# Reviews of Transfer Samples from 4 (and Counting) Different Companies! [WIP]



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

Hey All,

I'm a first time poster on TSF, been reading up here for a couple weeks and decided to take the plunge and buy a heat press. I've contacted and received samples from 4 different companies so far, and if you guys have any recommendations of other people to try just let me know! I figured that I'd post my results on here for all you to see, I know that Rodney did the same sort of thing a few years back - he's my inspiration to do this, so thanks!

I also want to give a shout out to Geo Knight and their DK20 press. It may be the first press I've ever used, but it is out-of-this world amazing. The quality is second-to-none, and their customer service is the best I've ever dealt with. I called to ask a question, they took my number down, and ten minutes later I got a call from the owner. Now _thats_ service. Out of 60 some presses that I did, two went bad (and as much as I'd like to say that's due to skill, I've never done this before, so I have to give it up to the press).

I suppose I should get on with it, I made a list as I went of details for each different type of transfer, and if I have time and there's enough demand, I'll upload pictures for the transfers!

*Companies Contacted:*

VersaTrans
Transfer Express
Dowling Graphics
F&M


----------



## larry (Mar 6, 2007)

Nicwolf1,

As the owner of Dowlinf Graphics I would like to know what were the results of my company. Good or bad. You can call me or email me. Good Printing!

Thanks,
Larry @ dowlinggraphics . com
800-749-6933


----------



## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

Good luck with your new press. It is an excellent choice. Also, all of the transfer companies that you received samples from are very good sources for custom transfers.


----------



## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

I'm curious about the samples from Dowling as what they sent me were heavy compared to everyone else yet they get rave reviews on this board. I need someone reliable for multicolor transfers that aren't rubbery.


----------



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

Larry - I emailed Gwen just last night and told her that I was beyond impressed with your transfers. All the spot color ones had an amazingly soft hand. The full color transfers were a little more... thick? I'm not sure what the proper term is for that feeling. But even then they were the nicest full color samples I tried. I've got a big order coming up and your quality plus your prices means you will for sure be getting my business.

Ed - I'm just so happy with it. I had actually thrown around the idea of buying a used press, but the lack of warranty scared me a little bit, so I bit the bullet and bought a new one. Which, I guess if you think about it, isn't that much more of an investment on a machine that'll last forever. 

Rick - Like I said earlier, I experienced the same problem as you. I was beyond impressed by their spot color transfers but their full colors felt a little rubbery, like they were sitting on top of the shirt. To be fair though, compared to the full color transfers I tried from other companies, Dowling's were the softest. 

So I've got a word document that I took notes on for each transfer I tried from each company with info like time, temp, pressure, results, etc. Is there any way I can paste or embed that in my post here? I think some people would like to see it, but I can't seem to preserve the formatting just by pasting it in.

Nic


----------



## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

Well I'm guessing the transfers I got from Dowling were process on an underbase and like you say, to be fair all the process transfers I've tried were heavy but I have tried multi-spot color transfers that were not.


----------



## tazzringel (Apr 27, 2010)

Would love to see your results! Do you have a blog? Then post the link to it here?


----------



## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi Nic. First of all I would like to thank you for opening up the reviewing process and accepting
samples from other companies such as mine for you to press and post results. My name is Frank and I own
Silver Mountain Graphics and we print custom transfers. Please pm me or send us an email letting us
know where to send you our sample pack for you to review.....looking forward to hearing from you


----------



## Guest (Jun 30, 2011)

I have had great results from Transfer Express- their Sales team is amazing at helping me get the most bang for the paper! The only problem I'm having: I am unable to compete with our local screen printers. Example: 94 T's with a 2-color front & a 1-color back including the T shirt was 5.65 each! Unbelievable! I of course lost the job & now very discouraged! How can I possibly compete? I can't, so looking for forum topic to help me remedy this little problem with costs v. traditional screen printing. Where to buy quality 100% or 50/50 blend T-s to compete a little more!


----------



## tazzringel (Apr 27, 2010)

@New49.. it is next to impossible to compete with direct screen printers. Our costs are considerably cheaper. However, that price they quoted is ridiculous! We use TSC apparel, generally have great pricing.


----------



## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

New49 said:


> I have had great results from Transfer Express- their Sales team is amazing at helping me get the most bang for the paper! The only problem I'm having: I am unable to compete with our local screen printers. Example: 94 T's with a 2-color front & a 1-color back including the T shirt was 5.65 each! Unbelievable! I of course lost the job & now very discouraged! How can I possibly compete? I can't, so looking for forum topic to help me remedy this little problem with costs v. traditional screen printing. Where to buy quality 100% or 50/50 blend T-s to compete a little more!


Hi. If you dont mind what sizes were the designs?
Im just curious because if they couldve been printed on our standard sheet (12x14) your cost on 94 transfers is 1.50 each and then you have the shirt cost (im assuming a 50-50 mid priced brand at 2.50)
would put you in at 4.00....of course then you'd have to press them......you can also offer the customer same pricing though on anymore if they happen to need more(my suggestion is to order 100
sheets giving you a few xtra) and even if they dont
get the extra prints you can use or print thise for advertising purposes(showing potential customers designs you did, etc....)


----------



## Guest (Jun 30, 2011)

I just measured my T (yes, I bought four for our Mission trip at 7$ a piece-still kicking myself): The 2-color front is white under navy at approx. 9 x 10 inches. Possibly 10x10. The back is solid 1-color navy at the same size. In screen printing we would call it a full front & back in shops I worked in. This shop used their automatic (when I was working we only dreamed of automatics and prayed over the dryer reguarly). Now there are DTG printers. Oh, I was born too late as my Mom always tells me. I still like to draw with a pencil. Oh, well. I sure would like to compete, thinking about only doing small orders that tese bigger shops won't touch because of expenses. 94 isn't alot either, though. I could knock that out on a six color manual quick enough but my zoning won't allow chemicals required for traditional methods & working from home garage is the only alternative short of working for someone else on a p-t basis.


----------



## Guest (Jun 30, 2011)

Oh, last time I did order 100 1-color prints to give the price break and sitting on 60 to 65 leftover prints. They went with a new design/marketing strategy using a printer that rents from one of the orderers. Yes, I am definitely learning the hard way. It is brutal around here!


----------



## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

New49 said:


> I have had great results from Transfer Express- their Sales team is amazing at helping me get the most bang for the paper! The only problem I'm having: I am unable to compete with our local screen printers. Example: 94 T's with a 2-color front & a 1-color back including the T shirt was 5.65 each! Unbelievable! I of course lost the job & now very discouraged! How can I possibly compete? I can't, so looking for forum topic to help me remedy this little problem with costs v. traditional screen printing. Where to buy quality 100% or 50/50 blend T-s to compete a little more!


TE is expensive at smaller quantities for custom art, for that you'll want to look at someone like Semo. TE is apparently pretty competitive if you sell designs out of their book but almost everything I do is custom. You can't compete cost-wise with screenprinters but you can compete price-wise depending upon your market. I am able to compete against all but the more cut-throat printers but if they want to work for nickels, let 'em have it. And most of those guys are terrible printers anyway, I can't imagine they get much repeat business. Too many people buy the equipment, set up in their garage, watch a few youtube videos and think they are printers, it is a learned skill.


----------



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

Hey all,

I hate to hop in and change the subject, it's actually really interesting for a newbie like me to hear what all of you have to say about the industry. So by all means let the discussion continue, but if someone could throw out a suggestion for a free blogging site, I'd love to put up my photos/notes from my samples. I'm working on my company website, but that's a few weeks from completion.

Nic


----------



## tazzringel (Apr 27, 2010)

@Nic - feel free to start or search for threads already on that subject. Or consider asking that ppl PM you that info. Many of us get email notifications sent when the threads are updated. If every newbie jumps in for their additions our emails will be full. Not trying to be a jerk, but there is a search button at the top of the page.


----------



## [email protected] (Sep 28, 2009)

Blogger works well for me


----------



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

Tazz-

My apologies. 

To be fair though, I did start this thread and somebody had asked me to put the photos I took up online, this seemed like the appropriate place to throw out my question. 

I don't mean to clutter your email, I was just trying to advance the original purpose of this thread.

Nic


----------



## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

nicwolf1 said:


> Tazz-
> 
> My apologies.
> 
> ...


Hi Nic. I also dont want to be a pest, just havnt 
gotten any info from you on where to send samples
to be reviewed and wanted to make sure i was in the loop somewhere...thanks!


----------



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

Sorry Frank!

It's been a pretty busy weekend, but I'm just sending you a PM. I can't wait to try out your transfers!

Nic


----------



## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

Thanks Nic! I just responded to your PM....will be sending samples tomorrow....


----------



## nicwolf1 (Jun 8, 2011)

I'm angry at you Frank,

You sent me enough transfers to stylishly clothe a small army and I, being as excited to print them as a 5-year-old on Christmas morning, spent my entire night-off out in the garage pressing them. 

In all seriousness though, they turned out really well. And I love it when a company sends enough transfers that I can experiment and learn how to best print them. 

I'm particularly grateful for one of the transfers - it was 18 little logos ganged on one sheet. I pressed 6 of them keeping pressure and time the same but changing temperature. 6 changing just pressure, and the last 5 (I lost one) changing time. I got the best results printing at 375 degrees, 8 seconds, pressure at 6 (on my Geo Knight DK20). I'll have to take some pictures of them, the varied pressure one is particularly cool. They're all on the same sheet of fabric, and as you go from top to bottom you can see where there wasn't enough pressure, and the design didn't adhere, to where there was too much pressure and the shirt color bled through. 

I'll post pictures and a more thorough review at a later date, but for what it's worth Silver Mountain Graphic's transfers adhered perfectly, have a really soft hand, and a sweet price point (Also, really quick shipping). They most definitely get my approval.

Thanks Frank!
Nic


----------



## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

Thanks Nic for the review! Didnt mean to "stack" you up...(lol well...yes i wanted to make sure
you had as good variety of styles we do) As always if you need help/advice on using anything
we send dont hesitate to call....


----------

