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eAZie · August 6th, 2008

let me begin by apologizing if any of the answers i am looking for are already posted. i am new to the forum and haven't figured out how to navigate through it yet.

here it goes...i am interested in making t-shirts on a small scale to begin with. i do not want to go by way of vinyl. i am looking at the Epson 1400 (since it has a bigger printing area) printer and plan to get a 16x20 press. I read that JPSS and IronAll Dark are recommended papers for lights and darks, respectively. What other information or recommendations do you have for me?

A FEW QUESTIONS:

is the epson 1400 an ideal printer for what i am looking to do? can I use the ink that comes with the printer or do I need a special ink, if so, what kind? do I need additional software, if so, what? can i print on cotton shirts with this method? can i print on black shirts with this method? can i use any press such as a cheapy off ebay to start?

i have many other questions but i'll see where this takes me and if you can redirect me to other threads that would be great.

thanks for your insight and recommendations.

eAZie

Lnfortun · August 6th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by eAZie


	let me begin by apologizing if any of the answers i am looking for are already posted. i am new to the forum and haven't figured out how to navigate through it yet. here it goes...i am interested in making t-shirts on a small scale to begin with. i do not want to go by way of vinyl. i am looking at the Epson 1400 (since it has a bigger printing area) printer and plan to get a 16x20 press.

You picked a good choice of equipments especially you are planning on printing large format prints.

Quote:


	I read that JPSS and IronAll Dark are recommended papers for lights and darks, respectively. What other information or recommendations do you have for me?

Those are the top choice combination in the forum. I suggest you try sample of Ironall for dark before you spend a lot f money on it.

Quote:


	A FEW QUESTIONS: is the epson 1400 an ideal printer for what i am looking to do? can I use the ink that comes with the printer or do I need a special ink, if so, what kind? do I need additional software, if so, what?

Yes 1400 is a good choice. A lot of members claim that the OEM ink works with JPSS. Not sure about Ironall for dark. There are claims that OEM color will shift when heated. The solution to that is use third party heat transfer ink. I buy my ink from inkjetcarts.us. Another vendor is inksupply.com

Quote:


	can i print on cotton shirts with this method? can i print on black shirts with this method?

Yes for lights and 50/50 also. Yes for black if you use Ironall for dark.

Quote:


	can i use any press such as a cheapy off ebay to start?

IMHO I would stay away from ebay if you are planning on staying in the business for a long time. Others will disagree. Get a name brand. You will be happy in the long run. I have a Stahls Hotronix swing arm 16X20 that I bought in 1994 and it is still good. I have to change the battery last month. That's all.

eAZie · August 6th, 2008

thanks luis...

as far as software, what do i need to get because i am buying my epson 1400 straight from epson.com and it obviously won't come with a program for what i want to do. i know i need some kind of software for resizing, vectoring, and inverting the designs. basically i have a few designs and have a few artists working on some designs that i want to lay down on some shirts. what software do you recommend? and what is the brand of ink that you have had the most success with as far third-party inks? and also, are there any limitations with the 1400 as far as color output and quality?

Lnfortun · August 6th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by eAZie


	thanks luis... as far as software, what do i need to get because i am buying my epson 1400 straight from epson.com and it obviously won't come with a program for what i want to do. i know i need some kind of software for resizing, vectoring, and inverting the designs. basically i have a few designs and have a few artists working on some designs that i want to lay down on some shirts. what software do you recommend? and what is the brand of ink that you have had the most success with as far third-party inks? and also, are there any limitations with the 1400 as far as color output and quality?

Sorry I missed the software part. I would highly recommend CorelDraw X3 or X4. It can do just about anything using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop CS and Photoshop Elements combined. I started with CorelDraw V3.0 and that was good enough then. As far as I know there are no limitiations for 1400.

BTW Epson Store has clearance on 1400.

Check this link: Epson Clearance Center - Save on Discounted Epson Products - Epson America, Inc.

I can't comment on other brand of ink. I can tell you though that OEM ink worked for me but it is very expensive. Inkjetcarts.us ink is 85% less and it works for me.

eAZie · August 6th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lnfortun


	BTW Epson Store has clearance on 1400. Check this link: Epson Clearance Center - Save on Discounted Epson Products - Epson America, Inc.

yeah, $200 plus tax (cause im in CA) plus free shipping...

thanks again

Lnfortun · August 6th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by eAZie


	yeah, $200 plus tax (cause im in CA) plus free shipping... thanks again

You are welcome. Now go get 'em tiger.

eAZie · August 7th, 2008

do you guys use a teflon pad to protect your bottom platen? are these recommended or not and does this affect press time, pressure, and temp? and if i were to get one, should i use it everytime or only use it for lights or darks or what?

thanks in advance

DTFuqua · August 8th, 2008

Save you money on the software till after you get the printer. Mine came with a version of paint shop or photo shop or something like that. You might be able to use it. I pre purchased corel so I didn't even try it. But I do like my 1400 and with JPSS and alpha gold for darks, the color is good even after five washes so far. I ain't real fond of the feel of the alpha gold for darks but it worked good for me and my daughter in-law said a lot of children's shirts she buys in stores feel the same way. You might call mike at tshirtsupplies.com and talk to him about their transfers for darks. I did him a dis-service when I talked to him because I had something on my mind and only half listened to him but the subject (JPSS) i was discussing with him, what he was telling me right.

eAZie · August 8th, 2008

thanks terry...

another few questions for the forum:

is the JetWear line of transfer paper at tss.com feasible...i am new and don't want to ruin a bunch of JPSS or IronAll but still want quality transfers. just wondering if JetWear Double Green Line for lites is an acceptable alternative to JPSS fo now...and is JetWear Dark an acceptable alternative to IronAll or AlphaGold for now? Just want to get the process down first....

do you guys have any other suggestions on paper...i pretty much see that JPSS is highly recommended for lites but as far as darks, what paper have you guys had the most success with? ironall or alphagold or others?

eAZie · August 8th, 2008

also, are after market cartidges, not refill bottles, but cartridges good for printing t-shirts? i don't think i have the money right yet to buy a quality CIS and need to know if i can get by with after market carts. or do you suggest buying OEM carts for the time being?

badalou · August 8th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by eAZie


	also, are after market cartidges, not refill bottles, but cartridges good for printing t-shirts? i don't think i have the money right yet to buy a quality CIS and need to know if i can get by with after market carts. or do you suggest buying OEM carts for the time being?

If you are going to buy the 1400 then keep in mind it uses dye inks not pigment inks. for best results I suggest pigment inks. You can buy a cis system for this but yes they can be costly. Cartridges(refillable) are the way to go. less cost and easy to use. I don't know what part of this business you are going in but don't get ahead of yourself. assuming you will need larger format printer is really based on the fact that you have designs that require you to buy larger printer. I have been doing this for awhile and still use epson printer 8.5 x 11 . You sound like you have a low budget so you should make a list of needs vrs desires. What part off cal are you. i am in stockton.

eAZie · August 8th, 2008

i am in LA area, Redondo Beach to be specific. Now you say the 1400 comes with dye ink correct? but pigment ink is better quality for shirts you're saying. so how do i go about using pigment ink once my OEM carts run out? can you send me a link to the product/kit i need to convert to pigment inks. thanks lou.

DTFuqua · August 8th, 2008

There have been members on this forum that tested he claria dye inks and the claria compatible and found them to be preferable, at least when using the JPSS paper. His name is Ivan(something) and a search for the claria or claria compatible inks should get you to them. He has pictures to illustrate his point.I bought my refillable cartridges from inkjetcarts.com and they were pretty cheap with six bottles of claria compatible inks. I haven't installed them yet as I am still testing various papers and haven't used up the origional inks from Epson. They were pretty cheap Like under $75 with everything I think.Another thing. I haven't used any other inks to compare with but the claria inks haven't faded or smeared or anything on the alpha gold for darks yet either after 4 washes. Hope this helps.

kberg14 · August 9th, 2008

I have been looking at getting into the t-shirt business and this post has been very helpful. But my question is about how the t-shirt looks after you press-on the design. In the past I have bought generic transfer paper and just ironed it on for fun, but you can see exactly where I cut out the object. With better quality transfer paper, will I see the actual paper line after it is put on the shirt? Does anyone have pictures of a finished shirt for me to see?

DTFuqua · August 9th, 2008

Sorry about the quality, I had to drag this one out of the hamper, and my camera is kinda old and cheap.This shirt has already been washed 7 times and it still looks good.Not photographic quality on glossy paper but good for cotton t-shirt By the way, this is the first shirt I made

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