# Advice needed: which type of heat transfer material to use for slogans?



## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

I searched and read this awasome website forum for 3 days now until my eyes and brain hurts. Can't find specific answers. here's my situation......

I'm starting a local-retail and online t-shirt and decal business in Hawaii using an original slogan. I've created MANY single color graffic art designs of the slogan. It seems heat transfer is the way to go for me to keep start-up costs to a minimum, as I can use one plotter to cut both vinyl transfer decals and heat tranfer decals for t-shirts. That way I can "make to order" each design as either a t-shirt or decal. 

My dilema is what material to use for slogans/words on the t-shirts? Vinyl, plastisol? etc.

For now, I don't need to print on the transfer as the design is one color words in various shapes and fonts. I'll just use different color material. 
I looked through the t-shirt gallery and can't tell which shirts are screen print and which are heat transfer. 

My concerns are: shirt shrinkage and wrinkling around the tranfered decal, durability, overall quality of the look etc. 

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions and would love to see samples/examples of heat transfered words or slogans on t-shirts. What type material and what type t-shirts (50/50, 100% cotton etc) are preferred for this method.

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience here in these forums! What an awsome resorce for us noobs!


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## T2 (Oct 31, 2006)

Hi Mike
i attached a couple of vinyl wording tees on http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t18498.html a while back. i use 100% cotton, but depending on the vinyl type and brand, you can use cotton/poly blends or even lycra as there's a new 'stretchy' vinyl also.

The shirts i get are preshrunk (Gildan) so there's no shrinking/wrinkling around the words. The quality is great (even after about 30 washes so far) and compared to screenprinting, vinyl doesn't crack or fade.

I've made about 400 shirts so far using this method and have no complaints whatsoever, as most of mine have been one-offs, but if you're doing the exact same design and colour, on diff coloured tees, then i believe plastisol transfers are cheaper if you're getting over 30 or so sheets done.

Good Luck
Teri


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

HulaArt said:


> I searched and read this awasome website forum for 3 days now until my eyes and brain hurts. Can't find specific answers. here's my situation......
> 
> I'm starting a local-retail and online t-shirt and decal business in Hawaii using an original slogan. I've created MANY single color graffic art designs of the slogan. It seems heat transfer is the way to go for me to keep start-up costs to a minimum, as I can use one plotter to cut both vinyl transfer decals and heat tranfer decals for t-shirts. That way I can "make to order" each design as either a t-shirt or decal.
> 
> ...


 
...use spot color plastisol, less cost and labour for you.


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

T2 said:


> but if you're doing the exact same design and colour, on diff coloured tees, then i believe plastisol transfers are cheaper if you're getting over 30 or so sheets done.
> 
> Good Luck
> Teri


Thank you for the reply Teri, please forgive my ignorance. I'm a noob!
What do you mean by "if your getting 30 or more sheets "done"? I'm a little confussed. I plan on cutting each design from plastisol or vinyl. No printing on transfer needed. Is that what you meant?

T-BOT, 
Thank you for your reply, I'm sorry, but what is "key word stuffing?"
So, spot color plastisol? Does that come in solid colors that will work on any color t? Or do I need white backing for black t's? Also, does that come in sparkle and neon as well as regular colors?

Thank you all for your help!
The Noob!


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

HulaArt said:


> So, spot color plastisol? Does that come in solid colors that will work on any color t? Or do I need white backing for black t's? Also, does that come in sparkle and neon as well as regular colors?
> 
> Thank you all for your help!
> The Noob!


i learned about spot in 98.  this spot term relates to the way colors are processed with plastisol heat transfers. 

Yes it comes in solid and glitter colors and will print on ALL fabric colors.

No, no need for backings unless you need to print light colors on dark shirts, then a white ink backing base is often used.


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Many mahalos T-BOT! 
Now I have 2 questions,

1. When you say "will print on all fabric colors", is it printed on the t, or heat transfered?
2. How would I apply a white ink backing base for printing light colors on dark t's if all I have (or will have) is a plotter and a heat press?

Again, please forgive my Noob ignorance.


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

I think there's been a mis-understanding. After reading more threads about plastisol, it seems that it is a type of ink printed on transfer paper, then heat transfered.
This will not work for me as I want to be able to cut my own heat transfers with the plotter I intend to buy, just like I would cut a vinyl transfer decal.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

HulaArt said:


> I think there's been a mis-understanding. After reading more threads about plastisol, it seems that it is a type of ink printed on transfer paper, then heat transfered.
> This will not work for me as I want to be able to cut my own heat transfers with the plotter I intend to buy, just like I would cut a vinyl transfer decal.


Then it sounds like all you need is t-shirt vinyl.

Just find a suppler (we have several listed here) and buy some t-shirt vinyl and cut it with your plotter and press it to the t-shirt.

Here's an example of my first vinyl transfer t-shirt: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/t-shirt-crossover-diary-heat-press-newbie/t10363.html


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Mahalo Rodney!


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

So, it seems I can order plastisol in different color blank sheets and cut the designs myself. Great! 
Is plastisol less expensive than vinyl? Is it a better quality? 
*What are the pros and cons of Plastisol vrs. vinyl??*


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## T2 (Oct 31, 2006)

i believe, done right, they are both good quality and very durable.
A major difference is that vinyl comes in solid colours, but plastisol can be full-colour ie. like a photo with all it's shades and gradients etc.

To answer the cost question depends on how many you intend to do of each 'slogan' or design:

If a design measures say 10" x 4", then for one it may cost 30c in vinyl.
If you get only 8 done in plastisol, they're around 72c each (if you check the pricing in the links Rodney provided) 
BUT if you get 1000, they're around 16c each (for 1 colour).

i don't believe plastisol comes in sheets that need cutting with your plotter tho', they come ready to press - no cutting required, as only the printed area transfers to the shirt. 

You can of course use different vinyl colours on the shirt (see attached pic - sorry it's a bit blurry). But the vectorising, weeding and cutting of 4 different colours (blue, green, yellow and white in this example) is a lot more time consuming than just one colour as in slogans.









Hope this wasn't too confusing!
Teri


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Thank you very much T-2!! That answers my question. You are a huge help!!!


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## T2 (Oct 31, 2006)

glad to help - it's easy to risk brain explosion on this forum! 
Teri


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

I got a couple of quotes for between $5.50 and $6.85 per sheet at a quantity of 50 sheets, of 3 color screen printed plastisol transfers. My design is 6X9. They can only gang 2 per sheet. 
And, $2.50 per sheet or so for solid color plastisol transfers.

Does this sound about right?


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

1. Custom order plastisol transfers when doing large orders of the same image.
Order from companies like Ace transfer etc.

2. Heatpress vinyl such as Thermoflex plus for one offs and small runs of single color designs. Cut on plotter in reverse, weed, flip and press.

3.Dura Cut from Imprintables Warehouse is an ink based (plastisol) sheet available in a few colors for cad cut plotters. You cut it and weed it just like vinyl but it transfers and feels comparable to screen printing or plastisol transfers.


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Thanks David! You've answered my question very well!!
And yes, Ace was one of the places I called. They had the best price.


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## Single Fin (Nov 15, 2007)

Can't you get it screen printed for less?


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Single Fin said:


> Can't you get it screen printed for less?


Only if I buy big quantities.

I'm going with ECO film from Imprintables.


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