anyone going to help me out?
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i figured as much, but thought it best to ask. 
it's not 'pigment ink' that we use for transfers, but if it helps we use an oki printer (toner) and magictouch transfer papers. when we did sublimation, we had a typical epson workforce and got our supplies from sawgrass technologies.
anyway, i don't do pigment ink, but i'm pretty sure you can use something like an epson workforce 1100 (hope i got the # right), which should go for about $75 or thereabouts as i recall. they're pretty common and shouldn't have a problem finding one.
it's not 'pigment ink' that we use for transfers, but if it helps we use an oki printer (toner) and magictouch transfer papers. when we did sublimation, we had a typical epson workforce and got our supplies from sawgrass technologies.
anyway, i don't do pigment ink, but i'm pretty sure you can use something like an epson workforce 1100 (hope i got the # right), which should go for about $75 or thereabouts as i recall. they're pretty common and shouldn't have a problem finding one.
yeah, epson would retail it for that much. you don't have to pay that much for an 1100, though. say with shipping and handling, $100. chances are that where you get your ink they'll sell the printers, too.
we don't use pigment ink because every method has its pros and cons and at some point you just have to make a decision on *something.* we got what we got because the price on the oki was good and the magictouch transfers did what we wanted, which was shirts and metal for plaques, and there are a lot of specialty paper that they have (we can even make temporary tattoos if we wanted ~ which i think would be a great idea considering our clientele, but, you know, the wife isn't too hep on the idea, i guess b/c the process isn't that easy). too, ink is more expensive than the toner and there can be clogging issues (i base this on our sublimation system, not sure if it applies to pigment inks, too). don't quote me, but as i remember we're supposed to get roughly 2500 prints out of each colour of toner... and that's the 'small' cartridge. replacement carts are somewhere in the $135 range, i think. compare that to *any* printer ink system, pigment or not!
the transfers work well for us. pigment inks supposedly have a better colour depth, though i've yet to meet anyone that could reasonably know the difference. maybe if you compared the two together they might see it, but it's just not an issue for us and what we do.
as far as fading goes, it's going to happen with heat transfers. it is what it is. don't want fading? i'll screen print that... for a lot more money on the nine shirts, full colour, that you're wanting. i think the reds are more prone to fading after repeated washes. if i could get people to wear polyester so i could use the sublimation, it would never fade. to answer your question, no, the heat press shouldn't fade any of your colours. not even sure if that's possible, lol. the sun and washing will eventually fade it, though (again, speaking of my system, not sure how well pigment inks hold up).
with any method, you have to look at what you want to accomplish and break the economics of it down. for us, the toner is the way to go, but i'd never say so someone it's by far the best way. it's just the best for us and what we do.
you don't have to pay that much for an 1100, though. say with shipping and handling, $100. chances are that where you get your ink they'll sell the printers, too. we don't use pigment ink because every method has its pros and cons and at some point you just have to make a decision on *something.* we got what we got because the price on the oki was good and the magictouch transfers did what we wanted, which was shirts and metal for plaques, and there are a lot of specialty paper that they have (we can even make temporary tattoos if we wanted ~ which i think would be a great idea considering our clientele, but, you know, the wife isn't too hep on the idea, i guess b/c the process isn't that easy). too, ink is more expensive than the toner and there can be clogging issues (i base this on our sublimation system, not sure if it applies to pigment inks, too). don't quote me, but as i remember we're supposed to get roughly 2500 prints out of each colour of toner... and that's the 'small' cartridge. replacement carts are somewhere in the $135 range, i think. compare that to *any* printer ink system, pigment or not!
the transfers work well for us. pigment inks supposedly have a better colour depth, though i've yet to meet anyone that could reasonably know the difference. maybe if you compared the two together they might see it, but it's just not an issue for us and what we do.
as far as fading goes, it's going to happen with heat transfers. it is what it is. don't want fading? i'll screen print that... for a lot more money on the nine shirts, full colour, that you're wanting. i think the reds are more prone to fading after repeated washes. if i could get people to wear polyester so i could use the sublimation, it would never fade. to answer your question, no, the heat press shouldn't fade any of your colours. not even sure if that's possible, lol. the sun and washing will eventually fade it, though (again, speaking of my system, not sure how well pigment inks hold up).
with any method, you have to look at what you want to accomplish and break the economics of it down. for us, the toner is the way to go, but i'd never say so someone it's by far the best way. it's just the best for us and what we do.
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