Discuss the various aspects of heat pressed vinyl transfers. Popular and new types of vinyl media, suppliers, vinyl cutters /plotters, press times, quality, how to instructions and more can be found in this heat press sub forum.
I am currently using a heat press and an injet printer to produce T-shirts. Ink is printed on quality t-shirt paper, but obviously after a while the ink runs, cracks etc! I am limited to print on white t-shirts. black t-shirts are obviously limted to by design.
I want a better option and I would like some help.
Can I use a vinyl cutter machine, inkjet and paper and come up with better results?
What do I need? I mean, the whole set up?
Can I print my designs on vinyl paper, cut it out and then heat press it on to my t-shirts?
I don't think I've explained myself very well.
I want to know basically what I would need to set up a new t-shirt business using a vinyl cutter and all the bits you'd need... A list maybe? Printer? What sort of paper/vinyl etc?
I print images which have lots of colours, and shapes. Thanks.
The reason I asked for more details is that it may be possible for us to help you correct the problem you are having, so you won't have to buy more equipment if you don't need it. There are a lot of people who use inkjet transfers with good results (no cracking, etc).
To use vinyl, you'll need a vinyl cutter and a heat press. You don't print the images ON the vinyl, you just cut different colors of vinyl and press them on the shirt. Since you have to cut each color separately, this might not be the best choice if you have a lot of colors in your designs.
Here's a great video that shows the entire process:
The Threadless shirt is screenprinted. I don't think vinyl will work for that, since it looks pretty detailed to me.
You might check out plastisol transfers - you can't print them yourself (they are custom made by a screenprinter), but they shouldn't crack, and they will be as close to screenprinting as you can get without actually having the shirts screenprinted.
The reason I asked for more details is that it may be possible for us to help you correct the problem you are having, so you won't have to buy more equipment if you don't need it. There are a lot of people who use inkjet transfers with good results (no cracking, etc).
To use vinyl, you'll need a vinyl cutter and a heat press. You don't print the images ON the vinyl, you just cut different colors of vinyl and press them on the shirt. Since you have to cut each color separately, this might not be the best choice if you have a lot of colors in your designs.
Here's a great video that shows the entire process:
Well..I use a heat press, no name brand, I bought it years ago from china. Its work well...
The T-shirt transfer paper I use again has no name, but it seems to last quite long but not long enough.
Do you think using sublimination ink and printer with a vinyl cutter would be better?
You can use a cutter to contour cut your paper but it would require a cutter with optics and the proper software. I use Corel draw but only to design in. Ive never sent anything from my Draw to the cutter so Im unsure if it uses registation marks.
You can use a cutter to contour cut your paper but it would require a cutter with optics and the proper software. I use Corel draw but only to design in. Ive never sent anything from my Draw to the cutter so Im unsure if it uses registation marks.
Right thanks.
The only option is to screen print then really if you are using lots of colours and you want different shaped images to put on to a t-shirt?
Do you think using sublimination ink and printer with a vinyl cutter would be better?
Sounds like you need to narrow down your options.. I think if you spend a little time reading the links I posted and looking around the forums, you will get a better idea of what will work best for you.
Sublimation setup would work very well for multi-colur designs, but you will be limited to polyester t-shirts (good news is some of them look and feel like cotton these days).
Check out The Transfer Press - distributors of high quality heat transfers - Graham Turner should be able to help you with equipment and consumables for dye-sub or with transfers.
Very, very helpful. I now know what I'm doing! the last site told me exactly what I wanted to know! I even dreamt about vinyly cutters last night! how sad
T-shirt Business 
thanks
