# cheapest printer w/ white ink?



## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

Hi everyone. it my first real post. Ive been in the sign and car wrap business for a little over 2 years now and i really want to master shirts. Ive done those iron on sheets you can get at walmart and they work better that i though but the cutting out on black designs is time consuming. I need something faster

ive been researching dye sublimation and i think this is what im looking for. what i need to know is.....

what is the cheapest printer at least 8.5" x 11" that can print white ink for dark shirts?

"and im amusing" i need some an ink kit? i seen some printers on bestblanks that had multiple inks.

also i just bought a cheap cannon inkjet printer that im pretter sure wont work for dark fabrics after an ink kit.


any tips? thanks in advance


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> Hi everyone. it my first real post. Ive been in the sign and car wrap business for a little over 2 years now and i really want to master shirts. Ive done those iron on sheets you can get at walmart and they work better that i though but the cutting out on black designs is time consuming. I need something faster
> 
> ive been researching dye sublimation and i think this is what im looking for. what i need to know is.....
> 
> ...


As far as I know there is no white sublimation ink.....and to go along with that you can only sublimate on light 100% poly fabrics, there isn't a sublimation solution for doing dark fabrics.

I know back to the drawing board.....sorry.


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

can you tell me what this is?

ok these kids at a football game was making "allstar" shirts and they had all these designs and numbers premade. it looked like little rubber dots printed on some sorta nonstick backng.

and there was whites and grays? and there is no hand once it was ironed on. what is this?


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> can you tell me what this is?
> 
> ok these kids at a football game was making "allstar" shirts and they had all these designs and numbers premade. it looked like little rubber dots printed on some sorta nonstick backng.
> 
> and there was whites and grays? and there is no hand once it was ironed on. what is this?


Sorry I have no idea......


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

well thanks for the info  im sure someone knows


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

Numbers and names for sports uniforms are often made with vinyl, sometimes perforated. 

When it comes to dye-sublimation - as Jon pointed out it only works on polyester fabrics, ideally, light colored. A lot (probably, most) of sports uniforms and active wear are made of dye-sublimated performance polyester. Generally, panels are cut out of white fabric, printed with the design and then sewn into garments.

There are quite a few brands of blank sports wear designed for "smaller format" dye-sublimation - i.e you can add logos, sponsorship, designs, names and numbers to ready made garments. In this case, garment colour should be always lighter then the design.

Biggest advantages of dye-sub: the print is permanently dyed into the fabric and doesn't impair it's breathability; suitable for one-offs and micro runs; perfect for full colour designs.
Biggest disadvantages - can't be done on cotton and dark fabrics.

For dye sub you will need printer with dye-sublimation ink and paper and a heat press. 
Alternatively, if you already have a heat-press but no dye-sub printer - you can outsource dye-sublimation transfers with your designs to some-one who offers this type of service and press them yourself.


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

D.Evo. said:


> Numbers and names for sports uniforms are often made with vinyl, sometimes perforated.
> 
> When it comes to dye-sublimation - as Jon pointed out it only works on polyester fabrics, ideally, light colored. A lot (probably, most) of sports uniforms and active wear are made of dye-sublimated performance polyester. Generally, panels are cut out of white fabric, printed with the design and then sewn into garments.
> 
> ...


They wasnt making the jerseys. They where making t shirts and hoodies for the parents. you could put your kids number but NOT the name and they had a variety of
slogans and words and logos.

i asked the kid and he said its like a rubber type of ink and it soaks in the shirt. then the other kid stopped him and told me that they "dont give out company secrets"

i bought my brother a black hoodie with gray numbers. and the logo had white parts on it and bright aqua colors.

maybe i can upload some pictures for a better idea.


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> They wasnt making the jerseys. They where making t shirts and hoodies for the parents. you could put your kids number but NOT the name and they had a variety of
> slogans and words and logos.
> 
> i asked the kid and he said its like a rubber type of ink and it soaks in the shirt. then the other kid stopped him and told me that they "dont give out company secrets"
> ...


If they were using a heat press, it sounds like a plastisol transfer, which are screen printed on to a carrier sheet, then heat applied.

Hope this helps.


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## TexasTJetter (Feb 14, 2010)

There are special printers called DTG, or Direct To Garment, and some are equipped to print white ink on dark shirts. I don't know what the cheapest one would be, but you could buy 1 used. However, in my opinion the learning curve on these machines are not easy. It's not like you pop it out of the box and your ready to go like a normal inkjet printer. You could easily invest a few/several thousand dollars into one of those machines.

As far as the other technique you were talking about, with putting designs on those dark hoodies, they may be plastisol heat transfers like someone else here mentioned. An example of what can be purchased as far as pre-printed transfers goes can be seen at Iron-On Heat Transfers | T-shirt Heat Transfers | Heat Transfer Machines


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

wow i believe you are exactly right about the plastisol transfers. im positive thats what they where using. 

and has anyone tried using the dtg white ink in an inkjet printer ?


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> wow i believe you are exactly right about the plastisol transfers. im positive thats what they where using.
> 
> and has anyone tried using the dtg white ink in an inkjet printer ?


Yep....been done more then you might expect....LOL!

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/diy-dtg/t120740.html

Hope this helps.


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

thanks for all this info!! its helped a lot

im thinking of getting another inkjet printer for white dtg ink only

im thinking of printing dye sub on the paper then print the same picture behind it in white dtg ink for a base for the dye sub to show up on .and im wondering if these two inks will mix? 

i dont think you can iron on dtg ink, but maybe if im fast enough and the ink is wet the two will make a miracle?

am i hopeless haha?


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> thanks for all this info!! its helped a lot
> 
> im thinking of getting another inkjet printer for white dtg ink only
> 
> ...


Nope...won't work, dyesub and DTG printing are two totally different processes, they do not work hand in hand, there is no compatibility, simply stated it will not work.

Not to be smart but you need to do a little reading into each process, I'll help you with the reading.

DyeSub.org - An educational site for dye sublimation and digital transfer printing.

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/direct-garment-dtg-inkjet-printing/t41828.html

Both of these will links/threads will give you more insight into the processes.

Hope this helps.


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## Standing Rules (Nov 29, 2010)

i understand that its a dye. you cant undye something by adding dye.

i guess the right question is. 
Is there any printable white ink that i can heat transfer
and i can actually buy

like plastisol


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## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Standing Rules said:


> i understand that its a dye. you cant undye something by adding dye.
> 
> i guess the right question is.
> Is there any printable white ink that i can heat transfer
> ...


Plastisol.....to the best of my knowledge is the only game in town.

There is now a solvent based white ink sold for the Roland printers, but it would not work in a normal ink jet and is air cured not by heat, DTG printers use textile ink that is cured by heat, but if you read enough threads you will see it's expensive, and difficult to use even in the printers it's intended for.

Really for what you are suggesting plastisol transfers are probably the best solution, you just need to find a screen printer who can make them for you.

Hope this helps.


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