PLASTISOL TRANSFERS a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
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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
Thanks everybody for all of the great info! I've been screenprinting for a little while now and want to try using a heat press with plastisol transfers. I've read through the forum to stay away from Ebay, which I plan to do. One thing I observed with the Ebay heat presses was that many said their presses CAN'T be used with plastisol transfers. Why??? Are there different types of heat presses than can and can't work well with plastisol transfers? What type would you guys recommend?
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
I absolutely love transfer express. I use them for most of my school sports teams and have gotten nothing but good comments. Also, I have not had a SINGLE transfer mess up on me. They are so easy, it is amazing! Nice pics!
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Right now I'm using Litho transfers. They are pretty good except you have to order a ton of them which cost a lot of money. Big gang sheets with 500 minimum each design.
These transfers from Transfer Express- do they have that rubbery or plasticy feeling once they are applied to the s hirt?
My lithos feel really plasticy. Anyone advise me on a custom transfer type, that feels more like a silk screen?
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
I use dowling graphics for my transfers would I be able to press some type of foil over their transfers without having anything mixed in the ink from them?
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to add some info about my experience with Transfer Express that was not totally positive. I am not trying to trash them, but my experience was with customer service and to many of us here, that's equally important to the quality of their product, especially when something goes wrong.
My problem arose on my first custom order, two sides on a class t-shirt. The back was a list of 180 typeset names that I had sized for their standard adult size, 11x11. When I spoke to the sales rep after uploading the file, I was informed that the names were too small to print correctly, so they recommended enlarging the typesize and going to the max adult size, 11.25x14. On the phone, I took out my tape measure and measured a shirt, and said that I could just go to 11.25 and fit the youth-sized shirt, and 14" would not be too long since kids don't tuck in their shirts anyway. They also said they would re-typeset and reflow the names to fit the new size, which would require a fee, but I could go with the lower-priced EasyPrints, so the overall cost would remain the same. So far, great service.
Over the next several days, I spoke to five different reps. That was a peeve of mine at First Edition, that you could not stick with a rep you like but had to take whomever got your order out of the basket. But unlike FE, where once you get your random rep she stays with you throughout the order, at TransferExpress you speak to whomever answers the phone. I really liked Dottie and they said I could request her, but the process would slow down because I'd have to wait for her to return my call.
Well, I should have stuck with Dottie. All 250 transfers arrived ... and were LANDSCAPE oriented. I immediately called TransferExpress and proceeded to argue with Megan for about an hour over two different calls. She told me that because I had approved the fax proof (where it does not specify the orientation of the design), and because I had not specifically said the words "IT MUST FIT A YOUTH SHIRT" (instead of discussing the size on the phone), it was my fault and they would not reprint them. The mistake was not evident on the fax proof because it was a reduced size to fit on a fax sheet.
I should point out that I was not looking for a refund or a freebie, but for them to reprint them since I just had enough time to get corrected transfers and still make my delivery date.
I think what really shocked me was Megan's intractability and her insistence that it was completely my fault. She did not seem convinced by the fact that it was TE (and I think she herself) who recommended the size change, not I, so it was IMO their responsibility to make sure that it was done correctly. She adamantly refused to admit that any of the reps had made the mistake because "they are trained to write down things like that."
In the end, I said, "What do I know, I'm just the customer, and I just have 250 shirts that are going to look terrible," but she didn't seem at all concerned with whether she had lost all my future business.
Once again, my intent is just to share a negative experience for the reference of others out there who are looking for a transfer vendor. Often you don't really see the quality of a business until you see how they deal with a messed-up job. If you decide to go with them, I'd suggest finding a rep you like and leave time in your workflow so that you can wait for a callback from that particular person. I think it's just asking for screwups like this that you call six different times and you talk to five different people. And if you do get a bad order, beware that it's difficult to get them to correct it.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
I feel bad you had that type of experience with TE. I have used them for over a year now and for a lot of jobs and have never had anything but a great experience with them. I am not sure if the rep you talked to was new or not, but I had a job that was a bucaneer in the past and the face was supposed to be white and when it came, it was show through and the rest was white, so it appeared as an x-ray. They were great when I called them and redid them and send them out to next day so I could finish the job. Their customer service has been nothing but outstanding and I trust them completely. I would encourage you to give them another try, but maybe explain your past problem a bit to the rep and let them know you want everything doublechecked.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Any new companies out there or anything other than discussed here? I thought I'd finally found a decent company with a good price, fairly decent turnaround and excellent quality -- and I have, but apparently there's been a policy change and they will no longer print the "F" word.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by IdleMedia
Any new companies out there or anything other than discussed here? I thought I'd finally found a decent company with a good price, fairly decent turnaround and excellent quality -- and I have, but apparently there's been a policy change and they will no longer print the "F" word.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by trishtaz
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to add some info about my experience with Transfer Express that was not totally positive. I am not trying to trash them, but my experience was with customer service and to many of us here, that's equally important to the quality of their product, especially when something goes wrong.
My problem arose on my first custom order, two sides on a class t-shirt. The back was a list of 180 typeset names that I had sized for their standard adult size, 11x11. When I spoke to the sales rep after uploading the file, I was informed that the names were too small to print correctly, so they recommended enlarging the typesize and going to the max adult size, 11.25x14. On the phone, I took out my tape measure and measured a shirt, and said that I could just go to 11.25 and fit the youth-sized shirt, and 14" would not be too long since kids don't tuck in their shirts anyway. They also said they would re-typeset and reflow the names to fit the new size, which would require a fee, but I could go with the lower-priced EasyPrints, so the overall cost would remain the same. So far, great service.
Over the next several days, I spoke to five different reps. That was a peeve of mine at First Edition, that you could not stick with a rep you like but had to take whomever got your order out of the basket. But unlike FE, where once you get your random rep she stays with you throughout the order, at TransferExpress you speak to whomever answers the phone. I really liked Dottie and they said I could request her, but the process would slow down because I'd have to wait for her to return my call.
Well, I should have stuck with Dottie. All 250 transfers arrived ... and were LANDSCAPE oriented. I immediately called TransferExpress and proceeded to argue with Megan for about an hour over two different calls. She told me that because I had approved the fax proof (where it does not specify the orientation of the design), and because I had not specifically said the words "IT MUST FIT A YOUTH SHIRT" (instead of discussing the size on the phone), it was my fault and they would not reprint them. The mistake was not evident on the fax proof because it was a reduced size to fit on a fax sheet.
I should point out that I was not looking for a refund or a freebie, but for them to reprint them since I just had enough time to get corrected transfers and still make my delivery date.
I think what really shocked me was Megan's intractability and her insistence that it was completely my fault. She did not seem convinced by the fact that it was TE (and I think she herself) who recommended the size change, not I, so it was IMO their responsibility to make sure that it was done correctly. She adamantly refused to admit that any of the reps had made the mistake because "they are trained to write down things like that."
In the end, I said, "What do I know, I'm just the customer, and I just have 250 shirts that are going to look terrible," but she didn't seem at all concerned with whether she had lost all my future business.
Once again, my intent is just to share a negative experience for the reference of others out there who are looking for a transfer vendor. Often you don't really see the quality of a business until you see how they deal with a messed-up job. If you decide to go with them, I'd suggest finding a rep you like and leave time in your workflow so that you can wait for a callback from that particular person. I think it's just asking for screwups like this that you call six different times and you talk to five different people. And if you do get a bad order, beware that it's difficult to get them to correct it.
Thanks for sharing your experience here.
I recently ordered transfers from them for the t-shirtforums.com t-shirts. The sales rep I talked to didn't know who I was or what the forums were (which was fine with me, I just wanted to be a "regular" customer ).
The process went without a hitch. I uploaded the graphic through their online system, they called to walk me through the prices. In the phone call we realized that what I thought I uploaded was different than what they received so they asked me to resend it. I resent it and the graphic came through correctly this time. I placed the order and I had it in about 5 days.
I talked to Lou at the ISS tradeshow and he said he had a problem with a recent order through them as well.
I hope it's not a trend. I know they have lots of satisfied customers and their transfers are top notch and easy to apply. You may want to try to escalate your issue with a manager or something to get it resolved to your satisfaction.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Hi Rodney the administrator!!!! ( i love those smiley faces!!!!)
Thanks for the rating of the transfers.
It has helped me a lot! I am switching from the regular silk screen process to the process screen transfers. I am getting quotes from F&M in NJ & Horizon in Los Angles. I can't do HUGE minimums.
I am North of San Francisco one hour. Can you help me find someone closer to make these transfers?
Also I am looking for an EASY CLOSE auto open heat press. Is there a local distributor in our area???? I am 1.5 hrs. from Sacramento.
Thanks, oh great one queen diane
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
this post is excellent, very informative, i'm thinking of going down the heat press road, makes things so much easier and less limitation to graphics. thanks for the info
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
I've been screen printing for 3 years and I'm getting tired of the mess and time it takes to do screens. I'm looking at several different presses, not wanting to buy new just to try this process, I'm looking at an Instapress 221 16x20 and a Knight 16x20 both seem to be in very good condition. Any opinion on equipment? I will be mainly doing 100% cotton simple 1 - 2 spot color designs to start.
Re: a review of 8 different custom plastisol transfer screen printers - samples followup
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiveAloha
I've been screen printing for 3 years and I'm getting tired of the mess and time it takes to do screens. I'm looking at several different presses, not wanting to buy new just to try this process, I'm looking at an Instapress 221 16x20 and a Knight 16x20 both seem to be in very good condition. Any opinion on equipment? I will be mainly doing 100% cotton simple 1 - 2 spot color designs to start.
I'd probably go with the geo knight, just because I'm more familiar with that brand.
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