# Versatrans Plastisol Transfer Review



## into the T

~ email versatrans for free sample 
~ receive phone call next morning to make sure i am not a bot and in the biz
~ receive transfers in the mail quite quickly considering i don't live in usa
~ expecting a 5"x5" sample, surprised by package containing a range of samples 
(incl. all their colors in 1"x1" squares, see pic below)
~ cut part of unwashed test tee for pressing versatrans samples
~ sticky-brush material, pre-press garment swatch and press at recommended settings
~ peel hot and re-press for 1/2 the time covered with parchment paper
~ do the exact same procedure on unused section of swatch as a verification
i let the now pressed designs hang off the bottom platen, so they were not re-heated

i have run about 8 wash/dry cycles and been pleasantly surprised at the outcome
(my small pool of samples previous did not make it past 4 cycles without major issues)

there are no visible issues and the colors are still very vibrant
i left the instructions on when i pressed, to test how small/fine lines would hold-up in testing

will update after a dozen or more wash/dry cycles

EDIT: this is on a heather gray 50/50 dry-blend


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## splathead

They are my go to plastisol transfer supplier.

You don't need to repress. Just press, peel, and you're done.


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## into the T

i was wondering if that extra press was overkill for the plastisol


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## danversatrans

The extra press in not needed .


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## danversatrans

into the T said:


> i was wondering if that extra press was overkill for the plastisol


Also if you would ( since you really do a great job testing products ) press a couple of the designs on a cotton shirt and DON"T prepress the shirt to remove the moisture . If you need some more samples let me know and will get to you ASAP....... another test is to do wash and dry tests with hot water ....... and max dry temp.....just to see


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## acca

You don't need to prepress versatrans prints?


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## danversatrans

In my personal tests I do each week, I do not prepress, but I do press at 350 for 6 seconds at firm pressure. But it has a LOT to do with your heat press. So test it and see. Also test the wash and dry test at hot water and high heat....no one follows wash and dry instructions! Nobody ! That being said we have them as a guide line, but do your own wash and dry tests, do your own prepress and no prepress tests. I do my own QC each week with hot water , no Prepress and dry hot . Feedback is welcome and appreciated.


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## splathead

acca said:


> You don't need to prepress versatrans prints?


For me it depends on what I'm pressing. If the fabric is wrinkled or I'm pressing over seams, I prepress to get as flat a surface as possible. Otherwise, I also do not prepress.


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## bwdesigns

Versatrans is my goto as well! Hi quality, easy application, long lasting, economical and quick, and I am in Canada.


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## into the T

i can't believe i have not updated since february,
i thought i had added one in june/july

where does the time go?
time thieves, that's where

oh well, here is an update

up to ~35 wash/dry cycles
nothing special about the cycles, i just throw it in with my regular loads
warm wash then dry at medium heat

everything is still like the day i pressed
none of the tiny details have come undone 
(like the tittle over the 'i' in 'Time' and 'Material')
no cracking or wrinkling of the designs,
and the colors are still fresh as a daisy
the hand is soft, not plasticky, which is nice

the big plus aside from the quality and customer service at versatrans,
is the time saving (simply press and sell)


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## Diesel Tuner

I use Versatrans all the time.


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## DrivingZiggy

I'm so special that Versatrans prints the shirts for me! :smug:


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## danversatrans

DrivingZiggy said:


> I'm so special that Versatrans prints the shirts for me! :smug:


Ziggy if you would post some more videos people could see that shirt  just saying  Happy Thanksgiving


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## DrivingZiggy

All this pressure! LOL. I'll work on it today. You guys just have no idea how lazy I've gotten. Plus, this stuff is much harder than I thought! Shall I insert more excuses? I have lots of 'em.


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## webtrekker

DrivingZiggy said:


> Shall I insert more excuses? I have lots of 'em.


Don't bother, I think there's a 20,000 word limit on each post! 

🙂


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## TrueNorthGear

I'm looking at placing my first plastisol transfer order for a mix of garments including 100% Polyester items. Some items like hoodies, sweatpants and jogger pants may require the use of heat press pillows to work around seams, etc.

I'm looking at Versatrans and Transfer Express Elasti-Prints. I'm in Canada, and both are making a good effort to support Canadian customers.

Any issues applying with the use of pillows? 

I have done tests with the samples from each company on polyester and they worked well. I did use a flexible application pad with the versatrans because I found 320 to still scorch/mark the polyester. Elasti-prints can be applied as low as 275 but are a cold peel.

Has anyone tried applying versatrans lower than 320?

I like versatrans bigger sheet. If I hadn't just missed out on their 50% off your first order promo for new customers, the versatrans would be an easy decision.

Thanks.


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## splathead

Pillows are not an issue as long as you maintain your pressure setting.


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## danversatrans

You can press them at a lower temp but as you lower the temp you will need to add time. There is not a you lower this much you need to add this time.You will have to experiment with YOUR press and garments you will be using. I have pressed some at 305 for 15 seconds with firm pressure on poly and worked great. But that is with my press and I had to play around with a few shirts before I could get it right. Should you need another sample packet to play with just let me know.


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## TrueNorthGear

Thanks splathead and Dan. That all sounds good. Using the flexible application pad at 320 and double the time worked in testing with the polyester before. I may try reducing the temp a few degrees and adding to the time.

Should be no need for more samples. I'll be ordering more than I need to fulfill current orders so that I have some on hand for future orders, so I'll have some to test with.

I know pressure is important with transfers, that's why I wasn't sure about using the pillows. 

Thanks again.


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## lkt1954

Their title says it all "The Best Custom Transfers". Not only in quality but customer service as well.
Last week we received a bad set of transfers (splotchy in places), sent a picture to customer service, followed up the next morning and was told we are reviewing and will get back to you in a hour. Thirty minutes later I had an email saying the order was being reprinted and shipped NDA........................


Had this been *&* expressions after multiple emails and limited customer service discussions we might have got his done.


It was very refreshing for a vendor to see the problem and fix it without a lot of BS.


Thanks Versatranz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## TrueNorthGear

I just placed my first order with Versatrans. Excited to see the proof and final product.


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## danversatrans

TrueNorthGear said:


> I just placed my first order with Versatrans. Excited to see the proof and final product.


Let me know if you need anything or if I can help in any way


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## TrueNorthGear

danversatrans said:


> Let me know if you need anything or if I can help in any way


Thanks Dan. Stacey has been helpful in making sure everything goes smoothly. Artwork is approved and moving to production.

So far the only thing that could be better would be lower shipping rates. Based on some of the previous comments I was expecting it to be in the $20 range for 25 sheets, but it was double that.

Excited to receive the transfers and start pressing.


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## Diesel Tuner

I use Versatranz and have never had an issue with them. Just wish it was a little cheaper to do smaller orders. I do a lot of small runs for schools where they only want 10 to 20 shirts for the small teams they have now a days.


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## danversatrans

Diesel Tuner said:


> I use Versatranz and have never had an issue with them. Just wish it was a little cheaper to do smaller orders. I do a lot of small runs for schools where they only want 10 to 20 shirts for the small teams they have now a days.


Is there a way you can gang a couple different jobs together?


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## Diesel Tuner

danversatrans said:


> Is there a way you can gang a couple different jobs together?



I try to gang when possible, but sometimes I only need 20 designs and with the size sheets you use I may only need 3 to 5 sheets for the complete order.


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## TrueNorthGear

Diesel Tuner said:


> I try to gang when possible, but sometimes I only need 20 designs and with the size sheets you use I may only need 3 to 5 sheets for the complete order.


Same issue for me. I ganged 4 normal sized designs with 8 smaller logos to fill the space. I do not 'need' 25 of each main design, but rolled the dice that future school sales will use up the additional ones I'm getting with the 25 sheets. I'm taking a bit of a gamble, but really wanted to lower my per design cost.


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## danversatrans

You can also sometimes gang two or even three different jobs on the same sheet...I know you don't always get two or three jobs at same time with the same or close to same color combination, but when you do try to take advantage of it..


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## trendytees2

We use Versatranz and gang one color of different designs. Saves us a ton of money that way!


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## Diesel Tuner

TrueNorthGear said:


> Same issue for me. I ganged 4 normal sized designs with 8 smaller logos to fill the space. I do not 'need' 25 of each main design, but rolled the dice that future school sales will use up the additional ones I'm getting with the 25 sheets. I'm taking a bit of a gamble, but really wanted to lower my per design cost.


 I role the dice quite a bit, Hopefully it will pay off in the end.


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## chosler

I have a random question and hope someone knows the answer - was there a "Versatrans standard" transfer at one point back in the day? I believe at the time the EPT was an upgrade. I have an old application sheet that says to apply at 380, firm pressure, for 8-12 seconds. I KNOW that's not correct for the current EPT. I don't have anything I need to do with the info - I've just tried to look online as well as through this forum and can't find any information about anything being discontinued or replaced. Now it's just bugging me and at this point I NEED to know to satisfy my curiosity. Thanks for any info anyone may have


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## splathead

chosler said:


> was there a "Versatrans standard" transfer at one point back in the day? I believe at the time the EPT was an upgrade.


Yes, and not too long ago. It wasn't an upgrade but an alternative.

It did not use an adhesive additive by the feel of them. And probably because of that, shelf life was significantly shorter than EPT. As you say, it also had a much higher temperature setting. I recall 350 but could have been 380.

Didn't even miss them to know they were gone. once you use EPT you wouldn't want to go back.


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## splathead

[email protected], 

Do you guys have a staff person, or service, to monitor shipper's on-time delivery guarantees?

I ask because I just received an overnight today that was supposed to get here yesterday. Tracking doesn't show a reason for the delay. It was picked up on time from you, just didn't get here overnight.

This isn't unusual with Fedex. In my own dealings I find they miss their guarantee delivery about 20% of the time. I file a claim and get refunded every time it happens. With your shipping volume, you should be doing that too.

It was no big deal on this shipment. I didn't need the transfers immediately so a day's delay doesn't hurt. But you should get your money back for it. And for all the other packages that, no doubt, don't get delivered in time due to the shipper's fault. 

There are companies you can hire that uses automation to monitor all your shipments.


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## danversatrans

Hi Joe

Thanks for bringing that to our attention. We do not monitor shipper's on-time delivery guarantees . But will look at how we can start. We do get a report from FedEx ever 3 months that show percentage of packages that WERE delivered on time. And that is always in 95 plus percentile . But again that is their numbers. And we only go by when customers call with an issue. So you have got my attention  

Thank You


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## TrueNorthGear

Wow! Am I ever impressed. Placed my order Monday evening, approved the proof Tuesday around 1:30pm (the proof was available by around 10:00am, i just had some questions before I was ready to approve). 25 sheets printed and shipped less than 24 hours after approval, and at more door 24 hours later. I'm over 1100 miles north west of their facility in Canada.

The transfers look fantastic. Designs are three color, but not overly complicated, but the quality is amazing. I'll be pressing some of them this weekend.

Thanks to Stacey for answering all of my questions during my first order. Real easy process, and amazing communication.


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## TrueNorthGear

Pressed a few 100% Cotton t-shirts, 50/50 hoodies and 50/50 sweatpants today, and the results were amazing.

I'm totally impressed with the entire Versatrans experience. Keep up the great work!


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## binki

We have used a number of the transfer companies and the best one we have worked with is Versatranz. At ISS in Long Beach F/M had an interesting product on a clear sheet. We may try them again as it looks like they have revamped their website.


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## mikej24

Would you mind posting a pic of the finished product?


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## into the T

time for another update of the versatrans sample transfers:

once again the wash/dry testing consists of simply throwing the pressed samples into my regular laundry loads
it is washed in warm water and dried in a tumble dryer on medium and/or medium-high (on my drier it is 2 notches below hot on a scale with 6 notches)
must be up around 50 cycles by now

the fabric is a 50/50 cotton/poly gildan dryblend

nothing new to report,
except it continues to exceed my initial expectations based on other plastisol transfers i have trialed

i added a ruler to highlight the small text size and how not even one tittle has failed

the colors of the vw bug and rainbow remain as vibrant as ever,
and the metallics still retain the shimmer effect

re-reading my first post in this thread i would like to reiterate their customer service is a big plus in my books


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## RAExpressions

I buy my transfers from one of two company's. Versatrans and Transfer Express. Both have met my expectations in quality and customer service. My customers love the final product as well.


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## ToxicPressApparel

into the T said:


> ~ email versatrans for free sample
> ~ receive phone call next morning to make sure i am not a bot and in the biz
> ~ receive transfers in the mail quite quickly considering i don't live in usa
> ~ expecting a 5"x5" sample, surprised by package containing a range of samples
> (incl. all their colors in 1"x1" squares, see pic below)
> ~ cut part of unwashed test tee for pressing versatrans samples
> ~ sticky-brush material, pre-press garment swatch and press at recommended settings
> ~ peel hot and re-press for 1/2 the time covered with parchment paper
> ~ do the exact same procedure on unused section of swatch as a verification
> i let the now pressed designs hang off the bottom platen, so they were not re-heated
> 
> i have run about 8 wash/dry cycles and been pleasantly surprised at the outcome
> (my small pool of samples previous did not make it past 4 cycles without major issues)
> 
> there are no visible issues and the colors are still very vibrant
> i left the instructions on when i pressed, to test how small/fine lines would hold-up in testing
> 
> will update after a dozen or more wash/dry cycles
> 
> EDIT: this is on a heather gray 50/50 dry-blend


Very cool stuff ! The reason I want the 8 color is because if I am buying equipment I might as buy equipment that allows me to cover all bases and I find most designs turn out with 5 to 10 colors anyways . I have Seperation studio 4 so I can multiply design info and delete certain colors but I would rather have the ability to be able to instead of having to loose quality if that makes sense .


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## splathead

into the T said:


> expecting a 5"x5" sample, surprised by package containing a range of samples
> (incl. all their colors in 1"x1" squares, see pic below)


Holy crap, how do you screen print a color chart? CMYK?


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## into the T

splathead said:


> Holy crap, how do you screen print a color chart? CMYK?


are you asking me Joe?

that was simply part of the sample pack they sent me


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## splathead

into the T said:


> are you asking me Joe?
> 
> that was simply part of the sample pack they sent me


Oh I know. Was asking anyone who knows. Dan, where you at?


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## into the T

whew!
i thought you were testing me


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## danversatrans

splathead said:


> Oh I know. Was asking anyone who knows. Dan, where you at?


It’s done with our stock colors. We just set the press up run as many colors as will fit on a sheet. We want our customers to be able to see the real stock colors. Then if the customer presses them on white they will see actual color.


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## danversatrans

danversatrans said:


> It’s done with our stock colors. We just set the press up run as many colors as will fit on a sheet. We want our customers to be able to see the real stock colors. Then if the customer presses them on white they will see actual color.


Production hates it 😁. Takes forever to run the color swatches 🤪


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## splathead

danversatrans said:


> Production hates it 😁. Takes forever to run the color swatches 🤪


I can imagine. I was trying to visualize a 95 color carousel press.


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## into the T

well i thought i would do a final update

when i first learned about plastisol transfers i was pretty excited as i do my own designs and very little custom, and i was looking to save time on cutting and weeding htv

so got as many samples from as many suppliers as i could,
and my excitement quickly dwindled
i won't list the bad, only encourage everyone to get samples and do the dozen wash/dry tests before selling (any decoration process really, not just plastisol transfers)

so when i got some samples from versatrans (click here for their free sample page) i was not expecting great things
i did like that their website automatically adapted to canadian dollars for pricing (shows caring about their customers),
and this attention has carried through to all my interactions with both dan and the company as a whole

well as this thread attests, i could not be happier with the longevity of the transfers themselves, but the colors have also stood the test of time and wash/dry cycles incredibly well

i think the most important tool for anyone starting out is the heatpress
you will have enough on your plate to worry about, so imo it is better to buy a good used press than a cheap new

happy trails to all here
every journey begins with a single step, so step out in faith and try something new


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## TeedUp

into the T said:


> well i thought i would do a final update
> ....
> every journey begins with a single step, so step out in faith and try something new


Man, that just threw a wet blanket on my day. Sorry to see you go, in the last year or so I've enjoyed all, but just a small fraction of your total contributions, that I've seen.

So what's next for you, my friend?


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## NoXid

into the T said:


> well i thought i would do a final update...
> happy trails to all here
> every journey begins with a single step, so step out in faith and try something new


I hope your new trail is rewarding in all ways. Thanks for the insights and discussions.


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## into the T

TeedUp said:


> Man, that just threw a wet blanket on my day. Sorry to see you go, in the last year or so I've enjoyed all, but just a small fraction of your total contributions, that I've seen.
> 
> So what's next for you, my friend?


illness in the family led to a change of plans
i did move, but stayed in canuckistan


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## webtrekker

into the T said:


> we are heading to nicaragua
> 
> once settled i would like to help some of the local challenged kids make tee's,
> and maybe convince some local shops to carry them
> thinking about maybe hand-painting with brushes and then moving them onto airbrushing (trigger-style airbrush for easier control)


Best of luck in your new venture (adventure?) my friend. Would love to see you come back in here once you've settled and show us your progress.

Onward and upward!


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## aidensnd

Just an update regarding Versatranz. Not sure what has happened but the customer service is terrible now and the quality of the transfers themselves seems to have dropped too. Bummer as they were my go to.


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## NoXid

aidensnd said:


> Just an update regarding Versatranz. Not sure what has happened but the customer service is terrible now and the quality of the transfers themselves seems to have dropped too. Bummer as they were my go to.


Could be the never-ending pandemic apocalypse. Seems everyone is struggling to find and retain the people they need.


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## lkt1954

aidensnd said:


> Just an update regarding Versatranz. Not sure what has happened but the customer service is terrible now and the quality of the transfers themselves seems to have dropped too. Bummer as they were my go to.


The only change in Versatranz that we have seen lately is the turn around time has improved from the 2-4 days that it was. Quality is as good as ever.


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## binki

We just left them for poor quality. Nearly every job in the last 6 months had misprints and they printed an entire job wrong and won't give me a refund, only a 50% credit on a future screwed up order. They were good for many years but recently they have bee awful. Consider yourself lucky to get good prints from them.


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## aidensnd

I just gave them one more chance with a multi color design. Terrible. Completely unusable. They look like the cheesy transfers you can print on an ink-jet. The 'Eliminator' 'clear' outline has eliminated Versatrans as a multi-color option for me and their terrible customer service has now ruled them out as a single color option too.

This is a pic of their 'perfect' registration with the Eliminator outline. It must be me but I never realized that perfect registration should be offset to the right, but only on some colors...









Looks real good, definitely quality work...


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## binki

aidensnd said:


> I just gave them one more chance with a multi color design. Terrible. Completely unusable. They look like the cheesy transfers you can print on an ink-jet. The 'Eliminator' 'clear' outline has eliminated Versatrans as a multi-color option for me and their terrible customer service has now ruled them out as a single color option too.
> 
> This is a pic of their 'perfect' registration with the Eliminator outline. It must be me but I never realized that perfect registration should be offset to the right, but only on some colors...
> View attachment 275616
> 
> 
> Looks real good, definitely quality work...
> View attachment 275617


Yeah, we went to Howards and 613 but Howards is much better quality.


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## aidensnd

Yeah, I prefer Howard's over 613. Just wish they had a soft, low temp, 320F, one for poly-blends. That's what drives me nuts about Versatrans. The single colors are great. I don't understand why their multi-colors are so so bad. 
And why are they the only ones who print on paper with a grid on the back? That seems like a no-brainer to me, baffles me that no one else does it...


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