# Newbie: Full Color Printing Suggestions



## hawsdesigns (Oct 20, 2015)

I have spent weeks going through all the threads and researching to wrap my head around this business. I just need to state what I'm doing and what I need help with, hopefully by answering my questions directly I can de-stress  So thank you in advance!!! All advice is welcomed!

I will own a cutter/vinyl/heat press. My question is for the customers who want a full-color image or distressed looking images that need to be printed onto the shirt. And going a step further even a full color print for small orders 1-5 shirts. I don't want to own a DTG printer, putting BIG money on a machine that needs maintenance 1/3rd of the time sounds too frustrating. So I looked into the direction of transfers. From what I understand plastisols wouldn't do me good as they are 1-3 colors. Does that mean I'm left with printer transfers with Durabrite ink?

I see all over the place discussion of Epson transfers and I've watched some YouTube tutorials. They come out looking good. I've seen Forever paper that looks cool (I'm aware that needs it's own special printer) is there experience with Forever Paper? I wonder if that would be a consistent and quality route to go. It's hard for me to wrap my head around Epson printer transferring onto a shirt and that being good quality. Bottom line is I want to provide good quality at a price I am looking to pay for a shirt. There are so many methods out there and researching each one to understand it all has been overwhelming. Have I missed anything? Are there any other methods to printing full-color small orders beside Epson that is high-quality?


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## makingitpersonal (Oct 23, 2017)

I am in the same situation and have researched till mu head hurts, I have been doing vinyl for years but that market has become saturated with cricut users and unlicensed sellers. I wan to do full color images and designs on cotton shirts and hard narrowed it down to the uninet 500 for around 3500.00 but scared to take the leap since there is no place I can go locally to look and feel lol.


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## makingitpersonal (Oct 23, 2017)

what did you ever try?


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## hawsdesigns (Oct 20, 2015)

Well, I've tried Transfer Express on large orders. I've also considered trying a fulfillment DTG company for the small full color/distressed designs, even though there just isn't a huge margin for profit with fulfillment companies- I'm first trying to see how much of a demand is actually out there before purchasing my own DTG machine. (PS if you are a fulfillment company reading this feel free to email me, I'd love to shop pricing but I know its frowned on to openly post, definitely email me!)

But right now I've got my eye on, FreeJet 330TX printer as well as the newly unveiled 330TX plus which prints on dark polyester. The FreeJet is a non-clog system which is why I didn't want to buy DTG, so finding the unclog system printing on dark garments that has my attention. With DTG machines what I gather is you get what you pay for. I hesitate to pay for anything that will be crap. This machine appears to be that "starter" machine worth looking at. BUT, I don't know because I haven't got to see it either. Just researching still.

I guess I don't have answers yet, sorry. But for the soft, distressed, or obviously full color photos best is DTG print. All the other ways to print (transfers/plastisol) has pros and cons. Bottom line for me now is finding the best quality I can grow with.


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## makingitpersonal (Oct 23, 2017)

okay Im not interested in printing on poly...I tried the sublimation but my customers want cotton shirts, hated the poly. Im looking at the uninet icolor it prints on cotton, blends or poly plus hard substrates just scared to pull the trigger lol


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## Appjetty (Oct 5, 2017)

Thats great that you tried Transfer Express on large orders and that too on large orders. 

I would also prefer DGT prints for large orders so that its best and in demand too, so if you are confused weather to buy or not then i would prefer is you better buy it as it gives good quality and best results for you happy customers.


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## mikekaly (Nov 2, 2017)

hawsdesigns said:


> Well, I've tried Transfer Express on large orders. I've also considered trying a fulfillment DTG company for the small full color/distressed designs, even though there just isn't a huge margin for profit with fulfillment companies- I'm first trying to see how much of a demand is actually out there before purchasing my own DTG machine. (PS if you are a fulfillment company reading this feel free to email me, I'd love to shop pricing but I know its frowned on to openly post, definitely email me!)
> 
> But right now I've got my eye on, FreeJet 330TX printer as well as the newly unveiled 330TX plus which prints on dark polyester. The FreeJet is a non-clog system which is why I didn't want to buy DTG, so finding the unclog system printing on dark garments that has my attention. With DTG machines what I gather is you get what you pay for. I hesitate to pay for anything that will be crap. This machine appears to be that "starter" machine worth looking at. BUT, I don't know because I haven't got to see it either. Just researching still.
> 
> I guess I don't have answers yet, sorry. But for the soft, distressed, or obviously full color photos best is DTG print. All the other ways to print (transfers/plastisol) has pros and cons. Bottom line for me now is finding the best quality I can grow with.


Good that you mentioned the freejet 330 TX. What I like most about it is its ability to print on a wide range of garments without lengthy set-up time or cost.


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## makingitpersonal (Oct 23, 2017)

haven't tried anything yet....every time I think Im ready to take the leap, I see a post or review that makes me back off again.


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