[TulsaTees]

Curious question...

We've been talking to a retail shop owner who may be interested in carrying our stuff, but she'd rather obtain transfers of our designs so she can print them right there in the store. She uses a table-top heat press. So...

1) Where can I get transfers made for a heat press? Surely we're not talking about inkjet printing here...?

2) Are there "transfer distributors" that might create transfers from our designs and sell them through their own catalogs?

Thanks for any guidance!

--William
Tulsa Tees
The globe is warmin' up. Wear a t-shirt!

 

[Solmu]

1) Where can I get transfers made for a heat press? Surely we're not talking about inkjet printing here...?

This thread has a list with a lot of plastisol transfer printers, and this thread has a lot of information on plastisol transfers in general.

2) Are there "transfer distributors" that might create transfers from our designs and sell them through their own catalogs?

Yup.

Not having been interested in doing anything like that myself I'll have to leave how you go about dealing with them to others.

 

[TulsaTees]

I thought plastisol was used in screen printing... it's also used for making transfers?

 

[Rodney]

I thought plastisol was used in screen printing... it's also used for making transfers?

Yes There is a type of transfer called a "plastisol transfer" that is printed by a screen printer onto "release" transfer paper that is sold in "sheets" which can be later applied by anyone with a heat press.

 

[TulsaTees]

Is a plastisol transfer the kind that makes a somewhat "raised" image on the shirt?

Also... are some graphics more suited to plastisol transfer than others? That is: I've got some images that may be only a few colors, and others that are 24 bit with shaiding, feathering, etc.

 

[Jasonda]

Is a plastisol transfer the kind that makes a somewhat "raised" image on the shirt?

Also... are some graphics more suited to plastisol transfer than others? That is: I've got some images that may be only a few colors, and others that are 24 bit with shaiding, feathering, etc.

Have you seen Lou's video on plastisol transfers? It will help you get a better idea of what they look like. He also has a few sample pictures of t-shirts he has done on his website: http://www.ljrobin.com/plastisol.htm

Because plastisol transfers are screen printed, the same principles apply - They can be printed in any amount/combination of colors you would like, but the more colors you have in a design, the more expensive it will be.

However, sometimes a design doesn't have as many colors as you think it does - your best bet would be to post a picture of your design and ask how many colors it will take to print it.

 

[oddica]

Instagraphics does just about every heat-transfer product imaginable. Based in Cerritos, CA.

http://www.instagraph.com/

to avoid a cheesy intro, click here instead:
http://www.instagraph.com/html/instar_custom_heat_transfers__.html

 

[Solmu]

Is a plastisol transfer the kind that makes a somewhat "raised" image on the shirt?

Could be, though you might also be thinking of a different technique that also leaves a raised image on the shirt .

It transfers just the ink and no paper if that helps.

Also... are some graphics more suited to plastisol transfer than others?

Yup, since they're screenprinted the less colours the better. Though as Jasonda said sometimes a design can be less colours than you might realise.

 

[T-BOT]

NEW! on the market.

Supa-Quick plastisol heat transfers that apply in 2-3 seconds on ALL FAbric colors and work everytime. Extremely soft you can hardly feel the ink on the shirt. Doing wash tests now.

Maybe i will post some photos soon. (need copyright clearance ).