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what's the best printer, paper and method for a newbie that wants to sell to mainly kids and teenies?

1609 Views 15 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  juli
alright sorry about the title first of all. i really suck with titles, but additionally i have so many questions aswell, because the more time i sink into getting information on how to print shirts, the more questions and insecurities arise. pardon me, but this will be a whole slew of questions:


1) honestly, which is overall the cheapest way of printing shirts; why and what are its downsides? as much as i tried to look for answers, all i could come up with are differently priced machines, but i also have to account for the ink, the shirts (as polyester shirts seem to be twice or more expensive than cotton for example), the paper and the machine itself, like, will it clog up or generally break down after every 100 shirts or not using it for a week or so?


2) whatever your answer for number 1 was, it seems to me that i can immediately "disqualify" it, as from what i have read dye washes off super easily and so customers will not buy my low quality products anymore, if it was sublimation everyone sweats like a pig in those shirts and they seem to be generally less comfy than cotton shirts so people wont buy that either and pigment printing from what i have read kinda sucks because apparently i have to buy a bunch of printers in advance because they break down so easily and the pictures it can print are quite primitive.
FYI, as i want to sell to kids and teenies mainly, they will definitely ask for more complicated pictures (maybe of their current favorite singer or sth), so that wouldnt work, right?
so keeping all this in mind, is there even a "good" solution? afterall, i cant buy a 5000 $ machine just to get decent shirts...



3) from what i have seen, sublimation seems to be reeeeaaallly trendy right now. and i would love to become part of it (if it werent for those sweaty shirts, but i hope you know a solution to that). especially with those "5 in 1" and "7 in 1" machines i see being sold online. the vendors say you can print onto hats, plates, cups, thermos can and what not...thing is...arent those just normal sublimation boxes or whatever where you can put whatever inside, kinda like an oven? what i am trying to ask is, i shouldnt believe those ads, right? all sublimation machines can do all that stuff out of the box by definition, no matter what the name says, right?


honestly, i could have sworn i had more questions, but i am sure they'll arise again as soon as someone answers me and i get confronted with all the expressions again xD


thanks for your time and answers, i appreciate all of them, i am also interested in your specific way of printing if you only ever used one but it worked perfectly fine for a longer time, but especially expert opinions on what brands or methods i shouldnt touch and what is much more worth my time and effort (and money)


and please do swamp me with loooooong answers. i love them. (kinda do them myself)
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No matter what method you use, you should first consider the subject of Copyright. You can't just go around printing pictures of pop stars or kids favourite tv characters without a licence.
thanks, i am already well informed about local law. but my question was not about that anyway, do you happen to know something about what i asked?
Every method has its pros and cons. Screen printing is the least expensive, above a minimum quantity that depends upon number of colors. It is durable and looks good. Dye sub is for white 100% polyester only--there is no practical magical unicorn way around this. Inkjet and laser transfers for dark shirts have hand and durability issues. JPPS inkjet transfers for white cotton are low hand and durable. There is DTG, more like $20K than 5. These need constant use to keep the white from plugging, and aren't practical unless you have the business to keep them busy.

Pick your bucket of poo. It all comes down to what best meshes with your own needs and limitations. See the sub sections on here for more info on each decorating method. Give yourself a month to absorb and understand the options.
Thanks Noxid for your answer. i have never heard about screen printing. what is that? is that like a different word for pigment or dye? i am very interested in that, since you say it is cheap, durable and looks good. on that note "above a minimum quantity", does that mean you have to print daily for example to keep the ink from drying out or sth? or is it sth else that just makes it more expensive if you barely use it?


you also say "Inkjet and laser transfers for DARK shirts have hand and durability issues.", does that mean for light or even white ones they dont have that issue and are as durable as other methods?


or just generally, is there a general good overview about all the options one has? i always just see very limited data and it makes it so hard to compare stuff.
i'd love to read a table of all the methods with prices for machines, paper (if needed), ink, data on how long machines last (if there is reliable data on it) and obviously what color they can print, what color they can print onto, what material they can print onto, the durability of each combination and other points i probably forgot or dont know about. is there something like this out there?
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Thanks Noxid for your answer. i have never heard about screen printing. what is that? is that like a different word for pigment or dye? i am very interested in that, since you say it is cheap, durable and looks good. on that note "above a minimum quantity", does that mean you have to print daily for example to keep the ink from drying out or sth? or is it sth else that just makes it more expensive if you barely use it?


you also say "Inkjet and laser transfers for DARK shirts have hand and durability issues.", does that mean for light or even white ones they dont have that issue and are as durable as other methods?


or just generally, is there a general good overview about all the options one has? i always just see very limited data and it makes it so hard to compare stuff.
i'd love to read a table of all the methods with prices for machines, paper (if needed), ink, data on how long machines last (if there is reliable data on it) and obviously what color they can print, what color they can print onto, what material they can print onto, the durability of each combination and other points i probably forgot or dont know about. is there something like this out there?
Really, you have to learn enough about each method to decide which is best for you. If there was only one best method, there would be only one method available; each has its niche. As mentioned, every method has its own sub sections on this forum. Lots to read!

You have probably heard of silk screening? That is another name for screen printing. Google or read on here. It is the lowest cost method to produce a batch of a design in quantity. It would be the most expensive possible way to produce a single print of a design. It is how almost all printed shirts have been made since there were printed shirts. Unless you are printing 50, or more, of the same design in a batch, this probably isn't for you.

Transfers for light shirts are transparent and use the shirt itself for the white portion of the print. Now picture printing on a black piece of paper with your inkjet ... you would still have a black piece of paper. So transfer paper for dark shirts has to have a white layer built into the sheet to block the shirt color so the inks can be on a white background. This adds thickness and stiffness (hand) to the transfer, and contributes to the poor durability (the white layer is prone to cracking). JPSS is a specific brand/model of light shirt transfer that works well and is popular for that reason. But beyond white shirts, it isn't going to work for what you are talking about.

There are laser transfers with the same sort of tradeoffs, as well as generally costing more, especially for darks.

You've got a lot of reading to do :p
But realize upfront that there is no perfect answer. Any path you choose is going to be a compromise. It is a matter of finding the best compromise for where you are now. Don't rush into buying anything.

Pro Tip: Once you know exactly what you want, look on Craigslist, and the like, for used equipment. Many, many, many people rush into garment decorating without putting in the time and effort to pick the correct path for themselves, so with a little patience you can find good deals on their poor decisions.
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Ok. Here's how I would approach this...

You say you've never even heard of screen printing and that $5,000 is above your budget, so that would probably eliminate screen printing as a contender anyway.

DTG is waaay more expensive than that, so that's out of the question too.

That leaves 3 possible options -

1. Sublimation.

2. Transfers.

2. HTV (heat transfer vinyl).

Sublimation requires a printer that will handle the special sublimation inks. Most Epsons do, as do Ricoh's, which are the other popular choice. I use a Ricoh SG3110DN. Sublimation only works on white 100% polyester garments. Saying that, it does work to a degree on materials with a high poly/cotton mix and light colours but gives a more faded, or retro, look. Hand (the 'feel' of the print) is excellent with sublimation as the inks are trapped within the polyester fibres. Sublimation also opens up opportunities for printing on other substrates such as mugs, slates, coasters, aluminium sheet, jigsaws, dishes, plates, phone cases,... you name it!

Transfers cover a broad area. They can be laser, inkjet (dye), inkjet (pigment) or in some cases sublimation printed. All transfers have a 'hand' because they lie on top of the garment fibres. However, this means they can be used on 100% cotton. Usually, you have different types of transfer for light and dark garments as the dark garments need transfers with a white base. Other specialist options include using laser printers that can lay down white toner, but these may again be out of your budget. I'd personally stay away from inkjet dye prints as this ink is water soluble and doesn't handle washing very well. I wouldn't sell inkjet transfers to any customer, I would, in some cases, consider inkjet pigment transfers though.

HTV requires no printing. You will need a contour cutter though. It's a good, cheap option for solid colour designs. Different colours can be 'layered' to a certain extent. Again it has a 'hand' as the vinyl lies on top of the fibres. No good for gradients or photographic designs though, but you can get printable HTV, although these normally require expensive solvent printers.

For all the above you will need a flat press. Check out the difference between Clam presses and Swing-away presses.

For options 2 and 3 you will also need a contour cutter.

For options 1 and 2 you will need a printer with suitable inks.

You will also need software to cut or print your designs. Cutters work with vectors so you'll need to vectorise any bitmap designs you have before being able to cut them.
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1. Screen-printing is the best, and most durable method, but it is not viable for doing one shirt, or even 50 shirts unless they are the same design. It is best for mass production...Doing 200 to any number of shirts with the same design. Most people cannot sell 200 shirts of the same design, and this is why screen-printing is the least popular method, for people looking to make a quick buck with minimal effort.

2. Keep sublimation for mugs and white polyester tees. Mugs are low demand items, unless you do activewear, polyester tees don't sell well either. Light colors can also be done, but the substrate color will show through. There is no white color in sublimation.

3. DTG is expensive, and has a steep learning curve. You will make a lot of mistakes until you learn, but once you learn is actually OK. The cheapest homemade style printer you can buy is around $4,000 and a waste of money, as it will and up in the trash soon, if used by an inexperienced user. A decent one is around $8,000, and a purpose made one by epson will cost $18,000. That's still entry level.
4. Some (not all) transfers for white/light garments are very good. The only good options for black/dark garments, are the 2 paper laser transfers, like the "Neenah IC laser dark". These are expensive around $3.5 per sheet, and require a white color laser printer, which is around $5,000. A good quality heat press is also needed (around $1,000). Don't even try with the cheap $100 ones, or you will be wasting your money.

5. HTV is just a pain... but it does work for single colors, and a cheap vinyl cutter (around $400). Most people start with this. If you want to print multi-color graphics, You will need a solvent inkjet printer, which is around $15,000
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To sum up:

  • There are no unicorns
  • Every option comes with it's own pile of poo
  • Only you can decide what is best for your present circumstances and goals
  • Making an informed decision requires acquiring a lot of knowledge
thanks so much webtrekker and TABOB


you guys really helped me out here for the mere reason that you told me the price and how to use DTG and screen printing. those are out of the question for me now. what i am unsure about here is the expression "transfer" though, does that mean pigment and the normal dye (that washes out super easily)? i guess those are also out of my price range for now if the press alone is one grand.


now i have no idea on HTV, that one is also new to me, but can you explain why it is a pain? is it because of the need to cut the shape out yourself? (i assume so, since one needs a cutter for it) if i didnt go for that expensive machine though, would it be reasonable in price though?


i wanted to save my new fave for last, though. my wife found a youtube video (2.5 years old) where they talk about a "brand new" product which you can apply to the printed out sublimation paper thing. it is like a powder, looks like flour that you apply to a schnitzel before frying it. anyway, apparently that polymer powder makes it possible to sublimate onto 100% cotton shirts aswell.
has anybody heard about that process and how it is seen nowadays? i have seen this powder being sold for very little money, like less than 20$ for a kg, which is almost nothing. also, the shirts will be cheaper AND wont make anyone sweat anymore like polyester does. lastly, you can print practically any kind of picture like that and it retains its color vividness and durability from what i could see.

that seems like the perfect deal for me.
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thanks so much webtrekker and TABOB


you guys really helped me out here for the mere reason that you told me the price and how to use DTG and screen printing. those are out of the question for me now. what i am unsure about here is the expression "transfer" though, does that mean pigment and the normal dye (that washes out super easily)? i guess those are also out of my price range for now if the press alone is one grand.


now i have no idea on HTV, that one is also new to me, but can you explain why it is a pain? is it because of the need to cut the shape out yourself? (i assume so, since one needs a cutter for it) if i didnt go for that expensive machine though, would it be reasonable in price though?


i wanted to save my new fave for last, though. my wife found a youtube video (2.5 years old) where they talk about a "brand new" product which you can apply to the printed out sublimation paper thing. it is like a powder, looks like flour that you apply to a schnitzel before frying it. anyway, apparently that polymer powder makes it possible to sublimate onto 100% cotton shirts aswell.
has anybody heard about that process and how it is seen nowadays? i have seen this powder being sold for very little money, like less than 20$ for a kg, which is almost nothing. also, the shirts will be cheaper AND wont make anyone sweat anymore like polyester does. lastly, you can print practically any kind of picture like that and it retains its color vividness and durability from what i could see.

that seems like the perfect deal for me.

Transfer in t-shirts is always referring to some type of "heat transfer paper". There are a lot of them, but only a few produce acceptable results.



HTV is OK if your design is simple. but for complex designs with small detail, weeding it (removing the unwanted parts) takes too much time.


About the powder. Yes, this is possible too, but only on white garments. The powder is transparent, and you still need to use sublimation paper.
...
i wanted to save my new fave for last, though. my wife found a youtube video (2.5 years old) where they talk about a "brand new" product which you can apply to the printed out sublimation paper thing. it is like a powder, looks like flour that you apply to a schnitzel before frying it. anyway, apparently that polymer powder makes it possible to sublimate onto 100% cotton shirts aswell.
has anybody heard about that process and how it is seen nowadays? i have seen this powder being sold for very little money, like less than 20$ for a kg, which is almost nothing. also, the shirts will be cheaper AND wont make anyone sweat anymore like polyester does. lastly, you can print practically any kind of picture like that and it retains its color vividness and durability from what i could see.

that seems like the perfect deal for me.
Dye sublimation only works with polyester/plastic. Any powder/spray/film that allows dye sub "on cotton" is a layer of plastic that you stick on top of your cotton. The resulting print will have the hand feel and durability of the plastic in question. As opposed to dye sub directly on a polyester garment which has no hand feel and will last as long as the garment. This does not really get you ahead of using JPSS on white cotton, which has been proven to be durable.

Feel free to chase unicorns. I certainly keep an eye out for them and keep close tabs on the latest efforts to create one. So far none of them smell quite like a rainbow.
I think screen printing is a great choice too. But, if you got more budget, then, you can buy something super fancy like BROTHER GTX for your business.
I certainly keep an eye out for them and keep close tabs on the latest efforts to create one. So far none of them smell quite like a rainbow.
You just need to be able to differentiate between a unicorn and a white horse. The white horse is obviously real, but if you've never seen one, you may think otherwise ;)
thanks for all the answers, but for now i guess i will stay with sublimation onto white shirts, everything else can wait.

since i am on a budget, i have decided that sublimation is how it will be. i ordered the press (swing away, i believe) already; white cotton shirts and polymer powder are incoming. in the very near future i will ofc also expand into sublimation onto different object, not just shirts.

i am pretty far away from everywhere though, so it is kind of hard to get my hands on a decent enough printer though. the only two in my budget currently are the epson L4150 and epson L380. any thoughts on the two? i heard the first one is the new and improved version of the latter one. what is you guys' experience with them?

additionally, if i could make some money off of this, what would be a good addition to this setup if i wanted to get some more variety in shirts? HTV is what i would assume works best on dark shirts if we ignore difficult shapes, right? (lets just assume kids like simple stuff or i can photoshop their design to make it easy to cut out; also i dont believe kids care much about hand at all)
i will probably still be on a tight budget, so immediately jumping to big expensive machines is not going to be a thing anytime soon.
or do you know of any heat transfer paper that work well with anything but white shirts for sublimation? i feel like especially black shirts will be wanted by the kids, but that wont happen with sublimation, so i'd definitely need another way of producing them.

PS: what i dont quite understand is why the manufacturers of the printers (and any other of the required products, for that matter) dont really tell you what their printers can and cannot do. is there a possibility that a printer can print inkjet pigments AND for sublimation? and if yes, i would assume you need different kinds of ink for that. are there codes for them, or did i just not look hard enough? because i never saw any designated inks for either of these processes. all i ever see is people selling inks (especially alongside printers, as a discount package) saying "it is for printing onto shirts". great, very useful :/


PPS: in the package with the press i also get some heat resistant tape, apparently EVERYONE and their mothers use it. is that so? i have never seen or heard about them, not even in the youtube videos where professionals show you how sublimation is done. is this a marketing scam? like, my mom used to iron stuff from a foil onto my clothes back in the day, she could do that by eye and if she could do that, i am sure i can do that with this big *** press that i bought and without any tape, right?
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