# Life of a Plastisol Heat Transfered T-shirt?



## srose (Jun 20, 2008)

How long can I expect a t-shirt with a plastisol transfer to last? Is it as durable and last as long as a screenprinted t-shirt?


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## scuba_steve2699 (Nov 15, 2006)

50 plus washes is usually what they are rated for. It is considered the lifetime of the t-shirt


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

pretty much they fall apart at the same rate. on dark shirts they actually look better than screen printed ones.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

If it is a quality transfer, applied properly, and washed correctly it can last many years.


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

+1 what Ed said, my sons favorite shirt is done with plastisol transfers that have been washed waaay more than 50 times, going on 2 years. Shirt still in tack and so is the print. He wears it all the time, and every time I see it off his body I throw it in the wash. Sometimes I have to beat it off him. I guess it depends on the care given when washing. Also I don't dry the shirt in the dryer, I let it hang dry. Once dry he will throw it in the dryer to get the wrinkles out because if he picks up an iron it's a trick to it. An iron to that boy is like garlic to a vampire.


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## azdesigns (May 11, 2009)

I have had some for over 10 years and they still look good. I think the shirts wear out before the transfers do. I do not know the shelf life time of the transfers though. I don't think a transfer that has been on the shelf for X amt of time will last as long. I would like to know what manufactures suggest as far as shelf life before printing and when not to use a transfer.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

There is really no 'shelf life' specified. I am sure that climate, temperature, humidity, etc. play a role but I have seen transfers that are 20 years old work just fine.


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## azdesigns (May 11, 2009)

thanks, I have several hundred stored in plastic totes. I am just always leary to use the oldest ones, not wanting to ruin the shirts. Unfortunately Or Fortunately whichever way you look at it I dont have any of the 99cent shirts that were purchased when the transfers were purchased. I guess those days are long gone.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

Try a few on some old shirts or pieces of fabric. That should give you an idea if they are still useable.


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## azdesigns (May 11, 2009)

Thanks, I will try that.


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## hazeremover (Mar 31, 2011)

As Ed said, proper storage makes a difference in shelf life. A transfer that has been stored in a cool, dry, low light location, possibly even in it's original plastic package, will fare better than one that has been stored in a hot and humid attic all it's life.

Durability wise (once applied), powdered and non-powdered cold peels can survive hundreds of washings and kid abuse when properly applied however, I've seen high mileage tees with non-powdered transfers and the edges and corners are separating from the tee where as some 20+ year old tees with powdered transfers still maintain excellent adhesion with no edge release after a gazillion washings. The transfer is like new yet the shirt is wafer thin.


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## srose (Jun 20, 2008)

Powdered vs Non Powdered? Which version is the transfers from Versatrans and FM Expressions?


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## hazeremover (Mar 31, 2011)

srose said:


> Powdered vs Non Powdered? Which version is the transfers from Versatrans and FM Expressions?


I'm not familiar with what kinds of transfers they offer so I can't answer your second question.

In general, transfer powder is added to the final wet screened ink of the transfer you are printing. It is the consistency of granulated salt or sugar but with slightly smaller (fine) granules. When applying the powdered plastisol transfer to a textile substrate on a heat press, the granules "liquify" and blend with the softening plastisol to create a boost in the transfer adhesion properties.


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## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi. as mentioned earlier durability and longetivity of transfers depends on alot of factors...mainly we've 
found thru experience that keeping them in plastic containers at room temperature seems to be the best way to store and maintain them ...a funny but true story... a friend of mine had some prints he bought at a flea mkt along with an old press....the prints look "weathered" and he decided for the heck of it to try afew of them on some cheapo t's he had
bought...well the prints came out alittle distorted and missing parts in some places and faded. but still had a neat look...this was back in 2000...well he liked them and actually started maketing them that way and wanted prints made to look similar. Who knew years later that the "distressed" look would take off. lol


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

veedub3 said:


> +1 what Ed said, my sons favorite shirt is done with plastisol transfers that have been washed waaay more than 50 times, going on 2 years. Shirt still in tack and so is the print. He wears it all the time, and every time I see it off his body I throw it in the wash. Sometimes I have to beat it off him. I guess it depends on the care given when washing. Also I don't dry the shirt in the dryer, I let it hang dry. Once dry he will throw it in the dryer to get the wrinkles out because if he picks up an iron it's a trick to it. An iron to that boy is like garlic to a vampire.


So are our heat transfer uniforms worn and washed weekly since December 2009. A little faded but the image is still intack. They're handwashed. I guess washing and ironing plays a vital role.




azdesigns said:


> I have had some for *over 10 years and they still look good*. I think the shirts wear out before the transfers do. I do not know the shelf life time of the transfers though. I don't think a transfer that has been on the shelf for X amt of time will last as long. I would like to know what manufactures suggest as far as shelf life before printing and when not to use a transfer.


10 years would be nice. But the plastisol prints I often see (not transfers) seems to be cracking in about 1-2 years. Sometimes just months. Is there a specific technique to press them properly for maximum durability?



proworlded said:


> There is really no 'shelf life' specified. I am sure that climate, temperature, humidity, etc. play a role but I have seen transfers that are 20 years old work just fine.


I was told in TSF that there is no shelf life but a local supplier of plastisol transfer substrates told me the shelf life is 6 months. When I asked for a clarification I was told that there will definitely be some deterioration. *Are their specific brands that claim to have no expiration or unlimited shelf life?*


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

Ultimately the lifespan depends on the thickness of the plastisol. It's just a layer of plastic on the shirt.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

In my case I was referring to cracks.


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

BroJames said:


> In my case I was referring to cracks.


The thicker the ink, the more resistant to cracking, if it's properly cured.


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## treadhead (Jul 26, 2006)

I read somewhere here on TSF that the powdered adhesive can cause cracking. 

Then..just today...I heard from a dealer that one of the designs I did recently (the only one that adhesive powder was applied to that I've had done outside) is getting some customer complaints about cracking. Other transfers from this same supplier, that did not use the adhesive but rather a white underbase (top plate) at my suggestion, are doing just fine.


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## Catbox (Oct 3, 2007)

Some of my coolest shirts are cracked and faded... kinda like me lol... I am just getting into transfers and look forward to seeing how long they last.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

The real issues: 1000's of designs by many, many manufacturers that are applied to all kinds of fabrics, by a horde of different heat presses, a multitude of application procedures, a unlimited number of combinations of washing techniques, detergents, fabric softeners and drying procedures.....not to leave out the human factor in all this. Hey guys, we're talking a $1.50 +/- transfer and maybe a $2.50 t shirt. Should anyone be dissatisfied if the design shows some wear after one or two years?


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

I agree with Ed.....I have transfers from all the major shops and they can be different from batch to batch of the same design. Some go on forever and some crack within a year. I have screen shirts that do the same thing.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes. As a consumer, I would be dissatisfied *IF* a reasonable number of other people can produce a much longer lasting shirt at the same price but does not crack or crack as much. Depending on the design on the shirt 1-2 years may be long. But there are shirts I like to wear even if they're old but not cracked. Finally, it depends on what the printer or the seller claims or warrants.

*IF* cracking is the industry norm for 1-2 year old plastisol transfer shirts then consumers shouldn't complain.


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