Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
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Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I have a few questions - I hope I'm on the right board.
The iron-on transfers that are sold in all the stores at the shore - are they manufactured by one company? I am not a printer, if I wanted to design my own iron-ons, would I bring the idea to a printer and have them print it up, or is direct to garment printing the way to go?
A few years back, I had an idea to create a retail store for tweens where they could create custom shirts. I tested out the theory over a year with stencils, fabric paint, accessories etc. but I just never moved on it.
Now, Fashionology has become a success story, with the same idea that I had. However, it was founded by two fashionista socialites with access to fashion icons as their mentors and the Disney Imagineer team to create the software and store layout.
Now that my bitter rant is over, a retail space just opened up across from the middle school in town, and I think that this would be a great location to open up this type of business.
I don't know anything about transfers or direct to garment printing.
Some do custom work, most have stock transfers for sale too.
Direct to garment will give you the most versatillity, but the machines are expensive. When it's all said and done, expect to pay $20,000+. That vs. a $1,000 heat press and $1+ per transfer.
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
So if I wanted to offer around one or two dozen design choices and then the customization part would be to add the bling, it would be best to get the stock iron-ons? Fashionology is located on a main drag in LA. Their base shirts go for $45, once some bling is added, the shirts average around $100. With today's economy and blank shirt options out there, I believe this can be made more affordable. My daughter (15) loves the idea. I would like to appeal to the boys as well, (my son(12) says to just stock the store with candy and Red Bull), any guys out there think that middle school boys would like to customize shirts, or is that just a girl thing?
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
Hi Ted
I am in North Jersey - Franklin Lakes. But, I would need the designs in the store for the kids to choose for their shirts, unless I pre-printed the shirts and let them just add the bling.......
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
Quote:
Originally Posted by cherrus
So if I wanted to offer around one or two dozen design choices and then the customization part would be to add the bling, it would be best to get the stock iron-ons? Fashionology is located on a main drag in LA. Their base shirts go for $45, once some bling is added, the shirts average around $100. With today's economy and blank shirt options out there, I believe this can be made more affordable. My daughter (15) loves the idea. I would like to appeal to the boys as well, (my son(12) says to just stock the store with candy and Red Bull), any guys out there think that middle school boys would like to customize shirts, or is that just a girl thing?
Cheryl
I have a couple of young men in my family who are middle school age. I have asked them about the garments I offer. Always looking for ways to market to new demographics . They have both expressed a desire to personalize garments. So yes from experience I would say there are middle school aged boys who would be interested in it. I hope this helps.
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re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I am seeing, yes, more bling even on boys. On American Idol last week, Randy's shirt was full of rhinestones. I recently saw an Ironman shirt with white glitter around the "punch" area to show motion, and the boys all want that shirt. Foil is popular with boys now... things are moving along. I would say - from how I see the young men in my family, and their friends, dress - bling and customization is as popular - or more popular - than ever.
My one newphew customized some Nike sneakers online, for $100. He was able to choose whatever colors and designs he wanted... he paid for them out of his own money. That is pretty important to me, it shows how much he wanted these custom sneakers.
Hope this helps....
For the transfers, you got some great sources. I think if you look up stock transfers, you'll find even more sources.
The thing with the DTG is, you'll need a file to print from. Do you mean you want to let the kids actually create art, like in Corel, and then send it to the DTG printer for them?
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re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I originally wanted them to create the art, but I don't think that it would work logistically. It would take up too much time. So, then I thought if I created the designs for DTG, like custom heat transfers and had a variety of them to choose from, that would be a better option. Looking at the recommended sites, it looks like I could customize the transfers. I didn't look into the costs. Which method is more durable?
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
All the print methods are pretty durable these days, if you use the right products. Some are more durable than others.
DTG, vinyl, plastisol, stock transfers... all of them, if good products, are durable... laser transfer, inkjet transfers... again, with the right products... durable. The least durable product for custom or one off's are the dark paper heat transfers.
What you use will depend on exactly what you have in mind, and your price point, both for your budget and the price point you plan to sell shirts at.
For teen girls shirts, you could easily pick up a vinyl cutter for a few hundred dollars, get a subscription to clipart.com for a few bucks (they say they have vinyl ready clipart on the site, I have yet to try it, but I plan to) buy some glitter vinyl and let them add their own words to clip art, that you design really quick, and send to the cutter and press it for them.
Let them order custom rhinestone sayings and art from you.
Have some cute stock transfers ready and on hand for the less creative types.
Keep a cheap epson printer on hand, and some JPSS and let them bring you pictures to print out and put on shirts for them.
There are myriad ways to capitalize on that market... they are all looking for something special and unique.
Which way you choose to go about it depends more on your budget and skill set.
I wish you luck. You'll do great once you figure out what you want to do. Kids really have oodles of spending power that their parents usually don't even have (because they are spending it on the kids!)
__________________ Please ask Q's in the threads as I may not see your PM. A many wonderful folk will be willing to help you. Apologies to those not answered, as I sign on sporadically these days. Thx 4 undrstnding. Have a great day.
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
Well, I've seen bling in the form of the hotfix rhinestones, and I have a bedazzler. Imo, there is no comparison. The bedazzler bling (adding rhinestones or decorations) is not as good. The bedazzler rhinestones have little metal prongs on the back of the stone, and it "grabs" and "pulls" at the garmet. The hotfix rhinestones can be applied one at a time, with a wand that heats up, or with a heat press.
I believe part of the experience could be letting the teens place the stones on the mylar tape (the sticky tape that 'carries' the stones to the garment) themselves. Kind of like a hands on experience that they pay for. Like when they were younger and went to Build-a-bear. They stuffed and decorated their own bear, and mom and dad paid dearly for that experience.. I think the rhinestone bling building their own shirt could be parlayed over from that, and done successfully.
I believe, but am not certain without looking back, that people have used JPSS (jetpro sofstretch) with hot fix rhinestones... so needing a DTG print is not necessarily the only route.
__________________ Please ask Q's in the threads as I may not see your PM. A many wonderful folk will be willing to help you. Apologies to those not answered, as I sign on sporadically these days. Thx 4 undrstnding. Have a great day.
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I have the hotfix and tested it out with my daughter and her friends - we experimented with everything: fabric paint, stencils, embroidered iron-ons and patches, sewing on ribbons etc. Funny you should say Build-A-Bear, that was what I was thinking as well, or Color Me Mine Ceramic Studio - it's the whole hands-on take ownership approach.
The space that I am looking at which just became available, is located right across from the middle school in a small strip mall that houses a Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Pizza place and Chinese food and a Quick-Mart. The kids all hang out their after school. However, the space that became available is 1335 sf, at $3250 per month, and I would have to personally sign a 10 year lease, which I think is way over the top during this economy.
I have never used any form of printing or heat press, I don't even know what JPPS is.
I would LOVE to have the kids use an art program with pre-made designs that could be tweaked to add their personal style, but don't know how cost efficient that would be in comparison to having custom heat transfers created.
This thread shows great examples of DTG shirts with rhinestones added, AND it shows great pics of JPSS (Jetpro sofstretch inkjet heat transfer paper) with rhinestones added.
The first pics are DTG/w r-stones, by Sunnydayz... and on pages 3 and 4 are the JPSS/w r-stone pics done by Dynamicdesynz.
Enjoy! They are nice pics.
__________________ Please ask Q's in the threads as I may not see your PM. A many wonderful folk will be willing to help you. Apologies to those not answered, as I sign on sporadically these days. Thx 4 undrstnding. Have a great day.
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
Quote:
Originally Posted by cherrus
I have the hotfix and tested it out with my daughter and her friends - we experimented with everything: fabric paint, stencils, embroidered iron-ons and patches, sewing on ribbons etc. Funny you should say Build-A-Bear, that was what I was thinking as well, or Color Me Mine Ceramic Studio - it's the whole hands-on take ownership approach.
Hahaa... that is great... I even feel better knowing you were thinking along that model. It's a confirmation that it feels right. You actually have me thinking of my local area, and the void for something like this...
but.......
Quote:
The space that I am looking at .... is 1335 sf, at $3250 per month, and I would have to personally sign a 10 year lease ....
Wow, that is enough to make me wince just reading it. That's a big step to come out of the starting gate with. I hope you are able to find a better solution for a location. I used to live in Jersey, and am aware of where you live. I hope you can find something that works into the plan with a bit more comfort factor than that.
That is actually a huge lease... 10 years. Wow.
Quote:
I have never used any form of printing or heat press, I don't even know what JPPS is.
It is a heat press paper that you print using a cheap Epson inkjet printer. Proworld was recently running a special for forum members... 100 sheets, $39. Great deal. As you can see, price per sheet at that rate is extremely affordable.
You could put more money into your blank at that price, if you wanted to.
You could always order a sample pack from someone like tshirtsupplies.com, or coastal business, alpha supply.
JPSS works with the regular dye ink in my Canon printer, unlike other heat transfer paper that will fade if you don't use pigment ink... so if you have an inkjet printer, you just need a sample pack to try it out.
You can use an iron to apply JPSS, you don't have to have a heat press to apply it, again, unlike some other papers, that can only be applied with a press.
It takes some good elbow work, and putting your back in it, but applying with an iron can be done successfully, especially to just test the paper.
Do you have a heat press already? Sorry, I can't remember back to the first post. Since you already applied hotfix stones, maybe you do...
Okay, sorry for any extra info - if you already have the press - but I think you have a fab idea.
Quote:
I would LOVE to have the kids use an art program with pre-made designs that could be tweaked to add their personal style, but don't know how cost efficient that would be in comparison to having custom heat transfers created.
Cheryl
Honestly, if your budget allowed, you could toss a couple of laptops out at tables and let the kids sit and design, sell them soft drinks and snacks, let them stay a while...etc, and send their files to print.. haha. You'd be a one woman youth center almost!
Well, even if you let them pick from some stock "basic" designs that you have, and allow them to ask you to embelish them further, I still think you have a great avenue to persue.
If you do follow up on your plans/ideas, I hope to hear how things went for you over time...
All the best to you, Kelly =)
__________________ Please ask Q's in the threads as I may not see your PM. A many wonderful folk will be willing to help you. Apologies to those not answered, as I sign on sporadically these days. Thx 4 undrstnding. Have a great day.
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I remember looking at that post at the beginning and seeing the cupcake design, but I never followed the post to the end, because at the time I wasn't thinking about this type of printing. It was a great design.
Last year I attended ISS at Atlantic City. Are there manufacturers at the show that offer these type of presses and stuff?
If I had a heat press, then I could just use that to adhere the rhinestones, rather than doing them individually by hand with my hotfix wand?
re: Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer
I do believe you can buy floor models, etc at the AC ISS show, too. I know people were talking about what they bought at ISS LB. I think you can do this at all the shows. I think looking at the past ISS threads in that section will show what people have done, or just ask if you can at every show. There's a thread for the ISS AC 2009 show, I'm sure some of these folks have been to ISS AC before, and they'll know what happens at this particular show.
If you have a heat press, you sure can apply the hotfix stones with the press.
__________________ Please ask Q's in the threads as I may not see your PM. A many wonderful folk will be willing to help you. Apologies to those not answered, as I sign on sporadically these days. Thx 4 undrstnding. Have a great day.
This is a discussion about Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer that was posted in the Heat Press and Heat Transfers section of the forums.
Iron-on transfers, like at the jersey shore/pre-designed images with customization by customer 
