Discuss the many aspects of plastisol (screen printed) heat transfers. Topics include where to buy, how to put them on t-shirts, quality, pictures, stock (pre printed) transfers and more. Read the definition of a plastisol transfer here.
Well I did my first plastisol transfers last week and fell in love!!! they came out perfect.....
But now this week UGH!!!
I have a full front design 2 color and a full back 1 color (Drill Team Name & Logo on Front & Girls Names on back) I am not sure of numbers because they are waiting on pricing?? I sent the info over for a quote and was SHOCKED!!!! I am needing Adult & Youth so it is basically 4 orders... My last order I "ate" over $200 my fault in quoting so dont want to do that again.... Everyone talks about pricing shirts at $10-$12 HOW!!! I also have to pay my "artwork guy" UGH!! HELP If I go by what "Howards" quoted me it is almost $10 a shirt in just transfers?
I assume you are printing just 1 name only for each girl? That is where the bulk of your cost is, my guess.
Howards has to make a screen for each set of names, and they are only printing 1 sheet, right?
You may be better off using vinyl for the individual names. Or I believe Transfer Express will do name sets in plastisol that may be less expensive than what you are getting from howard.
No, I am doing the team names listed on the back! Same for every shirt (youth/adult) just 2 different sizes! I know there are thousands of responses on here about sizing..
Can anyone tell me their "standard" . I am soooo confused.
How many of each size? That is likely where your issue is. When we have small orders we rarely print two different size for the adult and youth. We price it out both ways and 99% of the time the customer chooses to print the smaller size on everything. You've got two color front and one color back and two different sizes so you're talking 6 screens.
I guess I don't understand how you couldn't know this when quoting and taking the order? Howard has published price sheets. You should extraolate their price sheets into a price sheet of your own.
And to answer your question... we use 8.5" Wide for youth small and medium, 10.5" wide for youth Large and XL and 12.5" wide for adult. These are not set in stone. We use these as guidelines only and we can fit a 10.5" print on a youth medium and it will also look just fine on an adult tee. There really are no rules.
The critical thing is that you need to understand your costs before you quote the customer and you need to educate your customer about the options and prices. It sounds to me like on this order you should have informed the customer that the most economical solution would be to size the imprint to the smallest size tee and use that same imprint size on everything. Then you would have had one larger order for two color front and one color back.
I appreciate the information.. I havent priced this customer yet.. I am NEW to this and this is only my 2nd order that is why I am researching a little more so I dont make the same mistake..
So you answered my question, the best thing to do is find a happy medium and just do one size transfer for all shirts.. That is where I was a little confused..
So I appreciate again your advice, let me ask one more question, are you doing 10.5" X 10.5".. Sorry I am sure that seems obvious to you but all of these sizes are making me crazy!!!
We pretty much let the artwork dictate. 10.5 X 10.5 makes a good middle of the road front design that will handle all but the smallest youth sizes. On the backs we sometimes go to 10.5 X 12, again all but the smallest youth sizes. My nnumbers are for the maximum width.
It sounds like you are dealing with the dance community? and often they don't want large designs. Most of our work with dance is much smaller center chest designs. But all of that changes with the weather in anything related to fashion trends.
We are always looking for opportunities to gang designs on the sheet. we rarely pass along the cost savings for ganging unless we're in a competative situation.
And on the larger orders, say above 72, that won't have periodic reorders we go with screen printing for cost reasons.
Thank You!!
Yes, I mostly deal with the dance/Drill Team/Cheer etc.. So what would your recommendation be for center chest for these group of people.. It is usually just there logo & name on the front center.. Sometimes left chest but I have that size down (I have done embroidery for about 6 years so that size I have down pat-these "transfer" sizes are so NEW to me)
let me ask one more question, are you doing 10.5" X 10.5".. Sorry I am sure that seems obvious to you but all of these sizes are making me crazy!!!
The size of your print should be proportional to the design. 10.5 is width. Length will vary. For example if your artwork is 5 inches X 3 inches, when your enlarge the width to 10.5 your length will be somewhere around 6 inches.
I am still confused how you are printing the girls names on the backs?
Plastisol Transfers Sizing/ganging 
Re: Plastisol Transfers Sizing/ganging 
