# SOFTEST HAND Heat Transfer



## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

Hello i am currently looking to see if i can find the softest hand heat transfers that might come close to sublimation or a DTG print soft hands, which i know might not exist. What printer technology would be the best for a soft hand, laser printer or inkjet? Has anybody tried the SingleJet from RhinoTech, cant find any reviews on this product from the forums. I heard that the JetPro Soft Stretch from neenah are pretty good. How does it compared to the ChromaBlast Heat Transfer system? thank you guys and hope to learn something new. cheers


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Soft is a relative term..... IMO no transfers like you are describing are soft.... But opinions vary on this subject..... So best to get some samples to see for yourself...


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

royster13 said:


> Soft is a relative term..... IMO no transfers like you are describing are soft.... But opinions vary on this subject..... So best to get some samples to see for yourself...


JPSS I cannot detect the hand after the first wash. None. Not bad initially either.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

thanks mgparrish for the reply. I appreciate it. i basically came up with a list of transfer papers with the best potential for the softest hand. has any body tried the NuCoat PermaTrans Soft-T/SuperSoft paper from dharmatrading.com? what about the ClearSoft inkJet from proworldinc.com? Any body tried the Neenah ElastiJet?..I am thinking of getting some JPSS but if i can get the same soft Hand for cheaper, with the other brands i mentioned, then that would be ideal..Also what ink do you think is best for the optimal results. Dye ink or pigment ink?... thank you guys.....feeling good about this thread for some reason


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> thanks mgparrish for the reply. I appreciate it. i basically came up with a list of transfer papers with the best potential for the softest hand. has any body tried the NuCoat PermaTrans Soft-T/SuperSoft paper from dharmatrading.com? what about the ClearSoft inkJet from proworldinc.com? Any body tried the Neenah ElastiJet?..I am thinking of getting some JPSS but if i can get the same soft Hand for cheaper, with the other brands i mentioned, then that would be ideal..Also what ink do you think is best for the optimal results. Dye ink or pigment ink?... thank you guys.....feeling good about this thread for some reason


Keep in mind many papers are just private labeled by vendors as there are not so many factories making papers.

JPSS I have not seen any private relabeling on that before but Clearsoft has also been called "Iron all for lights" and other names. Not sure on the Dharma papers, but I think one of those perhaps "Super Soft" is the same as Clearsoft, but I could be mistaken.

Do not use dye inks, they can fade, bleed, or run in the wash. Pigments are best practice.


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## RobertTSS (Dec 4, 2009)

I agree 100% with mgparrish, Jet-Pro SofStretch is virtually undetectable in terms of hand after one wash. For light fabrics using an ink-jet printer, it would be my paper of choice.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks you guys so much. What would be the best pigment paint i can get in bulk? for dark colors do the Neenah 3g jet-opaque and regular opaque have a similar hand as the JPSS?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> Thanks you guys so much. What would be the best pigment paint i can get in bulk? for dark colors do the Neenah 3g jet-opaque and regular opaque have a similar hand as the JPSS?


I use Cobra's pigments inks and buy in bulk. They have the same color characteristics as Epson inks but do not color shift when heat pressed. There are other vendors as well for after market pigments.

All opaque transfers have hand before and after washing, some more than others.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

Thank you mgparrish for your reply's. so so helpful. dont want to change the subject but, for sublimation i know its better to pair ink and paper for specific purpose, so do pigment inks also fall under best practice for sublimation?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> Thank you mgparrish for your reply's. so so helpful. dont want to change the subject but, for sublimation i know its better to pair ink and paper for specific purpose, so do pigment inks also fall under best practice for sublimation?


Pigment inks are for any kind of inkjet transfer paper, light or opaque. Depending on the ink properties, color management, printer paper settings etc. may need to be adjusted on a per paper type basis, other than that the inks are not really married to specific paper.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

oh ok, so would i be able to use the pigment CobraInk for the JPSS heat transfers ON JetCol sublimation paper and get some acceptable results?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> oh ok, so would i be able to use the pigment CobraInk for the JPSS heat transfers ON JetCol sublimation paper and get some acceptable results?


Inkjet transfers with pigment inks are one way to make a tshirt.

Sublimation transfers with sublimation inks are another way to make a tshirt.

Sublimation paper only release sublimation dye onto the poly garment.

Pigment inks bond to a plastic release paper (ie JPSS) onto the tshirt. In a sense this type of transfer is a sticker.

Sublimation is a pure dyeing process, no printed "sticker" involved.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

ok i see. so if you were to use sublimation dye ink on heat transfer paper it would not bond to the paper(plastic release) as good as inkjet pigment ink? and if you were to use inkjet pigment ink on sublimation paper, it would not dye the polyester as good?..correct? so basically PHYSICALLY it can be done, but results are not good correct?...


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> ok i see. so if you were to use sublimation dye ink on heat transfer paper it would not bond to the paper(plastic release) as good as inkjet pigment ink?
> 
> It would bond to the plastic release paper with no problem. If the tshirt was 50/50 the poly fibers of the tshirt would also get sublimated.
> 
> ...


I marked up above.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

prepping?..wow..would of never thought... what would be the benefits of prepping. why would some one choose to prep a shirt instead of just going the more normal route? mgparrish seriously thank you, hope im not taking too much of your time.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> prepping?..wow..would of never thought... what would be the benefits of prepping. why would some one choose to prep a shirt instead of just going the more normal route? mgparrish seriously thank you, hope im not taking too much of your time.


Prepping would be to save the cost of the 50/50 vs. a more expensive 100% poly shirt. Note that I am not an advocate of prepping, but it exists and some do it.


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

i like Transjet II or singlejet by rhinotech then JPSs. If you want you can buy sample pack and test it then choose what paper you like. I buy my paper from Heat Transfer Paper


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

mgparrish thank you so much for clearing everything up. God Bless seriously. to MYDAMIT i have been looking at videos of the singlejet from rhinotech. does it offer the equivalent soft hand or better as the jpss? what about transjet II, same soft hand or better?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> mgparrish thank you so much for clearing everything up. God Bless seriously. to MYDAMIT i have been looking at videos of the singlejet from rhinotech. does it offer the equivalent soft hand or better as the jpss? what about transjet II, same soft hand or better?


Transjet 2 I use as well, it takes about 3 washes before it gets soft, there is still a little hand leftover, more so than JPSS, but not objectionable.

Transjet 2 is nearly goof proof whereas JPSS takes a really good heat press and a little bit of a learning curve.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

i read that jpss is a hot or cold peel, but which one gives you better results?...hot peel?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> i read that jpss is a hot or cold peel, but which one gives you better results?...hot peel?


Cold peel can be done, but cold peel can crack after washing. Best practice is hot peel, using the max pressure possible and at the upper limit of the papers documented temp and dwell setting.

After hot peel, place parchement paper over transfer and repress for 10 seconds.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

i read that sometimes the paper you use to heat set for 10 seconds might leave a shiny surface, does this hold true with the parchment paper? some people use regular inkjet printer paper sheets


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

infomatrix said:


> i read that sometimes the paper you use to heat set for 10 seconds might leave a shiny surface, does this hold true with the parchment paper? some people use regular inkjet printer paper sheets


Yes, it will smooth out the transfer surface. This helps adhesion since when your are peeling the transfer you are lifting back the plastic applied and the bond is not perfect. Repressing helps it make a better seal.

Parchment paper won't stick to the transfer as some papers can and it is available in wide rolls. Regular paper some of the transfer and ink might stick to it.


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

I got some video i made but in Pilipino language here's is the link
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=724713680893178&set=vb.179599935404558&type=2&theater
here's also the 2nd wash pciture


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

MYDAMIT said:


> I got some video i made but in Pilipino language here's is the link
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=724713680893178&set=vb.179599935404558&type=2&theater
> here's also the 2nd wash pciture


Nice! When you do side by side comparisons you should also show where the clear unprinted area of the carrier paper boundary is. In other words show how the papers compare for the background "window" effect.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

holy moly!..MYDAMIT you are crazy awesome...this is perfect!...but like mgparrish suggested, showing the polymer window IF ANY, would be ideal also. Very smart and precise info on his part. any way how does it look to you guys. to me the tranjet looks the darkest. rhinotech looks the lightest in color. and jpss looks in between in terms of color. next would be the hand. which one is the softest. then its all up to how long they last and hold their color. what do you guys think now with some visual proof?..which one do you lean to?...im leaning towards jpss thanks to mgparrish's priceless insights and with MYDAMIT visual info. even though transjet looks the darkest(slightly) ,not sure how soft it is.


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

Sir if you watch the video im pointing the polymer side between jpss and rhinotech but i used my language(pilipino) in my video. Observation the polymer of the JPSS is more cleared than Rhinotech and Transjet. Rhinotech and Transjet are the same paper and result, i cannot get any diffrence between the two. By the way in the picture the JPSS become dull. If you can look at picture 5 you can see the text "jetrpo and rhino" the rhinotech is more black or darker than JPSS. After 2nd wash the polymer or ghost effect is gone for the 3 papers. Try to experiment too and show some result and post.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

oh , MYDAMIT i am so sorry. i was in a rush and didn't get a chance to go over everything until much later.. now i see what going on. So your saying that the jpss paper has LESS of a polymer window than the rest?...


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

no, the Rhino & transjet are less polymer..you cannot even see the polymer in first wash. JPSS is become dull on 2nd wash not like in Rhino and Trans it still vibrant.


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

wow would of never guessed it. what about the soft hand. They all feel the same softness?


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

yes they all the same..if you want really feel soft try sublimation process.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

MYDAMIT said:


> no, the Rhino & transjet are less polymer..you cannot even see the polymer in first wash. JPSS is become dull on 2nd wash not like in Rhino and Trans it still vibrant.


 I find on Transjet the polymer show less on 100% cotton than JPSS, on 50/50 JPSS wins. I haven't tried Rhinotech. It can also matter from tshirt brand to shirt brand a bit. On 50/50 you cannot see the polymer after the first wash, very little before.

On JPSS the pressure should be the max, it should be very difficult to close the press for best results.


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## sais (Sep 2, 2013)

do i need to re press when using JPSS?and how is that?TIA


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## infomatrix (Mar 28, 2013)

mgparrish is right it could also be becuayse of the type of shirt you are using. MYDAMIT what type of shirt did you use? sais it would be ideal if you repress with another paper on top to reseal the adhesive back to the shirt fibers.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

sais said:


> do i need to re press when using JPSS?and how is that?TIA


Re-pressing is a good idea. Cover with parchment paper for the re-press. This helps smooth out any roughness from the peel and also drives the polymer deeper into the material.


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## sais (Sep 2, 2013)

mgparrish said:


> Re-pressing is a good idea. Cover with parchment paper for the re-press. This helps smooth out any roughness from the peel and also drives the polymer deeper into the material.


Hi sir Mike.is the parchment paper reusable?TIA


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

sais said:


> Hi sir Mike.is the parchment paper reusable?TIA


Yes, it can be reused some, it is also cheap. You can get at the grocery store or at Costco. Costco has it the cheapest in longer and wider rolls.


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## ladycage (Jul 11, 2015)

Has anyone else done any more testing on Transjet paper? How have the shirts held up after time with multiple washes?


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