Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Since I am looking for transfer paper to make mousepads, puzzles, and coasters, would this be a good choice? I have already purchased Everall paper from Coastal to produce shirts, but since it won't need to stretch and won't be laundered, I don't think it's smart to use such expensive paper.
I've only done 2 mousepads so far, and those came as project kits from PrintOnIt.com - it was transfer paper with a green line on the back. They call it Printz Quick N' Easy transfer paper, but I'm sure it's manufactured by someone else, and may be sold by other websites as well which may be cheaper. ANY IDEAS WHERE ELSE I COULD FIND THAT PAPER? That paper worked excellent on the mousepads by the way, but sell for $0.60 per sheet through printonit.com (without S&H charges). I don't think I would use them for shirts, but for mousepads, they worked TERRIFIC!
OK, so lets say you save the .81 (unknown ppr vs Coastal Everlast 8.5 x 11 ppr) per sheet. I would not risk my name and potential sales for .81 per mousepad. My reputation is worth more than that.
If you find that you are doing a lot of mousepads then try the Coastal house brand for savings. They are a forum sponsor and also offer a 5% discount to members. I feel that if you have issues they will help.
Josh at Imprintables my also have a suggestion for a paper that is less expensive and will provide good quality.
OK, so lets say you save the .81 (unknown ppr vs Coastal Everlast 8.5 x 11 ppr) per sheet. I would not risk my name and potential sales for .81 per mousepad. My reputation is worth more than that.
You beat me to it. You have to offer quality at good prices to get repeat business and positive word of mouth. I sublimate all of the items you mentioned and the image quality, color reproduction and durability are superb. When I'm at shows, customers will usually order more right there on-site after they see the results of the first item.
I agree that quality if of supreme importance, but unless you have some knowledge about this particular paper, I don't think it's safe to assume that it is of low quality.
And even if it is poor quality in terms of usability for T-shirts, that doesn't mean it's the case for other products. For example, perhaps it produces a vibrant print that fades dramatically after one washing. No problem. Perhaps it leaves a very distinct polymer window. Again, no problem.
Quality is important, but so is using the right tool for the job. Just because it's more expensive doesn't mean its the right tool.
Quality is important, but so is using the right tool for the job. Just because it's more expensive doesn't mean its the right tool.
Agreed on the right tool for the right job. As I had stated before if she starts doing a lot of this type of work then venture out and find a paper that will work and provide the savings. If all she is doing is the occasional mousepad etc then I go back to my original statement.
Quality is important, but so is using the right tool for the job. Just because it's more expensive doesn't mean its the right tool.
I got the impression she was looking for cheap alternative...Which generally speaking, is usually not the best. If the paper in question is in fact a good quality paper that is heavily discounted, then it could be a good buy.
AustinJeff ~ you are correct. It was not so much the factor of "going cheap" -- it was more about the fact that I couldn't see using paper that was meant to stretch and provide excellent washability, when let's face it -- people don't even NEED mousepads these days -- they buy them because of the design, and use them until they get dirty, and throw them away. No washing involved.
The 2 mousepads that I did recently came as kits through Printonit.com - $2 complete for the pad and the transfer. I don't know the name or the brand of the paper (but it had a green line on the back), but the results were spectacular -- sharp, clean lines, vibrant colors, excellent photo images and a nice feel (almost felt sublimated, actually). Now I could go back to that website and order the same paper that I had excellent results with for $0.60 per sheet, without a problem. However, I felt New Milford Photo has an excellent reputation on this forum, and assumed that they probably had an even better quality of paper than a "nameless" paper from the other site. The fact that it was a Overstock Closeout at only $0.47 per sheet was simply a bonus! Knowing the members here have used a multitude of transfer papers, I was simply asking if anyone had any experience using this paper, and it's performance.
I may be new to the transfer business, but in the few transactions I've had, my customers have been THRILLED with my work, and most importantly, with the quality of my products.
BTW, just because something is priced at a discount, doesn't always mean that it's of inferior quality. Even BMW's are priced lower when the dealer needs to move his inventory!
Hi Melissa, I agree with your search for the best product at the lowest price. The best practice would be to request samples and test before ordering larger quantities. Hope this helps.
Mouse pads are good money makers and people buy them like crazy. I sold 30 of them this weekend at $8 each. Staples gets $8 for one off the shelf so when people see $8 for a custom printed one, they're all over it.
rrc~ Yes, for some reason, even though people do not need them, they still LOVE mousepads! I was in Little Italy, New York City, this weekend, and they were charging $9.99 for a pre-packaged "I [heart] NY" mousepad! Can you believe it? I said to my husband, "Look at these poorly designed, crappy quality mousepads -- and I only sell my custom-designed ones for $8!" <shaking my head>
cbs1963~ That was a good suggestion to ask for samples. Very good suggestion. I guess I've been in a bit of a rush to get stuff in stock, and thought I'd "short-cut" by asking others' advice instead. But you're right -- best to do your own research. I'll call them today...
Thanks again everyone! Have a wonderful day!
Melissa
Cheap transfer paper to make mousepads 
Re: Cheap transfer paper to make mousepads 
