# Filing and sealing transfers for quick access?



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

Hi everyone, long time no talk! 😃 Been very busy trying out new stuff. Hope everyone is doing as well as can be doing these strange times. Anyways I now have dozens of different heat transfer designs I use daily. Due to limited space I store them in plastic totes, a dozen or so different designs stacked on top one another.

It is now taking me 30 minutes just to find a mix of transfers for each days job. I would love to find a storage system where you can file each batch of designs like in a paper filing cabinet for easy access. I also want to find a way to seal each batch in zip baggies or something to keep them fresh. 

Can you all share what system, storage device and/or how you seal transfers airtight to keep them fresh for a long time? Thank you all. 😊


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

We use legal sized hanging file folders. 









Here are some other related posts:








Storage ideas for Templates & Transfers.


I am looking for some good storage ideas for my templates and extra rhinestone transfer. Can you please let me know what storage idea/container works best for you?




www.t-shirtforums.com












Storage /Organization of Transfers


Anyone have a good method for organizing or storing transfers? I like to take transfers, t shirts and machine to craft fairs and make shirts to order. But I'm struggling with how to best organize and move the transfers around. Most of them are larger than the standard file folder size.




www.t-shirtforums.com


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

Thank you splathead, but my transfers are 14 inches wide by 19 inches high. Can't seem to find any system that is that big. I suppose I can make my own. Thanks, hope all is going good with you.


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

If you search for "blueprint file cabinet" I can find very nice file cabinets used for storing large blueprint papers. Exactly what I need. However they are VERY expensive. But just wanted to let you all know.


----------



## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

BikerBill said:


> If you search for "blueprint file cabinet" I can find very nice file cabinets used for storing large blueprint papers. Exactly what I need. However they are VERY expensive. But just wanted to let you all know.


When you get to larger sizes, things go horizontal rather than vertical, else they get slouchy and become a mess. So the blue print cabinet is the right idea. Check your local craigs list, and the like. I scored all of my cabinets when local businesses were closing up shop, pennies on the dollar compared to new ones.

That said, this would most likely still involve some stacking, due to the horizontal orientation.


----------



## into the T (Aug 22, 2015)

hi bill

i hope all is well with you and yours

check the local auction houses, second hand stores, and/or business liquidators

don't discount a friendly local tin-basher either, they could bang out a cabinet quite quickly


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

Hi there into the T. All is fine here, thanks for asking. Yeah I will see what I can find second hand around here. I can make my own rack if I have to. I just never have much time anymore. Hope you are well.


----------



## TeedUp (Apr 22, 2020)

They call them blueprint file "cabinets", but I would call the pics I see "drawers".

Do you really need drawers?

Bet you could build a narrowly spaced static shelf unit (maybe put a cabinet door on front if you want), for not too much effort and cost.

You could rest the transfers (in plastic bags) on cardboard or fiberboard to give them support as you slide them in and out.


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

TeedUp said:


> They call them blueprint file "cabinets", but I would call the pics I see "drawers".
> 
> Do you really need drawers?
> 
> ...


Hi TeedUp,

Yup I already have some I made. I used a normal garage storage shelve unit and used wide closet steel racks spaced 3 inches apart top to bottom. But it is time consuming and I need a lot. Sometimes it's worth the extra cash to just buy something already made, ha. But I may just build more. 😕


----------



## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

BikerBill said:


> Thank you splathead, but my transfers are 14 inches wide by 19 inches high. Can't seem to find any system that is that big. I suppose I can make my own.


Bags made from packaging film and cardboard boxes on long shelves work great for this and cost next to nothing.
Use incremental numbers for each package and make a note of them on the box (first and last numbers ).
Obviously the package number is also part of the design file name stored in your computer.
When two adjacent boxes are half empty, combine them and remove the empty one.
Plastic totes will work as well, but I prefer shorter cardboard boxes.



BikerBill said:


> I also want to find a way to seal each batch in zip baggies or something to keep them fresh.


You can heat seal the packages.
You can also leave some slack if you want to re-seal them again 4-5 times, or even more.


----------



## jdag (Jun 26, 2019)

We use Ikea Alex storage drawers ALEX Drawer unit on casters, white, 263/8x26" - IKEA We sort them by design type, with several designs in each drawer.


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

jdag said:


> We use Ikea Alex storage drawers ALEX Drawer unit on casters, white, 263/8x26" - IKEA We sort them by design type, with several designs in each drawer.


Thank you, that looks like something that would work and not too expensive. I'd have to buy 5 or so but it would work. Thanks. 😃


----------



## lgiglio1 (Sep 29, 2006)

BikerBill said:


> Thank you splathead, but my transfers are 14 inches wide by 19 inches high. Can't seem to find any system that is that big. I suppose I can make my own. Thanks, hope all is going good with you.


I used to keep mine in the transfer express boxes and just put a paper taped to the top with what was in them. Or sort them by color. So you could use a bin and do the same. Not fancy but worked and I still maybe had to go through 5-6 designs to find the one I wanted, but better than 30.


----------



## jdag (Jun 26, 2019)

BikerBill said:


> Thank you, that looks like something that would work and not too expensive. I'd have to buy 5 or so but it would work. Thanks. 😃


 They work well for us, hope they work for you! Good Luck!


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

Thank you all for your tips and suggestions. Tomorrow I am going to the big SURF expo at the Orlando, Fl. convention center. Hope to see some vendors from here there. Thanks again. 😊


----------



## Threadoflife1 (Apr 20, 2011)

BikerBill said:


> Thank you all for your tips and suggestions. Tomorrow I am going to the big SURF expo at the Orlando, Fl. convention center. Hope to see some vendors from here there. Thanks again. 😊


Here is a pin I have in Pinterest that uses pallets which I wanted my husband to make to store our transfers.


__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/9992430411241390/
 I hope it helps you.


----------



## aidensnd (Apr 24, 2016)

For designs that get used on a regular basis I'm using tall shelving units from Ikea with extra shelves. The units are about 7 feet tall and each shelf is about 12x20". I have 29 shelves per unit and with that spacing I can get about 100 sheets between shelves and with some shuffling can get 2 designs per shelf. Extra sheets get stored in cardboard lift top boxes on top of the units. I've yet to find something better to store a large amount of designs with easy access in a small footprint.


----------



## BikerBill (Feb 18, 2014)

Hi everyone, just wanted to update on what I did. I took those rubbermaid closet wire shelve organizers system and attached the runners to the back wall. Then I could make the shelves as close as I wanted them to be and custom cut the width of them.
I have each one labeled as to what type of designs are on each shelve. I found some big zip lock plastic storage bags and put my designs in those so they will keep fresh. My bulk designs I have a few hundred each of still get stored in plastic storage containers. Works out well and I can add more anytime. Happy Thanksgiving to my USA friends! 😊


----------

