# For the vinyl transfer lovers...Enjoy - Samples



## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

Dear all,

I wanted to share a special Sport T-shirt that I had made recently. This could illustrate what vinyl tranfer can look like when well done.

Front T-Shirt:









Back T-Shirt








Live Front:








Live back:









Imagine at Night, only the reflective MOTEX-T in the back glow white (because it was made from reflective vinyl) while the rest of the logo's didn't appeared at all - Awesome.

Enjoy


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Cool. Thanks for sharing those. On the two colors, did you just put one vinyl on another? How did you do the Phifa? Is the black part a vinyl or just the black of the shirt showing through?

Thanks


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## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

That's correct - for the Phifa, I did apply 3 vinyl white first, black and the red at last, which is different from the Hi-Tech where the dark part is the T-shirt showing through.

Applying one vinyl to the other makes the logo & design more sharp clean.

But not too sure on how to mix the reflective with the ThermoFlex vinyl, the only thing I’m sure off is that the reflective is suppose to be apply at last because of it short period of curing (5 sec). On the Team Phifa racing in the front, I did apply the red first and the reflective part was applied after with no contact with the red.

N.B: All the color vinyl in this T-Shirt are "thermoFlex Plus" and the reflective "Cad-Cut Reflective".


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## shutupntrain (Mar 5, 2007)

This may sound like a stupid question,but I am learning,How does the vinyl stick to the shirt? Also I know The cutter cuts out the shape,but does it make the image as well? Like I noticed There were colors red, black and white on wordings of the shirt.Nice Job on the shirt BTW.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Very nice. It looks great! I wonder if he's going to be doing some sweating with that vinyl all over the place  Here in Texas, wearing that much vinyl would be like a walking sauna . Very well done.


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## m26gil (Jul 21, 2006)

Very cool racing t-shirt. Well done!


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## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

Hi Shutupntrain,

Note that the vinyl that was used is not the regular vinyl for stickers but a Heat Transfer vinyl for garments.

MD


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## shutupntrain (Mar 5, 2007)

Ok,Thanks James,was wondering if it was the same.


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

Can't wait to teach myself multicolor vinyl....


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## bobabuee (Dec 7, 2006)

looks awsome , how much did you charge for job


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## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

I have charged him U$ 60 for this job - Pretty expensive, the vinyl/T-shirt use for this job cost me in total $35 dollars after setting-up the graphic under corel, it will take you approximatly 2 to 3 hrs to do one T-shirt.

Actually he is so inlove of this shirt that he order 3 more.

Please note that this is a special order for a friend, I'll normally charge $75 if i have to do it for someone else.

This is a custom made T-shirt.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

What kind of T-shirt is it?


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## John S (Sep 9, 2006)

matrixdecals said:


> I have charged him U$ 60 for this job - Pretty expensive, the vinyl/T-shirt use for this job cost me in total $35 dollars after setting-up the graphic under corel, it will take you approximatly 2 to 3 hrs to do one T-shirt....Please note that this is a special order for a friend, I'll normally charge $75 if i have to do it for someone else.


That is a great shirt. 

So great that you should charge a lot more for it. 

Double your material cost to help pay for the equipment, blades and software. $75

If you put 3 hours for press time, plus 2? hours for corel art. You have 5+ hours of labor. Why are you working for free? 
What would the hourly rate be for someone with your skills and equipment in your area?


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## NoSignShop (Apr 13, 2007)

curious as to why you would "waste" the black vinyl that was used in the Phifa part of the logo and not just use the shirt color itself.

Did you also use black vinyl for the "fox", "sae 40", and "graphic"

very nicely done though. but to me thats vinyl that didnt have to be used, and less of a profit, friend or not, as John S said why are you working for free ? on the next 3 shiirts you said he ordered, perhaps dont use the black vinyl to increase your already low profit margin ?

just got my own heat press today but have been doing vinyl graphics on cars and such for 4 years now, anytime i have a white or black car and those colors are in the graphics the paint it used as a color in the layout.


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## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

Only the Fox and Phifa have the black vinyl, I agree it's a waist - The sae 40 & graphic are the T-shirt showing through.

Yes it involves a lot of work on Corel and the cutting/peeling/heat pressing process. It's time consuming. $80 is the lowest price if you are getting a minimum order of 5 t-shirts but for only one T-shirt I'll suggest selling it at $ 95.00 or more depending on the graphic.

You are right "NoSignShop" I sell it for cheap.

NoSignShop, what would be a suggesting price for this T-Shirt if you know that the material cost you $35 and you had to spend 5 hours working on this shirt?


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## NoSignShop (Apr 13, 2007)

matrixdecals said:


> Only the Fox and Phifa have the black vinyl, I agree it's a waist - The sae 40 & graphic are the T-shirt showing through.
> 
> Yes it involves a lot of work on Corel and the cutting/peeling/heat pressing process. It's time consuming. $80 is the lowest price if you are getting a minimum order of 5 t-shirts but for only one T-shirt I'll suggest selling it at $ 95.00 or more depending on the graphic.
> 
> ...



I agree with your $80 and $95 prices. just not the $60. But im totally new to the tshirt side of things. My heatpress came yesterday, and damaged. But I do vinyl on trucks. So I was looking at it from that stand point.


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## Titere (Sep 14, 2006)

Nice shirt! I was wondering how is the registration method? How can it get so accurate one over the other? I really wonder how you register the red part over the white one so it looks good and not out of place?


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## bern (Feb 14, 2007)

Just like to say that shirt looks amazing , fantastic job . I do not have a vinyl cutter yet but posting pics like that shows what can be done with a lot of practice and work , wow


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## easystreet (Apr 27, 2007)

Man those are awsome. We have been doing vinyl graphics for about a year now. I just started playing with layered. 

Havn't even thought about trying in on shirts yet. I think I need a better press. 

Question on the pressing. Do you press it enought to stick and them repress it once the rest are applied? I always worry about over heating the vinyl.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

I didn't do that graphic here, but I've done a lot of multi-color vinyl on shirts. Considering registering the colors, I actually create my design as a vector in layers stacked just like they will stack on the shirt. I try to overlap each area just a little where 2 colors meet to prevent gaps. Vinyl will shrink after applying, so the 2nd layer will actually be a little larger than the one you are trying to register it to. So you may account for that in your design too. It's usually not too noticeable on small pieces because you can cut them apart and position individually before applying. But it can cause trouble with a big piece going on top of another big piece.

For the question on pressing, you press each color per instructions, but there is no need to do a 2nd press on each layer. Just press the vinyl down per instructions, remove the backing, and then apply the next layer. Then I do a final press after all layers are applied. I've never had any trouble with over heating the vinyl with ThermoFlex. It's a very rugged vinyl and very easy to apply and peel the backing.


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

I get that.

What if you're not cutting out the next color out of the first, so you're actually stacking colors on top of each other? Then how do you get the colors to align?

Also, how noticeable is your overlap when you run your fingers across your vinyl with Thermoflex? We're most likely going to use either that or Thermofilm from Stahls.

Thanks!


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Chani said:


> I get that.
> 
> What if you're not cutting out the next color out of the first, so you're actually stacking colors on top of each other? Then how do you get the colors to align?
> 
> ...


Oh ok. With the ones I've done, I just register them by sight. I apply my bottom layer and then just keep moving the next layer(s) around until it looks like it's supposed to. You can actually apply the first and then lay the next 2 on top till it looks right, then take off the 3rd layer layer before applying the 2nd.

Usually, vinyl design aren't that detailed to begin with, so it's not as critical as some designs that I would be screen printing. And you really can't get as detailed with multi-color vinyl because of the shrinkage factor. You just can't expect a tight registration with vinyl.

The overlap is not something I would noticed unless I looked at it very closely with a critical eye. It doesn't bother me and I'm very picky.

I've never used Stahl's Thermofilm. Let me know how it works out if you do. And how it compares to the ThermoFlex if you used both.


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Thank you! I need to calibrate my eye, then.


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## leisure (Mar 3, 2007)

Rusty you seem to know a bit about vinyl so maybe you or someone elsa can answer my question.
Do you know if there is a different vinyl used on boats for lettering,if so do you know where to purchase it.
Thanks


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

leisure said:


> Rusty you seem to know a bit about vinyl so maybe you or someone elsa can answer my question.
> Do you know if there is a different vinyl used on boats for lettering,if so do you know where to purchase it.
> Thanks


Sorry, the only vinyl I'ved use is T-shirt vinyl. I'm sure somebody else could answer it. Maybe try starting a new thread.


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## leisure (Mar 3, 2007)

rusty said:


> Sorry, the only vinyl I'ved use is T-shirt vinyl. I'm sure somebody else could answer it. Maybe try starting a new thread.


Thank you for the response.
I mostly use t-shirt vinyl also.
I have used sign vinyl but I didn't know if it could be used on boats.
Have a great weekend.


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## Titere (Sep 14, 2006)

How do I look for t shirt vinyl on ebay? If I put vinyl roll I just get sticker vinyl. If I search for t shirt vinyl roll I just get t shirt with dj turntables, and vinyl disc designs. Whats the name?


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

When I searched for Heat Applied Vinyl I got Thermoflex in ebay Stores.


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## easystreet (Apr 27, 2007)

leisure said:


> Rusty you seem to know a bit about vinyl so maybe you or someone elsa can answer my question.
> Do you know if there is a different vinyl used on boats for lettering,if so do you know where to purchase it.
> Thanks


I don't believe there is. No vinyl is goin to hold up being sumberged under water for long periods of time. But the better quality vinyl you get. the better it will hold up to the elements. I have done some wwwdotcom vinyl decals for a shop to advertise on some boats and hes come back for more with no complaints and I used the oracle 651 and 851 vinyl without any problems.


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## leisure (Mar 3, 2007)

easystreet said:


> I don't believe there is. No vinyl is goin to hold up being sumberged under water for long periods of time. But the better quality vinyl you get. the better it will hold up to the elements. I have done some wwwdotcom vinyl decals for a shop to advertise on some boats and hes come back for more with no complaints and I used the oracle 651 and 851 vinyl without any problems.


_ I figured with all the graphics on boats there must be a more durable brand.I pulled a google search and found a site that sells marine vinyl not sure what it is, with it being the weekend there closed so I thought i would call in the morning.Thanks for the help._


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## gothicaleigh (Jun 16, 2007)

easystreet said:


> I don't believe there is. No vinyl is goin to hold up being sumberged under water for long periods of time. But the better quality vinyl you get. the better it will hold up to the elements. I have done some wwwdotcom vinyl decals for a shop to advertise on some boats and hes come back for more with no complaints and I used the oracle 651 and 851 vinyl without any problems.


Sure there is. Just make sure it has good seawaterability and is a marine rated vinyl (Oracal 851 is an example). You can do full wraps on the hull if you watch the direction of your seams and stay away from the air release adhesives ( they leave air channels that can allow water under the vinyl and eventually cause it to fail). Tell the customer to let the applied vinyl set up for a couple days before launching and you should have no problems.


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## gothicaleigh (Jun 16, 2007)

Here's a couple of my recent multicolor Thermoflex jobs:


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## gothicaleigh (Jun 16, 2007)




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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Wow! That last one is so cool!

Mind if I ask how you achieve something like that?


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## leisure (Mar 3, 2007)

gothicaleigh said:


> Sure there is. Just make sure it has good seawaterability and is a marine rated vinyl (Oracal 851 is an example). You can do full wraps on the hull if you watch the direction of your seams and stay away from the air release adhesives ( they leave air channels that can allow water under the vinyl and eventually cause it to fail). Tell the customer to let the applied vinyl set up for a couple days before launching and you should have no problems.


Thank you so much I really appreciate you taking time to respond.


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## gothicaleigh (Jun 16, 2007)

Chani said:


> Wow! That last one is so cool!
> Mind if I ask how you achieve something like that?


I assume you are referring to the wrap around "hose"?

It's designed with small pieces simulating the hose ridges. The design lets me add or remove pieces for different sized shirts. I cut and pressed the full front and back normally and used extra pieces to link the two designs around the side. It requires a bit more work at the press, but creates a much more unique design (and doesn't require any extra material as the extra links are cut in the scrap portions of the vinyl).


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## Chani (Jun 18, 2007)

Sweet!

Thank you so much for responding.


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## dheer1um (Jan 14, 2007)

Wonderful... 2 questions

1. How did you apply the 4 colors? what was the sequence and extra materials like thermal tape that you used.

2. Wasnt there any shrinkage of the vinyl after pressing? how did you account for it in the multicolor design?


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## gothicaleigh (Jun 16, 2007)

dheer1um said:


> Wonderful... 2 questions
> 1. How did you apply the 4 colors? what was the sequence and extra materials like thermal tape that you used.


The back of the Dive Team hoodie was in the order of white (the diver silhouette and the chunk that will show through as "DIVE"), blue (the long bar, but with the letters cut out so the white will show through), grey (the box on the right), and then black (the "TEAM" lettering).

I try to make the layered designs as thin as possible (too many layers adds "weight" to a shirt; not as important a rule on hoodies, but you will want to be conscious of it when doing T's), but thin outlines (like the blue one around the grey box) are easier to set as a background than to try and line up outside a design with the center cut out. (hope that makes sense)

I very rarely use thermal tape. I position and hold the vinyl in place with the adhesive on the Thermoflex backing. The only time I find I need it is when I'm pressing hats or other non-flat things.

Really the only supplies involved would be the thermoflex and a teflon sheet.



dheer1um said:


> 2. Wasnt there any shrinkage of the vinyl after pressing? how did you account for it in the multicolor design?


I have pretty good luck with Thermoflex in that it doesn't shrink much on me. If I take too long aligning a second or third layer, it may cool and shrink ever so slightly. When that happens, I just give a tug on both ends of the shirt and it will usually stretch back into proportion (more often than not it seems it will shrink width-wise).

I run my press between 325 and 350 and stamp each layer for a count of 6 seconds (just enough so I can remove the backing for the next layer). Then following the final layer I press for 16 with a teflon sheet.


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## leisure (Mar 3, 2007)

Do you use the teflon sheet with each press or just the last.
Thanks

quote=gothicaleigh;133735]The back of the Dive Team hoodie was in the order of white (the diver silhouette and the chunk that will show through as "DIVE"), blue (the long bar, but with the letters cut out so the white will show through), grey (the box on the right), and then black (the "TEAM" lettering).

I try to make the layered designs as thin as possible (too many layers adds "weight" to a shirt; not as important a rule on hoodies, but you will want to be conscious of it when doing T's), but thin outlines (like the blue one around the grey box) are easier to set as a background than to try and line up outside a design with the center cut out. (hope that makes sense)

I very rarely use thermal tape. I position and hold the vinyl in place with the adhesive on the Thermoflex backing. The only time I find I need it is when I'm pressing hats or other non-flat things.

Really the only supplies involved would be the thermoflex and a teflon sheet.
e pretty good luck with Thermoflex in that it doesn't shrink much on me. If I take too long aligning a second or third layer, it may cool and shrink ever so slightly. When that happens, I just give a tug on both ends of the shirt and it will usually stretch back into proportion (more often than not it seems it will shrink width-wise).

I run my press between 325 and 350 and stamp each layer for a count of 6 seconds (just enough so I can remove the backing for the next layer). Then following the final layer I press for 16 with a teflon sheet.[/quote]


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## matrixdecals (Aug 30, 2006)

Great Job, Gothicaleigh,

Those shirts are awesome. We need to see more pictures from the other vinyl lovers.


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## TEEZRUS (Jun 20, 2007)

Wow! X-cellent Job! 

This Is An A+++ Job !

Keep Up The Great Work!


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