Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
I promise I have searched through the forum before posting, but the recommendations changed on me and are confusing. The forum is obviously for those in the t-shirt making business, and I occasionally make tees for special events. I apologize if I don't belong on the forum at all
What I want to make now are family shirts for a character meal at Disney World. While I know I have differents needs than a lot of you here, I decided to ask here anyway because you guys definitely seem more knowledgeable than other sites I've been to on my quest for the perfect transfer paper.
I am planning to print on both white t-shirts and also on solid color darker tees (hot pink, bright blue, deep gray) For most of the shirts I'll only be doing small designs on one side of the breast area and up near the neck on the back. I am thinking if I conserve I could get all the designs onto 10 sheets of transfer paper.
I have a Canon inkjet printer with the manufacturers inks in it. I have a nice Rowenta iron--no heat press.
What paper would you recommend for me? When I read the sticky at the top of the thread, it sounded to be all Ironall so I did a search for manufacturers of that brand. My main concern about it is that many ppl have called it difficult to use. That doesn't bode well for an occasional user with a home iron.
The last I read is JetPro Soft Stretch for white transfers and for dark it appears to be all over the map! The most recent post I read said Alpha Gold for dark, and in all my reading today, that is the first I have even come across that brand. I am afraid I read all outdated material.
The technology changes rapidly in the world today. Ironall was the best and then the JPSS paper come on the market. I also think different people have a preference based on loyalty and perception. I drive a Ford and My wife likes a Dodge this is the same thing with transfer products it all comes down to personal choice. ..... JB
Most of the products used in this forum require a heat press to transfer properly. The best product I know of that can be Ironed-on is New Milford Photo's Ironall for lights. With their current "gas" sale you can get 25 sheets for about $14 plus shipping. Iron-on paper for dark colored shirts is more difficult. I would recommend very light colored shirts like white or ash. It is not possible to produce a commercial quality garment with an Iron. Knowing that, save yourself some money for gas by just purchasing some Iron-on paper locally, print with your Canon, and have a fun trip. I started out with Iron-ons for some friends, now thousands later....I can print my own commercial quality shirts. If you really want the best quality shirts have a local t-shirt company print them for you. If you go forward with making your own shirts follow the directions carefully. And remember, not everything comes out right everytime. I recommend practicing on an old shirt first by printing on a sheet, then cutting into quarters, then press each on the old shirt, and press the shirt on a hard surface like a table while standing over the iron for pressure. Make adjustments as needed. Good luck and Welcome to the forums.
I have used the "soft" transfer paper from DharmaTrading.com for a very long time now...I believe it is ironall.
In the early days, I used it with an iron, and it turned out very well. Here's what I did:
I used an old fashioned dry iron, so that I didn't have to deal with the steam holes. Got that at VermontCountryStore.com
I slipped a pillowcase over a large breadboard so that I would have a hard surface to iron on.
Pre press the shirt (the area where the transfer will go) for at least 60 seconds. You want to get all the moisture, and any sizing out.
If you need to make marks on the shirt to align the transfer, you can use a disappearing ink pen. You'll find that at your local fabric store.
If you need to place the transfer on the shirt and then take it to the place where you're going to iron, use Johnson and Johnson paper medical tape to keep it in place. Two little pieces is sufficient...fold one end down a little bit to creat a tab that you can grab to take it off after the pressing.
The easiest way to find the center of the shirt is to fold it in half lengthwise, and press a seam down the front.
Place your pre-pressed shirt an transfer on the breadboard. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the transfer (you can find this in the baking section of your grocery store).
Using as much pressure as you can, place the iron over the transfer for 10 to 15 seconds. Move to the next section of the transfer, and so on until you have done this over the entire transfer. Continue to iron over the transfer, moving the iron back and forth or in a circular motion for 3 minutes. Use as much pressure as possible.
Peel the transfer off while it is still hot. Place your parchment paper over the transferred area of the shirt, and press for about 20 seconds.
I thank you all for your replys. I am something of a perfectionist, so I seem to paralyze myself wondering if I am using the very best product for what I am doing.
Am I correct in understanding that JPSS will not work correctly with only a iron? I ask because that was the product I decided to go with for the light shirts based on the recommendations here. It is about the same price as the IronAll sale price mentioned above (although I did not notice the "gas" sale on their site--I will go look for it). I had been scared off IronAll by all the ppl saying it was difficult to use, but I can definitely follow the directions in the last post.
ETA: I went back to Milford's site and cannot find anything about a gas sale
Last edited by Courtney; June 15th, 2008 at 10:12 AM.
I use JPSS for lights and Alpha gold for darks and so far love them both!
But I also use a heat press.(and heat transfer inks in my printer)
I agree with JB... a heat press works the best.
(mho)
If you are only going to do this for a hobby(like i started out)(.....but be careful...the"t" business will suck you in!LOL!)I would suggest reading the LONG but great thread " New "Cheap" Heat Press Arriving Today "
...you can start out with a good "cheap" press!...then move up to the more expensive one's later.
This thread will let you know what "cheap" press works great and the ones to stay away from.
(mine is the 15x15 sunie/seiki press... bought it off of ebay for 147.00 plus90.00 S&H)
(it has been great so far...and my first order paid for it!!!)
__________________ For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. Psalm 116:8
According to what I have read, the poster upthread definitely got a good deal on a press at $250 roughly. I do this for fun only and don't average 10 shirts a YEAR, so that is totally out of line for me. I appreciate the imput though in case it ever turned into anything more in the future. I am in the process of checking out the "cheap" thread
Hobbyist needing transfer paper advice 
