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Inkjet heat transfers. I'm using an Epson C88+, Durabrite OEM Pigment ink, Jetprosofstretch paper for light shirts, and I like the 50/50 cotton/poly blend preshrunk shirts. Preshrunk 100 cotton shirts can still have a slight bit of shrink in the wash, the 50/50's don't seem to do this.

PHOTO transfers/ One Off's: Can print photo like images onto shirts. If you can print it on your inkjet printer, you can press it. You can do one shirt only if you like.

COST: You don't need much: A printer, paper, the right ink, and some shirts, and the equipment isn't expensive either. This is outside of a press, but you'll need that for most of the other methods as well.

PAPER for light shirts: Using JPSS (Jetprosofstretch) I get fabulous transfers. Superior color retention, the paper stretches with the shirt, no cracking or peeling, very little hand (soft feel) and - I've bleached JPSS shirts with no fade.

I might add more later to the good things about heat transfer, but for now, this is where I'm at.

QUALITY PERCEPTION HURTS: There is an assumption out there that today's heat transfers are like the iron on transfers of yesterday. There have been alot of advances in this process over time, and the new papers are nice, namely JPSS :), but people don't forget easy. If someone is not told these are heat transfer shirts, alot of times, they can't even tell (referring to JPSS). I like to call these Digital Image Transfers, or Digital Transfers as David/Motoskin likes to call them, which I also like as well -- they are both good ways to differentiate this process from an iron on transfer of yesterday. :)

Also, for high end or boutique stores, while nothing is impossible, it's not as likely to sell many high end retailers on inkjet heat transfers. Knowing your market will help when selling this product. Folks are carving out a nice bottomline with inkjet heat transfers, but sometimes, they do have retail limitations.

OPAQUES/Paper for darks: Dark papers have a heavier hand, and alot of folks don't like it. Because of it, alot of folks simply won't use it, because they don't think like the feel and/or the quality. There are folks that will sell heat transfers for lights, but are still waiting for something they like in darks. Many use some other process for dark shirts, or choose not sell dark shirts at all. Then there are the folks who like and sell shirts using papers for darks. It really seem to be each persons preference, but there really is a split in opinion on the dark papers.

TRIMMING/CUTTING THE WINDOW: Transferring the POLYMER WINDOW on light papers to the shirt, or the unprinted areas of the design with dark papers onto shirts, is an issue to deal with. With inkjet heat transfers for lights, the paper is coated with a polymer that carries the ink to the shirt. Whereever there is no ink, the coating still transfers to the shirt, and can be seen as well as felt. With papers for darks it is the same, except since the paper for darks has a white background, whereever there is no ink, it will be white. These areas need to be cut away either by hand or with a machine called a cutter/plotter, or add a color box to the back of the design, or take a chance and leave it, either way, it'll have to be deal with somehow. And heat pressing will not make the window/box go away.

For light shirts, it is possible sometimes to get away without trimming the transfer when you use a paper and shirt combination that really super reduces the noticability of the window. It will still be there, but I find with JPSS, and especially the Jerzees HW 5050's I have, I have a very hard time seeing the window from the start. I'd say to experiment with your own stock to see if you like it or not, to figure out if you want to leave it or not.

There's quite a bit to list, and it's alot when giving explanations, too. I have to post this for now, but will come back to it if there's something major to add that I'm completely forgetting. Lunchtime!:)

Best regards.

PS: other INKJET users: please help add to the list of things to consider when using the process if you have some time. Thanks so much! :)

Loved the post but I'm still confused as what to use for darks seeing that I have a box of 90-100 black shirts needing transfers....
 
Discussion starter · #102 ·
Loved the post but I'm still confused as what to use for darks seeing that I have a box of 90-100 black shirts needing transfers....
What kind of design/image are you trying to put on them? Do you have any idea which direction you think you would like to go at all?
 
Hi, I have to say this thread is exactly what I need. I'm literally about to launch a brand that I've designed and I'm confident that in the long run it will at least be successful. But success is relative. I've spent a very, very small amount of money on it so far. I've designed a website with over three hundred individual designs that are targeted at a specific market that spend their money on apparel so all's good you would think.

Here's my dilema. I'm a designer so that side is easy for me, and for the last 5 years I've been working marketing and advertising for some very big brands in Europe. So I have every confidence that I can market my work and sell it. It's what I do.

The practical side of it is what i have a problem with. The production of the shirts is causing me issues. I'm looking to keep spending as little as possible, I'll be able to source the correct shirts for me so that cost isn't a worry.

I have to get a heat press, it's an expense i have to have, but what method should I use to print. I don't want 4000 plus t-shirts hanging around when maybe only 200 will sell, so I want to do them when and as the orders come in. One at a time. I expect that in the early day a busy day for me will be maybe 5 orders. My feeling is it's probably a transfer i should use as I'm only printing on white for now and it's easily the cheapest method. But a I'm building a brand I want the shirts to look like I know what I'm doing. So is vinyl the correct method?

Basically at the begining I want to do each print as and when they come in. As it gets larger (if) then I'll examine other methods. But I always think that as a designer or marketeer you're just the road sign that points customers in the direction of a business. What makes them come back is the quality. So as I said earlier I'm confident I can point them there but I need them to keep coming back with the best quality for the least amount of cash. (everyone wants this) I suppose what I'm really asking is "Are heat transfers really good enough for a very small commercial business?"

Thanks for your help and sorry for the long message
David
 
Discussion starter · #110 ·
Hi David,

Various print methods are called "heat transfer", so it's good to be specific. When you say "heat transfer" which print method do you have in mind? Vinyl, inkjet heat transfer, plastisol, laser, dye sub?

One thing I can tell you is for every print method, there are businesses sustaining themselves on it. So each is a viable, marketable product, but you cannot sell each of them to every market. That is where knowing your target market comes in.

Another suggestion I can give to you is that after you buy your heat press, if you are sure you do not want to outsource screen printing, is to sample all of the heat transfer methods that you can, like buy pre-cut vinyl to sample, order heat transfer papers and press them. Once you see the shirts in person, you will be able to answer the question better as to which print method is the right one for you. You'll definitely have opinions once you see and feel them, and then wash and dry them.

Which method you choose will in part be dictated by what market you are going after, and what they norm is for that market. :)
 
Hi I'm thinking with laserjet paper. The designs are dine in illustrator but are quite broken up (They are in bits so i don't know how a cutter would handle them id they were on vinyl).

The market I'm aiming for buys quality branded clothing but not at a designer level. So it's more custom individual t-shirts that they'll like. But he quality would idealy be like a Nike t-shirt. I now they screen print but that's imposibile for my business model at the moment. I think the plastisol transfers sound good quality, but I have so many designs and I'm certain that not all will sell. The early days are more of a testing ground. Once I'm happy at what moves then I can change the operation. That's why i thought printing to a transfer paper would be best, but I'm very worried about the quality especially when washed.

Thanks
David
 
Discussion starter · #114 ·
No just white, but need the quality to be good but for individual prints.

Ok, than you'd be okay with laser. There are products for dark shirts via laser, but I think they were cost prohibitive if I remember.

Look up info on laser transfers. With imageclip for laser paper - there is no window - but I believe I've read that there are some issus with gradient and light colors.

You may want to follow up with some research on a new paper, Imageclip for Inkjet. It uses an inkjet printer for the design part, and a laser printer (black & white) for the mask.

I understand it solves the problems of Imageclip laser, with the full benefits of no polymer window transfering. Sounds like good stuff. :)

Also, have you gone to the plastisol companies websites and checked out pricing on colors and mins? It might not be that expensive. Then you have no equipment, ink, toner and paper investment -- just the heat press, which you'll need either way.

Think of the time you'll save not printing all of the designs. Plus, plastisols heat transfer in only "seconds". Very quick and easy, great quality. Just something to really consider, since your market calls for screen printing. If you have not checked the prices of various companies, it might be something you want to think about looking at again. :)
 
Discussion starter · #116 ·
Thanks for your help. I guess the best thing to d is try a few of the methods mentioned and just do lots of tests.

David
It really is a good idea, David. It's good to really know a product before going to market, to make sure it's what you want to pin all of your hopes on. Best wishes. I'm sure you'll find the right one for you. :)
 
Hi Guys,

Its really great reading up on all the different t-shirt printing methods used by everyone.

We are screenprinters but also use DTG for small orders and vinyl for individual names and numbers for sport teams etc.

I still believe that for retail quality t shirt printing, screen printing is the only way to go...but all the methods definitely have their place and should be used accordingly.
 
I have a quick question... you guys keep mentioning things like Epson 20312 whatever haha! i have been using a canon mx700 it's just my regular everyday computer printer. Is this alright or will it cause problems with my transfers. I have printed many JetSS transfers and they looked great. The only bad thing thats happened is the dark blue in my Coastal opaque transfer went light blue and dark blue like it was bleeding when i heat pressed it onto the tee. Hope this made sense.

P.S. Does garment just mean the same as t-shirt?
sorry
 
Discussion starter · #120 ·
I have a quick question... you guys keep mentioning things like Epson 20312 whatever haha! i have been using a canon mx700 it's just my regular everyday computer printer. Is this alright or will it cause problems with my transfers. I have printed many JetSS transfers and they looked great.

Hi Taylor. :) I've used a Canon Pixma 4000 with JPSS and it worked great, too. I washed the test shirt many times, even bleached it, so from my own experience, it doesn't surprise me that you, too, can be having great success with regular dye (if that is what your Canon printer also uses.) :)

Here are my pics:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t47868.html


The only bad thing thats happened is the dark blue in my Coastal opaque transfer went light blue and dark blue like it was bleeding when i heat pressed it onto the tee. Hope this made sense.
It does to me. :(

In the past, I used my Canon printer with some other brands/types of paper, and even though they faded at different rates, the fade always came into the picture at some point.

The only paper that held up really great with dye ink was JPSS (jetpro sofstretch).

That is why dye ink can be restricting. If you want to be able to use any paper that you choose, pigment ink is a really great choice, bc it works universally, with many, many types of paper, from light to dark garments. :)

P.S. Does garment just mean the same as t-shirt?
Pretty much. But tshirt is only one type of many garments, that's why sometimes, peeps just say garment, rather than tshirt, onesie, hoodie, sweatpant, etc.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the forum. :)
 
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