I'm wondering if a heat press can put one in the custom apparel business.
The process uses the same plotter, design programs, fonts, and weeding technique as making vinyl signs.
I have considered screen-printing, but it would have involved a more costly setup, plus workspace just for that. Plus with a heat press, one can handle short orders.
I wonder if those apparel films are a durable product. Do they fade, crack or peel off after repeated washings?
I am condidering investing in one. But I just don't know. Any advice would be appreciated. I would market my new product heavily, but don't want unsatisfied customers. Thanks and God Bless.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
I have an old T-Shirt press that I use all the time. The materials are very durable, at least the ones I use are. I have found that some are a little harder to apply than others, but have not had any failures in the four or five years I have been using them. Just remember to reverse your art work. I seem to make that mistake every now and then. If you want more info feel free to email me and I can tell you which suppliers I use. The process is great for one of a kind applications or small runs. To me the finished product is much crisper and cleaner than screenprinting, although that may just be a reflection of my own lack of skill in that field. I do multicolor apps alot, I doesn't seem to weaken the material as long as you are careful not to let it get too hot.
Posted by Leonard Sappington (Member # 4562) on :
One Apps and Short runs...Really Short Runs... If they want more than a few... go to Transfere Express out of Ohio...
The time it takes to cut and weed thermo flex is to be considered...
No-Matter what anyone say's, it's not an inexpensive process.. Time IS money !
I will not cut thermo flex for less than 25 bucks a shirt PERIOD ! And that's one color one side..
And sometimes I feel it is still not worth it...
Although... There is money to be made in the T-Shirt business.. I buy almost all of my shirts from TSC apparell and use a HIX heat press.. Don't mess around with a cheap heat press if you want to get serious about t's.
Transfere express is a great company.. You can upload your vector art to them, and they can spit you out as many transferres as you want and deliver promptly... The price varies for the number of transfers but I have been able to turn a decent profit selling Transfere T's at 7 bucks a wack on orders of 100 or more...
All I am saying is don't think you can make a mint off of Plotter Cut Transfers...the material is expensive, and there is a lot of time involved...
I silk screener will blow your prices AWAY
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:I will not cut thermo flex for less than 25 bucks a shirt PERIOD ! And that's one color one side..
And sometimes I feel it is still not worth it...
that is exactly my feeling & I say that again after each shirt run (especially if one ends up too low or off center
I almost never do the weeding stuff... usually a fullcolor transfer on the edge. I include a small front & large back print. It may be easier to sell full color short runs then 1 color because the screen printing alternative is much steeper in that case with 4 screen charges & set-ups... but I still only do it for existing clients in addition to signs or decals & don't market it at all
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I once bought some of the vinyl off of Ebay and it was a bear to weed vs new fresh stuff that weeds great. It really decreased my profit for the amount of time that it took me.
Posted by Mark Perkins (Member # 296) on :
I have one and use it a lot, I do shirts with cad cut materials, I get mine from Speciality Materials, I also have a printer set up with archival inks for transfers on white cotton shirts, another printer set up with sublimation inks, I do shirts, license plates, awards plaques and a lot of other stuff. Today I did 100 license plates for a local high school, started printing the transfers at 8 this morning, I finished pressing them a few minutes ago, they sold for $10 each.....not a bad day I think Posted by Gary Hove (Member # 4970) on :
I just started using roland heat transfer material for my soljet. So far so good, and lots of intrest from clients. I still think screening is faster for simple quick work and longer lasting.
Posted by Regina Rae (Member # 4024) on :
Thanks guys and ladies. After posting and getting your newsy replies I now know alot more than I did! Your words of wisdom is read with great revere.
Posted by E. Balch (Member # 3545) on :
Get a good digital heat press, it's worth the difference in cost. We use Stahl's material. Weeding is much faster and easier than vinyl. Don't buy hard to weed material, there are big differences. Get samples and see what you like.
This week we are putting names on kids soccer shirts at a rate of about 90 shirts an hour. That includes cutting, weeding and applying.
The coaches and parents always thank us. Too bad we only have 700 kids in the soccer program.
ernie
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Regina,
I've been in both businesses, textile silk screening and, later, signs. Although many of the techniques and computers skills needed are similar, I've never known any heat press work that could outperform silk screened shirts that used plastisol inks and UV dryers.
The word I noted in your post that stuck me was the word "custom". Back in the day, the book "How to Print Tshirts For Fun & Profit" came out. I was a shop forman/printer back then at a very profitable shop. That book devalued the market almost overnight. Very much like the sign industry did when vinyl became less costly to produce, there was a flood of om & pop shops who could knock out simple jobs for little overhead cost out of their arage or spare bedroom. It did not effect our shop at all as we had already moved into high end and large volume production. Many of our competitors went belly up, though by dropping prices needlessly.
If you have a chance, c'mon up to my meet in October. We'll be taking people to a very well established (Since 1974) tshirt print shop with lots of experienced people there to field questions and show the similarities in what they use in production and design as we signcrafters do. They share many of the problems and business challenges that we do.
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I do multicolor apps alot, I doesn't seem to weaken the material as long as you are careful not to let it get too hot.
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