[Jalexx]

Hello,

So I'm new to the whole t-shirt business. I've been wanting to start my own clothing brand, building my way from t-shirts to eventually doing more like pants, shoes, etc. I've invested into a heat press and some other supplies like a cutting board, printers, and so on. I've been playing around with making shirts for about a couple weeks now, but I've been running into some complications.

I made an 11x17 design, printed it to 11x17 white garment transfer paper from Photo Paper Direct, and pressed it to the shirt using my 15x15 heat press. Since the design was slightly larger than the length of the press, I had to press one part of the design, then the other part, which seemed to work out well. The shirt, which is 100% cotton, came out looking great! However, over time, I noticed that the top of the design started to peel and wrinkle. I'm concerned about this, as I won't be able to start selling professionally and building my business until the quality of the shirts are up to expectations. I've heard people saying to stretch out the shirt after it's done to make it "last longer." I haven't been doing that in fear it would rip the design apart, so I'm not sure if this would be where my problem lies. I've tried searching for answers on Google, but to no avail.

Is there any advice someone could lend me? If so, could you dumb it down for me? xD
As I said, I'm new to all of this so I'm not gonna be knowledgeable on the terms and abbreviations y'all are likely to use.

It's much, much appreciated! <3

 

[TeedUp]

I'm just another noob, but I can tell you while there are some tips regarding application methods that may help, your main problem is you're not going to get satisfactory results from that hobby transfer paper. To approach professional results, as a beginner, you should look at HTV and/or dye sublimation if you are looking to do as much of the production as you can without outsourcing.

 

[TABOB]

I've been wanting to start my own clothing brand

I made an 11x17 design, printed it to 11x17 white garment transfer paper

These things don't go well together.
Transfers just don't last as long as professionally printed shirts.
If they did, screen printing would simply not exist.

However, over time, I noticed that the top of the design started to peel and wrinkle.

I'm not familiar with the particular transfer, but I know the JPSS does this when peeled cold, and especially when pressed without enough pressure.
The biggest problem you have is that you cannot peel your transfer hot.
Another problem is that the larger the heat press the more pressure is needed. It's simple physics.
These transfers work better for small designs (up to A4/letter size ) pressed on a similar size platen.

 

[MadeDesigns]

Actually my transfers out last the shirt if washed properly. You need commercial grade paper, real water proof pigment inks not UV dye, and you have to press them with the correct temp and pressure.

 

[Amw]

Try better paper like Jet opaque II (orange grid paper) for dark shirts. Still not going to last forever...however it is one of the better papers to use with inkjets. Jetpro SoftStretch for white or very light colors. Both of these will get you decent wash ability if you press them correctly. However as posted above, you will not get professional results without moving up to a professional process.

Another option would be: Screen printed transfers, or wholesale: Solvent printed HTV, Latex printed HTV, Sublimation transfers, and Toner based transfers.

 

[TABOB]

and Toner based transfers

Nah...
Only the "Neenah Image clip laser light" is acceptable.

 

[Amw]

Nah...
Only the "Neenah Image clip laser light" is acceptable.

That is your opinion.
We have just about every way to decorate apparel at our disposal, white toner printers (like Oki, Uninet) do a great job. Example: We rarely make a shirt using toner transfers, however we often use them for hats. We mostly use toner prints for hard surfaces that cant be decorated otherwise.

While I will agree most papers for laser and desktop inkjet as subpar, Neenah's ICLL is not the only one that is acceptable.

 

[MadeDesigns]

All my inkjet transfers outlast the garment. They are applied properly and washed inside out cold tumble dry low, no peeling , no cracking , and can be ironed directly. I use joto papory dark with pigment inks from inkxpro. I do not buy cheap items and it shows after wash. My transfers are just as good as a solvent transfer. People who dislike heat transfers are the ones who use cheap materials and wash incorrectly. Even a screen printed shirt must be cured correctly and washed properly or it will start to crack. I've had nike shirt crack and look like crap. I have NEVER had a vinyl transfer crack or peel. It's all about how you apply and the raw materials used. The choice of garment quality is a factor.

 

[splathead]

They are applied properly and washed inside out cold tumble dry low

Only shirt decorators wash this way. The true test is how lthey hold up in the real world when tossed in with dirty sneakers and who knows what else and then washed in hot water and super hot dryer.

 

[TABOB]

Example: We rarely make a shirt using toner transfers, however we often use them for hats.

Laser transfers work well for one off hats and a lot of other applications., but still not good enough for retail.
What I mean by that, is that you will not see any brand selling hats made with laser transfers.
I personally like texture on hats, so I use patches and puff plastisol. Embroidery is also a very good option for hats... but too slow for me.
Combining laser transfers with these methods, is of course a nice option.

Only shirt decorators wash this way. The true test is how lthey hold up in the real world when tossed in with dirty sneakers and who knows what else and then washed in hot water and super hot dryer.

Haha... I have to agree with this.
Personally, I don't put sneakers or muddy clothes in a regular washing machine, but most people do.
I do wash test and dry hot though.
If the product does not last as much as other similar products, people will avoid it.

 

[MadeDesigns]

Only shirt decorators wash this way. The true test is how lthey hold up in the real world when tossed in with dirty sneakers and who knows what else and then washed in hot water and super hot dryer.

Why when every single shirt purchased has the washing instructions printed on the tag? Someone took the time to type that out and format it, spell check it and print it on every single tag. Those are the instructions for the actual fabric the garment is made of. If you was your nike shirt in hot water and high heat dry it will shrink, crack,fade etc... Proper washing is a sign of intelligence anyone can load clothes up in a machine and hit random buttons but it takes someone with a brain to follow instructions.
The ones who don't read deserve their garment to fall apart.
Even with incorrect washing, my transfers will still look good. It will take about 10 improper washes for the ink to slightly get damaged.
We wash all our clothes printed or not with cold, inside out, tumble dry low.

 

[TeedUp]

Why when every single shirt purchased has the washing instructions printed on the tag? Someone took the time to type that out and format it, spell check it and print it on every single tag. Those are the instructions for the actual fabric the garment is made of. If you was your nike shirt in hot water and high heat dry it will shrink, crack,fade etc... Proper washing is a sign of intelligence anyone can load clothes up in a machine and hit random buttons but it takes someone with a brain to follow instructions.
The ones who don't read deserve their garment to fall apart.
Even with incorrect washing, my transfers will still look good. It will take about 10 improper washes for the ink to slightly get damaged.
We wash all our clothes printed or not with cold, inside out, tumble dry low.

LOL, because someone took time to spell check it? ...it takes someone with a brain to follow directions? You gotta be kidding me.

Do you change your car's oil every 3000 miles? Do you descale your coffee maker on schedule? How about changing the water filter in your water dispensers? Air filter changed in your HVAC exactly on time? Just a few examples, but do you read and follow the instruction manual of everything you buy and follow all the maintenance schedules?

I don't know about you, but most people don't read or follow the directions, nor should you want to sell a product to them that burdens them to do so if it can be avoided.

People have lives, they just want a clean shirt.

 

[splathead]

Why when every single shirt purchased has the washing instructions printed on the tag?

Yeah, no one reads those either.

They are what I call 'idiot-proof' labels. Garment manufacturers have no way of knowing how a garment will be decorated so they choose the least harsh cleaning method they can think of. Some labels even ask you to bypass the dryer entirely and hang dry-like anyone is doing that anymore.

This way garment manufacturers have plausible deniability if something goes wrong with their garment/print method because they know no one washes like that, except you.

Someone took the time to type that out and format it, spell check it and print it on every single tag. Those are the instructions for the actual fabric the garment is made of.

This is a legal requirement by the way. It's not like anyone decided to sit down and design a properly formatted, correctly spelled label out of the goodness of their heart.

 

[MadeDesigns]

Yeah, no one reads those either.

They are what I call 'idiot-proof' labels. Garment manufacturers have no way of knowing how a garment will be decorated so they choose the least harsh cleaning method they can think of. Some labels even ask you to bypass the dryer entirely and hang dry-like anyone is doing that anymore.

This way garment manufacturers have plausible deniability if something goes wrong with their garment/print method because they know no one washes like that, except you.



This is a legal requirement by the way. It's not like anyone decided to sit down and design a properly formatted, correctly spelled label out of the goodness of their heart.

Good explanation . I had no idea it was a requirement. I believe reading is fundamental.
Aside from that, even a screen printed shirt with multi layers ,a dtg shirt with the best pretreat , a vinyl shirt with the best vinyl , all these will get damaged if washed like a pair of socks.
I also see some print shops do not apply the transfers properly. Uneven heat, not enough heat or pressure, UV dye inks being used when it should be pigment. There should be a state licensing for one to create and sell garments. Transfers get a bad rep because of places that do not follow simple instructions. I knew a guy who would flash dry his screen prints , no convoy dryer just a flash and his stuff would fall off during wash.
We do give a small 2x2 paper with every order that says . Proper washing inst. Wash cold, inside out, tumble dry low. From my testing with proper and improper washing the transfers I print along with the inks used hold up great. They are 100% new if washed properly and if abused they barley are effected. The only thing that I noticed was if not flipped inside out AND dried on high head, the opaque transfer will touch the hot metal of the dryer and small pixels will come off, other than that I have never had a transfer peel, crack,fade, etc...

What the market needs is a printer that can print plastisol inks. Like image clip laser but an inkjet with plastisol inks and a large print nozzle to allow the inks to go through.

 

[MadeDesigns]

LOL, because someone took time to spell check it? ...it takes someone with a brain to follow directions? You gotta be kidding me.

Do you change your car's oil every 3000 miles? Do you descale your coffee maker on schedule? How about changing the water filter in your water dispensers? Air filter changed in your HVAC exactly on time? Just a few examples, but do you read and follow the instruction manual of everything you buy and follow all the maintenance schedules?

I don't know about you, but most people don't read or follow the directions, nor should you want to sell a product to them that burdens them to do so if it can be avoided.

People have lives, they just want a clean shirt.

Yes I do, I do change the oil every 3k miles with full synthetic oil, I do descale the coffee machine sometimes with viniger. I change all water filters are designated gallon amount. Why wouldn't I ? I change air filter on HVAC every 3 months. I read everything. The text is there for a reason and for that I do not have problems. Why not sell a product with instructions? Do you not follow instructions for printing shirts? Do you touch a surface that says " caution hot do not touch" , do you run on wet floors when the sign says wet floor?

 

[TABOB]

What the market needs is a printer that can print plastisol inks.

They do exist.
Solvent, and UV inkjet are pretty much thinned out plastisol type inks
Latex, and DTG are also similar to waterbased screen-printing inks.

Yes I do, I do change the oil every 3k miles with full synthetic oil, I do descale the coffee machine sometimes with viniger.

You are the minority. Most people will never change anything on time, and will not follow wash instructions.
The wash instructions may cover you for liability, but people will not buy your product again.
Starting a brand with inkjet transfers is just not realistic.

 

[TeedUp]

Why not sell a product with instructions?

If I have a choice between 2 products, one is care-free, the other has onerous maintenance demands because it is not as good of a product, price is pretty much the same... can you guess which one I'm buying?

 

[DrivingZiggy]

I suppose we should be reading the TOS on everything we sign up for also.

 

[MadeDesigns]

They do exist.
Solvent, and UV inkjet are pretty much thinned out plastisol type inks
Latex, and DTG are also similar to waterbased screen-printing inks.


You are the minority. Most people will never change anything on time, and will not follow wash instructions.
The wash instructions may cover you for liability, but people will not buy your product again.
Starting a brand with inkjet transfers is just not realistic.

So I take it , people create a screen or multi screens for a single garment? I understand there are Sublimation options and others but we are talking about a single dark color garment with a multi color design. Even DTG is not permanent. So do people create screens for one shirt? I have printed in every single method. I have printed Inkjet,Sub,DTG,Screen,Plastisol trans,Laser toner image clip etc and not once did it not have special isntructions. I agree screen print is the best quality if done correctly but you cannot tell me people create screens for a single garment.

And just because someone prints on a shirt does not mean they have their own clothing brand. Gildan , Port , Al style ,etc. those are clothing brands that make their garment from scratch but just because someone puts ink on a shirt does not give them their own clothing brand.

 

[TABOB]

And just because someone prints on a shirt does not mean they have their own clothing brand.

Does it not?

I've been wanting to start my own clothing brand

Gildan , Port , Al style ,etc. those are clothing brands that make their garment from scratch but just because someone puts ink on a shirt does not give them their own clothing brand.

An Alpina is a modified and re-branded BMW. A Brabus is modified and re-branded Mercedes... etc.
Are they not Brands?

I agree screen print is the best quality if done correctly but you cannot tell me people create screens for a single garment.

This thread is not about single garments.
Some big brands do use printed vinyl, but it is always solvent or latex printed, and does not get scratched easy.