# Do i need a cutter/plotter for a heat press business?



## hotwheels (Jul 11, 2008)

Hi
I plan on using my inkjet printer to make transfers then heat press them onto tee's and bags.
I have a customer already keen on 500 bags, the bags will be white and the design is a sort of blue spiral type thing.

Do i need a cutter to cut around every spiral or can i just cut a big quare around the design and have only the design show on the bag, not the excess backing?


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Euan,
Most likely you will be cutting around all of those, unless you use image clip, and that takes some getting used to. If you have not used it before.
Also depending on the bag color, you may have to use the transfer paper for dark colors.

It can be done , but if you want professional awesome results,, I think I would consider a cutter, My opionion is that it will look clean,,,and awesome,,
I do alot of transfers myself,, but unless you are working on white bags,, there will be product left behind unless you cut it off.

2nd option would be to have ace or first edition make you transfers where only the print comes off, if i was doing 500, I would do that,, it should be the least expensive of everything also,
Let us know how it goes,,,


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

vinyl will work if only one color...but I would outsource for the transfer...make sure the bag will take the heat...you might also look at digiprint from transfer express...ordering 500 would get you a good discount


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## hotwheels (Jul 11, 2008)

The image is a 3 color water ripple effect so vinyl wont be an option, looks like ill need a cutter.

the bags are going to be white, what will be left aroun the outside of the design if the paper is also white?

From what people have said so far it seams that a cutter is essential for a transfer business?

Havent heard of image clip before, is that software??


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I would order plastisol transfers for this job. A lot less time and work. The time saved will be worth ordering transfers. ... JB


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

yes, i agree , about the transfers, if you havent worked with ace of first edition, there are others but this will be your best, least expensive way, and with a cutter, you need to know how to run these things, Not something i would want to order when i have a order that needs to be done, soon, I would want time to work with the soft ware and the programs.
Just my opionon.


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## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

If you can spend the money on A cutter it will open other doors so you can make more money just A thought.


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

500 bags. Wouldn,t it be easier to just sub it out to a screen printer?


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

I would Use plastisol transfers as well. Then after making a good profit after a couple other jobs i would buy the cutter. Also just to let you know that for a cutter with good contour cutting features expect to pay over $1500 dollars. Goodluck.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

I think for this job as I stated earlier plastisol would be best. I think as MrDavid said a cutter would be a great addition and open other doors of production. The cutter will allow you to be so much more versatile. ... JB


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## hotwheels (Jul 11, 2008)

Yes i will definatly be getting a cutter in the future as a hope to be doing my own designs onto hoodys and would prefer to do vinyl instead of transfer.

If i got plastisol, the plastisol transfers would come back to me either on sheets with say 6 images on one sheet, or as 500 individual small squres. i could then press the square piece of paper onto the bag and only the design would transfer to the bag, i guess my question was would that be the same if they were printed with a inkjet printer onto transfer paper? Why do i need a cutter to cut EXACTLY around the spiral? What else will show if i just cut a big square around the design?


Sorry im trying to be as clear as i can i hope you understand what i mean


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

The ink jet will print the design and anything around or in that design will transfer too( like space inside the design). You can trim with scissors or a cutter with a optical eye. You can order plastisol too. There are many choices and the cost are much different with each( both labor and monetary). .... JB


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

Unless you are planning on doing large signage, a small desktop vinyl cutter can save you lots of time in the future. Craft Robo from Graphtec is a very popular model.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

DREAMGLASS said:


> Unless you are planning on doing large signage, a small desktop vinyl cutter can save you lots of time in the future. Craft Robo from Graphtec is a very popular model.


I agree with Will,I think a cutter is a good addition. I think for the money a larger cutter from Uscuuter could be attained and be more veratile for futhure products. Good luck. ... JB


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## Cynthia (Jan 5, 2007)

I am still pretty new to this. However, I have a Roland GX-24, which I thought would end my cutting transfer issues. However, when I import art work from a customer and try to outline and extract lines for cutting I usually get jagged lines, which cannot work for cutting. Is there something I am missing??? Thanks...this site is a life-saver.
Cynthia
CynSationally Yours


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

Cynthia have you checked out the videos from Josh Elsworth on the Imprintables website? They have helped me a whole lot. ... JB


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Hotwheels. The difference between the plastisol and inkjet transfers is the inkjet has a polymer coating all over the sheet it is used on and the plastisol has no polymer to transfer, just the image so with the inkjet transfers, you will either trim the paper to not get the polymer ghosting or it will be visable after heat pressing it to the "bags". The plastisol transfers is a better process and has no polymer to be transfer so needs no trimming.
Cynthia. You need to use your art work program ( I use corel) and clean up the image an make sure the cut lines are closed( complete the circle or whatever shape it happens to be) and smooth any lines that aren't supposed to be jagged. I know this doesn't sound "claer" but I'm not good at explaining things very good. Sorry and good luck.


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## Cynthia (Jan 5, 2007)

yes, thanks...I have looked at everything on Utube. Perhaps the art work I am working with does not have smooth lines??? I am going to the SGIA show in Atlanta in October, maybe I will learn something there. 
Cynthia


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

There is a ezine worth looking into, I think this should get you there through google, acdrp. They have FREE siminars at different times and locations around the country about corel draw (assoc. corel draw profesionals) and I'm signed up for the one in Mobile Al at the end of Oct. But check it ouYou can downlaod all the old issues and keep up on corel things in the future.


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## sandollar (Dec 7, 2007)

I'm Having the same problem as Cynthia, I'm forced to brake the poly line and clean up the vector lines one at a time. Which is not to profitable. I wish after you create your art work you can import it into cutstudio and keep the vector art work as it was in corelx3, but it only will import as a jpeg file which just does not work. All roland tells me is there looking into it.


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## Cynthia (Jan 5, 2007)

Well, I am glad to know others have the same problem. I thought this would be a simple way to import graphics and print with vinyl, but it seems that is not the case, at least I cannot do it. I know I am still learning as I go, but this made me feel a little more confident. I have looked into seminars, but they usually are not in the area. But thanks to those with advice. I ALWAYS like to hear it.


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## hotwheels (Jul 11, 2008)

Terry, thanks for the help, that is where is was going wrong, I thought that an inkjet transfer was essentially the same as a plastisol but just printed using a inkjet and not silk screens.

Looks like im in the market for a cutter further down the line


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## Jrs4life1 (Sep 17, 2008)

Hey, I know that this is way too much for me. Im trying to get into this Business and need a lot of help! I have no clue as to what you guys are talking about. What is plastisol? I made a few T shirts for my daughters Basketball team as well as my team and I just took some sissors and cut around the design and ironed it on with a iron. I now have a few schools and rec centers that want to pay me to do their T shirts, so I purchased a heat press. I dont even know where to get good transfer paper, I went to walmart!


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Don't buy your transfers at wally world. If you ever get anything worth using, you'll be very lucky and aren't likely to get it there repeatedly. Find Jet Pro Soft Stretch for lights and Alpha Gold for darks There are other papers that are good but these are what I use and they give at worst, decent results and at best, they are pretty good. I would do things differently If I had it to do over again. I would start with a cutter and do sign work till I could get a heatpress and do vinyl transfers till I could get a good printer. As far where to get transferpapers, Try using the search on here. You'll get enough information to make a pretty decent decision as to what to get and where to find it at a good price. Be warned. The good papers aren't real cheep good luck.


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Also play with the different paper settings and use an epson printer(concersus) to get the best color saturation without putting down too muck ink on the transfers


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## Jrs4life1 (Sep 17, 2008)

You guys are the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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