Discuss the different brands, makes and models of printers used to print inkjet and laser heat transfers. Also includes information on the inks that can be used to make your own transfers.
What is the best printer and perhaps the cheapest, to use for transfers for t-shirts? My colors run as I use Epson 1400 and I believe it came with dye based cartidges.
Epson's with pigment are still the favorite with most posters here. Epson is always running sales on refurbished C120's or other similar models which gets the price down dirt cheap, like sometimes less than $40.
Some buy the printer just to get the ink, since the ink costs more than $40!
You can buy 3rd party ink and put it into the 1400.
Some suppliers are inkjetcarts.us, inkjetfly.com, shopdyesub.com.
There are threads with pics and wash tests on the forum. If you search "1400 inkjetcart" or "1400 inkjetfly'' you will bring up some of the threads I've read. I guess a search on "1400 shopdyesub" might do the same thing, but I remember the other threads better.
If you look up "claria ink" you will learn more about the ink you do have. A few people have run into bleeding/running, usually the black or red ink. Reducing the saturation (amount of ink) that is printed on the paper clears it up *most* of the time. If you haven't tried that, it might do the trick for you.
If you still get bleeding, it could be the combination of paper or the shirt (fabric or brand). Every combination of paper, ink and shirt can yield a slightly varied, to very varied, result.
Changing the paper, shirt or ink can solve the problem if reducing the saturation doesn't. Good luck to you.
Yes, but you have to use transfers for darks. Everlast or Alpha Gold are good ones. It will give you a white background. This is how the ink shows up on darks.
You are awesome! I'm feeling better already. What a great website and such helpful people you are!
I see Epson has a printer for $39-C120. Does the ink usually come with? I have talked with a man who refills cartridges. Will that work here?
Has anyone used durabrite with a 1400 Epson?
Mary, I have been doing vinyl, plastisol transfers for many years. We had tried paper before and were unhappy. After reading the forum I bought a c120 from Epson, $39. It does come with ink. I tried the JPSS and what a great combo. I did a bunch of samples that I gave out for the holidays and had some students make some T's up. So far so good.
For the low investment cost I would do everything again.
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The type of ink that the printer uses has nothing to do with runny images on transfer paper...
It's the quality of the transfer paper and could be possibly how much ink your putting down on the paper.
~Roberto
Last edited by sunnydayz; January 3rd, 2009 at 04:07 PM.
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One more thing, you can't use Durabrite from the C120 in the 1400. The carts for the c120 are made for the c120, etc. The C120 and the 1400 uses different # and colors of ink as well.
The way to change a 1400 over to a pigment formula is to use 3rd party re-fill carts or a bulk ink system. Both will save you alot of money on ink costs, over using Epson ink. For lower volume printing, the refill carts are nice, affordable to get into, and still save alot of money. The Bulk inks are nice for larger volume printing, and save the most money over time, after the initial investment, which is higher than the refill carts.
I don't know if you already decided or not, Mary, but I wanted to round out the thread and asnwer that Q you had in your post. Have a great day. =)
Printers using pigmented inks 
