts before shipping them to customers.)

After reading ALL the posts about DuraCotton... then ALL the posts regarding ImageClip... I have decided to start out with ImageClip.

Seems to be more success stories (and fewer "horror stories") about ImageClip.

I have enough things to learn about my new T-Shirt Biz... transfer paper hassles should not be one of them.

Just My 2-Cents...

Brett

Moo Spot Prints · July 20th, 2007

Brett - something you will have to get used to in this game is the experimentation, and lots of it. There so many variables and lack of standarizations that sometimes I want to pull my hair out. It makes getting good results on the first try highly improbable.

wrt the HT paper. Order some. Print on it. you already have the printer, right? A pack of 25 or 50 isn't that expensive. If you're not happy, try something else. Some people have gotten it to print reliably with the oki. I don't think the manufacturer would be selling it if they had not been able to get good results.

I agree with the 200 tries to get it right bit. It tells me that they either don't understand some fundamental properties of their paper, they do and are just unable to find the tech specs for that particular printer so that they can dial it in more quickly or they were having a hard time making adjustments with the supplied printer dirver or (most likely IMO) . We obviously were not getting the full story on that one.

Moo Spot Prints · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by RescueShirts


	Seems to be more success stories (and fewer "horror stories") about ImageClip.

I am looking int ImageClip (haven't tried it yet) and right off the bat I can tell you why more people are trying Duracotton:

It's a single operation. Print, press, done.

Ok, in theory.

If you are doing a lot of shirts, that extra imageclip weeding step is going to cost you a lot of time and ultimately money.

tctcfavors · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moo Spot Prints


	I am looking int ImageClip (haven't tried it yet) and right off the bat I can tell you why more people are trying Duracotton: It's a single operation. Print, press, done. Ok, in theory. If you are doing a lot of shirts, that extra imageclip weeding step is going to cost you a lot of time and ultimately money.

Thanks for all the advice, I know what you mean about the experimenting... with my candy wrapper business I must have tried 20 different paper typrs, 4 different printers and adjusting the settings was a nightmare! But, one I got it right and was able to get the result that I wanted, it was all worth it and nw I don't have to fuss with anything anymore.
I expected the same with the transfer paper but advice from people with more expierience is always helpful.
Thanks again!

Rodney · July 20th, 2007

Quote:


	I was thinking about starting with DuraCottonHT... but after reading many posts... and even asking questions directly (This post: DuraCotton HT... how is it working for you? ) and getting ZERO responses...

There can be a few reasons for zero responses:

the people that have answers to your questions aren't around to see your post
the questions you've asked have been answered many times so they figure you'll find the answers using the search
nobody has an answer
the question was worded in a way that made it harder to answer (lots of questions in the same post, lots of wording in the post that makes it hard to answer quickly, etc)

You can see some positive results with duracottonht and pictures/washtests here: DuraCottonHT (Was going to use dye sub)

And here: New CLC DuraCottonHT Report

and here: Ironall VS Duracotton HT > Comparison

I agree that the duracotton paper seems to have a lot of people testing and tweaking. The original duracotton98 thread is full of those type posts (although that thread started with duracotton98 - a different product - and only at the end of the thread talked about the improved ht version of the paper)

There's a lot of testing involved in any t-shirt printing process (from heat transfers, to screen printing to direct to garment printing).

Moo Spot Prints · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctcfavors


	I expected the same with the transfer paper but advice from people with more expierience is always helpful.

We totally understand.

The Oki should get you in the ballpark with the HT paper. It sounds like you will be fine with the X(perimentation) factor.

Get a bigger press if you want to do shirts. 16x16 is good. 16x20 is probably better. Auto open is a Good Thing.

Honestly, the laser printer, HT paper (if you can get it to work) and a 16x16 press will be enough to get you started. If you're doing your own artwork and want to play around this is an almost ideal setup. You can get fairly good results almost immediately. It all depends on what you want to do.

Moo Spot Prints · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodney


	There can be a few reasons for zero responses:

Dont forget:

This forum has gotten HUGELY popular in the last year. Absurdly popular. There are so many new discussions to follow that some just get missed. It happens.

dodank · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moo Spot Prints


	We totally understand. The Oki should get you in the ballpark with the HT paper. It sounds like you will be fine with the X(perimentation) factor. Get a bigger press if you want to do shirts. 16x16 is good. 16x20 is probably better. Auto open is a Good Thing. Honestly, the laser printer, HT paper (if you can get it to work) and a 16x16 press will be enough to get you started. If you're doing your own artwork and want to play around this is an almost ideal setup. You can get fairly good results almost immediately. It all depends on what you want to do.

hi
i would suggest u try the imageclip. it might have 2 step but the extra step is worth the finished product v.s pressing duracotton numerous times. i have used imageclip for all my digital prints with excellent results. it has really proven to be the best screen print or dtg machine alternative . southeastspecialties.com will send u samples and they have the lowest prices available. ask for elaine. once u try the imageclip and learn the process u will wonder why u tried anything else. it's really amazing and the customers love it. yes i have tried dura cottohn and it's not bad but imageclip wins hands down in my world.

RescueShirts · July 20th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moo Spot Prints


	Brett - something you will have to get used to in this game is the experimentation, and lots of it. There so many variables and lack of standarizations that sometimes I want to pull my hair out. It makes getting good results on the first try highly improbable. wrt the HT paper. Order some. Print on it. you already have the printer, right? A pack of 25 or 50 isn't that expensive. If you're not happy, try something else. Some people have gotten it to print reliably with the oki. I don't think the manufacturer would be selling it if they had not been able to get good results. I agree with the 200 tries to get it right bit. It tells me that they either don't understand some fundamental properties of their paper, they do and are just unable to find the tech specs for that particular printer so that they can dial it in more quickly or they were having a hard time making adjustments with the supplied printer dirver or (most likely IMO) . We obviously were not getting the full story on that one.

Actually... I don't have the printer yet... The Oki C8800n is what I want (Large format laser)... and is "supposed" to be shipping around the 24th of July.

I will most likely try both ImageClip and DuracottonHT and give them a head-to-head test.

Besides the "one press and you are done" benefit with the DuraCottonHT... the other advantage for me is that I plan on only using ONE paper... so once I get the pressure settings on my press... I can leave them alone.

With the ImageClip... I would have to change the pressure settings on my press everyday... once to press all of the transfers... then press all of the shirts.

It's just very frustrating when you are starting out with a new business... and trying to do "th

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