# BARBER & CO - Anyone Use Them ? Quality ?



## STUDIOPAVLO (Aug 28, 2014)

Hello everyone...I am located in Australia and looking for a Plastisol Transfer company that is Reliable and can offer me GOOD QUALITY transfers. 
Not much talk about Barber & Co on this forum....Has anyone got any Feedback on them ?
I am interested in LArge Size transfers to be ganged.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Pretty hard for folks to answer if they have never used them.....I have never used them so I can not comment......Of all the suppliers out there, how did you come to pick them?...


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

We have distributed their products for years and have had no problems with the quality.


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## STUDIOPAVLO (Aug 28, 2014)

Hi Royster13...well, I am thinking of using them based on that they offer 25x38 sheet, and they dont charge for screen set-up, unlike Dowling, whom have set-up charges.

Proworld, I am talking custom transfers...I guess that if their standard transfers are of good quality...then hopefully their made-to-order transfers will be the same !

Im down here in Australia, where it costs an arm and a leg to get custom transfers :-(


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Is it still worthwhile after getting them shipped over there?....

As far as large sheets:
Air Waves....
Dowling....
F&M Expressions.....
Global Impression.....
Insta Graphics....

But I see Barber is considerably less costly than Dowling....

Good luck....


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## STUDIOPAVLO (Aug 28, 2014)

Thanks for your response royster13.

A screen printer here in Australia, mentioned to me that plastisol transfers do not last nearly as long as direct screen printing....in your experience, what do you think ?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Given a choice, screen printing is better.....However, I probably sell 5x as many shirts with transfers as direct printing.....

I tend to focus on small but ongoing orders.....I order tansfers in bulk....150 to 300 is typical.....I then sell shirts in 12s, 24s & 36s and repeat frequently.....Lots of small businesses do not have the resources to buy shirts in bulk so transfers work well for them....


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

STUDIOPAVLO said:


> Thanks for your response royster13.
> 
> A screen printer here in Australia, mentioned to me that plastisol transfers do not last nearly as long as direct screen printing....in your experience, what do you think ?


Not true in our experience. A quality heat transfer that is applied properly will, in many instances, outlast the shirt.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

proworlded said:


> Not true in our experience. A quality heat transfer that is applied properly will, in many instances, outlast the shirt.


To follow up on what Ed said.......Transfers last long enough.......


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## STUDIOPAVLO (Aug 28, 2014)

Ok, thank you everyone for your responses ! Much appreciated


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## dlac (Apr 8, 2008)

I am with ed.. I mostly use Dowling, happy with price, quality, service, the whole deal.. I have been doing transfers for 15 years+.. I have two really good presses, a newer Hix and an older Insta swing away.. I have customers who I see wearing a shirt I know I pressed 7-8 years ago, holes, sleeves cut off, tattered and torn and the print still looks good.. will fade as does plastisol (same ink) as screen printing but if properly applied lasts longer than the shirt...
dlac


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## STUDIOPAVLO (Aug 28, 2014)

Thanks for that dlac !

Its strange that most people there in the US are using Dowling, considering that they are a fair bit more expensive that Barber, and they also charge for screens/setup, which BArber does not !

To me, it looks like Barber has THE BEST priced LARGE FORMAT plastisol transfers !!!! 

I just wish that someone would get on this thread and give me SOLID evidence that the BArber transfers are as good as Dowling !


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

STUDIOPAVLO said:


> I just wish that someone would get on this thread and give me SOLID evidence that the BArber transfers are as good as Dowling !


Have you contacted them for samples? Seems like I emailed them several years ago and never got a reply. Their prices are good. If you get samples, report back.


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## martin43 (May 15, 2017)

I am currently struggling to get their silk screen transfers to work. I've done several test including the few that they recommended. They are scratching off with some effort. I have old transfers from years past and put them both down on the same shirt at the same time. The old ones worked great and the still not so great results from Barber. I've never cleaned my upper plate of my press and didn't know that I should. It looks like it could use a cleaning but nothing bad. Maybe that will help. On the phone they have been great to work with and so for this reason alone, I hope I can get this to work. We will see....


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

Martin. Have you contacted Barber? We are their largest distributor and have had no complaints of this nature.


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## martin43 (May 15, 2017)

I have been working with them over the past few days and will try again tomorrow. I realize that these kind of issues are typically operator error related. 350 degrees, 10 secs., heavy pressure. Not complicated. They said that this is typically a pressure issue and that the ink isn't getting enough pressure to take to the shirt. The other transfer stuck perfectly. I had the pressure down to just beyond where I'd normally like it to be without being hard on the press. I haven't given up by any stretch. You can't beat their prices.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

Martin. Try raising the temperature to 365. That might help.


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## martin43 (May 15, 2017)

I went a few rounds with Barber and they agreed to refund my order. I ended up figuring out later that it was my press and probably not Barber but I don't know that for sure. I am going to try Barber again and if it works out, I will stay with them due to the fact that they were so gracious in their willingness to work with me. I know that they lost money and time with me. I will do what I can to return in kind if this works out. I will report back.


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