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 totally new to all of this and am toying with the idea of starting a custom t-shirt business. So I am in the market to purchase a vinyl cutter and a heat press. I am trying to do as much homework as possible b4 I put out the money
Although I am not in the business I know people who are and think very highly of the GX-24 so my intial thought was that's what I'm going to get, but I see that it retails for no lower than 1595 not including the stand. Recently I have seen the Copam 2500 which reatails for about 600. My question is does anyone think these two are comparable? Does a beginner really need a GX-24?
This is going to depend on what you are going to do,, The Copam and Roland are in comparison apples to oranges,, Copam will cut just vinyl no contour cut of transfers, although the copam has down pressure horse power compared to the roland, 250 vs. 600, what that does for you is to allow you to cut heavier material and off course the roland has a ton of features that the copam does not, so it depends on what you need.
Thanks for the input. Right now I am just looking to use it to strictly cut vinyl for heat transfer materials that are not printed. Just cut and heat pressed on to the t-shirt. Depending on how things progress, I would like to purchase an Epson as well to expand to include printed transfers as well. With that being said it seems that the Copam wouldn't be the wisest choice.
Matt...the Copam will do what you want for now. There is a thread by Chani who is doing a comparison between the GX24 and Copam..
I have the GX24 and glad I bought it...You can print out a graphic on special paper..set registration marks that the Roland will 'see' with the optic eye and contour cut so you don't have to trim...great feature...tons of support and I would recommend it
I am totally new to all of this and am toying with the idea of starting a custom t-shirt business. So I am in the market to purchase a vinyl cutter and a heat press. I am trying to do as much homework as possible b4 I put out the money
Although I am not in the business I know people who are and think very highly of the GX-24 so my intial thought was that's what I'm going to get, but I see that it retails for no lower than 1595 not including the stand. Recently I have seen the Copam 2500 which reatails for about 600. My question is does anyone think these two are comparable? Does a beginner really need a GX-24?
While this does not directly answer your question - I would like to suggest that if you are on a budget, make sure to allot an adequate amount for a heat press. Although they aren't extremely expensive, it is one of the most important decisions you will make.
Having an accurate, reliable heat press will help to ensure that you are complying with recommended settings for the different types of transfer films that are out there.
Having the right application ensures durability.
As far as the cutter goes, I prefer the GX-24, but the Copam is a good model for a low start up cost. With the pay off opportunities I don't think you would have any problem covering either investment in a short amount of time.
Matt...the Copam will do what you want for now. There is a thread by Chani who is doing a comparison between the GX24 and Copam..
I have the GX24 and glad I bought it...You can print out a graphic on special paper..set registration marks that the Roland will 'see' with the optic eye and contour cut so you don't have to trim...great feature...tons of support and I would recommend it
a question abt GX24. can it do the cutting on opaque transfer paper?
i havent jumped into this vynl printing yet. although, i do plan to in future. but, i need some kind of cutter for opaque transfer paper so i dont have to spend too much time triming. any advice will the appriciated.
with Roland...or most any cutter with registration system...you will need a carrier sheet for the image to adhere to while being cut..by using a paper that imprintables (Josh) sells you can print the image on the paper and take directly to the cutter as it is designed to do just what you want
The heat press that I am looking at right now is the Stahl's Hotronix STX-16 mainly because it is within budget has the features that I am looking for and it's the only model I have seen in use. I am open to any opinions about models that are comparable or better for the same price or cheaper. Thanks.
The heat press that I am looking at right now is the Stahl's Hotronix STX-16 mainly because it is within budget has the features that I am looking for and it's the only model I have seen in use. I am open to any opinions about models that are comparable or better for the same price or cheaper. Thanks.
You'll find that press to be one of the most accurate on the market.
It measures time, temperature and pressure with digital controls.
If you like the clamshell design (which I do) - then that press would be a good investment.
Will I be limiting my options buy not buying a printer now? Or to just start out is the cutter and heat press sufficient?
Well that depends on what you want to do.
The cutter and heat press combo will allow for 1 and 2 color applications.
If you want to do anything in full color/photo quality then you should consider a printer or an alternative would be to find a transfer company to order transfers from for your full color designs.
I think a cutter and a heat press will give you a great start and keep you focused. There is a lot of business that you can line up with just these two pieces of equipment.
The cutter and heat press combo will allow for 1 and 2 color applications.
If you want to do anything in full color/photo quality then you should consider a printer or an alternative would be to find a transfer company to order transfers from for your full color designs.
I think a cutter and a heat press will give you a great start and keep you focused. There is a lot of business that you can line up with just these two pieces of equipment.
If you are looking for contour cutting on a budget, our LaserPoint would be an option. It is not as solid a machine as the Copam, but but it is cheaper and has the contour cutting functionality....
Quote:
Originally Posted by bubstshirts
I am totally new to all of this and am toying with the idea of starting a custom t-shirt business. So I am in the market to purchase a vinyl cutter and a heat press. I am trying to do as much homework as possible b4 I put out the money
Although I am not in the business I know people who are and think very highly of the GX-24 so my intial thought was that's what I'm going to get, but I see that it retails for no lower than 1595 not including the stand. Recently I have seen the Copam 2500 which reatails for about 600. My question is does anyone think these two are comparable? Does a beginner really need a GX-24?
If you are looking for contour cutting on a budget, our LaserPoint would be an option. It is not as solid a machine as the Copam, but but it is cheaper and has the contour cutting functionality....
Thanks for the reply. I think I would actually be more interested in the Copam 2500. I'm more interested in a quality cutter that is a "work horse" rather then having the feature of contour cutting.
On the topic of the laser point cutter, does that have an optical eye that recognizes registration marks? I have heard that you manually have to align the registration marks, is that correct?
This is a discussion about New to everything, looking for vinyl cutter that was posted in the Vinyl Cutters (Plotters) and Transfers section of the forums.
New to everything, looking for vinyl cutter 
