Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Getting started and I've searched these informative forums quite bit as many of you have. Hand is soft but still there. I trimmed fairly close to minimize it. I would love to see some pics of what your accomplishing with the heat transfers or plastisols.. Thanks. Some learn by words and others by viewing, so share some pics..
Last edited by Interdictor; October 22nd, 2006 at 03:22 PM.
Here's a link to a slide show of some of the shirts in my first order. All are my design, printed with an Epson 1280 with MagicMix inks (bulk), printed on IronAll, and pressed with a commercial press in my den. Enjoy.
Do you not see the transfer paper from it because it is on a white shirt? No matter how much I cut, sometimes I can still see the paper in between wording, etc.
Do you not see the transfer paper from it because it is on a white shirt? No matter how much I cut, sometimes I can still see the paper in between wording, etc.
Both of my shirts were printed using the same paper, you wont see the outline on the white shirt, but on the red shirt I cut out the image to the print (which took me ages and would be easier on a print and cut machine), if you look closely you can see the white around the 'W' of the lettering!
Do you not see the transfer paper from it because it is on a white shirt? No matter how much I cut, sometimes I can still see the paper in between wording, etc.
You will always have at least a little bit of a wax window left over when using normal transfer paper. However, if you're using a good paper on a white or ash t-shirts, it will be almost unnoticeable.
I pre-press to get the moisture out. I press the transfer for about 16-17 seconds at 365 degrees with moderate to heavy pressure. I use a 16 x 20" Insta model 221 heat press. It's a hoss!
As far as trimming, I use an exacto knife and cut free hand to keep from having straight lines that the eye would catch easier.
On the shirts in the slideshow I cut around the 'shape' of the letters trying not to have any cuts exactly parallel to the edges of the letters.
I leave a 1/4 to 1/2" connector between the design and the text to allow me to maintain proper spacing and alignment when I lay it on the shirt to press it.
If you're in a humid area like me, keep your transfer paper in something tht will keep them dry.
CASI/QLT ink jet transfer printed with Epson 1280 & Magic Mix ink on white/navy ringer:
Cold-peel plastisol w/adhesive crystals from First Edition printed on inside of shirt to replace tag. It's hard to tell from this photo, but I had them printed in cream so they show up on both white and dark shirts ... but not so dark that they show thru the white:
Thanks, Rodney. I use "EZ Peel" for light fabrics from CASI/QLT. I trim the transfer about 1/8" from the design and you really can't see the polymer unless you look really close. I've gotten no complaints on the hand or durability.
I cut as close to the fabric as possible with scissors and then use my fingernail to scrape along the cut edge to make the tag unravel. I unravel it as far as it will go and then trim that with scissors. I'm sure there is an easier way (like the fancy "seam ripper" Greg posted earlier) but this crude method works for me.
Try an exacto, trim it close and then leave a "handle" to pull it out. The worst that happens is you rip a few threads, but 2 seconds on a sewing machine fixes em right up. Great looking camel toe shirts! hahahaha!
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