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Yuchan · October 9th, 2007

I remember searching for what people had to say about hotmark 70 and I recall not finding much other than "i use hotmark, its good" "i use something else, its good" etc.

So, I happened to buy some Hotmark 70 along with my new oracal shipment, and thought i'd share a direct comparison.

Here we go

Fluor Orange Hotmark 70 from signwarehouse = $2.36 a foot for its 15"x11' roll.
Grey Eco Film from imprintables = $2.33 a foot for a 15"x15' roll.

The first things I notice from weeding two exact cuts is that the Eco Film has a VERY
sticky backing (which I already knew) while the hotmark has practically no stick.

I guess some may like the extra stickiness for placement.

The backing on the hotmark is more rigid (stays flat) while the Eco Film backing feels
and acts more like vinyl. Lets just say the hotmark is more likely to give you a plastic cut.

One thing I noticed a few days ago is that Eco Film is harder to weed if your
design is over a foot long. The backing is so sticky that the whole damn thing
is a crumpled mess as you weed. You literally have to fight it for big 2inch weeds.

The Hotmark on the other hand, because of no stick and rigid backing, weeds easily.

But let me explain what I mean by easy. I think that the hotmark is easy in that
you could weed out a section, wait till it breaks off, and continue weeding without a problem.

It does break easier, but its a no hassle process because your big weed is
not "crumple crumple crunch cruch twang~!" as you get the pieces out.

The Eco Film wont break, so you either plot weeding lines or you wrestle with the material to the end.

Let me stress that weeding performance is NOT an issue, the materials just feel different
and probably fall into the field of personal preference.

The real deal is how it feels on the clothing : )

On to the real thing:

The Eco Film is supposed to be Medium @ 305 for 10-15s.
Hotmark is Medium-Heavy @ 300-350 for 15-20s

I'm doing both at semi heavy pressure @ 310 for 15s. (8 on the pheonix phire)

The Eco Film peeled off hot as usual. I tried the edge of the hotmark and agreed with the other posts to peel cold. I peeled cold and it worked just fine!

NOTE: The torn edge on the top of the Hotmark is from the edge of the Eco Film backing being laid under it (oops).

Just for fun I decided to keep trying the hotmark:
Hotmark at 330 for 15s: Still no peel hot, the edges begin to come off.

Finally, Hotmark at 350 for 15s and the same pressure I got a clean hot peel. The backing came right off : )

Moral of the story? Just peel cold!

But the real question is hotmark vs eco film.

They both squeak the same

. But the hotmark is definitely thinner. When I put my hand behind the vinyl I can feel it is lighter and less rigid.

The hotmark definitely bends better. It feels much better to me.

I've been trying to take pictures to illustrate this point but the bends look the same, but the RESISTANCE is completely different.
The hotmark feels more like a shirt. crumpling when it should, while the eco film feels more like a band of tape resisting the crumple.
I'm hoping that makes sense because most of you have handled vinyl before.

Josh mentioned it is unfair to call the Eco Film a band of tape, and it is. Thats just bad advertising on my part. The materials look the same in the photos so I did not know how to explain the difference. Eco Film is thicker, and feels different : ).

I mean its simple. Put some gauze on a shirt, crumple it. Put some tape on a shirt, crumple it. Moo.

*warning: pure unadulterated opinion based on initial press*
In conclusion, I'm surprised by the Hotmark 70. I will buy it from now on. Its slightly harder to apply due to the lack of sticky backing
(might move when the teflon sheet goes on there) and it doesnt peel off the backing as easily (so it must be done cold)
but after that there sure is a difference. Let me know if I left something out, or if you sense some bias. I have nothing to gain!

Let me update this by saying that Eco Film is VERY easy to apply. Josh explained how it is foolproof, and it certianly seems to be!
I can not imagine EVER having a problem with applying Eco Film.

Josh also mentioned that other advantages of Eco Film are Durability.
That large prints of Hotmark wrinkle over 5+ washes. I will see if my print wrinkles but it will take 5 washes :P

I'll update when I wash them.

Yuchan · October 9th, 2007

Oh, and the little fingers and such pressed fine with the hotmark even though it doesnt peel as lightly.

The fingers are a little less than a milimeter wide.

COEDS · October 9th, 2007

I like the hotmark 70 much better than any other vinyl. I wish I could get it in a 19 inch roll, but if thats the only problem then that's not to bad. .... JB

theflowerboxx · October 9th, 2007

JB try the multicut from Transfer Papers and Sublimation Inks at Joto it is great. Not saying Hotmark isn't, but multicut comes in 20" rolls. They are next day shipping to you.

JoshEllsworth · October 10th, 2007

Very nice write up & comparison - however I have a few more issues that come into play

When comparing the materials, I don't think its fair to compare EcoFilm to a band of tape (it is actually quite soft).

The EcoFilm is 80 microns thick which is much less than many materials, but the Hotmark 70 is about 65 microns. The reason EcoFilm is thicker is primarily to have better opacity or coverage when applying the white color to a red or dark colored t-shirt or 100% polyester.

The Hotmark 70 does cut and weed very easily as does Eco.

As far as application goes the Ecofilm is easier to apply. It's dwell time is about half of the Hotmark 70 and you can peel the backing immediately - rather than waiting for it to cool. This is especially helpful when doing a two color application and/or high production environments.

Despite all of the this the main advantage of EcoFilm over Hotmark 70 is DURABILITY. From my experience, the Hotmark 70 tends to wrinkle when laundered especially if it is covering a larger area. I think you'll notice this on the samples that you pressed. Can you launder them about 5 times and then 10 times and post up a picture? (I've attempted to attach a picture of our testing) We noticed the wrinkling after 3 washes.

Another minor issue that I noticed in our testing is that with Hotmark 70 - if you are in a hot or humid environment the mylar backing tends to stick to the top platen when you open your heat press. Since it is a cold peel material this peels up the corners of your applied design and sometimes ruins it or requires a second hit. So this means that it is necessary to use a teflon sheet all of the time.

COEDS · October 10th, 2007

I've not experienced the wrinkleing or the mylar sticking. I will keep a eye out closer and do a few more test myself. I thank you Josh for your comments. This can help all of us out in the future. This is what the forums is all about . Thanks again. ....... JB

Yuchan · October 10th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshEllsworth


	Very nice write up & comparison - however I have a few more issues that come into play When comparing the materials, I don't think its fair to compare EcoFilm to a band of tape (it is actually quite soft). The EcoFilm is 80 microns thick which is much less than many materials, but the Hotmark 70 is about 65 microns. The reason EcoFilm is thicker is primarily to have better opacity or coverage when applying the white color to a red or dark colored t-shirt or 100% polyester. The Hotmark 70 does cut and weed very easily as does Eco. As far as application goes the Ecofilm is easier to apply. It's dwell time is about half of the Hotmark 70 and you can peel the backing immediately - rather than waiting for it to cool. This is especially helpful when doing a two color application and/or high production environments. Despite all of the this the main advantage of EcoFilm over Hotmark 70 is DURABILITY. From my experience, the Hotmark 70 tends to wrinkle when laundered especially if it is covering a larger area. I think you'll notice this on the samples that you pressed. Can you launder them about 5 times and then 10 times and post up a picture? (I've attempted to attach a picture of our testing) We noticed the wrinkling after 3 washes. Another minor issue that I noticed in our testing is that with Hotmark 70 - if you are in a hot or humid environment the mylar backing tends to stick to the top platen when you open your heat press. Since it is a cold peel material this peels up the corners of your applied design and sometimes ruins it or requires a second hit. So this means that it is necessary to use a teflon sheet all of the time.

Yes the Eco Film is definitely very easy to apply. (as you told me when I bought it!) The backing comes right off at 10s hot peel. I cant imagine EVER having a problem applying the Eco Film!

And i'm sorry, its true calling it a band of tape is unfair. I just had so much trouble describing the difference I didnt know what to do! Its definitely there, but they LOOK so similar.

I'm going to go ahead and edit the post, and add that info.

I will post an update after 5-10 washes. This is making me think I need to press a larger non square design to test correctly.

rusty · October 11th, 2007

Thanks for the info. Have you tried ThermoFlex Plus or Multicut. I would be interested in seeing how they compare to the Hotmark 70. I use ThermoFlex and love it, which I've heard is very similar to Multicut.

theflowerboxx · October 11th, 2007

Rusty I have got both Thermoflex Plus and Multicut sitting here beside me and on a shirt you cannot tell which is which. I use multicut simply because it comes in 20" width for virtually the same price as thermoflex plus which you know is 15" width. I cannot compare them to hotmark as I have never tried it, but if it is only 15" wide I won't be using it as the 5" difference makes a huge difference for what I use it for.

rusty · October 11th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by theflowerboxx


	Rusty I have got both Thermoflex Plus and Multicut sitting here beside me and on a shirt you cannot tell which is which. I use multicut simply because it comes in 20" width for virtually the same price as thermoflex plus which you know is 15" width. I cannot compare them to hotmark as I have never tried it, but if it is only 15" wide I won't be using it as the 5" difference makes a huge difference for what I use it for.

Yeah, I really wish the ThermoFlex came in 20" rolls. I use ThermoFlex because I can pick it up down the road. I don't have to pay shipping and can get it on demand. So after adding in the shipping for multicut, it would probably come out about the same.

COEDS · October 12th, 2007

I use the hotmark 70 because it has treated me pretty good. I also can buy local and save on the shipping. I pan to try the multicut soon. .... JB

jberte · October 13th, 2007

i've never used hotmark, but have used a combination of thermoflex and multicut for the past 4 or 5 years - and now stick pretty much to the multicut because of the wider widths and a great working relationship with joto. i have no local source of supply for either so shipping is a factor for me either way. i've pressed large expanses of each material, both in testing and in reality, and have experienced no wrinkling even after multitudes of washes. they both have the sticky backing that i prefer for both weeding and placement purposes, and both peel hot which is an advantage to me as i do a lot of multi-color applications. not waiting for cool down is a real time saver and doesn't stretch the shirt fabric like cold peel typically does (the glittercut is an exception, it has to cold peel so if i use it, it's always the last color i press :P ) opacity is great - i've done a lot of white and lights on dark color backgrounds and have never had an issue with color bleeding thru. the hand is wonderful - it's on all of my workshirts, worn daily, and i never even know it's there. it does all i ask of it - and that's what counts!

martinwoods · April 14th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshEllsworth


	Very nice write up & comparison - however I have a few more issues that come into play When comparing the materials, I don't think its fair to compare EcoFilm to a band of tape (it is actually quite soft). The EcoFilm is 80 microns thick which is much less than many materials, but the Hotmark 70 is about 65 microns. The reason EcoFilm is thicker is primarily to have better opacity or coverage when applying the white color to a red or dark colored t-shirt or 100% polyester. The Hotmark 70 does cut and weed very easily as does Eco. As far as application goes the Ecofilm is easier to apply. It's dwell time is about half of the Hotmark 70 and you can peel the backing immediately - rather than waiting for it to cool. This is especially helpful when doing a two color application and/or high production environments. Despite all of the this the main advantage of EcoFilm over Hotmark 70 is DURABILITY. From my experience, the Hotmark 70 tends to wrinkle when laundered especially if it is covering a larger area. I think you'll notice this on the samples that you pressed. Can you launder them about 5 times and then 10 times and post up a picture? (I've attempted to attach a picture of our testing) We noticed the wrinkling after 3 washes. Another minor issue that I noticed in our testing is that with Hotmark 70 - if you are in a hot or humid environment the mylar backing tends to stick to the top platen when you open your heat press. Since it is a cold peel material this peels up the corners of your applied design and sometimes ruins it or requires a second hit. So this means that it is necessary to use a teflon sheet all of the time.

This is exactly what mine looks like and I even got the guy that sold it to me to press a shirt this past weekend so i could wash test his to see if it was just me and it wasn't, his looks the same.

No more money down the drain for me. Going with something from Imprintables

Yuchan · April 14th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinwoods


	This is exactly what mine looks like and I even got the guy that sold it to me to press a shirt this past weekend so i could wash test his to see if it was just me and it wasn't, his looks the same. No more money down the drain for me. Going with something from Imprintables

Yeah I definitely don't use the hotmark on larger prints. It does indeed wrinkle. It is too bad because it feels much better.

Thats too bad they don't let you edit old posts. I should confirm this fact up there.

martinwoods · April 14th, 2008

I wish I had know that before I had to buy a whole roll for a few names. The names also are wrinkled and they are on the left chest.

I was just hoping to save on shipping and find a local supplier for things I need in a hurry.
Guess not.

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Comparing Hotmark 70 to Spectra Eco Film.