[jonnystevens]

Hi guys I'm new to the forum and to the t shirt printing business!

I'm basically looking to get a good understanding of the industry before starting up a business of my own!

I'm just wondering that if i made a design on say illustrator and then wanted to transfer that design to a t shirt, I would print it off on paper such as transjet using pigment inks and then heat press it, leaving me with the design on the t shirt?

Sorry if this sounds silly!

Thanks in advance!

Jonny

 

[lben]

Sounds like you have the basics down pretty good. You'll need the paper, printer with pigment ink, and a heat press and you'll be good to go. Just remember that process only works on white shirts. If you want to do printing on dark shirts there is a special paper for it and you'll have to cut out the design to press it.

 

[jonnystevens]

Thanks for getting back to me!

If I was to print on dark shirts and needed to cut out the design, would i do it by hand or is there a more professional way?

 

[lben]

Yes, you can cut by hand, but the professional way is to get a cutter/plotter such as a graphtech CE-5000-60 (that's an old style) I think the new models are CE 6000. Rolland also makes a good 24" cutter. There are others too. I have a cutter/plotter but have yet to figure out how to contour cut designs. Everyone tells me how easy it is.. and yet this old brain just can't master it.