# What do you need to start Heat Pressing?



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Hello,
My friend and I are starting our own clothing line (who isn't these days? ).
I thought screen printing would be the best for what we where doing but as I read more and more though the forums, I thought this would be a cheaper, easier and better way of printing tshirts.

What I am asking is this:

Would this and this come out OK with heat pressing?
What kind of press would I need? I know about sizes and swing aways and that, but I'm not sure on price, brand or where to get them (UK).
Printer - I'm not sure what type of printer I need, or ink.
And what is the best type of paper to use?
As you can prob tell, I am a total n00b,
I'm not 100% sure how all this works,
But I have my idea's,
So, if anyone can give me a run down on how it all works that would be awsome  .

Thankyou for any help given.


----------



## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Hi Danny, a good place to start to get an overview of the heat press process and what equipment is needed would be to start reading here:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t20402.html

For UK specific information, you can read these threads:
united kingdom related topics at T-Shirt Forums

And also check out this section of the forum:

United Kingdom - T-Shirt Forums

This thread has a good list of starter equipment:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t10860.html


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Your best bet is to read read read as Rodney suggested. 

I can't help you with where to buy your equipment or supplies in the UK, but there are some general issues that can be answered easily. 

First off, I assume since you're asking about printers and paper you're talking about inkjet or laser transfers. I'm a recent convert to inkjet transfers since a new proiduct called Jet-Pro SofStretch came out. I don't know if it's available in the UK yet or not, but it's the best paper for light colored shirts available right now. 

Press: Get the largest press you can use on your electrical circuits. For us that was a 15" x 15" press. If you can get a 16" x 20 " press, all the better. 

Go with name-brand presses if you can. There are a couple of cheap presses that several people on the forums use, but in general, stay away from cheap Chinese presses on ebay.

Printer: you want a printer that uses PIGMENT inks. Most printers use dye inks, adn those will wash out very quickly when washed. Most (but not all) Epson printers use pigment inks. Check their stats to be sure. Also, the designs that you posted MIGHT be able to work with an A4 printer, but if you can afford it, buy one that will print A3 sheets. You won't be as limited on size, and you'll be much happier. 

Also, keep in mind that if you buy a heat press, you can do other types of transfers as well. You could look into plastisol transfers, which are just screenprinted heat transfers. They look like screenprint because they ARE screenprint!  I believe there are several plastisol transfer manufacturers in the UK and Europe.

Lastly, with the designs that you posted, you would need to trim around your designs with inkjet transfers. With plastisol you wouldn't. 

Good luck, and welcome to the T-Shirt Forums! :welcome:


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

@Rodney: I had a look though those topics, but I will give them the once over again. Thankyou :d .

@Chani: Thankyou for your great post! Do you think I would be better of doing "plastisol" see has it gives you that screenprint look and doesn't need to be cut out? But as I've just seen you need to get someone else to print these for you, but if the price is right, i'm all for it  .

Thank you both once again for your help


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Plastisol is great if you sell a lot of each design. Also, the more you order, the more cost effective it is. 

Inkjet transfers are great for custom or short-run items. 

But I need to say...now that I've tried Jet-Pro SofStretch, I'm VERY pleased with it, and would be more apt to use it alone. It's a little rough on yrou shirt when you first press it (or rubbery, depending on if you hot- or cold-peel it), but once it's washed, you almost can't even feel it on your shirt.

The only downfall is that you can only use that paper on white or light-colored shirts. If you want to print on dark shirts, or any colored shirts and your design has white in it, you need to use opaque transfers. For that most people recommend IronAll Dark from New Milford Photo.

Again, any inkjet transfer you do will need to be trimmed, and plastisol transfers won't need to be trimmed.

In the end, it's really up to you.


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

I will look into Jet-Pro SofStretch.
And by trimming you mean I have to cut the images out?

I find this topic:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t6315.html

It says
*...This new Transfer Paper Media it will print on shirts with no-need to cut around...

*Do you know if these are any good?


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

That paper is for laser printers and won't work in inkjet printers. 

I don't know much about laser printers, which is why I didn't mention them, but that's another option for you. Some people swear by them, some people prefer inkjet transfers. 

Another option to consider is dye sublimation. It can only be done on polyester garments and other plastic substrates (mouse pads, mugs, plastes, etc), but only the image is transfered with that, too. You need special inks for dyesub which are more expensive than standard inkjet inks, but you can use a regular inkjet printer for that (again, with the special inks). Dyesub compatible garments are also more expensive than cotton or cotton/poly blends.


----------



## Leatherneck (Jan 18, 2008)

.Danny said:


> I will look into Jet-Pro SofStretch.
> And by trimming you mean I have to cut the images out?


*Thats correct when you trim an inkjet image you have to cut it out, you can trim it somewhat close maybe 1/4" or so. You do not have to cut around each individual letter if you have them in your design you can just trim a blob around lettering that's present. *


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

@Chani: I'm not sure I follow, I am totally new to all this, but, by the looks with it an inkjet printer  .

@Leatherneck: So I don't have to cut everything out, just around? May I ask why you have to do this? Seems a bit funny to me :S .


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Hi Danny,

There are two basic types of transfer papers. Transfers for inkjet printers like Jet-Pro SofStretch, and then there are transfers that can only be used in laser printers, like Duracotton (and others, I just don't know their names). Each type of paper is not compatible with the other type of printer (tho I believe some people have had luck printing on IronAll Dark (which is an inkjet paper) on laser printers. That's an oddity, tho.

Before anyone goes out and spends a ton of money on IronAll Darks to print it on a laser printer, be sure to research it here to make sure, tho!!! 

And the other method I posted, Dye Sublimation (also known as dyesub), is a type of inkjet transfer that uses special inks (which are not compatible with regular inkjet inks, so you either need a brand new printer or to fully clean the heads and lines of your existing printer to use it). With this method, you print on special dyesub paper with syesub inks, press it on your heat press on 100% poly garments, and only the ink transfers to your garment. it actually dyes the fibers of your garment instead of leaving a residue on the surface.

I'm not sure, but I thought I read something about dyesub being a two-step process, too, but don't quote me on that.

But with dyesub, you can also transfer your prints to just about any plastic item or any item that's been prepared for dyesub, like mousepads, mugs, plates, puzzles, calendars, etc. It's a very versitile printing method from everything I've been able to gather. 

I hoep I was able to clear my other post up a little, but if you're still confused I'd be happy to try to explain a little better...or I'm sure someone else will.


----------



## Leatherneck (Jan 18, 2008)

.Danny said:


> @Chani: I'm not sure I follow, I am totally new to all this, but, by the looks with it an inkjet printer  .
> 
> @Leatherneck: So I don't have to cut everything out, just around? May I ask why you have to do this? Seems a bit funny to me :S .


*you will want to trim as close to the image as possible but areas where there is lettering you do not have to focus on so much you can just cut around it yes. the reason you want to trim your design is to decrease the window or residue from the transfer paper onto your garment that was not printed on. it will give your garment and much more crisp look. *


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

@Chani: Much better  . Thankyou. Some paper can only be used on one type of printer.

Dye Sublimation - You need a new printer, or clean your old one out, press it, and it dyes the tshirt.

@Leatherneck: So its a more of a give it a nice look? So if I wanted to, I could use my printer, print it out on "special" paper and just press it? But It wouldn't give it a nice finish?

I think I'm getting the hang of it  .

So... What do I need?

Heat press
Printer (I'm thinking inkjet)
And "special" paper.


Thank you both so much  
You guys are awsome!


----------



## Leatherneck (Jan 18, 2008)

.Danny said:


> @Chani: Much better  . Thankyou. Some paper can only be used on one type of printer.
> 
> Dye Sublimation - You need a new printer, or clean your old one out, press it, and it dyes the tshirt.
> 
> ...


*Well your very welcome danny,  I'm glad I could help you out ... to answer your question more fully yes it is to give the image a more finished look. you can just print and press if you choose, but the trimming will give it the finished look.*


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Now I see.
Thank you  

So,
What I would like to know is:

What heat press is a good one to start off with? Just for doing tshirts, will last long and do a great job.
Printer (I'm thinking inkjet) - but what models are good to use and do a great job.
"Special" paper - what type of payer will I need?
And ink - what type of ink is good for doing tshirts like the ones I showed in my first post?

Also, where would I get these things from in the UK?
And how much?
I don't have very much money to my name right now =/ .


----------



## plan b (Feb 21, 2007)

Hi, try heatpresstransfernetwork.com there is a lot of information on that site

R.


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Thank you  
I will have a look though.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Dear Danny,

I looked at the designs you posted, they have alot of white background, I am assuming it is white background because the shirt is white. I don't think JetPro is a good route for those designs for two reasons: First: too time consuming to cut out, you will spend more time cutting than pressing, and lose time and money. Second: everywhere you have cut the images, you will have seperate blocks of images with irregular polymer windows around them. If you were able to place a colored box around the image, these issues fall away, but that is a totally different feeling design. The change solves these problems, but is that the look you want?

After a wash or two, the polymer window is supposed to fade away (it should, but mine does not completely fade away). When you try to sell this shirt as "new" it will still be showing the polymer windows, and you will have to try to sell the to the customer saying, "It will look better later", and that may not be a good selling point.

While Jetpro is raising the bar on pigment heat transfer, it is still considered by many to be the lowest on the totem pole for quality, even tho it's quality is rising with Jetpro.

Here's the general order in which quality is viewed:

Screen printing 
plastisol
vinyl
sublimiation dye
laser
pigment

Looking at your designs, and to stay with cotton shirts, plastisols or having them screen printed may be very good choices for you. 

Danny, please consider that whatever method you use - outsourcing the printing to someone else or one of the above print methods - still depends on where you see your company in terms of sales and business plan in 1yr, 3yrs, and 5+yrs.

Do you see yourself promoting your lines trying to get into retail stores, or in your own shop - working in the back printing - with a store front attached? Are you going for online sales, in which case you can work and ship from a shop? If you know the answers to these ?'s, it will be easier for you to see how to spend your time in the best way for you to reach your goals.

My main suggestion is, please do not discount outsourcing as too costly, it can be a cost effective solution depending on what puzzle you are piecing together. A printer usually doesn't have time for sales, he's printing, and a salesman doesn't have time for printing, he's busy selling. Many people use a blend of the two, but some cannot possibly fill both roles. 

Why not do a search on "outsourcing" or "starting my own line" if you really are interested in starting your own line? Many folks have said how they can't or won't print their own clothes, they find it much more effective to outsource that while they focus on the line.

If you are going to print, I hope this post helps you see where the methods generally fall in terms of quality, and quality will affect your bottomline and sales numbers.

Best regards, Danny.

PS: Plastisol for doing the designs yourself are really great because you get the quality of screenprinting, you only need your heat press and plaistisol stock, your shirts are made on demand, so you can carry a smaller amount of stock, and re-order as sizes and colors are used up, as opposed to stocking large quantities of screen printed shirts in pre-determined sizes.

Again, good luck!


----------



## angelic_endeavor (Sep 19, 2007)

Wow, Kelly -- excellent job -- you certainly covered it all! Keep this up, and you'll be able to write a book about this business!


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Girlzndollz said:


> Dear Danny,
> 
> I looked at the designs you posted, they have alot of white background, I am assuming it is white background because the shirt is white. I don't think JetPro is a good route for those designs for two reasons: First: too time consuming to cut out, you will spend more time cutting than pressing, and lose time and money. Second: everywhere you have cut the images, you will have seperate blocks of images with irregular polymer windows around them. If you were able to place a colored box around the image, these issues fall away, but that is a totally different feeling design. The change solves these problems, but is that the look you want?
> 
> ...



I am totally lost =/ .
I would outsource but I haven't found anyone who can do them kind of cheap, its about £8 and we are selling for £10.
Thats why I would like to do this myself.

So, where do I go from here? 

And, thankyou, ever so much for all your help.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> I would outsource but I haven't found anyone who can do them kind of cheap, its about £8 and we are selling for £10.
> Thats why I would like to do this myself.
> 
> So, where do I go from here?
> ...


 
Danny, it sounds like a pricing issue now that I have seen before in threads. One or the other of the prices is out of line. 

Are you in the UK? I think it would be very wise of you to go to the UK section of the forum. Find other members in your area. This part of the forum is for this purpose. You can locate others in your area and get help locating suppliers, printers, talk turkey. There are also folks here that may be screen printers in the UK. There is a section of the forum to put a request for help. You may put an 'ad' out saying you are "Looking for screen printers in UK". 

There are a ton of questions I would like to ask you regarding the above prices like: how many screen printers did you contact? Is the screen printer supplying the shirts or are you? SP's sometimes mark up the shirts, increasing your cost. If you are getting the shirts, are you getting them wholesale? If you are supplying the shirts, did the screen printer charge you a per piece charge?

All of these things will affect the pricing you gave above, and there are so many variables, there is plenty of room for improvment in my opinion.

If you go to find members in the UK who are getting screen printing done for themselves - you will have a great opportunity to pick their brains and find valuable information that pertains to you and doing business in the UK. 

Do you have another question, because I would be happy to help you further if you need help finding these resources. I believe Rodney gave you the link to UK, if he didn't - you can find it on the forum main page under Regional and there will be a sub forum for United Kingdom.



angelicendeavors said:


> Wow, Kelly -- excellent job -- you certainly covered it all! Keep this up, and you'll be able to write a book about this business!


Melissa, this forum *IS* the book - _haha. _
Read the good news on hubby, best wishes, fingers crossed for you guys!! I may go to ISS-AC on Sunday. If Sat, we can definitely hook up, that would be Great!!!


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

angelic_endeavor said:


> Wow, Kelly -- excellent job -- you certainly covered it all! Keep this up, and you'll be able to write a book about this business!


 
Do your polymer windows truly go away? I'm using the Jerzee HW 50/50, while it's super great at color retention, even with our fadey friend Ironall light, I think it may also help retain the polymer window. What shirt are you using and is the polymer disappearing, really going away? Thanks Miss M.


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Girlzndollz said:


> Danny, it sounds like a pricing issue now that I have seen before in threads. One or the other of the prices is out of line.
> 
> Are you in the UK? I think it would be very wise of you to go to the UK section of the forum. Find other members in your area. This part of the forum is for this purpose. You can locate others in your area and get help locating suppliers, printers, talk turkey. There are also folks here that may be screen printers in the UK. There is a section of the forum to put a request for help. You may put an 'ad' out saying you are "Looking for screen printers in UK".
> 
> ...


Do you think I would be better off getting someone else doing the printing for me?

How many screen printers did you contact? Most in my area, also some on the internet.

Is the screen printer supplying the shirts or are you? All did as far as I know

If you are supplying the shirts, did the screen printer charge you a per piece charge? I'm not sure I understand that one.

I will have a look thought the forum that you said too, thank you :d


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> Do you think I would be better off getting someone else doing the printing for me?


Hi Danny,

I know it's alot at once to take in. I've been there.

You need to talk with someone who can discuss the finer details of starting a clothing line with regard to outsourceing vs in house printing. A fine person to speak with here is named Greg/Comin'outswinging. He outsources his printing while he focuses on promoting his brand. He has the kind of experience and insight you need on this subject, and he is very helpful. 



> How many screen printers did you contact? Most in my area, also some on the internet.


When you asked for a quote, what quantity did you ask for a quote on? The larger the run, the cheaper they are per piece. That is the catch with screen printing. If you are not having large enough runs, screenprinting will be more expensive for short runs. 

What volume did you discuss with the printers?



> Is the screen printer supplying the shirts or are you? All did as far as I know


For the local printers, did anyone tell you what brand they print on or show you a tee so you could see and feel the quality? I assume at the price given, it was including the shirt. 

Also, some printers have a retail price and then a second price for anyone who is going to re-sell. Re-sellers can sometimes get a better deal b/c the printer will be having bigger runs from them, more often, hopefully.



> If you are supplying the shirts, did the screen printer charge you a per piece charge? I'm not sure I understand that one.


When a printer supplies the shirt, they will buy it at wholesale cost, and some will 'mark up' the price and make a little profit off each shirt they sell you. Some do, some don't. 

If you bring your own shirts in, some printers will charge you a small fee called 'per piece' fee to make up for them losing money not getting to sell you a shirt with the mark up. Some printers charge a per piece charge to discourage you from bringing in your own shirts, so either they can get the mark up, or so they don't have to work on low quality shirts or unknown brands. There can always be problems for them with unknown brands. They can end up costing them money if they are poor quality shirts give them a hassle, slowing their printing down. But, if you can bring in your own shirt (that you buy at wholesale) and the printer does not charge a per piece fee, you can save money for yourself. If a printer you like charges a per piece fee based on discouraging low quality shirts, you may be able to get them to drop it if you agree to go on your own and purchase a shirt they like to use. It's all negotiating. You have to become knowledgeable in what you want to achieve and start to work every angle to be as profittable as possible.

It seems to me you are most interested in outsourcing, but found it too costly to be profitable. I do also agree seeing your numbers, those numbers do not look right, so I am curious as to the quantity the quote is for.

I also again suggest finding others in UK who are outsourcing. They may have a great printer you can also use. Maybe there also found it expensive and outsource overseas (like US, otherwise with some countries this can be scary and must be done right) and maybe they found a way to make that affordable. Maybe, you can find another forum member who is in Uk who will be able to do your designs for a much better price. Your designs are fairly simple. 

I'm wishing you well, Danny. You have alot to figure out. Don't forget to let me know what quantity your quote was for, ok?


----------



## angelic_endeavor (Sep 19, 2007)

Girlzndollz said:


> Do your polymer windows truly go away?


No, I don't think they ever truly go away. I just try to trim my design so closely, that the trimming line is next to impossible to actually see unless your eye is only a few inches away, and you're LOOKING for it. As far as the polymer that's inside of the text, or between printed areas of the design, you really can't see it at all, BUT I'm sure it's still there...IMO, the polymer is a kind of plastic that is being melted into the material of the shirt -- there's no way that it's going to go away... 



> I'm using the Jerzee HW 50/50, while it's super great at color retention, even with our fadey friend Ironall light, I think it may also help retain the polymer window. What shirt are you using and is the polymer disappearing, really going away?


I have actually used the JPSS on Hanes HW 50/50, Jerzees 50/50, Old Navy 100% Cotton, and the Rabbit Skins (don't remember now if 50/50 or 100%). With the Old Navy 100% cotton, I left a BIG window -- didn't trim at all. You can tell there's something there because there's the "square", but the hand is soft, and it's not really offensive. I found the IronAll to look more "WHITE" in the blank polymer areas, where JPSS appears more "clearish" (for lack of a better word) to me. I just try to trim as much as possible, and it looks fabulous!

Because this trimming could make anyone go insane when doing a large job, I am seriously contemplating a cutter, and have been mulling this over for a few months now. Hubby losing his job really made me take a hiatus on that thought...

Thanks for the good wishes with hubby's potential job offer. He's on the 2nd interview now, and I am just waiting to hear the story...

I will definitely be at the ISS Show on Saturday, and I DEFINITELY WANT TO MEET UP! Maybe we can get a bite to eat too... Before then in a PM, I will give you my cell #, just in case we can't find each other at a pre-determined spot at a pre-determined time... NOW I REALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SHOW 
I'm just confused -- are you making the trip from FL?


----------



## angelic_endeavor (Sep 19, 2007)

Oh yeah, forgot to mention before that I just made an order for shirts/sweatshirts yesterday, and I ordered ALL 50/50 shirts based on my testing. I think the JPSS performs wonderfully on both, but with the 100% cotton shirts, the white fibers/nap makes the JPSS appear like it's beginning to fade, when it definitely IS NOT. The 50/50 is just less fuzzy, so it looks cleaner...

I've used the Hanes and the Jerzees 50/50 before, and this time I ordered the Gildan. I love the quality of the Gildan 2000 100% cotton shirts, so I figured, "Why not?" I also wanted to see what the quality/sizing/transferability of the JPSS compared to the Hanes & Jerzees. They were all the same price, so why not... Guess we'll see for sure -- I have to do about 30 shirts for my daughter's birthday party! At least I'll see for myself how the washability is...


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

angelic_endeavor said:


> this time I ordered the Gildan 2000 100% cotton shirts. I also wanted to see what the quality/sizing/transferability of the JPSS compared to the Hanes & Jerzees. -- I have to do about 30 shirts for my daughter's birthday party! At least I'll see for myself how the washability is...


I will able eagerly awaiting your test results. Where will I find them, will you post them in Mrdavids testing paper thread? You know this is what I need to get around to (avoiding, I don't know why. Has to do with last months occurance I am sure. I will get motivated soon I hope.) Anyway, our results usually mimic each others, so I'll be waiting - like I said - eagerly for your results. 

I am thinking we will be at ISSAC on the Sunday, but if we go to the show on Saturday, I will get in touch with you b4 that day to let you. I'm in PA, what made you think FL? Just wondering.


----------



## angelic_endeavor (Sep 19, 2007)

Girlzndollz said:


> I will able eagerly awaiting your test results. Where will I find them, will you post them in Mrdavids testing paper thread? You know this is what I need to get around to (avoiding, I don't know why. Has to do with last months occurance I am sure. I will get motivated soon I hope.) Anyway, our results usually mimic each others, so I'll be waiting - like I said - eagerly for your results.


I will try to post results with the Gildans, but don't know when I'll be able to take the time to type it all out and take the photos. Believe it or not, EVERY day in March is booked with family & friend events, and I will be doing the b'day party tees at night after my daughter goes to bed, little by little...



> I am thinking we will be at ISSAC on the Sunday, but if we go to the show on Saturday, I will get in touch with you b4 that day to let you. I'm in PA, what made you think FL? Just wondering.


OMG, I just had to laugh at this. I guess I was also corresponding with someone else a long time ago, I got their location confused with yours! Wow, I'm embarassed, and I feel stupid, thinking this all this time! After all, your location is not disclosed in your avatar...

I was going to attend on Sunday at first, but the show closes earlier that day, than on Saturday. Since I will only be attending one day, I want all the hours I can get in!  In addition, I wanted a day to recuperate my sore legs and feet after a long and exciting day at the show, before having to go back to work Only 38, and I feel like I've worn my body out already! LOL...

I was wondering how your husband had contacts in the working world of NJ... DUH, I feel so stupid! <shaking my head> I guess I need sleep more than I thought!

As for hubby, the 2nd interview went great. They said they'll be calling to make their $$$ offer either tonight or tomorrow -- the CFO didn't want to do it with the Controller there. Hope that's a good thing, and doing this because they don't want the Controller to know they're giving my hubby sooooo much money!  

Melissa


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

angelic_endeavor said:


> I will try to post results with the Gildans, but don't know when ...


That's okay, if I end up getting there first, I'll just post. I do appreciate your tests, but even short versions are good. That's not asking you for them, by the way, I just know you put your all into the results, which is nice for us, but no so for a busy woman like yourself!




> OMG, I just had to laugh at this. After all, your location is not disclosed in your avatar...


It's okay, and my location is not there. I absolutely LOVE Florida, so I was wondering why you think of me as being there. Funny thing is, I am planning a trip, we've talked about it all week here, so I think you are picking up ESP! That's what I was laughing at in my head!  




> I was going to attend on Sunday at first, but the show closes earlier that day, than on Saturday. Only 38, and I feel like I've worn my body out already! LOL...


The hubby works Saturdays, so I am awaiting his schedule. Sunday we would be there at opening bell, since it's a short day.  

My body is broken. It's going to be a lonnnng haul.



> As for hubby... They said they'll be calling to make their $$$ offer either tonight or tomorrow --


Fingers are crossed for you! 

One way or another we'll get these shirt test results in the threads. I really have to motivate.


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

angelic_endeavor said:


> As for hubby, the 2nd interview went great. They said they'll be calling to make their $$$ offer either tonight or tomorrow -- the CFO didn't want to do it with the Controller there. Hope that's a good thing, and doing this because they don't want the Controller to know they're giving my hubby sooooo much money!
> 
> Melissa


Hey! Congratulations!!! I hope this is a great sign!


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Girlzndollz said:


> Hi Danny,
> 
> I know it's alot at once to take in. I've been there.
> 
> ...


Thankyou ever so much  .
I made a topic in the UK forum,
Some people sent me a link to some sites,
And one contacted me over the forum.

I haven't heard back from the sites, but I have been sending PMs back and fourth to the forum member.

And this is what he said:
*

One design - one colour print -10 tees - £97
One design - one colour print - 5 tees - £95

However, if, for example you required:

One design - one colour print - 50 tees - £164.00.

Therefore, the price to you for each individual printed t-shirt would be £3.28.

Obviously, to have both your designs printed at the same time 50 tees of each design the cost would be £328.
* 

What he is saying I find is very true, and I think is prices are pretty good.

What do you think  ?


----------



## Ascribe (Nov 14, 2007)

I have another question about cutting or trimming the inkjet transfer paper. 

If we cut out each separate (non-connected) part of the image, how do we ensure the pieces get pressed on in their correct positions as they are no longer held together on the transfer paper? Is there some type of "carrier sheet" we stick them onto before pressing?

BTW Danny, I think your designs are to be mirror-imaged before being printed onto the transfer paper.


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

I still have a hard time conceiving of your prices over there! I remember that when I was there, everything cost in Pounds what it would have cost in Dollars here.

So judging by that method of estimation (highly un-scientific!), I'd say that's okay...but I don't know what other UK printers charge, so I can't say for sure. 

Obviously, if you can afford to buy more, the better your price will be. 

You might want to erase the message from this other member from your post and leave just the numbers, tho...some poeple don't really like their PM's to be posted publically.  Not getting onto you...just letting you know. 

Good luck with your venture!


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Ascribe said:


> I have another question about cutting or trimming the inkjet transfer paper.
> 
> If we cut out each separate (non-connected) part of the image, how do we ensure the pieces get pressed on in their correct positions as they are no longer held together on the transfer paper? Is there some type of "carrier sheet" we stick them onto before pressing?
> 
> BTW Danny, I think your designs are to be mirror-imaged before being printed onto the transfer paper.


Yes, for transfers for light fabrics, your image needs to be reversed. 

As for complex transfers with multiple elements, there's a carrier sheet called Magic Mask, available at Stahls and Beacon Graphics. Imptinables has one, too, but I forgot what they call it.

The carrier sheet is meant to be used on a plotter, but it could be used for this, too. Magic Mask can withstand the heat of a press. 

What you could do is cut out our design, and have a second design printed in B&W on plain paper layed out under your carrier sheet. Then just place your trimmed transfer elements over the teh template printout..

That method would work best if you had a light table, but it would work okay if you had some way of lining up your elements precisely. (straight trim cuts, etc).

Magic Mask comes in I believe 18.5" x 5 yard rolls, and you just cut off what you need.


----------



## Progeny (Jul 28, 2007)

Prices in the UK are far higher than US at the moment, i think it's about $2 to the pound.

Everything costs more over here and i think £10 for a t-shirt with a design is cheap. Only places like Asda (WALMART) and Primark are cheaper and they sell millions, but your t-shirts are far fewer and maybe have more value. Put the price up to £12 and at least you will make some profit.

I can make a t-shirt printed with vinyl & tagged for about £5, where the US can sell it for less than that!


Lee


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

We use vinyl, and I don't know if I'd EVER sell a shirt using that method for less than $5, but I get what you're saying. 

Yes, prices in the UK are horrible, which is why it's so hard for so many of us to visit there. It costs twice as much to buy anything there! I love England, and would love to go back sometime (I visited for two weeks as a child and lived there for three months a couple of years ago). It's just too expensive right now.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Chani said:


> Yes, for transfers for light fabrics, your image needs to be reversed.
> 
> As for complex transfers with multiple elements, there's a carrier sheet called Magic Mask, available at Stahls and Beacon Graphics. Imptinables has one, too, but I forgot what they call it.
> 
> ...


Yes, and with the labor involved as Chani has laid out for you, I don't think it is worth the time to do this design this way, especially in any high quantity, you will be hungry and poor by the time you complete 50 shirts. If this method of piecing is done for one shirt at time, you can use heat tape to hold the pieces down, I would even put them approximately where I want them and use my teflon sheet to hold them down for one-offs, but when a customer is ordering more than one and placement has to be uniform from shirt to shirt, see above post. Does anyone really want to do this? I want to print, press and peel. That is the beauty of heat press.

Besides, the seperate polymer windows will still look strange and unprofessional to me. One could always run a test shirt and view the results first hand, that's the best way to determine sometimes.


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

You're right about the labor involved with this method of doing it by hand, Kelly. 

As far as seperate polymer windows, it really depends on how closely you trim your design. In my JPSS vs Plotter thread, I trimmed my design VERY close, and on the finished shirt at my dad's you can't see any window at all, even on the seperate elements. Even the drop shadow turned out great!

This is precisely one of the reasons that I suggest to anyone that wants to use inkjet transfers get a plotter.  It's a high initial cost, but it will save so much time and effort and frustration later on. Time is money, as they say.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Progeny said:


> Prices in the UK are far higher than US at the moment, i think it's about $2 to the pound.


Yes, one of your pounds is just about $2 of our dollars. Whenever I see you pound price, I just double it to get our equivalent. While it's not a good rate for us, it makes the math easy!



> Everything costs more over here and i think £10 for a t-shirt with a design is cheap. Only places like Asda (WALMART) and Primark are cheaper and they sell millions, but your t-shirts are far fewer and maybe have more value.


Walmart sells low quality, poorly screened tees here for $6.50 in youth sizes. Low enough price that the quality is passable. Nothing to write home about. 



> Put the price up to £12 and at least you will make some profit.


12# is $24 here. That is expected to be a very good quality shirt for the money.



> I can make a t-shirt printed with vinyl & tagged for about £5, where the US can sell it for less than that!


Do you mean to sell wholesale or retail? That is $10 here. I don't really expect to pay less than that for a good quality tee retail. Not like the cheapo Walmart tees that are fuzzy, have blobs of ink, offset, and fall apart after one season or so. Disposable clothing, that's what I call Walmart's stuff.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes, definitely, a plotter will do close trimming for you, it's a dream come true when you have to trim. 

I still have the OP's designs in mind. For the designs he is asking about, I still think they would not look as good as they could and they would work better for him if they were done in plastisol or even vinyl perhaps. Best bet would be to outsource them to a screenprinter, in volume, which is where I think the OP is heading towards - so I'm going over to that side of it. 

Sometimes you have to choose your medium based upon your design, or like me, base your design upon your choosen medium. When in doubt, do your own test shirts.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> Thankyou ever so much  .
> I made a topic in the UK forum,
> Some people sent me a link to some sites,
> And one contacted me over the forum.
> ...


Hey Danny,

I'll send you a PM.

Kelly


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Oops...there goes my memory again.  I completely forgot about the original designs that were posted.

In this case I certainly agree that plastisol would be the way to go on these! 

That, or self-weeding laser transfers, but that would very VERY much more costly to get into, plus I've heard that even the self-weeding laser papers arent' fool-proof yet (don't worry...no insinuations.  ).


----------



## Progeny (Jul 28, 2007)

Hi Kelly,

Yeah i agree the Walmart/Asda stuff is low quality but as you say passable.

A £12 t-shirt here is a fairly cheap shirt i would say. A standard basic t with simple design.

I walk past a clothes shop most days and recently saw a Lacoste t-shirt with simple 'Lacoste' print on the front, that was in the sale at £35 ($70 ish) reduced from £45. Now that's a fairly expensive t-shirt, but it was nothing to look at. I would say in the UK you don't get anywhere near the same value for money as you do in the US.

Most t-shirts i have bought would be around £20 ($40) and that's for ordinary t-shirts, maybe adidas/nike/henleys.

The t-shirts i can make for £5 (Gildan Ultra) and i would sell retail at about £15, wholesale about £8. That would be considered a cheap t-shirt for the quality. Have a look at some UK retail t-shirt sites, we get ripped off over here.

I think Danny could ask £12-£15 if he used a good t-shirt. Don't undersell your stuff coz anyone can be a busy fool and it would be hard to increase prices if it does well.

Lee


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Cheap is a good selling point for me.
£10, I think, is a nice whole number,
I may go to £12, but not yet,
I wonna win them over with a good tee,
At a great price.

If any of you know the story of babeycakes,
Then you can see how great they have become and why.

I seem to have lost contact in the person I meet here on the forum =/ . 
I did ask a stupid math question that I could have worked out myself  .


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Progeny said:


> Hi Kelly,
> 
> Yeah i agree the Walmart/Asda stuff is low quality but as you say passable.
> 
> ...


Markets charge what the market will bear, so getting ripped off is relative. If folks buy at those prices, those prices remain. A Nike tee shirt is not a necessity.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> Cheap is a good selling point for me.
> £10, I think, is a nice whole number,
> I may go to £12, but not yet,
> I wonna win them over with a good tee,
> ...


Dear Danny, 

I really hope and recommend you contine to work on lowering your printing/operating costs, just like you have been. You have made great strides in one day. Printing costs are a large chunk of your budget. 

Lowering your operating costs either gives you room to price competitively, or gives you more profit per shirt. Personally, I'd choose the latter.

Retail pricing is a whole nut in itself to crack, and doesn't come out of this air. Pricing should be based on operating expenses, and the more efficiently you operate, the better chance the company will be healthy. A business person cannot sell shirts at a loss, or in trade for bringing customers in. One needs to produce a profit to keep rolling back into the business for growth. Lee brings up an excellent point, you cannot undersell yourself. 

The general rule of thumb is to choose the level of quality you would like to offer, check the competition operating in that price range, make sure your quality is up to grade, and come out with similar pricing.

If you want to lower pricing in the beginning, run it as "promotion" so you may revoke the promotion later without actually increasing your prices. Consumers generally do not like to pay more later on. Others on the forum have talked about this route, and have received the advice I just re-typed here for you.

Take your time now, set up strong, and stay strong. You can do this.


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Thankyou Kelly.
This means a hell of a lot to me.
Still waiting for a reply for the person here on the forums.
I got one from october.co.uk but they wonna see three designs but we only have too, three on the way and four bring thought about.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> Thankyou Kelly.
> This means a hell of a lot to me.
> Still waiting for a reply for the person here on the forums.
> I got one from october.co.uk but they wonna see three designs but we only have too, three on the way and four bring thought about.


 
You're welcome, Danny. Pay it forward someday. I'm unsuscribing from the thread now, but you keep at it. You are doing great, read about each individual aspect of set up. It's all in here. If you need to reach me, you can PM.


----------



## Leatherneck (Jan 18, 2008)

.Danny said:


> Thankyou Kelly.
> This means a hell of a lot to me.
> Still waiting for a reply for the person here on the forums.
> I got one from october.co.uk but they wonna see three designs but we only have too, three on the way and four bring thought about.


just keep with it danny, i'm sure you will do great


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

Thank you both  .
I really like it here  .


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> *Therefore, the price to you for each individual printed t-shirt would be £3.28.*


Hello Danny,

Where did this printer go? This price is very nice if the quality is present.

Best regards,
Kelly


----------



## .Danny (Feb 21, 2008)

We have gotten back into contact again,
Hes sending me proof soon.


----------



## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

.Danny said:


> We have gotten back into contact again,
> Hes sending me proof soon.


Great news!!

Does this mean you have two printers, or is this the same one?

Danny, look at how you've gotten your costs down. You are doing great! 

I wish you continued success on your path.


----------



## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Absolutely! 

You're on your way! Congrats!


----------

