Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Okay... I am very new to this and I have tried searching the forums, etc. for the answer to the following question, which I am sure is out there but I am just missing it so I apologize in advance.
So... this is something I always wanted to do as a hobby and now as a secondary source of income.
But I figured... if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right... no cheap iron-on transfers printed on transfer paper with a cheap ink jet printer; I wanted to produce a quality shirt. But with that of course comes expenses...
First thing I did was purchase a Hix 15x15 Swingman, then I made a few designs in Photoshop, and now I face the issue of PRINTING.
Since I am starting out with White Tees, through my research here I found JSP to be the best option for transfer paper so I am going to purchase some of those online
But here is the thing I do not want to invest in a special ink jet printer and purchase premium ink cartridges that probably run out quick IF I CAN AVOID IT.
I would rather take my JSP Transfers to some place like Kinko's(?) and use one of their printers to print the designs, take them home, and apply them to my shirts via heat press.
Is that possible? Does anyone here do it that way? What kind of costs would I be looking at? ~$1 per printout or what. Where could I get this done?
All right, since I'm at work right now I kind of rushed this post but hopefully my question was clear enough and I appreciate any help. Thanks!
Re: Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing
I'm not largely knowledgeable on heat transfer products, but i do know that there's a good chance of getting some really good information from the heat press and heat transfer section of the forums.
I'd lurk around there for a while and then ask some questions as to which type of transfers would be best for you.
Hope this answer helps a little and isn't simply brushed off as a non-answer...
Re: Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing
I am not sure Kinkos even has inkjet printers, do they? And if they do, what type of ink do they use? For a lasting transfer, you'll want pigment ink. Most inkjet printers don't use pigment.
If you really want to do transfers right, do a search here on plastisol transfers. Those are silkscreened and have the best quality of any transfer. Most folks can't make those on their own though, you'll need to have a company make them for you.
Re: Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing
Quote:
Originally Posted by splathead
If you really want to do transfers right, do a search here on plastisol transfers. Those are silkscreened and have the best quality of any transfer. Most folks can't make those on their own though, you'll need to have a company make them for you.
I looked into plastisol a little bit, appears to be the best option, however, not necessarily where I would want to start as a newbie and finding a place that would give me reasonable pricing on these is a whole separate issue I imagine.
Let's say I found a place to print regular Inkjet/Laser transfers and applied them to a white T-shirt with my heat press. If I am using a quality transfer and a quality heat press, will I get a quality shirt with a design that does not start to crack and peel after 4/5 washes??? Please tell me the answer to that is yes, otherwise this isn't going to be as much fun as I anticipated haha
Re: Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing
Quote:
I looked into plastisol a little bit, appears to be the best option, however, not necessarily where I would want to start as a newbie and finding a place that would give me reasonable pricing on these is a whole separate issue I imagine.
Plastisol transfer makers don't care if you're a newbie or if you've been in the business 10 years
You just send them the design, they give you a quote and they send you quality pre-printed transfers.
But here is the thing I do not want to invest in a special ink jet printer and purchase premium ink cartridges that probably run out quick IF I CAN AVOID IT.
If you want to use JPSS, the money you spend going back and forth to kinkos and on printing would be better spent by just buying a $39 Epson C120 refurbished printer that comes with the inks you need to do inkjet transfers. $39 is not much of an investment, even if you find out it's not what you want to do.
If I am using a quality transfer and a quality heat press, will I get a quality shirt with a design that does not start to crack and peel after 4/5 washes?
If you are trying to sell your own designs as a "clothing line", then I would suggest plastisol transfers over JPSS. You will get a much better quality.
The general answer to your question though is, yes, if you have all the factors done right (which can take some practice), then yes, you can end up with a quality t-shirt design that does not crack or peel after 4-5 washes
This is a discussion about Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing that was posted in the Heat Press and Heat Transfers section of the forums.
Transfer Printing Services vs. Manually Printing 
