When I first started desinging for my prospective brand, my original thought was Cafe Press. When I got the shirt I ordered, for $25, I was less than impressed. They sent me a replacement and the picture still isn't very sharp and the colors are off a bit.
I've thought about contract
dtg, since with all of the different designs and product possibilities I could get decent pricing around 100 pieces and mix designs in my order, instead of having to do a minimum order and reorder of 12 of the same design for screen printing.
I've seen the threads that have been posted about the different plastisol transfer companies and there products. Dowling seems to be the front runner with a quality product and good customer service. Is that correct? I think that transfers might be my best bet since I could buy the shirts as needed and keep the transfers on hand, and press them as the orders came in. The transfers per piece are lower priced than having screen printing done or
dtg. I could gang about 6 designs per sheet.
So my question is: Do you think that customers will be as satisfied with getting a shirt that was printed using transfers, or do you think that it would be a turnoff and labled as inferior quality? My pricing won't be high end (probably $15 - $20) but I'd like to give my customers the best product that I can give in hopes that they'll return. I've gotten some transfers from First-Edition in the past that where a little hard to use and plasticky feeling, so I'd prefer to have a hand similar to screen printing if possible. Which of the companies that you tried had a hand similar to screen printing?
Starting a brand with heat transfers? 
