[Kevs86ta]

When it comes to quality, what is the difference in screen printing and doing heat transfers. I was thinking of getting the hot tronix fusion. When you buy shirts from walmart and the like what process is used on those shirts?

 

[lben]

Depends on the shirt. But at Walmart the shirts are mass produced so I would say screen printing with automatic presses. Some might be DTG, embroidery, some might even be sublimation, but they're all mass produced.

 

[wormil]

Heat transfer is a method, not a product. There are a number of different products that are heat transferred but if you mean screen printed transfers specifically there are a ton of threads discussing differences here:

Plastisol Transfers - T-Shirt Forums

 

[Enrique]

There's no way companies as big as Walmart are going to use DTG or sub for mass-produced shirts, silkscreen is the cheapest and fastest way to go at that scale.

 

[wormil]

silkscreen is the cheapest and fastest way to go at that scale.

Well I thought the same thing but there have been credible people who posted that a lot of retail shirts, including Walmart, are produced with transfers. It surprised me.

 

[ryan barker]

if my heat transfers aren't heat transfers, what should i call them? hard surface light 110 base just doesn't have the same ring....

 

[royster13]

When it comes to quality, what is the difference in screen printing and doing heat transfers. I was thinking of getting the hot tronix fusion. When you buy shirts from walmart and the like what process is used on those shirts?

It depends.......

Most are likely screen printed, however, I do know of a regional supplier that does tourist type designs and they are plastisol transfers....

 

[wormil]

if my heat transfers aren't heat transfers, what should i call them? hard surface light 110 base just doesn't have the same ring....

Sounds like screen printed transfers, as opposed to ink jet, lithographs, Versacamm, sublimation or vinyl, to name a few.

 

[ryan barker]

i think it's going to depend on what kind of quality your market and design dictates as to which method is going to suit your needs best. in terms of just quality, however, i would choose screen printing all things being the same.

 

[ryan barker]

when people say heat transfers, it's assumed they mean ink jet, eh? otherwise they specify, and rarely, if ever, say 'vinyl heat transfers.'

 

[royster13]

Plastisol transfers have their place.....In my business sales of shirts decorated with plastisol transfers out number screen printed shirts about 4 to 1......

Order some samples from some of the better know transfer makers.....Silver Mountain, Insta Graphics, Dowling, etc., etc....You will see that most are very well done.....If you are doing a line, know one but you needs to know how they are done.....Most of your clients will not care and/or can not tell the difference.....

 

[wormil]

when people say heat transfers, it's assumed they mean ink jet, eh? otherwise they specify, and rarely, if ever, say 'vinyl heat transfers.'

I don't assume that, especially in the general forum, but then I've been around since before ink jet printers. When I was a kid, a transfer was a lithograph, in my twenties I printed plastisol transfers, t-shirt vinyl has been around awhile but never heard of ink jet transfers until my late thirties.

 

[ryan barker]

yeah, i heard the term 'lithograph' before... on the antiques roadshow, lol.

 

[wormil]

yeah, i heard the term 'lithograph' before... on the antiques roadshow, lol.

I thought they had died out but there are companies still printing them. I don't know much about the process though. Minimum quantities are high.

 

[ryan barker]

i had read how the process was done, but it's been so long that i'd forgotten. i would guess that it's mostly restoration places that still do it, but i could be wrong.