# heat transfer cutter / plotter???? help!!



## Albie (Jan 7, 2008)

Hi

i have a small t-shirt business, whereby i use heat transfer paper to print on to my garments. At the present time i print my designs on to A4 paper, then i have to cut out each design with scissors. As you can images this takes along time. 
My designs are scattered over the t-shirt, it is not a one block design. Would a cutter be able to deal with this? eg, i have a design that has about 20 stars on it each a different size, then using illustrator i place them on a A4 size area. they are placed on the area in random order to fit the A4 paper size. This saves on paper waste. Then i print and cut out with scissors.
Finding a desktop cutter that could deal with intricate designs, would completely change my outlook. I can not effort to use printers at this stage or buy in bulk, so with a cutter i could increase production.

i have learned that a contour would might be able to do this. i live in london, it would be great to go see one of these cutter for myself, thats if they exist

cheers

albie


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## rlarson10 (Jan 13, 2009)

you may want to watch this video. Rolad plotters has an optic eye that can align design with the plotter so you can contour cut the designs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDdY4a9ChKc&feature=related


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## MooMooRocks (Jan 14, 2009)

Hey Albie - i just joined i use a plotter and they are great you literally save your stars into the vinyl cutter software from illustrator (outlining the images) and viola you print them out weed the material stick them on the t-shirt whack on heat proof tape and press. 

you could either mock out your design prior to print onto vinyl or flock (i use flock) or you can print a row of stars and cut them out to save materials and stick them on individually depending on how many!!!!

i hope i am clear not great at explaining!! take a look at this machine and others the company use 
SYSTEMS > XPRES CUT

There is also sublimaion but i don't know how that works!!

lynn


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## jge (Oct 7, 2008)

If you're not flush with cash (and who in London is these days), then get a small Roland SV-12. It's miles cheaper than the flagship GX-24. While it doesn't have an optical eye, it prints three round targets on the page (you print from their supplied software), and you line up the targets by hand / eye (very simple to do), and away you go. It cuts very, very well.


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## Albie (Jan 7, 2008)

hi MooMooRocks

That all sounds great! but i am not using vinyl, i use heat transfer paper, so i need it to cut through the paper. can this still be done?????

cheers

Albie


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## eyegasm (Aug 9, 2005)

Albie said:


> That all sounds great! but i am not using vinyl, i use heat transfer paper, so i need it to cut through the paper. can this still be done?????


It can be done with opaque transfer paper, but once you get your hands on a plotter you will most likely start using vinyl instead of transfer paper, atleast for single coloured designs.


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## MooMooRocks (Jan 14, 2009)

eyegasm said:


> once you get your hands on a plotter you will most likely start using vinyl instead of transfer paper,


I agree if it's just one colour at a time however you could look into pricing options as it may prove more cost effective if you were interested a meter costs around £7 and is 510 mm wide


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Hi Albie. Yes it can be done the way you want. You may need to add a backer sheet to the printed transfer to avoid messing up the cutting strip that protects the blade from hitting the metal (or plastic if made that way) and destroying the blade and the cutting strip isn't cheep to replace itself on some models. Good luck and have fun.
Terry


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