[PLASTISOL TRANSFERS] - a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Go to Page...
This section of the forum is where Rodney, a die hard screen printing fan, journeys into the world of heat press and heat transfers. Coming from the perspective of a complete heat press newbie making t-shirts for the first time. Jump right in :)
[PLASTISOL TRANSFERS] - a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Follow up, I talked with Christine at F&M and she explained what was going on with the transfers they sent. I understand the desire to save money but if it hadn't been for their reputation on this board I would probably have passed them up. Instead I sent them my first order today.
Received my packet from Ace today. Very nice, very professional kit almost as nice as the Transfer Express kit. Looking through the pricing is a little daunting, 8 pages of pricing for non-athletic prints, whoa.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Yo! I don't know why I was sent your thread, but since I did I have learned why I was having problems with the Propaque transfers from Airwaves.
The P.Plus. are a very soft feel softer then silk screen EVEN!!!!
I was having a problem with the release of the transfer leaving too much ink on the paper, and bubbles, etc.
Turns out my new HOTRONIX PRESS I purchased from RPL in NEW JERSEY for gawds sake, already... is 30 degrees hotter than the digital meter so I was FRYING the image and burning it onto the paper leaving little ink on the shirt.
After reducing the dwell time and temp. by 30 degrees, I have a perfect print.
RPL has not addressed my problem as of yet.
Airwaves ROCKS!!!!!!!
I am disappointed in the customer service of RPL supplies.
Queen Diane
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Man, that was a great review. This was what I was looking for. An honest review of different transfer companies. I have bookmarked them all and will be doing an evaluation for my own use. It's funny, I had originally ruled out the heat press for shirts but the review of the DAD shirt just kind of blew me away. I look forward to seeing it in person.
Rodney, thanks again for going the extra mile on this review. Kudos!
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Can someone tell me what a plastisol transfer is? I am a screen printer only at this point and have been looking into the heat press world and have found that there are screen printed transfers available...this confuses me..why not just screen print the garment? Is this a plastisol transfer?
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by jvanwest
...DAD shirt just kind of blew me away. I look forward to seeing it in person.
Apparently they send out random samples of whatever they have in the shop, I too was looking forward to the Dad shirt but they didn't have any more available.
There are several reasons for using transfers, they are economical in small-medium size orders, they reduce spoilage (bad prints don't make it to the shirt), transfers are quicker to produce and some people either don't have room for screenprinting equipment or don't want the hassle. Personally I love screenprinting but I don't like running a screenprinting business so I use transfers, larger orders can be subbed out. There are also certain items like hats, hoodies and jackets that are just easier to heat transfer than they are to screenprint. Even when I worked in a screenprinting shop, about 5% of all our orders were printed as transfers then pressed on. Misprint a hoodie and there is $10-15 dollars down the drain. Nylon jackets are worse.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
HI
A PLASTISOL TRANSFER is ink or paint ( whatever they use) on a piece of transfer paper that is applied to the garment with a heat press. Most of them are very stiff not a "soft hand" you get with silk screen prints. However, Airwaves makes something they call propaque plus transefers which are even softer than silk screen and can have the detail of a photograph .
Queen Diane
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by wormil
Apparently they send out random samples of whatever they have in the shop, I too was looking forward to the Dad shirt but they didn't have any more available.
Those type of transfers are GREAT! I recently did some parent/grandparent shirts for a few of the local baseball teams and did the mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa in the baseball print, and the customers loved them.
I would highly recommend the numberall prints to anybody.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenDiane
HI
A PLASTISOL TRANSFER is ink or paint ( whatever they use) on a piece of transfer paper that is applied to the garment with a heat press. Most of them are very stiff not a "soft hand" you get with silk screen prints. However, Airwaves makes something they call propaque plus transefers which are even softer than silk screen and can have the detail of a photograph .
Queen Diane
Plasitol transfers are silk screen prints. The inks are just applied to the transfer paper instead of the garment, but they are the same inks. They work great for someone who wants to only apply as they get orders.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by wormil
So far I've
F&M I had to contact three times asking for samples before they finally mailed them out. The samples did not look as good as the other two companies and were cut crooked with parts of the images cut off. I just tossed them in a pile, didn't even try them. I was very disappointed since their pricing is very good.
Sorry to hear you had issues with F&M - we use them EXCLUSIVELY for all of our plastisol transfers. They always ship on or before their 3 day advertised turn around, and the product has been flawless. We have never had a bad press with one. We have used both their Spot (all the way up to 8 colors) and their freedom product. We don't care for the freedom product, but would use again if the need arose. Mainly we were disappointed in the "feel" of the transfer. It kind of reminded me of the old superman/wonderwoman type transfers from the 70's - kind of slick and rubbery.....But their SPOT product is excellent!!!
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by melbyj71
Sorry to hear you had issues with F&M
Thanks for the info. I went ahead and placed several orders with them because of their reputation. Despite having made a horrible first impression, their transfers look great and have arrived on time. I like the fact they don't charge extra for ganged images.
This is a discussion about [PLASTISOL TRANSFERS] - a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup that was posted in the T-Shirt Crossover - diary of a heat press newbie section of the forums.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup 
