I'm looking for setup for mainly printing white text onto black t-shirts (90% of what i will be doing anyway). It needs to be able to print the whole width of the chest.
It will be a small volume output but i have about 100 designs so it has to be something that is fairly flexible and produces a decent quailty print.
I've had a look at some of the different options that are available in the uk, but i'm still lost to tell the truth.
I've seen a few vinyl cutter/plotter's on ebay, does it have to be a certain type or will anyone do the job?
The better the brand the better the finished product i guess, but i wont be running out to get anything too flash as i've set myself a budget of around £1k for a package to test the water with and to learn on.
A cutter and white vinyl would be the best way to go in my opinion.
As I started out, like yourself, on a limted budget. My advice is to search these forum posts to find other peoples experiences of using different brands of equipment. After researching, I opted for a Foison [Creation] C24 USB Cutter (Currently £395.00 from signwizard.co.uk - although you may find them selling the same cheaper in their Ebay shop). I chose this particular cutter because of the price combined with the UK warranty and parts backup service. I must say, I am more than happy with this cutter and fail to see how any other brand could cut out any better. I also needed the cutting software [Signcut x2 with Dongle £180.00 I think], heat press and some good quality garment vinyl, as well as clothing stock to get started. I looked around for the best vinyl deal and now use victory-design.co.uk for that. After all of the other expense, I had to opt for a cheap (Chinese Unbranded) Heatpress from Ebay. If it works for at least 7 months it will have paid for itself. Beware that some of these Heat Presses are known to have uneven temperatures across the surface of the platen, giving poor results. Again, the one I have is from UK Tek-Press Ebay Shop and works well for me. So far, so good for me. If any piece of my equipment breaks down, at least it won't cost much to replace it. Good Luck in your venture.
Well i've opted for a foison C24 cutter, now looking for a cheap press as i need to hit the ground running, will get a decent one when there is more money in the bank.
Looks like it's going to be a sharp learning curve! :-)
1) i need to be able to print photo's onto black t-shirts, what would be the best option for a decent quality and durable print that doesnt cost the earth?
2) I could do with some training as my printing knowledge is very limited, is there anyone either in sheffield or in Leicestershire that could show me the ropes on vinyl printing in return for some beer tokens?
Someone correct me if I am wrong on this - I'm afraid you won't be able to print full colour photos from vinyl unless you have something like a Roland Versacamm (£6000 ish). What you can do is to print a two-colour releif of a photo. I do many photos in black on white tees or white on black tees. They look ok, but if I had the money, I'd get a Versacamm or even a Direct to Garment Printer (DTG - Uses white ink to print photo colours). How are you getting on with your Foison Cutter by the way?
You could look at outsourcing the creation of your full-colour photos to a local printer - If they have the equipment already and you can source the vinyl, perhaps you can come to an arrangement with them? Alternatively, if it's the same designs, you could look at finding a heat transfer manufacturer to produce them as a custom transfer and then print them up as and when you need them.
Some people also use inkjet or CLC paper to produce designs, although you should be aware that the durability tends to questionable - They work great for one-offs (i.e. stag/hen party shirts) but if you want it to last you should be looking at a print & cut solution (e.g. Roland VersaCamm with a printable vinyl.)
im a printer in sheffield i would be willing to show you how to use your machine.
I can also print the photos if required or show you how it works if you decide to buy one.
alan ,
i agree dark transfers are rubbish, we want a printer cutter, but allready have a t-jet
i think that it is the best solution for small run dark work.
Equipment advice needed. 
Re: Equipment advice needed. 
