# Please help! Printer, paper and ink info needed - and where to purchase a Heat Press in UK?



## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

I own a canvas printing company which I have been running for about a year and am really interested in getting into T-Shirt printing.

I have an Epson 7880 large format printer and am using epson original cartridges. 

Could anyone please give me some advice as to the best way (if any) to go about this?

I have read a lot of forums about sublimation inks and although I have seen many transfer papers that can be used on any inkjet, I am still not sure if this can be done with standard epson inks.

I want to use a self weeding transfer paper if possible and obviously I need the print quality to be of a good standard.

Also will standard epson 7880 inks (Pigment I believe) stand up to being washed?

I would be grateful to anyone who could offer some advice.

Many Thanks.

Darren.


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Epson 7880 and T-Shirt printing...Can anyone help?*



daz22yrs said:


> ...really interested in getting into T-Shirt printing.I have an Epson 7880 large format printer and am using epson original cartridges. Could anyone please give me some advice as to the best way (if any) to go about this?


I took a look at your printer on Epson.com. It has a roll feed and cut paper tray, so you will be able to run inkjet heat transfer paper thru it, or load it in the tray. You seem to be okay there, but just double check your printer in person to confirm that. 



> I have read a lot of forums about sublimation inks and although I have seen many transfer papers that can be used on any inkjet, I am still not sure if this can be done with standard epson inks.


You cannot sublimate with the epson ink that comes in your printer. Your ink is pigment. Pigment ink is color that is encapsulated in resin. When the heat press hits it, it 'melts' into the fabric.

Sublimation uses sublimation ink. When the heat press hits sublimation ink, the (dye sub) sublimation ink turns into a "gas".

Pigment ink is carried to the shirt via a light or dark heat transfer paper, and has a hand (feel) which is the part of the heat transfer paper that stays on the shirt with the ink it carried there.

Dye sub is carried to the shirt via a dye sub paper, and when the transfer is done, the paper is peeled away and fabric is "dyed" -- there is no feel. Nothing is left behind except for the ink that dyed the fibers.




> I want to use a self weeding transfer paper if possible and obviously I need the print quality to be of a good standard.


There is a new product for use with pigment inkjet printers out. It is a "two-step" process that is self weeding. It requires a laser printer to work, so if you want to use this product and don't already have one, you might need to pick up a laser printer. I think I read that they can go for $100'ish. Not sure. 

Here is a thread with more detailed information on this process if you are interested in it:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t71144.html

Other than that product, for inkjet, the other option is to use a cutter with contour cut options, or a pair of scissors or exacto knife to trim the excess. 



> Also will standard epson 7880 inks (Pigment I believe) stand up to being washed?


Yes, pigment is the ink of choice for this process. Your printer actually uses Epson UltraChrome 3. That is better than the Durabrite that most people use because unlike Durabrite... there doesn't seem to be issues with colorshifting under the heat of the press. 

When heat transferring, the colors in the design stay the same color as when they were printed.



> I would be grateful to anyone who could offer some advice. Many Thanks. Darren.


I hope this helps, Darren, and good luck to you.


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Epson 7880 and T-Shirt printing...Can anyone help?*

Hi Kelly, 

Thank you very much for your response 

Yes. my printer does handle sheet paper, so no problems there. 

I would like to go into sublimation I think, but with the current climate I may start off with transfers for a while. I had a good result with a transfer paper that I received yesterday, but yes it did have a hand to it. 

Do you think it is acceptable to sell cheap tees produced using this process?

Also, I have been looking at a press to get started with. After following the advice on here, and avoiding ebay at all costs, I found this...

sublimation heat press machine 38x38 cm

I have very limited funds to start up with, so I just want something that will do the job for now. All profit from the first sales will be going on a optical eye cutter, a printer and inks for sublimation and a geo knight (or equivalent) heat press. 

Do you think the above linked press would be suitable for now? 

Also, I am thinking about using Jetpro sofstretch transfer paper, do you have any advice on this?

Thank you very much for your help, you have already summed up 2 weeks of research in a few minutes in a much more understandable way! 

Many thanks.


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Epson 7880 and T-Shirt printing...Can anyone help?*



daz22yrs said:


> Hi Kelly, Thank you very much for your response  Yes. my printer does handle sheet paper, so no problems there.
> 
> I would like to go into sublimation I think, but with the current climate I may start off with transfers for a while.


It is cheaper to start with inkjet heat transfer than dye sub, and you already have the printer and inks. Dye sub inks are where alot of the big costs come into that process.



> I had a good result with a transfer paper that I received yesterday, but yes it did have a hand to it. Do you think it is acceptable to sell cheap tees produced using this process?


Yes. Promo tees, work tees, and lower priced tees seem to be a common niche for this process, tho some decorators successfully upsell the product in certain markets.

Different papers have different feels and durability. I personally love the JetPro Sofstretch paper (JPSS).



> Also, I have been looking at a press to get started with. After following the advice on here, and avoiding ebay at all costs, I found this...
> 
> sublimation heat press machine 38x38 cm
> 
> I have very limited funds to start up with, so I just want something that will do the job for now.


The link doesn't fully load for me, so I can't see which press you are looking at. Do you have a name?



> All profit from the first sales will be going on a optical eye cutter, a printer and inks for sublimation and a geo knight (or equivalent) heat press.


This is how alot of people start out, and a common press that is inexpensive but helps people reach this stepping stone is the Sunie/Seiki press. Check it out on Sunie.com. 



> Also, I am thinking about using Jetpro sofstretch transfer paper, do you have any advice on this?


Love it. 



> Thank you very much for your help, you have already summed up 2 weeks of research in a few minutes in a much more understandable way!  Many thanks.


You're very welcome. Thanks for the kind words. What goes around come around, and I've gotten alot of awesome help on the forum, so I just try to return the favor when I can.

What is the press you are looking at?


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Please help!*

Hi Darren, 

Some quick links for you that might help out:
transfer paper tips for lasting image - Page 5 - T-Shirt Forums

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-presses-equipment/t73056-2.html


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Please help!*

Hi Kellly,

Thank you very much for your help in the last post, I really appreciate your time and the guides you sent me will help tremendously! Thank you.



Girlzndollz said:


> It is cheaper to start with inkjet heat transfer than dye sub, and you already have the printer and inks. Dye sub inks are where alot of the big costs come into that process.


I think this is definitely the way to go for me, for now. Thanks.




Girlzndollz said:


> The link doesn't fully load for me, so I can't see which press you are looking at. Do you have a name?


The link is BEST VINYL CUTTER PLOTTER DE QUALITE ET DE LA VALEUR DANS L'UE - sublimation heat press machine 38x38 cm (Powered by CubeCart)

I am strongly considering going with this for now as it is available for £180 and the lowest priced alternative I can find is £499 
But I have been slightly put off by the fact that I have also just found it here

Digital 15x15 Inches Heat Press Sublimation Transfer on eBay, also, Vinyl Cutters, Printing Graphic Arts, Business, Office Industrial (end time 18-May-09 20:14:01 BST)

What do you think? Does it have the correct temp settings etc needed ?

The feedback on the item seems ok...





Girlzndollz said:


> This is how alot of people start out, and a common press that is inexpensive but helps people reach this stepping stone is the Sunie/Seiki press. Check it out on Sunie.com.


I have searched hard for this press and found many good things said about it, unfortunately I cannot find it on sale anywhere in the UK.

Do you know of anyone who has managed to pick one up in the UK?

Many thanks again for your time.

Darren.


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Please help!*

The first link doesn't seem to want to load, so I'll just copy and paste.

Thanks.

http://www.pcut.me.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=12


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Please help!*

Hi Darren,

Some of the links still don't want to load. For Ebay presses, I wouldn't really buy any of them except the Sunie/Seiki one. It's the only one that seems to pass mustard with the members on the forum when buying "off brand name". 

Here is the Seiki site. Maybe someone there can help you figure out if shipping can be worked out to UK. SeikiTech Germany

Here is a post from Ino, asking if anyone knows of a European distributor for the Sunie/Seiki. You could probably follow up with Ino and ask if they found someone:
https://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-presses-equipment/t79320.html#post469964

I hope this helps. Best wishes.


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Please help!*

Thank you for all your help Kelly, going to get a Seiki from Germany in the next few weeks. Sounds like from yourself and the forums that this is the way to go. 

You have been really helpful 

Thanks again!


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Please help!*

Wow, great Darren, glad to hear it all worked out for you. Good luck with everything, I hope the press works out for you. Thanks for the update on what you decided to do, that's helpful for future readers, too. Have a great night. =)


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Please help!*



Girlzndollz said:


> Wow, great Darren, glad to hear it all worked out for you. Good luck with everything, I hope the press works out for you. Thanks for the update on what you decided to do, that's helpful for future readers, too. Have a great night. =)


Hi Kelly,

Just thought I'd give you an update...

On your advice I ordered a Seiki HP-4002 16" x 24" press from Germany last week and it arrived 2 days later (on my birthday!) Along with (from different suppliers) the A3 jetpro softstretch paper and my T-shirts!

The press..

So far so good....Was a little concerned about the quality of the press at first (one of the screws was missing from the top plate when I took it out of the box!) but it seems sturdy enough.

Although neither my teflon sheet or parchment paper had arrived yet, I printed my first t-shirt anyway (following your instructions in the guide you posted (375 F for 30 sec) and was amazed at the results! 

All the transfers I have seen before look shiny and plasticy, this didn't. It almost feels like it is part of the shirt. It has a bit of a scratchy feel to the print, but I have read that parchment paper cures this issue.So I will try that. I have looked in my local shops for some but cant find any. Maybe it has another name here...

I did notice that my shirts are getting slightly scorched...is this something that the teflon sheet will fix?

I have yet to do some wash tests, but will be starting them tomorrow.

Thank you for all your help that has got me this far!

Here are some pics of my first shirt...

Thank you.


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Please help!*

Thanks for posting up the pics, they look great, if not a wee bit gross for me, haahaa, bc I think chipmunks are cuter with their heads on their bodies.. 

Is that tiny bit of orangish color in the pic the scorching, or just the photo itself?

I would be surprised to see scorching on my shirts at 375*F. Rhonda/queerrep uses 400*F with JPSS and doesn't get scorching... so that's a little curious. But, all presses run a little bit of a variation from each other when set to the same temp. Still, it's a curious thing. If you were at the 400*F, I'd wonder less, as I've read the 400*F mark is more around the temp that will do it.... (all temps I mention are in Fahrenheit).

Yes, the teflon should help with that problem. It would be a curious thing if it didn't, because that is what it is known for.

Parchment paper, I use Reynold's brand. It is what is in the grocery store, in the baking aisle. Bakers use it to line the bottom of cake pans to keep the cakes from sticking. It is not wax paper, that is totally different. Parchment, or baking, paper, can handle temps over 400*F, and it should say so on the box. 

Maybe stop by a local bakery, or go to the bakery section of your local large supermarket, and ask them to show you parchment paper/baking paper. They are most likely using it everyday. 

I hope the press works out. Hearing anyone buys things on my recommendation is scary!  I try to just recommend different things and you choose it yourself after your own research, but either way, I really, really hope the press works out. Others seem to have good things to say, and I hope it works out for you the same.

Glad to hear the transfers feel better than any others you've tried. I agree with you, the JPSS is amazing. I used Ironall light before JPSS and it, too, was amazing for how it felt on the shirt. I loved it. I love both papers, but the fade with Ironall just was a problem. That's why it was easy to leave it for the colorfastness of JPSS. 

If you keep getting scorching after you get your teflon, try a different tshirt. There might be a sizing or a product of some sort on the tee you are using. It's worth experimenting with a different one to isolate the problem and see if it shows itself to be the shirt.

In the meantime, you can probably safely reduce your temp to 350 - 360*F and still get a great transfer, while reducing the possibility of scorch. I've seen others post that they use 350*F, so I think you'd be okay with that. 

Again, it's all really one big experiment.  Start where most others are having success, and tweak your own personal process from there. Don't be afraid to try new things, they usually work out pretty good! Best wishes.


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Please help!*



Girlzndollz said:


> Thanks for posting up the pics, they look great, if not a wee bit gross for me, haahaa, bc I think chipmunks are cuter with their heads on their bodies..
> 
> Is that tiny bit of orangish color in the pic the scorching, or just the photo itself?
> 
> ...


Hi Kelly,

Glad you like my first attempt, apart from the subject matter...lol...its a twist on the characters from an english 80's cartoon called "Dangermouse"....not one for resale!

Its ok, I didn't just buy it because of your recommendation, your recommendation led me to the forums writen by owners that helped me make up my mind! 

I think the orange is in the photos, the discolouring of the shirt is not too noticeable until you place an unpressed shirt next to the pressed one. Hopefully the teflon will cure this.

As for baking paper, I did manage to get some from the store, but when I did the repress (straight after peel and stretch) it didn't seam to smooth the image area much. That's why I wasn't sure if I had the right stuff... 

Thanks again.


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## philgib (May 14, 2009)

Hello Dazz,

I think I will purchase the 38x38 press from them today or tomorrow. I live in the South of France. Did you find out why your t-shirts were scorching ? T-shirt fabric, paper material, heat press ?

I am also curious about the jetpro softstretch paper, as i fail to find it on their site. Does it really need teflon ? I heard that flex PU does not need Teflon as the backing is enough. Is the softstretch not flex PU ?

Cheers

Philippe


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## daz22yrs (May 4, 2009)

philgib said:


> Hello Dazz,
> 
> I think I will purchase the 38x38 press from them today or tomorrow. I live in the South of France. Did you find out why your t-shirts were scorching ? T-shirt fabric, paper material, heat press ?
> 
> ...



Hi, 

Only got a couple of minutes but I'll help as much as pos.

You can buy sofstretch here:

Transfer Papers for Inkjet Printers

The issue of scorching was solved by using a teflon sheet. This is not needed for sofstretch but I have found it is necessary to protect the shirt when pressing anything.

I'm not sure that flex PU is the same, I believe that flex is vinyl.

I personally wasn't overly happy with the whole transfer look and decided to take the vinyl route, but I think it may have been a printer issue rather than the transfers themselves and many seem happy with the look and feel.

Hope this helps and best of luck. I've been selling tees for 3 weeks now with great success thanks to this forum. I hope things pan out as well for you.

Regards,

Darren.


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## philgib (May 14, 2009)

Thank you.

I want to go the vinyl way too as all I need is printing funny messages. "Value" will be more in the text than in the quality of the design.

I do want the text to look "integrated" into the t-shirt fibers, and most of the t-shirts will have a dark color with white text.

Reading through this forum, I guess PU should be the right choice.

How did you start your marketing ? Do you have a shop or did you start at home selling to friends ?

Cheers


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

May I remind you that JPSS is not self weeding and you may or may not have polymer background issue. Especially on none white fabric.


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