How do you make your own heat transfers? Do vinyl cutters also print?

theprinternewbie said:

one more question are vinyl cutters printers too?

Click to expand...

Not the ones you can afford. Well, not the ones I can afford anyway. There are some higher end ones that do print too.

On the heat press, that's what I've done. I started as an embroidery shop. Then after getting the bug from here decided on adding heat pressing. I knew nothing at all when I did it, but now realize that there really isn't that much to know once you get the basics. Yesterday I purchased a vinyl cutter (needs blade and blade guard replaced) and a 4 color/4 pallet screen printing setup.

I'm going to be busy just learning. But here's what I know... a heat press can be used for 3 different things. 1. press transfers. 2. Press vinyl. 3. Cure ink on screen printed shirts (with a cover sheet). It's a pretty nice multi-tasker. I've been pretty leery about printing my own transfers because it seems like there is a LOT of problems people have from printing to them completely coming off after the first wash. I don't sell anything that I can't stand behind. Plastisol transfers work great. I know cad printz works pretty well too for lifelike printing. I don't think you can really go wrong with a good heat press. I'd get a good 16x20 that swings, but you may not find one within your price range. If I were you I'd wait it out and keep your craigslist searches going at a minimum every hour. I've got an app on my phone that does all that for me. Something will pop up. Also check industrial auctions they pop up sometimes too. You'll get it MUCH cheaper at an industrial auction than anywhere. Especially if it's no bidding online.

So, yes get the press, but don't just settle for cheap. If you wait it out you'll be able to get a great press used for about what a chinese press costs. Trust me, you'll be able to get your money out of a dependable press than chinese press.
Good luck! Unless you're in my area...

That is for custom transfers. Meaning you do up the artwork on a vector program and then send it to them in vector format AND a jpg proof how you want it to look and then they look it over and if it's not right will give you pointers how to fix or you can pay them to fix. It's a simple system. Their ordering page is different but once you get through it once it's easy. I don't know how it works, but I would say it benefits t-shirt forums if you click through to their site from here. At a minimum it lets them know where you came from.

Their site says in a day but it's really about 2. Still VERY fast and cheap. Their multi color ones are cheap but nothing like the one color. I'm not ready and probably will never be now that i've got a printing press. I just haven't set it up yet though.