An inkjet printer is not required. Purchase some Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV), cut it on the Cameo, then press it on a shirt with using the press.

 

You dont say where in the world you are,
A useful present for some-one new to the silhouette would be a selection of heat transfer vinyls in various colours to practise on.
they can be bought in small sheets keeping the cost down

 

Your friend doesn't need to have an inkjet printer. A printer will give him the option of printing more colors, though on white (or very light-colored) shirts. Since you're looking for a Christmas present idea, an inkjet (make sure it uses pigment ink), along with some heat transfer paper, gives him more options for creating shirts. Often, the best gifts are the ones that you wouldn't buy for yourself but are glad to receive.

I agree with tippy and Derek's suggestions, I'm just adding to it, in case you want to spend a little more.

 

A inkjet printer is not necessary, however, if you wish to put photo images on the T-Shirts, you can use the Cameo Print and Cut and you must use an inkjet printer. The least expensive printer will do the job. You can use printers with either dye-based ink or pigment based ink. I use both an HP and Canon and get good results.

 

You should NOT use dye based inks on shirts.
Pigment ink is what you want to use on a print for a shirt (or solvent).

 

It depends on the heat transfer paper brand you use. My Canon is a dye based printer and I have successfully transferred images to 100% cotton t-shirts. Washed several times in cold water (inside out) and dried in a dryer under normal settings. The transfers are holding up well. The papers I used were from both Silhouette and Avery.

This is an excerpt from DPD, a transfer paper source:

"There is a small benefit of using pigmented inks rather than dye-based if we consider the UV stability of the image in direct sunlight but as a garment like this is likely not be worn daily in direct sunlight, there is no real significance to using one type over another."

Regarding your test, the paper I used specifically says do not wash for 24 hours.

 

If you are selling the shirts...dont use dye inks.
The price difference in dye/pigment ink used per page is probably about $0.01 dont be cheap. Is the extra $1 per hundred shirts worth the bad reputation you will have from faded/washed out prints? We ALL USE PIGMENT INK for a reason.

Also think about using a different paper...silhouette is not making commercial paper. It is for hobbyists/crafter's.

Washed several times? try washing it 30+ (we test everything at 50+ washes minimum) and test in warm and hot water too. people use all water temps when washing clothes...so you should be testing at the harshest wash...hot water and a hot dryer.

BTW Avery doesn't make great products and NEVER stands behind them. I would rethink using anything they make. They have a reputation of passing all blame to other people/companies.

 

Thanks for your information. Based on that, I intend to use pigment inks. I'm not selling them yet, but giving them to family and friends to test durability before I even consider sales. I will never be a high volume seller or have a storefront. I intend to sell the shirts locally, by word of mouth, in my retirement village.

Could you recommend both a sublimation paper and light and dark transfer papers? I do want to produce a quality t-shirt for all the old farts (including me) in our villages (The Villages, FL).

Thanks again for your advice. Joining this group has been very helpful (especially you).