Hi guys
I have been painting on tees for a while but was wanting to start printing my own photos onto my t-shirts. I tried printing onto some transfer paper and ironing it on as per instructions, but the print curled up at one corner and then cracked after a few washes...
Just wondering where I'm going wrong - is it the quality of the paper (I was using Avery "Inspired") or the fact that I was only using an iron?
Was keen on selling these tees, and obviously can't if the print is going to crack after a few washes!
If you're thinking of selling the shirts, giving your customer of what they paid for is a must, most of the customer concern all the time when they heard of heat transfer is peeling, cracking and fading. So I would suggest for you to start thinking about investing on proper equipment rather than hurting your sales later through a bad experience with the quality of your work, you can find equipment that will fit your budget, start browsing through the forum and you will absolutely land in a proper place to get them. Goodluck!!
If you're thinking of selling the shirts, giving your customer of what they paid for is a must, most of the customer concern all the time when they heard of heat transfer is peeling, cracking and fading. So I would suggest for you to start thinking about investing on proper equipment rather than hurting your sales later through a bad experience with the quality of your work,
Like what process would you suggest Morph look at?
I personally find there is a market for each type of process. The days of peeling, cracking and fading are pretty much a thing of the past with JPSS and a great blank.
I have personally beat the heck out of a few shirts, for the sake of finding JPSS' (jetpro sofstretch) limit, and at a dozen abusive washes, more than half with a cup of bleach, and no change in the shirt and image, I called it a day and said, "Good Product!"
Morph, if you do want to use JPSS, buy a sample pack. You can apply it with a hand iron - at least to start. (I know you saw my other post, and thank you for the nice comments.) I wouldn't recommend hand ironing as a means to an end for business only because it is SO time and labor intensive..... but, I did raise enough profit to buy my Mighty Press outright!! And not one shirt came back, nor one complaint.
If you do want to check out some other methods and haven't started to look around yet, or aren't sure what you may want to look at, here's a thread that might help, and there is a thread link in there to one called Pros and Cons of Printing Methods.
Good luck to you!!
__________________ 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.
Lol ok I have been using JPSS and Jet Opaque, This last weekend didn't get my order I work alot on the weekends so I went to the store and bought three different Items, one office depots light garmetn transfer, first this stuff felt like I but down a layer of plastic then printed on top of it, It is cold peel only even though the instructions stated it could be hot peeled, so sum up lousy hand "plastic" second could already see it cracking looking close. Second product was averys opaque, similar to jet opaque paper feel once printed but the colors were not as vibrant as the jet opaque sample I have on the wall, other than that worked ok. Third was the avery "stretchy" for light fabric, besides some yellowing looked and felt the same as jpss, after hot peeling, stretching, and second press to remove excess glue. All in all it was a very stressfull weekend getting weird results, from clearly inferrior products.
My sugestion to you is simply this get a used heat press, then buy Jet Pro Soft Stretch and Jet Opaque until you can get a dtg which is my solution very soon. Oh and go to inksupply.com and buy heat transfer dedicated ink to stop color changes and you can still use it to print photos for enlargments. We use a epson 1400 which is on sale write now at office max
Like what process would you suggest Morph look at?
I personally find there is a market for each type of process. The days of peeling, cracking and fading are pretty much a thing of the past with JPSS and a great blank.
I hope you've taken some time to read my post Kelly and get fully to what I'm getting at with Morph. Anyway, I did not say that heat transfer process is cheap or prone to peeling cracking and fading, what I'm saying is we all know that this problems are the thing of the past but with customers own preview, these are the ones that most of them accustom to because of the past experience. Now, we all know that with the right equipment, supplies and process, all this problem are non existence. That is what exactly I'm trying to get Morph into, if he will be doing this as a business (part time or full time), then he should be investing on proper equipment that he needed to fulfill his job and minimize or at least eliminate any problem on the process (heat press, that is). Oh and one more thing, I do use the same process also (heat press, that is) and I have nothing against it or whatsoever.
Thanks so much for all your great advice! I'm going to start with using an iron until I can afford a heat press. Definitely keen on the heat press eventually. Am currently looking for the Jet Pro Soft Stretch paper online - if anyone knows of a stockist in New Zealand let me know!! It looks like I'm going to be ordering from the States.
Thanks again, all your advice is much appreciated!
I hope you've taken some time to read my post Kelly and get fully to what I'm getting at with Morph.
I did. And I did get out of it that you were referring to the way customers have gotten accustomed to thinking of heat transfers as the old fashioned, heavy feeling, or cracking images, which thankfully, they no longer are. They've come a long way, baby... as an equally old commercial used to advertise for something else. Same theory applies here.
What I didn't understand was if you were referring Morph to a better process using the inkjet heat press paper, or actually referring him to another process entirely, which is why I asked.
Sometimes folks don't respond back again in threads, and to avoid having to watch the thread in case you didn't return... I dropped my own experiences with inkjet heat transfers into the thread for future readers in case I don't end up back here talking with you again.
Fair and balanced is the way I always like to see a thread left. I've read too many threads that leave nothing to follow up on... just opinions with nowhere to go for more research from there... so my info dropping is just for that purpose.
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Anyway, I did not say that heat transfer process is cheap or prone to peeling cracking and fading, what I'm saying is we all know that this problems are the thing of the past but with customers own preview, these are the ones that most of them accustom to because of the past experience.
I know, and I did not take you post as if you were stating "your" opinion on the process, but that rather, you were referring to the perception that still exists sometimes about it. I realize it, too, and it's one of the things that can be a hurdle with this process.
The paper Morph is using currently sounds like it will do nothing but reinforce that perception, and there is so much better out there. It sounds like Morph is clued in to the best paper for lights as of today, and pretty much, closing in on a whole year now... the JPSS has been holding that top spot. I remember getting my order in very early December. Went from Ironall to this paper, and have never looked back.
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Now, we all know that with the right equipment, supplies and process, all this problem are non existence. That is what exactly I'm trying to get Morph into, if he will be doing this as a business (part time or full time), then he should be investing on proper equipment that he needed to fulfill his job and minimize or at least eliminate any problem on the process (heat press, that is).
That's what I wasn't sure of, couldn't tell from the post.
I agree with you 100%.
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Oh and one more thing, I do use the same process also (heat press, that is) and I have nothing against it or whatsoever.
Good news. I don't either, in the whites/lights department. Still waiting for the dark papers to catch up though.
__________________ 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.
I used a hand iron in the beginning, when I was figuring out what I wanted to do. And I think it's just fine if your volume doesn't require investing in a heat press.
I did however purchase a "dry iron"....no water tank, no steam holes. It wasn't easy to find though....I finally found one at VermontCountryStore.com for about $40.
Yes, agreed, a heat press is best for many reasons, but a hand iron is not out of the question, and could be just fine to start, or for someone who has very low volume and isn't ready for the expense of a heat press. If done right, and that is the key, doing it "right: ... it can be done with 100% success. Your hand and back will hurt (should if you are doing it right!) but the shirts will hold up. Once I got my press, I never looked back, but was thankful for being able to purchase my press with profits from the past sales.
__________________ 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.
Correct Heat Transfer Paper? 
