Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Hi guys, I'm heat pressing black t-shirt for my kids school and I have no idea what transfer is good. I read about Iron All Dark and Blue Grid from Coastal still unclear. Do they crack after a few wash? I have press JPSS and its been great.
I can't speak to the inkjet transfer quality, as I use a laser printer and with it, Laser 1 Opaque for Darks.
However, depending on how many you're doing and how complex the design, you might find that plastisol transfers will give you a better quality product overall. Check with Dowling or Ace Transfer Co for a quote. (I love these guys!)
Thanks Bill. Unfortunately I don't have a fix quantity. It will be print on demand kind of a deal. Its for school fund raising. I have enquire about custom plastisol but its very expensive if done in small quantities.
I use the InkJet Opaque for Dark Colors from Coastal which I like a lot. I'm still very inexperienced when it comes to all the many different papers as this is the only one I've tried so far.
I tested some inkjet transfers for darks and didn't find one I was willing to sell, at least not without a list of disclaimers. There were a variety of problems like peeling, fading, cracking; some weren't too bad but I just didn't have enough confidence in the papers. Tests were done using an Epson printer with pigment inks and a professional heat press. I had much better luck with both JPSS and Jet II (both for lights). Some of those shirts are still going strong (with a little fading) six months later. Most of the fade seems to happen after the initial wash.
Yeah, I don't know. There are people here who like them and sell them. Maybe get some samples and try them for yourself. Another thing I didn't like about inkjet transfers was using pigment ink as my Epsons all clogged in a day or so if you don't use them and waste $$$$ worth of ink unclogging. The Epsons are gone and now I have a Canon with dye ink but the few tests I've done seem to work as well as the pigment ink (on lights).
As Bill initially mentioned Plastisol transfers are exactly what you need. You might need to refine your graphic but school stuff is usually 1-3 colors. Look into gang sheets.
Hi Sam,
I use the Dazzle-Trans Finishing Sheet with the transfer sheet which gives it a high gloss and that held up very well in the wash and the wear. It did not crack nor fade very much at all. I used a heat setting of 350 for about 10 seconds.
Shirl
Have you tried the Freedom transfers from F&M Expressions? They are very reasonable rather than using a transfer paper. You get your artwork back in 3-5 days.
Can you take pre orders and get an idea as to how many you will sell? Then order your plastisol in a higher quantity at that point?
That's usually how I handle it for my projects without a fixed quantity. I always order 100 transfers if I know I can sell at least 60 right away, then I have 40 for any late orders that come in
Hi Sam,
I use the Dazzle-Trans Finishing Sheet with the transfer sheet which gives it a high gloss and that held up very well in the wash and the wear. It did not crack nor fade very much at all. I used a heat setting of 350 for about 10 seconds.
Shirl
That sounds like a plan. How many washes so far have you tested?
Can you take pre orders and get an idea as to how many you will sell? Then order your plastisol in a higher quantity at that point?
That's usually how I handle it for my projects without a fixed quantity. I always order 100 transfers if I know I can sell at least 60 right away, then I have 40 for any late orders that come in
Bill, that was what I thought. My design is pretty complex and usually full color and this method put a lot of constraint on my design. Also this is my first gig doing for the school so I have no idea what to expect. If I order 50 transfer then my cost is high so I kinda in a limbo. I am attaching my design maybe you guys can help.
Is that your design for the school shirts? If it is, it is going to be very hard for you to get a clean cut out with the transfer paper. You will have a white outline all around your design (not sure if you were aware of this). Do you know you can order as little as 24 runs or 8 runs with F&M Expressions? I just used them for a project of mine and the size of my artwork was (they have different size sheets) was 6 x 9 (anything can be ganged) I ordered 32 runs and got it for 75+shipping. I thought that was a great deal and no setup or art charges!
The test was actually my 3yr old grandson and he still wears his shirt so I'd say more than 20 times. I made it for his 2nd birthday party.
What transfer is good for black shirt? 
