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Is their a stigma in regards to heat press designs that I should be aware of? | |  | |  | |
Yes, some people do have a stigma regarding designs done with a heat press.
Part of it is based on stuff from "way back", when people were afraid of getting t-shirts with hard crusty iron ons on them.
Part of it is based on a misconception that all heat transfers fall under the same quality category.
For example, in my personal opinion, inkjet transfers for a clothing line would be a bad idea. That is, the kind of transfers you'd print of your home printer and apply with a heat press.
Yes, those types of prints definitely have their place (light colored t-shirts, promotional products, one off personalized/photographic type designs, etc), but I don't know if they would be "retail store quality".
Vinyl transfers that are cut with a vinyl cutter to me would be something that would be seen in a retail store (I've seen higher end clothing lines use vinyl, but the average consumer wouldn't know that it's a "heat transfer" or what they might consider as an "iron on"). Not all heat transfers are "iron ons"
A plastisol transfer is something that you would definitely see in a retail store. I've seen t-shirts printed with plastisol transfers in retail stores, sold by major musicians at concerts. For most designs, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between a plastisol transfer and a t-shirt that was screen printed with plastisol directly. For example, while most of the t-shirts at busted tees are most certainly directly screen printed, they could also be done with plastisol transfers and nobody would know the difference when looking at them side by side.
I've never been a big fan of putting "negative" language in your marketing text on your website to describe your shirts. Instead of focusing on the "no", if my t-shirts were screen printed I'd just put what they "are" instead of what they "aren't", because even by mentioning the "no", it still puts the opposite image in your customers mind during the buying process.
For screen printing, I'd just say "our t-shirts are lovingly screen printed by one of the best printers in the country" or something.
For plastisol transfers I'd say, "our designs are screen printed using retail quality plastiol inks and professionally applied to the garment with industrial heat transfer equipment at the time of your purchase to make sure your order is delivered *fresh*" or something creative like that.
"No iron-ons here" 
