[ljfgeorgia]

I am confused about inks and printers and the printable vinyl and need some direction please! Relatively new at all this but I have an epson Workforce 545 and a heat press and cutter. I do some vinyl t shirts and also use jet pro SS for lights. I have tried many different papers for dark shirts and while the 3G jet opaque is probably the best it still gets that papery feel after washing, and I don't like it. Want to try printable vinyl but have searched online and this forum and am not sure if any brand is available that works w my printers ink, and if there is a printable vinyl that will work, is there a place to buy it in sheets as opposed to rolls? Any help appreciated!

 

[TshirtStan]

I don't believe I have heard of heat press printable vinyl. That would be kind of an oxymoron. You do heat press vinyl in reverse. So your colors would be shirt side.... And the vinyl is not transparent. But, it may be out there. There is inkjet printable vinyl so you can make stickers, etc.

The sheets versus a roll.... Just buy a cheap paper cutter and cut it .... That's what I do with most things.

 

[Hegemone]

Jpss is a printable vinyl. There's just a lot of different names for the same stuff. The other kind of vinyl is cut with a plotter to make designs and then pressed on. I think you have just read enough confusing posts to confuse yourself. Or am I missing a key point?

 

[ukracer]

I don't believe I have heard of heat press printable vinyl. That would be kind of an oxymoron. You do heat press vinyl in reverse. So your colors would be shirt side.... And the vinyl is not transparent. But, it may be out there.

There is transparent vinyl but its largely for solvent printers.

However you only cut vinyl in reverse to enable you to use the carrier as heat resistant application paper for the letters. If you use an inkjet or laser vinyl you could print on the printable side and then place the image on the garment.

It would be the same as using an inkjet paper for darks where you peel of the membrane. You use ink transfer for whites but because of the fact the majority of printers dont print white there is a problem and you dont use ink transfer for darks.

 

[ljfgeorgia]

I'm not very good at this so I probably didn't explain very well! I have seen "print and cut" vinyl thats used with machines that print and cut all at one time ( I think Roland makes one) and they use vinyl on a roll that they print on and cut. One brand I've seen is Siser color print pu( I think that's the name). It's to be used with certain types of ink, but I don't know if my epson (which uses durabrite) is that kind of ink. I understand that the printable vinyl has a much softer hand then 3G jet opaque for darks so I'd like to try it, but wonder if it's made for the printer I have?

 

[suzamac]

The print and cut vinyls you were looking at are for print and cut solvent inkjet machines such as the VersaCamm by Roland. These printers are in the $18,000 range. Sign companies are using full color printers to replace cutting vinyl for banners because they are SO MUCH less labor. But for shirts exclusively, I am skeptical.

 

[ljfgeorgia]

Thanks so much for your reply! I definitely don't have that in my budget...lol. But, I guess that means that my epson does not have the kind of ink to print on this type of vinyl, correct? I wondered if I can print on it (if I cut it off a roll) with my printer, then cut with my cutter, and apply with my heat press to a shirt?

 

[mugsnteeshirts]

Epson ink is perfect for printing onto inkjet flex.
They use durabrite ink which is the best around.
Look up printerowners in the uk as they sell it.
Leaves a long lasting full colour flex prints on t-shirts.

 

[ukracer]

Thanks so much for your reply! I definitely don't have that in my budget...lol. But, I guess that means that my epson does not have the kind of ink to print on this type of vinyl, correct? I wondered if I can print on it (if I cut it off a roll) with my printer, then cut with my cutter, and apply with my heat press to a shirt?

Thats correct your epson can only print onto T shirt papers. Of which there are many. But to print to the Vinyl you mentioned on the roll you would need a solvent ink. They do not produce a desktop solvent printer like the epsons are.

You CAN put sublimation ink in your epson but that will only print onto garments that contain a lot of polyester. NOT cotton T shirts. It will also print onto subblimation paper for plates and other hard surfaces etc.

 

[ukracer]

Epson ink is perfect for printing onto inkjet flex.
They use durabrite ink which is the best around.
Look up printerowners in the uk as they sell it.
Leaves a long lasting full colour flex prints on t-shirts.

How good is this on darks?? I have yet to find a good enough Dark shirt paper. Magic touch wow is the best I have seen but its too expensive for me.

 

[TYGERON]

Want to try printable vinyl but have searched online and this forum and am not sure if any brand is available that works w my printers ink, and if there is a printable vinyl that will work, is there a place to buy it in sheets as opposed to rolls? Any help appreciated!

You might want t check here:

Printable vinyl for Cricket Imagine and Silhouette SD

It says for Cricut and Silhouette but it should be cuttable with most cutters. I haven't tried this but I plan to.

Too bad missed the Cyber Monday 25% off deal.

 

[BroJames]

Has anyone tried the inkjet printable vinyl? It says "This New printable vinyl will work with any ink jet printer"... and mentions "car decals, bumper stickers, and window stickers" among others but I think pigment or dye printed vinyls, even with UV inks are not truly UV resistant and will fade.

 

[stony]

Has anyone tried the inkjet printable vinyl? It says "This New printable vinyl will work with any ink jet printer"... and mentions "car decals, bumper stickers, and window stickers" among others but I think pigment or dye printed vinyls, even with UV inks are not truly UV resistant and will fade.

Definately, there are quite a few pigment ink compatible vinyls out there, but for anything outdoor, you definately need lamination.