Heat transfers vs Plastisol transfers
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Plastisol transfers are heat transfers. They are printed using plastisol inks, which are commonly used in screen printing. Another type of heat transfer are inkjet transfers. These are printed using a CMYK inkjet printer.
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Thank you for ur answer, could you go a bit deeper in the difference between those two different Inks? pros/cons?
I see a lot of people talking about outsourcing their plastisol transfers (can we print those on a homeprinter like heat transfers?)
Thanks,
I see a lot of people talking about outsourcing their plastisol transfers (can we print those on a homeprinter like heat transfers?)
Thanks,
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Generally speaking, plastisol inks will be better quality than inkjet. If you want to print from home, you will likely use an inkjet printer (and inks). Plastisol inks will require a screen print setup. Plastisol transfers are basically a way of replicating a direct screen print - instead of printing directly on the shirt, the design is printed onto transfer paper and then heat pressed onto the shirt.
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Like Tim said, plastisol transfers are heat transfers. You need to understand there are a variety of heat transfers. You can not print plastisol HEAT transfers on a desktop printer. They are produced by screen printing onto transfer paper. Other types of heat transfers are inkjet, laser and sublimation. All the transfers described here including plastisol are HEAT transfers. They all require heat to apply them to the garment. There have been plenty of posts on the forum for you to search and get all the information you need on any of the processes.
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The paper for plastisol transfers is 15" x 15". I'm not sure if it comes in a larger size or not but I don't think so. If you don't have the equipment to do screen printing you will have to find a screen printer who can print them for you. If you go to youtube you can search for videos of both kinds of printing to give you a really good idea of what the difference is. We can talk till we're blue in the face and you may or may not understand what we're talking about. But if you see it, a lot of the verbiage and technical terminology will make sense.
When I first started I had issues understanding vinyl transfers. No matter how much these poor people tried to explain it to me, it just went right over my head. Until I watched some videos on youtube and suddenly what they were trying to explain to me, finally made sense. Oh dear, and I just gave you another heat transfer to look up! Sorry.
When I first started I had issues understanding vinyl transfers. No matter how much these poor people tried to explain it to me, it just went right over my head. Until I watched some videos on youtube and suddenly what they were trying to explain to me, finally made sense. Oh dear, and I just gave you another heat transfer to look up! Sorry.
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Hello,
Plastisol is the type of ink is use to make the actual transfer. Some of the manufacturer of transfers call they products like Goof Proof, Hot Split, Polytrans, Elasti Prints, etc and all they indicate is the type of ink they are using. Hope it clarify your question.
Plastisol is the type of ink is use to make the actual transfer. Some of the manufacturer of transfers call they products like Goof Proof, Hot Split, Polytrans, Elasti Prints, etc and all they indicate is the type of ink they are using. Hope it clarify your question.
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Do you have a direct link to their website? I don't find it on google
ThanksAfter using heat transfers for several years I have found
that simple one or two color heat transfers work well on
images that aren't to complicated and have nice clear
thick lines in the text and the design.
Screen printing works out better if you have a small
front left chest design that has detail and several colors
and then the larger matching design on the back.
Screen printing will also work better IMO if you are
doing multi-color designs with great detail and depth.
An example would be a Guy Harvey shirt with their trademark
fish designs.
The cost factor on transfers goes way up once you add
several colors and you will need to order a large amount to
get a good price on the transfers.
When we ordered multi-color transfers from a large transfer
company the amount of plastisol ink always seemed to get
thinner and the design on the shirt wouldn't last as long
as screen printing.
There are companies out there selling stock heat transfers
that are old and have that "Plasticky bandaide" feeling to them. You
find them at fairs and other events and you can run your
hand across them and see exactly what I am talking about.
Heat transfers do work out great for certain designs because
you can press them to order and won't have to keep numerous
screen printed shirts laying around keeping your revenue tied
up.
Hope that helps.
This is an example of a design that I would never think about
having made as a heat transfer. I don't think any company could
make a quality plastisol heat transfer that would get this detail
and made to last.
![]()
that simple one or two color heat transfers work well on
images that aren't to complicated and have nice clear
thick lines in the text and the design.
Screen printing works out better if you have a small
front left chest design that has detail and several colors
and then the larger matching design on the back.
Screen printing will also work better IMO if you are
doing multi-color designs with great detail and depth.
An example would be a Guy Harvey shirt with their trademark
fish designs.
The cost factor on transfers goes way up once you add
several colors and you will need to order a large amount to
get a good price on the transfers.
When we ordered multi-color transfers from a large transfer
company the amount of plastisol ink always seemed to get
thinner and the design on the shirt wouldn't last as long
as screen printing.
There are companies out there selling stock heat transfers
that are old and have that "Plasticky bandaide" feeling to them. You
find them at fairs and other events and you can run your
hand across them and see exactly what I am talking about.
Heat transfers do work out great for certain designs because
you can press them to order and won't have to keep numerous
screen printed shirts laying around keeping your revenue tied
up.
Hope that helps.
This is an example of a design that I would never think about
having made as a heat transfer. I don't think any company could
make a quality plastisol heat transfer that would get this detail
and made to last.
These are all heat transfers. But with the following sub categories
1. Plastisol transfer. Plastisol inks screenprinted on a special purpose paper in reverse image then heat pressed on tshirts.
2. Inkjet Transfer Paper : printed on a transfer paper, then heat pressed to tshirts.
3. Eco solvent printable heat transfer : printed on to printable heat transfer material using solvent ink from a solvent based printer then heat pressed on tshirts.
4. Vinyl heat transfer : a vinyl heat transfer material cut using a plotter then heat pressed on tshirts
5. Laser transfer : similar to inkjet transfer paper. Printed using laser printer. Heat pressed on to release paper then heat pressed on tshirts.
1. Plastisol transfer. Plastisol inks screenprinted on a special purpose paper in reverse image then heat pressed on tshirts.
2. Inkjet Transfer Paper : printed on a transfer paper, then heat pressed to tshirts.
3. Eco solvent printable heat transfer : printed on to printable heat transfer material using solvent ink from a solvent based printer then heat pressed on tshirts.
4. Vinyl heat transfer : a vinyl heat transfer material cut using a plotter then heat pressed on tshirts
5. Laser transfer : similar to inkjet transfer paper. Printed using laser printer. Heat pressed on to release paper then heat pressed on tshirts.
Are you planning on using these for shirts? If so, how big of a design are you doing?Thanks again for all those answer, and yes I understood it very well what are the differences between both
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Well I first wanted to go with Heat Transfers but after seeing so many cons vs screen printing or DTG i've decided to check more : Screen Printing and DTG... (DTG sounds the best for my startup situation
)Well I have some graphics that needs a 400mm x 500mm printing area... the only DTG machine I found doing that atm is the Epson F2000 white (not cheap but looks amazing)
Well if consider dtg as your entry in the business. You better be prepared to cope with a high stress level and potentially losing a lot of money. I dont know about f2000, but ive been with freejet and anajet, the amount of maintenance and inconsistency compared to the profit, doesnt quite match up well,
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I like vinyl transfers, plastisol transfers, and love solvent transfers. I'm a transfer junkie. 😁 I will probably never screenprint or DTG, but transfers are perfect for my business model.
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