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99 Posts
I use F&M for 99% of my transfers. Terrible, horrible customer service if you call the main phone number but the product is excellent, bulletproof and a fantastic price. I do enough with them that I have a supervisor’s direct extension so I get better service if there is a problem, but I also do a lot of business with them and thats why he answers me so quickly. I use athletic for cheap .15 or .20 cent jobs, athletic for multi color jobs if I want colors to “pop” and Vintage formula for jobs were I can get away with lesser opacity for a better print.
I tried many manufacturers samples and a few jobs years ago and they are the best for product consistency and durability. I firmly believe the fact that I have an air operated press makes a huge difference with F&M transfers, they need consistent 65psi for maximum washability and it gives better feel.
Now my problem-
I have a regular customer whom I used the F&M 4 color process athletic transfers for in the past. The last one was a full 12”round solid print with 20 colors.
They loved the quality, brightness of colors, and the long term durability even that large solid and thick was excellent. Bulletproof.
But they did not like how thick they were.
So now, they just came to me with 2 new designs, both 4 color looking for 100 of each, one 12x10, other 12x7. Both solid prints, no negative space so it’s gonna be solid. More complicated is they are not the same 4 colors either. Sucks, I could put both designs on a 12x19 f&m sheet with both front chest logos too and be done with it.
But they want something with a softer feel “even if it costs more”. I do tons of 1, 2 and 3 color work for this customer some F&M athletic, some F&M vintage ink (thin fashion shirts) and they love everything, except the 4 color process on large solid designs.
So now I need to find a 4 color spot transfer company with a soft hand and excellent washability even with a large solid design.
- Versatrans sheets are too big, would have to do 5 color and be $$$$, plus talk of the 1pt clear outline on multi color prints this site scares me.
- Transfer Express just NO
- SEMO Imprints is temping, and they have some new formulas which of course cost more but look interesting. I did some 1 and 2 color stuff with them years on and was very happy, however I had a 3 color design with white in it that needed to pop going on black shirts so I ordered them as 4 color including a white underbase. They were terrible, looked like smooshed cake on the shirts, very thick to the point they blobbed as the ink kinda spread out on the shirt. I called thinking there was something wrong and they pulled some, tested them said thats what happens with the under base. Granted I didn’t have an air press back then, but they were unacceptable. To Semo’s credit, they sent me a call tag for pickup and refunded my entire purchase including shipping costs. They stood behind there name and product, but the transfers I received were unacceptable quality.
I almost want to try them again.
- Silver Mountain, used them a few times but had problems. One job had wrong color, they even admitted they messed up “because they changed there numbering system” but did not offer to redo it “because the color was close enough” and I would have needed the replacements in 48 hours and that was to much of a rush. Registration issues with another job, ink dots all over random transfers in yet another job, and the durability was good for 5 washes then they fell apart fast. Nice guy, i know he posts good information here, probably why I gave him so many chances, but I got burned on a job and never again.
- Seay Graphics I know its the Silver Mountain guy’s brother which makes me wonder if the product is really that much different, but the prices are really good and he seems to have a better rep on this site. However, I have called for samples in the past and never got them and the website is a little cumbersome and complicated compared to the bigger players.
- Howard Sportswear. Sheet sizes seem small or weird especially for these jobs (12” back prints). Got some samples and they seemed good
-Dowling 8 have heard do not have a great feel, never tried samples. They seem like they are trending more into stock transfers.
I need to give this customer answers soon, they give me tons of 1 and 2 color work always happy with F&M products, for those, but this one is tougher.
I just can’t risk my reputation or there’s with poor quality or bad washability.
Sooooo...... who makes the best hand in a 4 color spot transfer that will wash 50 times without major cracking??????
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I tried many manufacturers samples and a few jobs years ago and they are the best for product consistency and durability. I firmly believe the fact that I have an air operated press makes a huge difference with F&M transfers, they need consistent 65psi for maximum washability and it gives better feel.
Now my problem-
I have a regular customer whom I used the F&M 4 color process athletic transfers for in the past. The last one was a full 12”round solid print with 20 colors.
They loved the quality, brightness of colors, and the long term durability even that large solid and thick was excellent. Bulletproof.
But they did not like how thick they were.
So now, they just came to me with 2 new designs, both 4 color looking for 100 of each, one 12x10, other 12x7. Both solid prints, no negative space so it’s gonna be solid. More complicated is they are not the same 4 colors either. Sucks, I could put both designs on a 12x19 f&m sheet with both front chest logos too and be done with it.
But they want something with a softer feel “even if it costs more”. I do tons of 1, 2 and 3 color work for this customer some F&M athletic, some F&M vintage ink (thin fashion shirts) and they love everything, except the 4 color process on large solid designs.
So now I need to find a 4 color spot transfer company with a soft hand and excellent washability even with a large solid design.
- Versatrans sheets are too big, would have to do 5 color and be $$$$, plus talk of the 1pt clear outline on multi color prints this site scares me.
- Transfer Express just NO
- SEMO Imprints is temping, and they have some new formulas which of course cost more but look interesting. I did some 1 and 2 color stuff with them years on and was very happy, however I had a 3 color design with white in it that needed to pop going on black shirts so I ordered them as 4 color including a white underbase. They were terrible, looked like smooshed cake on the shirts, very thick to the point they blobbed as the ink kinda spread out on the shirt. I called thinking there was something wrong and they pulled some, tested them said thats what happens with the under base. Granted I didn’t have an air press back then, but they were unacceptable. To Semo’s credit, they sent me a call tag for pickup and refunded my entire purchase including shipping costs. They stood behind there name and product, but the transfers I received were unacceptable quality.
I almost want to try them again.
- Silver Mountain, used them a few times but had problems. One job had wrong color, they even admitted they messed up “because they changed there numbering system” but did not offer to redo it “because the color was close enough” and I would have needed the replacements in 48 hours and that was to much of a rush. Registration issues with another job, ink dots all over random transfers in yet another job, and the durability was good for 5 washes then they fell apart fast. Nice guy, i know he posts good information here, probably why I gave him so many chances, but I got burned on a job and never again.
- Seay Graphics I know its the Silver Mountain guy’s brother which makes me wonder if the product is really that much different, but the prices are really good and he seems to have a better rep on this site. However, I have called for samples in the past and never got them and the website is a little cumbersome and complicated compared to the bigger players.
- Howard Sportswear. Sheet sizes seem small or weird especially for these jobs (12” back prints). Got some samples and they seemed good
-Dowling 8 have heard do not have a great feel, never tried samples. They seem like they are trending more into stock transfers.
I need to give this customer answers soon, they give me tons of 1 and 2 color work always happy with F&M products, for those, but this one is tougher.
I just can’t risk my reputation or there’s with poor quality or bad washability.
Sooooo...... who makes the best hand in a 4 color spot transfer that will wash 50 times without major cracking??????
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
