# Is Vinyl Heat Transfer profitable?



## tshirtprintNewb (Jun 18, 2011)

Hi guys.

I was wondering if this method is profitable. I have done some calculations and feel otherwise. Although I have a feeling I may be wrong somewhere, can someone point out to me my mistakes?

A scenario:
1 shirt - $4-$5
15" X 20yards vinyl - $99
1 vinyl design consist of name and number (15" X 15"), so for 1 roll of 15" x 20yards can make 48 shirt

48 shirts - 5 X 48 = 240
1 vinyl for each shirt cost - ~$2

Cost of a shirt in total with a vinyl at the back - $7 
Selling price of shirt - $12-$14?

It isn't that profitable according to my calculations. Again I could be wrong somewhere, I am sure I'm wrong somewhere in fact. Can someone point out to me?

Thanks!


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

tshirtprintNewb said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> I was wondering if this method is profitable. I have done some calculations and feel otherwise. Although I have a feeling I may be wrong somewhere, can someone point out to me my mistakes?
> 
> ...


Your cost on shirts should be (regular t-shirts) $1.25 to $2.25
15"x15" is a lot bigger than I normally make.
$12-$14 is too cheap to sell them for.


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## LB (Jul 25, 2009)

tshirtprintNewb said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> I was wondering if this method is profitable. I have done some calculations and feel otherwise. Although I have a feeling I may be wrong somewhere, can someone point out to me my mistakes?
> 
> ...


That's 50 Margin points. $7 on a $14 selling price. What's wrong with that? How much are you expecting to make? You have to cut and press it of course, but it's your labor, you could make quite a few of these in an hour couldn't you?


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## TripleSevensCC (Jun 15, 2011)

I am in the process of getting the equipment to start a t shirt company using this method and there a reasons this is a good fit for m instead of screen printing. First most of my designs are 10" x 12" which my shirts printed area is but even if I went 12" by 15" so I would get 60 resigns on a 20 yard roll so $100. /into 60 designs equals $1.66 per design. Since I am doing small runs I am not buying shirts wholesale and am buying them retail $5. They do it this way? My shirts are custom designs that will sell to a traget market for $20 to $22. I also need to carry 0 in shirt inventory and once a shirt sells I can just send the vinyl through the cutter, weed and heat press and it cost me $6.66plus labor but my $20 of shirt covers it and makes it profitable for me. If I had a customer come and want 100 shirts it would be best to have this farmed out to a screen printer. 
I found for custom shirts in low quanity vinyl transfers is the cheapest way to go.
I am a newbie but have done my home work and that's what I came up with anyways maybe someone else think differently


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

TripleSevensCC said:


> I am in the process of getting the equipment to start a t shirt company using this method and there a reasons this is a good fit for m instead of screen printing. First most of my designs are 10" x 12" which my shirts printed area is but even if I went 12" by 15" so I would get 60 resigns on a 20 yard roll so $100. /into 60 designs equals $1.66 per design. Since I am doing small runs I am not buying shirts wholesale and am buying them retail $5. They do it this way? My shirts are custom designs that will sell to a traget market for $20 to $22. I also need to carry 0 in shirt inventory and once a shirt sells I can just send the vinyl through the cutter, weed and heat press and it cost me $6.66plus labor but my $20 of shirt covers it and makes it profitable for me. If I had a customer come and want 100 shirts it would be best to have this farmed out to a screen printer.
> I found for custom shirts in low quanity vinyl transfers is the cheapest way to go.
> I am a newbie but have done my home work and that's what I came up with anyways maybe someone else think differently


 Why farm out 100 shirts to a screen printer? You can order plastisol transfers (silk screen on paper) and press them yourself in about 2-3 hrs. 

If you have a reseller's licenese you can set up an account with a lot of different distributors and still get low quantity at wholesale prices, maybe not case prices but still A LOT cheaper than $5.00 each.


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## TripleSevensCC (Jun 15, 2011)

I use to wholesale shirts to small hobbist's before so I may go that route again to get cheap blank tees. But I like the idea of being able to offer about 10 colors in sizes youth small through XL and adult Small to XXL with out carrying any shirts in inventory. So I have options for customers which would be a total of 9 sizes per color times 10 colors. So I can offer my designs on 90 diferent shirts with out carrying them. So let's say customer wants youth small in pink and adult black in XL I can do it. Not to mention this source is about 15 minutes away so no waiting on shipping to get there. I am willing to pay $5 per shirt because I can offer a larger selection to the customer and save money in shirt invetory. I willnever have money tied up in unsold shirts and based on my market I can easily recover the extra $2 to $3 per shirt I'm paying by not going wholesale. I'm sure some colors like black Tess I will but wholesale.
Either way at $2.50 or $5 plus the $1.66 per vinyl transfer I believe it still profitable for myself and the original poster.


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## SweetExpression (Apr 22, 2009)

Hey TripleSevens,

Where are you getting apparel vinyl for $100 for a 20 yard roll and what brand is it? Just wondering. Thanks.


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## TripleSevensCC (Jun 15, 2011)

I am not that was the pricing the original poster gave so I was going from his numbers to see if it was profitable for him. I am getting mine got $32.50 for 15" by 5 yards and it is siser easyweed.


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## LB (Jul 25, 2009)

Look at Stahls new Cad Cut Premium. It's 20" wide and is in that range. A little over $5.00 a yd for 25 yds.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

your shirt cost is retail. you should be buying shirts for less. 

your selling price is a little low. we sell those for 14 bux just for the name/number drop, plus the shirt. you should be closer to $20 with a regular tshirt but if you want to make some more upsell the real jerseys. you can sell those with decoration from $35 up to $85 per piece.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

charge either 15 or 20 and you should be good.


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## buehrle (Jan 14, 2008)

why don't you gang the names and numbers ? i cut them all the time and can get 15 shirts out of about 2 yards of vinyl. the names are 2-3 inches tall and most of the numbers are 9" tall. just cut all the 1's together, 2's,3's ect and then cut them up and put the right name and number on the back. ya it's a bit harder to get the backs done but at 2 bucks a foot for vinyl the savings adds up quick.


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## 2294corey (Apr 12, 2017)

Hi, how many shirts are you making, on average, with a 15"x 5 yard roll? 
Thanks!


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

The way I look at it, tshirts is just one of a range of things you should be doing with a cutter. Windows decals, vehicle letter, door magnets, yard signs can all be output with a cutter. You take the sum off all that as to profitability. It takes volume.


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## aesl1982 (Apr 17, 2017)

theflowerboxx said:


> Why farm out 100 shirts to a screen printer? You can order plastisol transfers (silk screen on paper) and press them yourself in about 2-3 hrs.
> 
> If you have a reseller's licenese you can set up an account with a lot of different distributors and still get low quantity at wholesale prices, maybe not case prices but still A LOT cheaper than $5.00 each.




Is there anyone you would recommend for platisol at wholesale prices 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TeeOwl (Apr 20, 2017)

I'm starting out new as well, and have found that locally $20 is the going rate for 1-color 1-side vinyl tee


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

aesl1982 said:


> Is there anyone you would recommend for platisol at wholesale prices
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ace Transfer Company is who I always used, since my post we do screen printing in house.


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