# Plastisol vs Vinyl



## jcdsog

Had a question. I used to screen print for over 4 years so I know a little something. I got out of it about 4 years ago.

I'm wanting to print shirts to sell locally and I've decided to get a heat press to do this. It was just way too messy last time. I'd so much rather sub the prints out. Plus I have other things that take up so much of my time.

So, I have a few questions for some of you heat press guys.

Firstly, I dont know whether to go with plastisol or cut vinyl.

I will mostly be doing spot colors at first. Simple designs.

What are you guys using?


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## ole Jobe

I screen, cut vinyl and use digital transfers. All have a advantages and limitations. With vinyl, the designs you can do are limited, and it gets rather expensive to have the variety of colors needed. With digital transfers, you are limited to light shirts (I have tried the transfers for dark shirts but don't like them). In screen printing, setup costs for small runs are excessively high. So it just depends on what you want to do. Ole Jobe


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## Colorfast

ole Jobe said:


> I screen, cut vinyl and use digital transfers. All have a advantages and limitations. With vinyl, the designs you can do are limited, and it gets rather expensive to have the variety of colors needed. With digital transfers, you are limited to light shirts (I have tried the transfers for dark shirts but don't like them). In screen printing, setup costs for small runs are excessively high. So it just depends on what you want to do. Ole Jobe


All good points. I do inkjet transfers, vinyl and plastisol transfers and contract out large screen printing of the larger multi color jobs.

Vinyl is best for 1 and 2 color jobs. I stock red, royal, white and black vinyl. Speciality Graphics (forum sponsor) sells several brands by the foot so if you need other colors check with them. Depending on the design vinyl I think vinyl is good up to 50 shirts. When I get in the 24 range I compare vinyl time and cost verse plastisol. Also vinyl is good for RUSH if you can sell them on a color you have in stock.

Plastisol transfers are definitely cleaner and easier than screen printing. Once you have the plastisol transfers you can print a shirt as quick as or quicker than screen printing.

Profit on plastisol is less than screen print but you are only doing half the work. No emulsions, chemicals etc to worry about.


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## drscotty14

Colorfast said:


> Profit on plastisol is less than screen print but you are only doing half the work. No emulsions, chemicals etc to worry about.


can you tell the difference between a plastisol heat transfer shirt and a screen printed shirt? 

what are the difference with the end product?


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## splathead

drscotty14 said:


> can you tell the difference between a plastisol heat transfer shirt and a screen printed shirt?
> 
> what are the difference with the end product?


Done right you can not tell the difference.


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## Mabuzi

Depends on the how close the suppliers are.

I have used the screen printed transfers on the trickier orders, so when there are distressed fonts and cut vinyl or print and cut transfers on simpler orders.

look at the Roland desktop BN20


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## sben763

I can tell the difference but just because the transfers usually have less of a hand. If you have ever pressed a screen printed shirt you will notice the ink gets less of a hand. 

I know I'm the odd man out but I rather direct screen print then run that heat press. I hate pressing shirts.


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## wormil

drscotty14 said:


> can you tell the difference between a plastisol heat transfer shirt and a screen printed shirt?
> 
> what are the difference with the end product?


Depends on the quality of both. Transfers tend to be a little smoother and sometimes thicker but with hot splits sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.


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## manie187

So overall Vinyl is cheaper? for small order... does any body know of any cheap vinyl suppliers in the UK?


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## royster13

manie187 said:


> So overall Vinyl is cheaper? for small order... does any body know of any cheap vinyl suppliers in the UK?


Depends on the size of the design and the quantity.......I just quoted on an order for 24 shirts.....The design is 9" x 12".....

To do transfers it will cost me 43.60 (with no extras)....To do vinyl it will cost me 45.60 (15" wide) and 36.00 (24" wide)....That is if I have the right colour and size in stock......If I have to special order just for this order, my cost will go up some....

So in this instance I may be able to save a little bit of money with vinyl but it will really increase my workload...And if the design is complicated, weeding can be a nightmare.....

Also, with transfers I typically order extras for add on sales or other types of garments and for future re-orders....


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## Wolf

Hi Manie 
offhand I know of TheMagicTouch (GB) Ltd. and Transfer Systems and Support Products | Xpres.co.uk.


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## manie187

Thanks wolf will look into them


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## kingdomklothing

What about the Kobra Ink system is that considered Digital

Sent from my 5860E using T-Shirt Forums


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## ole Jobe

Cobra inks are for sublimination. This is digital but better and more expensive than inkjet.


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## DigitalMayhem

*Re: Re: Plastisol vs Vinyl*



ole Jobe said:


> Cobra inks are for sublimination.


???



Sent from my LTEvo.


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