[mikeyjames]

hello i was wondering if any of you use a heat press for your shirts and if the quality is good that it wont just wash away im thinking about getting the suine that i saw for a good deal 15x 15x thanx

 

[SoloStampede]

First, you need to understand what you're getting into. Heat presses cure plastisol heat transfers onto shirts. Plastisol is a type of plastic, and the "hand" of the design has a slight rubbery feel to it. Some heat transfer companies are better than others, some are absolute crap.
If you cure them right, the transfers on the shirt will last through many many many washes and wont crack or fade.
And if you dont like the rubbery kind of feel, you can add a textured feel that will make it feel more like waterbased ink by: curing the design with sand paper of the top of it.

 

[mikeyjames]

hmmm very interesting.... ok well i was going to invest in a $250 heat press as far as getting my design on the paper what do i need for a quality print or is it better to submit my design to a company and have them send me the papers made? if that makes sense ;x... i would like to print out my own papers if its possible

 

[csw]

A heat press can be a good investment. If you are expecting to use the press a lot I would look for one with digital temperature setting, a built in timer and one that locks down.

I have an Idekk press that I use to cure DTG prints, cut vinyl and plastisol transfers. I have read many threads on the forum with folks who have had sucess printing transfer sheets but I have never found the price/quality I was looking for. If you choose to print your own transfer sheets the transfer sheets and the printer you choose will play a more significant role in the quality of your finished product than your heat press (IMO).

 

[SoloStampede]

I have DowlingGraphics make my custom transfers. However, I wish they had a 16x23 instead of 13x23. 13" seems a bit narrow to me.

 

[mikeyjames]

ok so where are some good quality transfers i can get at a good price... and as for my design do i just send them a jpg of what i want and they do the rest? i am also making the designs with photoshop

 

[LB]

You also have the option of printing your own transfers on transfer paper. I highly recommend JPSS (Jet Pro Soft Stretch) printed with pigmented inks for white or pastel shirts. My wife is wearing a T-shirt we made a few months ago with this paper, printed it with Canon pigmented inks and it has been washed numerous times. It still looks great.

As far as JPGs go, many screen printers (folks that make plastisol transfers) are going to want vector artwork. JPGs are not a very good format for anything except internet graphics IMO. If your creating in Photoshop, save your file as a native PSD and then as an uncompressed tif, bmp or png format.

Check out this thread http://www.t-shirtforums.com/inkjet-heat-transfer-paper/t122325.html

 

[mikeyjames]

You also have the option of printing your own transfers on transfer paper. I highly recommend JPSS (Jet Pro Soft Stretch) printed with pigmented inks for white or pastel shirts. My wife is wearing a T-shirt we made a few months ago with this paper, printed it with Canon pigmented inks and it has been washed numerous times. It still looks great.

As far as JPGs go, many screen printers (folks that make plastisol transfers) are going to want vector artwork. JPGs are not a very good format for anything except internet graphics IMO. If your creating in Photoshop, save your file as a native PSD and then as an uncompressed tif, bmp or png format.

Check out this thread http://www.t-shirtforums.com/inkjet-heat-transfer-paper/t122325.html

ok so i checked it out it seems i need a printer with CIS pre-installed? and special ink paper what would be a good recommendation for the paper?

 

[LB]

If your going inkjet, any printer that uses pigmented ink. I happen to have a wide format (44") Canon, so someone else will have to guide you there, but definitely JPSS paper if inkjet. You could go laser too, check out Joto's new trimless laser printer paper, looks like a cool product. Joto. Bringing Images To Life

 

[SoloStampede]

I would recommend going with the custom plastisol transfer option, instead of inkjet transfers. With plastisol transfers, you don't have to cut out your designs first. You just apply it to the shirt, and only the plastisol sticks to the shirt, not the paper.

 

[LB]

Well actually the paper doesn't stick to the shirt. But this is not a debate about that. For doing quick, short runs it is not always possible to order plastisol, albeit probably better. The technology used today for transfers has come a long way from what it was not too long ago. The Joto paper I referred to uses color laser toner transfer which is similar in some ways to sublimation, but can be used on Cotton. Sublimation can only be used on polyester. It is getting good reviews from what I can tell.