# Storing Plastisol Heat Transfers



## acetate (Feb 21, 2007)

Hi,

Is there any issues with storing plastisol heat transfers for long periods of time? It’s certainly cheaper to order in bulk but this may require storage for extended periods e.g. years. It gets quite hot and humid here in summer – will this effect them at all? Any storage tips – air tight containers, desiccant etc. 

Thanks.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I think keeping them in a dark cool place is best. I store them in plastic bags and then inside pizza boxes. the pizza boxes stack easy and you can write on the front what the contents are inside. I keep them in a closet. ..... JB


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

Pizza box, excellent idea. I keep mine in the plastic bags they come in, but never thought of a pizza box, thanks JB.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

acetate said:


> Hi,
> 
> Is there any issues with storing plastisol heat transfers for long periods of time? It’s certainly cheaper to order in bulk but this may require storage for extended periods e.g. years. It gets quite hot and humid here in summer – will this effect them at all? Any storage tips – air tight containers, desiccant etc.


Don't bulk up too much. They have a shelf life. F&M says 3 years.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

splathead said:


> Don't bulk up too much. They have a shelf life. F&M says 3 years.


I was told by the owner of ACE TRANSFER that he has used transfers 10 yrs. old with no issue. I found this hard to believe, But he then showed me. He told me to keep them sealed in plastic bag( to reduce dust) in a cool place out of light for best shelf life. .... JB


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

I store transfers (inkjet) in plastic and then I store them either in those stackable "inbox trays" that folks use in offices, and the other place I store them is in those plastic stackable organizers that have pull out drawers, the ones made for organizing paper, usually scrapbooking papers. Keeps them nice and neat and within reach.


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## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

I know that I have pressed transfer from back in the 70s and they still work. just keep them dry!


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## acetate (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks everyone - might be worth my while investing in an air-tight container.

Cheers.


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## queerrep (Jul 18, 2006)

acetate said:


> Thanks everyone - might be worth my while investing in an air-tight container.
> 
> Cheers.


I trim down my plastisol transfers (because they are usually ganged on a sheet) and put each design in a very big zip-lock bag that I purchased on ebay. I store them in a large cardboard storage box I got from IKEA.


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## cuush.com (Apr 8, 2006)

White ink transfers (plastisol) have a general shelf life of 1 year...
something about the pigment in white ink that doesn't fare well over time.
(white ink is troublesome in EVERY form of printing - screenprinting, DTG, transfers, you name it!).

Leading up to the one year mark, you'll notice the transfers will be harder to pull, 
and eventually they will stop releasing from the paper in certain areas...which effectively ruins the transfer/shirt.

Black ink (and colors) have a general shelf life of 2 years...
although you can squeeze more out of them, sometimes MUCH more.

We work with one of the largest transfer companies in the business (they switch inks and paper regularly, looking for better solutions), 
this is their experience from the past 30 years of business. This is also OUR experience with their transfers in the last few years of business.

Just because someone says it worked for them 10 years later, doesn't mean that it will work for you...and everytime you try.
Even if every second transfer works...you're now wasting ONE extra shirt per order to find out. Gambling is not how you run a business.

The above are loose guidelines...but they *are* guidelines you need to consider if you want to be successful.

We never buy more than 100 sheets at a time for our print-to-order business model...
too much potential waste, and not enough savings (in the long run).

2cents


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## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

Ok when you use the older transfer I have had 1 or 2 that did not peel but then I put in wash and have no problems getting the paper off. There is nothing wrong with older transfer just need to learn about them is all!


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## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

here is one my son wares all the time and it been washed lot and it is over 10 years old.

The other one is my wifes, and yes it was one that stuck and I just washed it and it came out good. Now its been washed over 10 times, and lot of the older members will tell you when I wash I beat the hell out of them to make sure there is Quality!


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## cuush.com (Apr 8, 2006)

mrdavid said:


> here is one my son wares all the time and it been washed lot and it is over 10 years old.
> 
> The other one is my wifes, and yes it was one that stuck and I just washed it and it came out good. Now its been washed over 10 times, and lot of the older members will tell you when I wash I beat the hell out of them to make sure there is Quality!


I was referring to "Plastisol" transfers...the ink used for screenprinting.
You're right tho, I'd be willing to bet "Vinyl" transfers will last as long as a plastic water bottle ie) forever.

So, I suppose the answer depends on what kind of transfers you're talking about (inkjet, vinyl, plastisol)...
you certainly CANNOT put Plastisol transfers in the washing machine tho...only vinyl could handle that kind of abuse.


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## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

This is Plastisol transfers that are in the pic. And if you can not peel the paper off after pressing then yes you can put them in the wash and take the paper off that way.


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

I use plastic bags(from the grocery store) and wrap them up nicely then put them in cardboard boxes and then stack them up in the closet.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

Nick, try the pizza box idea,it will take much less time to fin transfer when looking for them. I have over 1000 different designs stored and can get what I need in a flash. .... JB


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

Thank's COEDS i forgot to mention that i do use the pizza boxes as well. I actually got the idea from you a couple months back but with so many plastisols (i get huge orders) i have to put them in bigger boxes.


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## cuush.com (Apr 8, 2006)

mrdavid said:


> This is Plastisol transfers that are in the pic. And if you can not peel the paper off after pressing then yes you can put them in the wash and take the paper off that way.


Wow, that first one is so shiny it looked like vinyl...my bad.

Anyway, most of our designs are one color with heavy use of halftones...
if the dots don't want to release the from the paper, nothing will save them. 
At the size of a pinhead, they just don't hold the paper to the shirt long enough to wash them...
the paper just comes off easily, without the ink. 

But I'm curious now...
when you wash them, what exactly is creating the "release"...is it the heat? The water?

We have some solid designs that could possibly be washed, 
but there's no way we can afford to regularly wash shirts that don't turn out...too costly. 
What else could we do that's cheaper...soak it in hot water?


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I would think soaking in water would do the trick. .... JB


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## acetate (Feb 21, 2007)

So in regards to the white ink going bad does anyone know what the reason for this is - heat / moisture / mould etc. 

This is probably a bit left field but would throwing them in a freezer help? After all it's cold, dry, sealed and I got a big chest freezer here sitting empty


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

The cooler they're kept the better, but a freezer is a little extreme. I have never heard of white ink going bad myself. .... JB


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Where are you fellas getting the pizza boxes from? Thanks.


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

ambitious said:


> Thank's COEDS i forgot to mention that i do use the pizza boxes as well. I actually got the idea from you a couple months back but with so many plastisols (i get huge orders) i have to put them in bigger boxes.


 
Hi Nick, do you mean boxes bigger than pizza boxes? If yes, what do you use?


Hi Jackson, if you have that many on hand, maybe you will need to upgrade to a system more like Nick's. ??

PS: Am I confused today, or are there two threads happening right now on storing a large inventory of plastisols?? 

Edit: Yep, and most of us are in both! I'm going to link them up:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t61971.html#post367632

Acetate, here is a thread on a similar subject, maybe something in there can help you, too.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I have been answering both wonder what was happening to my previous post. ..... Duh.... LOL ..... JB


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## ashamutt (Feb 22, 2008)

COEDS said:


> Nick, try the pizza box idea,it will take much less time to fin transfer when looking for them. I have over 1000 different designs stored and can get what I need in a flash. .... JB


JB... are you talking about NEW pizza boxes or the grease stained used ones??? LOL
Really....which ones?

...*if* the grease stained ones..doesn't this affect the transfers?


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I buy my Pizza boxes from SAM'S Club and from GFS. I use brand new boxes and yes used ones would not be useful. ..... JB


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

Girlzndollz said:


> Hi Nick, do you mean boxes bigger than pizza boxes? If yes, what do you use?
> 
> 
> Hi Jackson, if you have that many on hand, maybe you will need to upgrade to a system more like Nick's. ??
> ...


These are the ones i use from uhaul 
U-Haul moving supplies: File Box  but i think any cardboard box will do as well. I started with the pizza boxes that JB recommended but needed to upgrade to something more big in height.


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## cuush.com (Apr 8, 2006)

Girlzndollz said:


> PS: Am I confused today, or are there two threads happening right now on storing a large inventory of plastisols??
> 
> Edit: Yep, and most of us are in both! I'm going to link them up:
> http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t61971.html#post367632


Yeah, my bad...I found this post after I posted mine.

I think changing both thread titles to "pizza boxes: store your transfers in the freezer"...
then make 'em sticky, would solve many printers problems. 

Seriously tho...
we have white ink transfers that are over a year old and still pull fine, just more resistant 
(it's like you can "feel" their age - when new they pulled like hot butter, as they age it gets more like dragging sandpaper across the shirt)...
then there's some where you can see the halftones aren't releasing completely and eventually will be unusable.

We have some of our transfers sitting in an open-air/top file tray...
the rest are still wrapped in the bags they came in and stored in a standard closed file cabinet.

It's all in the house at the moment, and we open the windows each day to get fresh air in. 
Florida is crazy humid, so I'm sure that has some effect on the shelf-life.

Even so, my comments on shelf-life are just guidelines...not exact numbers.
The bottom line is you can't count on transfers after about a year, especially after 2 years.
You may get 5 years...but once the transfers start to cost you ruined shirts, it's not really worth trying to save them.

But I suppose it all depends on your transfers...
we gang sheets of one-color, so per item costs are minimal.
If they were Proce$$ color, we would probably put more effort into saving them.

Ultimately, if you're just starting out...it's never a good idea to buy excessive amounts of stock.
We're three years deep and still only order 100 sheets at a time...t-shirts don't sell as fast as you might think.

And that's why I like pizza boxes...


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I think, the best practice is to order close to what you need. If you need more then re-order, I think this will be cheaper in the log run than hoping the extras are still good when you need them. IMHO .... JB


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## RS71 (Sep 29, 2009)

Does anyone know, if it generally is ok to store plastisol transfers, in this case, they are smaller labels, 1 for each size, from S - 4XL, in plastic snap top containers?

I know these are pretty much air tight, and was wondering if this was ok on the ink.

Thanks everyone.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

RS71 said:


> Does anyone know, if it generally is ok to store plastisol transfers, in this case, they are smaller labels, 1 for each size, from S - 4XL, in plastic snap top containers?
> 
> I know these are pretty much air tight, and was wondering if this was ok on the ink.
> 
> Thanks everyone.


Yes zip top bags are fine. Just try to avoid stacking too many on top of each other.


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## Alexzandra (Apr 2, 2011)

Maybe a stupid question but I'm new at this and want to ship my plastisol transfers...

Just put them in a ziploc and into a bubble wrap envelope going to be good enough?

Also, I can just lay one on top of the other on top of the other, correct? Nothing in between each transfer sheet? Assuming they're gelled?


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

That should be ok. You might want to include a piece of cardboard to prevent bending in transit.


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