# plastisol heat transfer?



## Isla_Print (Oct 12, 2006)

i got a question about plastisol transfer.

okay, so about this method. 
how does the print feel when it is on the t-shirt? is it similar to direct screenprint?


the only type of heat transfer i've done is the type used with inkjet printers. and i personally think that print is lame--the designs crack and its peel off. so i was just wondering if plastisol heat transfer gives good quality prints. 

heat transfers keep reminding me of my lame print that peels and cracks. but when i came across plastisol transfers, it got me thinking...

is this similar to the "iron on heat transfer" method when it comes to quality prints?


thanks for taking time to read this. hopefully i made sense..and hopefully i get some responses!


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

Isla_Print said:


> is this similar to the "iron on heat transfer" method when it comes to quality prints?!


in general yes.

we have made 100's of thousands of all types of transfers for newbies and major brands over the years. When made right, you can sleep at night.


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

I am wearing a black Hoodie with my plastisol web name made for me by the company Lucy's works with spot98.net. This has been washed at least 10 times and it looks the same as the day I placed it on the hoodie. Forgive me I forgaot my hat.


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## Twinge (Apr 26, 2005)

T-BOT misquoted, I think. Plastisol transfers are very similar quality to a direct screen print when done correctly.

However, I'll also note that the quality of normal heat transfers isn't nearly as bad as it used to be either, as long as you are using quality materials and equipment.


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## Isla_Print (Oct 12, 2006)

well the transfer i did printed everything. i ended up with a white background that i didnt want. and after the wash, the transfered print cracked...

where to find good quality plastisol transfers? any tips?
i've browse around before, but all i found was sites offering to make custom transfer. im looking for something i can screenprint my own designs on.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

www.boo-zwearhouse.com sells the actual paper that you would use to screen print your designs on (if you have your own screen printing equipment)

Plastisol transfers shouldn't leave a white background on the image. That sounds more like an opaque transfer printed from a home inkjet printer.


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

*Twinge: how does the print feel when it is on the t-shirt? is it similar to direct screenprint?
*



T-BOT said:


> in general yes.
> 
> we have made 100's of thousands of all types of transfers for newbies and major brands over the years. When made right, you can sleep at night.


There are various types of release papers.


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## lgiglio1 (Sep 29, 2006)

Release papers or transfer papers? Is there a difference? I thought when usig your home printer you use transfer paper and they always leave a little bit, that is why you cut as close to the design as possible. I thought release papers, don't leave anything. Can you buy those for at home stuff?


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

lgiglio1 said:


> Release papers or transfer papers? Is there a difference? I thought when usig your home printer you use transfer paper and they always leave a little bit, that is why you cut as close to the design as possible. I thought release papers, don't leave anything. Can you buy those for at home stuff?


I think some folks are talking about two completely different printed transfers and techniques as Rodney mentioned.

1. Digital transfers or transfers printed on your printer such as an Epson 1280 or c88 use transfer paper. Usually one for lites and an opaque for dark shirts. The transfers need to be trimmed to acheive less border around the printed image. If not trimmed the entire paper will press to the shirt.

2. Plastisol transfers or transfers printed by screenprinters use a release paper. The transfers are printed with plastisol inks onto the release paper and when pressed only the image stays on the shirt. There is no window and no trimming involved with release paper.


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

thanks for the clarification David. 

...on the trasnfer paper "types" topic, has anyone yet used or know more about a transfer release paper for plastisol that is clear, sort of like the vinyl flex carrier, but thiner ?


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## Twinge (Apr 26, 2005)

Rodney said:


> Plastisol transfers shouldn't leave a white background on the image. That sounds more like an opaque transfer printed from a home inkjet printer.


That is indeed what they were reffering to, I believe. They were replying to my comment about improvements in heat transfer technology.



Isla_Print said:


> well the transfer i did printed everything. i ended up with a white background that i didnt want. and after the wash, the transfered print cracked...


I agree that the quality of opaque transfers is subpar. They weren't up to our quality standards so we don't use them at all, though they still are basically the only way to do a multi-color print on just a few shirts.

I was more referring to transfer paper made for light shirts, such as the Magic Jet or IronAll papers. These transfers are high quality and will last a long time on white/ash shirts. Plastisol transfers will still be a bit higher quality, but you can do any number of colors and single/small runs with transfer paper (and not plastisol).


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## MayanXic (Jan 30, 2007)

Just to add my 2 centavos worth, I have lots of success with custom made one color heat transfers of my designs, which I press on to all color shirts with a Hix heat press. Lucy's company does some of them, while FM Expressions (Zach) does the rest. The transfers are printed in the US and Canada where the companies are located and UPS delivers them to my shop here in southern Mexico.

The quality is as good as, if not better than, what my silkscreeners were doing for me before. End result: greatly reduced inventory of printed shirts, mucho more flexibility in choosing design/color/size combinations for the client and the finished shirts hold up *better* than the silkscreened ones. 

Saludos to all from Mexico!

Ralf


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## k_rose08 (Jun 16, 2010)

MotoskinGraphix said:


> I think some folks are talking about two completely different printed transfers and techniques as Rodney mentioned.
> 
> 1. Digital transfers or transfers printed on your printer such as an Epson 1280 or c88 use transfer paper. Usually one for lites and an opaque for dark shirts. The transfers need to be trimmed to acheive less border around the printed image. If not trimmed the entire paper will press to the shirt.
> 
> 2. Plastisol transfers or transfers printed by screenprinters use a release paper. The transfers are printed with plastisol inks onto the release paper and when pressed only the image stays on the shirt. There is no window and no trimming involved with release paper.


OMG...are you serious!?! I'm such a novice, all this time I thought the only difference was that one was printed by a machine and the other was done by a screen printer! I had NO IDEA that nothing was left behind other than the design when using plastisol transfers!!!!  I am sooooo excited about this. 

I've found a really good screen printer that I may be working with but if what you're telling me that NOTHING'S left behind when you use heat press plastisol transfers...this changes things lol!


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## beanie357 (Mar 27, 2011)

We use pigment printed transfers (we make them) only in a dire emergency, like some idiot wants one shirt 3 weeks after the run, and we hold screens for 2 weeks. Contour cutting is the only way to clean the digital printed up, and it just ain't worth the time. We DTG as well, but our Dupont Inks are iffy on some blends and useless on stuff like raton or nylon, etc.

Plastisol transfers have all the same rules of screen printing- more colors more cost, etc., but we did some just for S&G and they behaved just like if we screened them on. Placement requires assorted platens for your press if you are doing anything other than the easy locations.


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## whatflop (Jun 12, 2012)

so your saying it has to be done by a screen printer only? You cant do this with any type of printer? I mean get same inks into any printer? if not that kinda sucks.


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## beanie357 (Mar 27, 2011)

The epsons use dye or pigment inks, which print well on transfer paper, but have a coating on the whole paper, so without contour cutting, in many cases, you get that square look from the rest of the coating transferring.
Plastisol transfers are printed with plastisol type inks, and only the image is on the paper for transferring, no extraneous coating.
Dtg of course is water based in most cases and only puts the image on the garment.
There are numerous plastisol transfer companies for custom and stock designs, and we think the look without the extra transfer coating and not a perfectly square or rectangle look is better.
I'm sure some make out real fine with printed transfers without contour cutting.
We did not.


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## whatflop (Jun 12, 2012)

I dont know,,,,the DTG looks pretty nice, holds up great, and no raises or rubber feel to the ink....The samples I have passes out so far they loved DTG print alot better....Because of the difference my first order from a day care place was 50 shirts


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