# Printed/cut vinyl: A poor man's Litho Transfer



## JonWye (Feb 13, 2007)

So T-Bot and I were chatting and rapping and it went a little somthing like this... Is it possible to use a printer/cutter to print an image onto vinyl and then cut out the shape? 

The idea is to make a DIY style Lithographic Transfer. 

The big question is, will the ink hold up on the vinyl through a whole lot of washes on a t-shirt, just like a regular litho transfer?

I welcome all comments and brilliant ideas!


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

....curious to see what the Vinyl peeps have to say.

here is a Camoflouge design that appears to be printed:


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> So T-Bot and I were chatting and rapping and it went a little somthing like this... Is it possible to use a printer/cutter to print an image onto vinyl and then cut out the shape


It seems like this would be possible with a printer/cutter like a Roland Versacamm, but with a $12,000-$20,000 pricetag, I'm not sure I would call it the "poor mans" litho transfer 

Although, if you had someone that had that machine and you outsourced the vinyl transfers to them, that seems like it would work for short run transfers in that style.


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

It's not really vinyl but maybe you can get a little similar result using a a Roland Versacamm (print&cut machine), or other print-only solvent machine, and use the "forever-solvent dark" or "forever-solvent dark metallic" transfer papers. Check out this brochure from forever:

http://www.forever-ots.com/download.php?PHPSESSID=abbac6699d27df4c6fb60a84dd93df5b&d[nr]=5

It looks pretty cool, but I'm not really sure if the results will be similar to Litho-Transfers.


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

You beat me to it, Rodney.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

I have never seen a sample of this, but Specialty Materials has a product called ColorJet III that will allow you to use standard inks / standard printer to print to a specific type of vinyl for print-cut applications. I image it has to have an IRC (Inkjet Receptive Coating) on it. Here is the link - Color Jet III


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## hammered (Apr 14, 2006)

Thats exactly what I want the VersaCamm for. There is a garment vinyl made, its name slips my mind right now, that works with Eco inks for printing and contour cutting the design. The camo pattern would be a breeze to print, not sure what part of it you would want cut.


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## JoshEllsworth (Dec 14, 2005)

We have been giving some seminars on this technology over the last year throughout PA, WV, NY and OH. This technology is definitely up and coming for garment decoration. Basically it gives you all of the advantages of opaque Inkjet printed paper without the durability concerns. With an integrated solution like a printer/cutter trimming is automatic as well. The overall results (look, feel, durability) vary a lot depending on the media used, but the solvent inks with a good media can yield great results. Of course every process has its limitations, but the positives of this process are exciting!

I'm actually traveling up to a new office that we just opened in Columbus on Monday to set up for a seminar. I will do my best to fit a video of the process into the schedule and post it up towards the end of next week.

Start up cost is a factor as well....See Rodneys prior post in this thread.



JonWye said:


> So T-Bot and I were chatting and rapping and it went a little somthing like this... Is it possible to use a printer/cutter to print an image onto vinyl and then cut out the shape?
> 
> The idea is to make a DIY style Lithographic Transfer.
> 
> ...


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## JonWye (Feb 13, 2007)

Please do keep us updated on the seminar and future advancements. I know a lot of designers are dying to bring back some of that 70's look.

True the setup for a printer/cutter would be expensive, but that's why we rely on the kindness of stranger... ie companies to invest in the equiptment and offer their services to us peons.


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

DAGuide said:


> I have never seen a sample of this,


hi Mark, here is what a 20" W roll looks like.  ...dont mind the chair.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

T-Bot,

Is this the Color Jet III vinyl? Just wondering if you have tried it with a traditional inkjet printer and standard transfer inks (not solvent based inks). I am curious as to how well the print looks and lasts. Since it is a 20" wide roll, the smallest printer you could use would be a 7800 printer unless you are cutting the roll down yourself.

From Specialty Materials website, it does not say whether it is a cuttable/weedable vinyl. Might have to add a carrier sheet to it, cut it in the positive and mask it to get it to work correctly. That seems like a lot of work.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

I will be going to the Las Vegas ARA Show later this week and I am sure I will see a VersaCamm printer there. I will try to take a picture or even shoot a video of it if possible.


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## JonWye (Feb 13, 2007)

Just being nostalgic, but just a few years ago it would have been the biggest pain in the butt to put a video put and now it's common place! 

Awesome, please do upload one if possible!


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## RestoringYourMem (Aug 30, 2006)

I purchased the Color Jet III in 8.5x11 sheets, I have printed it, cut and weeded it, pressed it, but have not done any wash tests yet. 

Best Regards,
Lloyd



DAGuide said:


> T-Bot,
> 
> Is this the Color Jet III vinyl? Just wondering if you have tried it with a traditional inkjet printer and standard transfer inks (not solvent based inks). I am curious as to how well the print looks and lasts. Since it is a 20" wide roll, the smallest printer you could use would be a 7800 printer unless you are cutting the roll down yourself.
> 
> From Specialty Materials website, it does not say whether it is a cuttable/weedable vinyl. Might have to add a carrier sheet to it, cut it in the positive and mask it to get it to work correctly. That seems like a lot of work.


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

DAGuide said:


> T-Bot,
> 
> Is this the Color Jet III vinyl? Just wondering if you have tried it with a traditional inkjet printer and standard transfer inks (not solvent based inks). I am curious as to how well the print looks and lasts. Since it is a 20" wide roll, the smallest printer you could use would be a 7800 printer unless you are cutting the roll down yourself.
> 
> From Specialty Materials website, it does not say whether it is a cuttable/weedable vinyl. Might have to add a carrier sheet to it, cut it in the positive and mask it to get it to work correctly. That seems like a lot of work.


yes, this is to be used with a bubble jet printer, it is vinyl by the feel of it, then you can use a cutter to cut around the designs, it comes with a carrier backing already and you weed it like normal vinyl, you can also cut it down off the roll to the paper size you need to fit your printer.

Sorry, but I dont have a bubble jet printer myself to test it.  ...but Brian (the testing guy) tested it about a year ago...as far as i know its a great product.

I usually do not fiddle with this stuff, not my forte.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> True the setup for a printer/cutter would be expensive, but that's why we rely on the kindness of stranger... ie companies to invest in the equiptment and offer their services to us peons.


Josh's company (imprintables.com) offers that service through their "Print Center"


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## JonWye (Feb 13, 2007)

Thanks Rodney! To all those following this thread, Rodney is correct imprintables.com rocks my world. I just talked to Josh at imprintables and they do exactly what I was envisioning. They use a durable white film that funs through a printer/cutter, which they print on using solvant based inks... the kind of inks used on outdoor signs. 

He also told me that companies like nike are using them for designs, and others use the process for making labels as well.

They will print for you or they can sell you all the equiptment you need to do it yourself. It is a system worth investing in if you need to constantly make new details, labels, designs for your line of tees.

I will post again after i transfer their samples and do a wash test.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> I will post again after i transfer their samples and do a wash test.


I have a few pressed samples from the Long Beach ISS show and washed them a few times. They are holding up VERY well.

I actually plan to use it for the t-shirtforums.com 2 year anniversary shirt tags  But I don't want to press all those tags myself 

There's a lot you can do with that type printing.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Rodney said:


> I actually plan to use it for the t-shirtforums.com 2 year anniversary shirt tags  But I don't want to press all those tags myself


Going to release the shirt as a DIY?  Ship the shirt, transfer, neck label, BYO heat press.


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## CoolTech (Feb 3, 2007)

Solmu said:


> Going to release the shirt as a DIY?  Ship the shirt, transfer, neck label, BYO heat press.


It's called... tax deduction...


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Solmu said:


> Going to release the shirt as a DIY?  Ship the shirt, transfer, neck label, BYO heat press.


Nah, I'm a big fan of outsourcing when necessary  But the tags do present a very nice way of doing sequentially numbered labels.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

Just returned from ARA Show in Las Vegas. I was not able to shoot a video of the VersaCamm in action, but below are some pictures. It is a pretty nice looking machine. I was told that some of the media prints better than others, but the prints on the metallic media looked really good.

http://www.multirip.com/images/Versa.jpg

http://www.multirip.com/images/Versa2.jpg

http://www.multirip.com/images/Versa3.jpg


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## JonWye (Feb 13, 2007)

Just got some samples from Josh at Imprintables.com and it is fantastic. I still have yet to do a wash test but just by innitial brutal stretch tests it held up much better than some high end litho transfers. 

Good lithos I have tested:
-unlimited vibrant colors
-glossy
-expensive innitially
-minimums of about 1000 (for the good companies)
-multiple designs can be ganged on a sheet
-cold peel can be difficult (at least with the ones I tested)
-feels thick on the shirt
-very stretchy

Imprintables.com vinyl litho-like transfer:
-no ganging, you pay per size
-no minimums
-printed with bubble jet tech, so unlimited colors
-hot peel (two step hot peel)
-feels super thin to the shirt (can't feel the edge)
-SUPER DUPER stretchy

My vote is for the imprintables process. Now I just have to call and see if i can buy the print media and not the printer to get this process working!


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## bones (Oct 25, 2006)

Does anyone have any feedback on the Color Jet III transfer paper yet? Some were going to do wash test and I would like to know what you found out. Thanks bones


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## grafixxstudios (May 30, 2007)

I have a Mimaki Solvent printer. I had the color jet material from Speciality Materials. I did a good size run for a customer and a few weeks later the customer told me they all came off when the shirts were washed. I followed the directions. I was told they followed the wash and dry instructions.

All the samples I made for my self came off the first washing. I talked to the disrtibutor about it and they just refunded my money. So now I'm looking at a few new materials from another distributer.

That Color jet stuff smells bad too. As soon as I opened the bag it stunk up my entire house.

I hope this helps any one that might be looking at that material.


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