Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
I am new & learning. I have 2 questions I hope some of you can enlighten me.
QUESTION 1.
I have discovered I can get a heat press for less than $200 in ebay as
compared to $$thousands elsewhere on the internet
MY question is : Are this SUITABLE for for t-shirt printing? Is there a catch for
such low prices?
QUESTION 2.
Can the normal injet ink that comes package with the injet printer be used for
printing T-shirts?
Is there such a thing as INK that' customised for t-shirt printing?
IF YES, where can I get them?
Do they comes in Continous Ink System CARTRIDE & can i buy just the refill
when ink is finished?
PLEASE avoid any ebay presses that are not the big name brands. You'll find PLENTY of posts here where people have had problems with cheap Chinese presses.
And if you're thinking of the E-Z Press...Um...No. Don't do it. You'll regret it.
Also, get at least a 15" x 15" press for your first press.
Yes, you'll spend more at the outset, but you'll save yourself money and headaches in the long run.
As for ink, use a printer that uses PIGMENT ink, not dye. The Epson C88+ is the most common printer on these forums, but they're out of production now. I'm not sure if its replacement, the C120, uses pigmented DURABrite inks or not.
Chani and Alex are right on...the cheap presses on ebay are just that..cheap.there is very little if any after sale support, no guarantee that can be counted on (the name brands have lifetime warranty on the heating elements) and parts availability is questionable.
for transfers you will need either an inkjet with pigment ink or a color laser printer. Exception being if you are doing sublimation, then you will need special ink/paper/printer
Bulk systems are available for most of the printers used
This I'm sure will be a dissenting opinion that many here will disagree with. If your bread and butter is dependant upon this press, then by all means go with an established distributor and pay the xtra for a name brand press, if that allows you to feel more comfortable.
Know this; a heat press is nothing more than the combination of a heating element, a mass to convey the heat (platen), thermocontrol, timer and housing. There is no additional software packaged with any press that I'm aware of to justify some of the prices I've seen, you are paying for what you see, a simple mechanical device.
Some will argue the cheaper presses do not convey the heat as evenly or accurately as the high dollar name brands, to this there could be an element of truth as I like most here have not performed extensive testing to prove or disprove this claim. I do know the cheap chineeze press I have performs Vinyl and Ink Transfers to my satisifaction and has thus far proven reliable.
In my mind the only real difference between my cheap press and the more costly name brands is the insurance a purchaser of those unwittingly procurs at time of sale.
With all that said, be cautious as there are unscrupulous sellers of presses on auction sites, but that's where I found mine.
Stay with the name brands. When you are getting started the heat press is your only investment and is not the place to cut corners. The press is the key to good application.
This is a discussion about heat press machines $200 ? T-SHIRT INK question? that was posted in the Heat Press and Heat Transfers section of the forums.
heat press machines $200 ? T-SHIRT INK question? 
Re: heat press machines $200 ? T-SHIRT INK question? 
