Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
i need a good transfer paper for pressing on dark fabrics. ive never really liked using heat transfers on darks because ive yet to use a transfer that didnt crack or fade after a few washes.
the thing is i have job pending where they want someones picture on a black tee. since i dont have a DTG machine..the only other method i know to use would be the transfers for dark tees.
i just want to know what brand of paper has given you the best results. or is there anything new out there that i should check out?
i tried the alpha gold double green line for white cotton shirts about a year ago. after the first wash the image cracked badly. i tried different times and temeratures but kept getting the same results. think maybe it was a bad batch? i still have almost the whole pack sitting there because i stopped using it.
one thing i forgot to mention is that i can only use sublimation ink at the moment. does the alpha gold for darks work well with artainium sublimation inks?
i just got off the phone with alphasupply.com...the guy sounded very nice..but he didnt really give me a clear answer to my question about using sublimation ink with the alpha gold dark.
at first he told me that the paper was not compatible with the sub inks. then he mentioned how he's had other customers use it and have had decent results..but that he wouldnt suggest i do it because the paper is expensive plus the cost of the sublimation ink. so should i assume he's telling me that the results arent worth what its gonna cost me to make them?
Yes Alpha Gold for Darks is AWESOME I love it... I even use it on whites when I want a great shirt.
How is the hand for this paper? Does it stretch? The only paper I've been happy with is the JPSS, but I would love to find a durable paper with a soft hand for dark shirts.
How is the hand for this paper? Does it stretch? The only paper I've been happy with is the JPSS, but I would love to find a durable paper with a soft hand for dark shirts.
Thanks!
Jessica
I like it, it's not as soft as the jpss well due to it being an opaque paper but it's not too bad at all imo. The key I was looking for was durability and color retention.
I think the double green line Alpha Gold is an older version. I ordered sample pack which include 4 of each several types of inkjet transfer papers. The Alpha Gold has an orange print on the back.
Alpha Gold can be printed also with color laser printer like I did with IronAll for dark. It stretches a little bit like IronAll for dark but Alpha Gold does not return to it is original form unlike IronAll for dark. Alpha Gold is thicker than IronAll for dark.
I printed one with Oki laser printer with Ultra High media weight setting. Its hand trimmed and peeled from the backing just to make sure it still releases from the backing when printed with laser printer.
I have not pressed it yet so I am not sure how durable the print is going to be. I suspect it has heavier hand than IronAll for dark because it is thicker.
I have red that the print with pigmented ink holds up very well after few washes. I hope it will be the same with laser. My experience with IronAll for dark is the material wears off after wash. Therefore the ink or laser toner wears off with it.
I will post pics before and after wash soon.
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Luis CorelDRAW macro author Macro Website
I tried ironall for darks too, although I must have received a bad batch because the surface was not smooth and I could not get a good print on it because of this issue. Also the fading with ironall for darks was more then I wanted to see as well.
The aplha for darks is heavier and thinker then the alpha you are correct and also the hand is heavier with the alpha as well. I like the feel of the ironall for darks as I'm wearing one right now, but the uneven texture and the fading are not going to work. So far the alpha gold for darks is what I have been shipping out and I have not heard one complain after about 200+ shirts.
So far the alpha gold for darks is what I have been shipping out and I have not heard one complain after about 200+ shirts.
Thanks. That is very encouraging. What washing procedure are you using? The reason I asked is I had a dark shirt pressed with Forever Dark transfer paper. The transfer was fine when it was washed in cold water and drip dry until one time my wife made a mistake in throwing the shirt in the dryer. The transfer cracked and peeled so bad that I quit using the transfer paper. I still have a few collecting dust. Maybe I will use it for dark tote bags or something that does not getting washed.
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Luis CorelDRAW macro author Macro Website
I have washed them in a normal wash cycle with our everyday clothes, warm water and normal heat for drying. I along with others don't want to sell a shirt that will have to be washed special so I have stuck with the normal washing and just found something that works with it. So far I have about 7+ washes on a few of them and they still look very good.
I have washed them in a normal wash cycle with our everyday clothes, warm water and normal heat for drying. I along with others don't want to sell a shirt that will have to be washed special so I have stuck with the normal washing and just found something that works with it. So far I have about 7+ washes on a few of them and they still look very good.
Thank you. Will you please post how many washes when the transfer starts showing some sort of deficiency.
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Luis CorelDRAW macro author Macro Website
I have had great results from Forever INK-JET DARK papper it has a soft hand and has held up great with normal washing my wife never remembers to separate them from the other darks so they have bean washed at least ten times with warm water and warm drying.
__________________ Daniel Slatkin TroopFuel we support our troops.
best heat transfer for dark tees. 
CorelDRAW macro author
Daniel Slatkin 
