Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Hi everyone, im new here. i am looking at going all out and getting a heat press, printer, and maybe even a new computer. ive learned alot just from reading the threads here. i have a question (im new to the whole t shirt printing business), i get the impression that pigment ink on 50% cotton/ 50% polyester is the most popular choice. can someone tell me some other options. for example, can you do heat transfers on 100% cotton or 100% poly? thanks for any help you can offer
All my shirts or 100%cotton. I have tried 50/50 without any problems. I believe if yopu going 100% poly you may need sblimation. I am sire some one who has done those could help you . Lou
Ive been doing 100% polys with sport jerseys for awhile. If you plan to do any garment vinyl, youll find the grip of the adhesive is insane. Plastisol inks look every bit as good as they do on 100% cotton. I havent used transfer paper on anything yet so I couldnt comment on that. Ill be ordering some logos on the printed vinyl from Imprintables soon, but I dont think those will press any different than the Flexi or Spectra Ive used.
if you use discharge ink then on 50/50 tshirts it will look a little pale. As for myself, I actually wanted that effect. But if you want something with good saturation, discharge won't work.
thanks for your input guys, that helps alot. obviously i have alot to learn about inks and dyes. i wish i lived in the U.S. so i could order everything and experiment. unfortunately i live in the caribbean and we pay crazy import dutys here. heres another question, lets say i buy a printer like the Epson 1280, is it a good idea to buy different brands of inks and try them out to see the different outcomes? or should i stick to one type of ink once i start using it?
I believe if yopu going 100% poly you may need sblimation.
I'm pretty sure you don't, it just means you can use sublimation (and if you were printing on 100% poly anyway, it would be worth seriously looking into).
ive been doing some reading and it seems like Plastisol is a bit more technical than i thought. with the conveyer dryer and all. is it better that i start with a hot peel transfer? with hot peel transfers i can just print my graphic on to the trasnfer paper using an Epson printer then use a heat press to transfer the design on to the t- shirt right?
i wish i lived in the U.S. so i could order everything and experiment. unfortunately i live in the caribbean and we pay crazy import dutys here. heres another question, lets say i buy a printer like the Epson 1280, is it a good idea to buy different brands of inks and try them out to see the different outcomes? or should i stick to one type of ink once i start using it?
I would suggest only using some sort of pigmented inks - either use the OEM Durabrite inks, or another speciality pigmented inks like the Magic Mix set (though I'm not sure if TLM ships internationally).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Solmu
I'm pretty sure you don't [need sublimation to print on 100% polyester], it just means you can use sublimation (and if you were printing on 100% poly anyway, it would be worth seriously looking into).
This sounds right from what I've heard - regular transfers should work fine on 100% Cotton (which I and several others use; I think it may be more common than the 50/50 blend actually, but I'm not certain), 50/50, or 100% Polyester.
Quote:
Originally Posted by adamski...
ive been doing some reading and it seems like Plastisol is a bit more technical than i thought. with the conveyer dryer and all. is it better that i start with a hot peel transfer? with hot peel transfers i can just print my graphic on to the trasnfer paper using an Epson printer then use a heat press to transfer the design on to the t- shirt right?
Most people using plastisol transfers do NOT make it themselves. Instead, they order them from a company which specifically makes these transfers. If you can't find a printer that can make them locally though, it sounds like it might get expensive if you have to keep ordering them.
Most people using plastisol transfers do NOT make it themselves. Instead, they order them from a company which specifically makes these transfers. If you can't find a printer that can make them locally though, it sounds like it might get expensive if you have to keep ordering them.
Twinge, made i mis-read your post but Plastisol Transfers are not expensive. May be even less then Digital Transfers.
cotton and polyester?? 
