-
Anyone doing DyeSub to DARK Garments?
We’ve been doing DyeSub clothing for quite some time using the Magictouch laser papers TTC 3.1
What I like about it:
Easy to do
Better margins than mugsWhat I don’t like
Only works on white or very light coloured garments
Non-printing areas leaves a ‘wash’ layer on the garments – feels sticky and discolours.
Colour saturation isn’t brilliant.I know there are options, particularly for printing on darks:
Direct To Garment printers – just to expensive
other papers, like Magictouch WoW – to expensive and fiddly processSo what’s the answer to produce GOOD colour images on dark clothing? What do you use?
John
-
18 Replies
-
As we know you cannot Dyesub direct onto dark garments. What I use is Subli Flock. I print via a transfer onto this subliflock and then cut out using scissors or pre cut the flock using my plotter/cutter. My cutter , Roland GX24, has the ability to cut after it has been printed too. With that I can print odd shaped designs.
This system is only usable if the design is "solid" with little weeding. It cannot be used easily for a design like the uksignboards logo.
Earl -
magic touch obm5.6,
basically prints a heat transferable sticker, print the A4 correct way around, cut it out, peel it off it’s backing, lay it on the t-shirt, press, job jobbed!
leaves a plasticy feeling transfer, but seems to last ok.
easier if you have a craft robo to cut it out for you, otherwise try to keep shapes simple and scalpel them out.
-
I forgot about OBM Hugh and I’ve got an unopened box of it here somewhere!
I guess I get the same result with the Gerber and textile vinyl.
I guess the only solution to that ‘plasticy’ feel is to screen print but not for one-offs!
John
-
quote John Cooper:I forgot about BM Hugh and I’ve got an unopened box of it here somewhere!
I guess I get the same result with the Gerber and textile vinyl.
I guess the only solution to that ‘plasticy’ feel is to screen print but not for one-offs!
John
aye, it’s not brilliant, but for one off’s most people are content with it, the cost for a one off screen print would be huge in comparisson, they soon see the light!
Hugh
-
Not so much dark material but there are pastel colours out there – green, blue etc which will make a welcome change from the standard white. We’ve done a few and they come out very nice – just need to select the artwork carefully if there’s a lot of white content in it.
-
You’re right about screen print costs for short runs – just doesn’t work.
Interestingly, I did follow a thread on a T-Shirt forum where some guy had modified a cheap Epson printer to print DTG. The thread extended to more than 60 pages as there was so much interest.
I believe, the budding entrepreneur was ‘bought off’ by one of the big boy DTG manufacturers.
Meanwhile, does anyone have the special drivers for the OKI LED Colour Laser printer?
John -
Ive tried using the TMT OBM paper but find the colours print to the paper miles away from what they should be.
Does anyone know if there is a profile to use with this paper?
-
quote John Cooper:Meanwhile, does anyone have the special drivers for the OKI LED Colour Laser printer?
JohnJohn, is it a 5600 or 5800 or something totally different?
-
quote :Does anyone know if there is a profile to use with this paper?You don’t need a profile, but the colours vary with laser printers. Also have found that the colours change a lot if you press directly onto the material with the heat press (with just a thin silicon sheet in between). Colours seems to maintain the original printed colours when using a soft pad or something similar.
I find OBM very thin but okay. Printable flex seems to hold up better and can be printed with a standard Epson printer using the genuine durabright inks (cut around the image with the normal methods – knife, cutter etc).
-
I use RA Smart subli dark transfer paper.
good colours doesnt wash out too bad, just a bit after 1st wash and dosnt feel too bad.
other than that an epson ultrabrite printer and normal dark jet transfer paper form any major supplier folex, xpres, etc.
in fact those give the best colour out of all of them as they use pigment ink which is totally lightfast and doesnt wash out.As for craft robo, if your plotter has opus then you wont need one I cut all my transfers on my GX-24
-
Steve, I too use the Xpres Dark and the GX24 (ultragraphics package) but ive found lately that the colour peels from the sheet after pressing (sticks to silicone sheet). I sent one box back but its happening again. The only way I can stop it happening is to take all pressure off my press, but lately ive found the transfer sheet peeling from the shirt.
I also find the Xpres stuff a little thick for most of my customers liking.
-
The xpres stuff is pretty thick but I find most transfers are anyway, i hate the feel of them to be honest but sometimes its the only way to go.
what temperature and time are you pressing for?
I have had some sample sheets from target but not tried them yet so will have a go.
I press for 10 seconds at 160 degrees on the xpres stuff, peel silicone sheet off then press again.
but stopped using it now as I found it annoying to use as the backing is excessively sticky, and can stretch and crack the transfer whilst peeling off it.
and at 100 quid a box its expensive.
mind you the backing sheets are great for making stencils, if I had a laser cutter I would be able to make loads of good stuff.
:lol1: -
Im using the same temperatures and times Steve but I havent been doing the second press to be honest. It may be that ive got another dodgy box of the stuff. Ill get onto the Tech guys on MSN tomorrow and see what they say.
I know what you mean about the stickiness of the backing, but I also found that although the OBM stuff from Magic Touch is thinner the backing is just as sticky and tends to stretch easier.
-
What printer do you have Paul, I forgot to ask.
and also in answer to the initial post magic touch wow paper may be for you if you can stand the cost and hassle.
for me Id rather burn wash and reclaim 5 screens it seems less time consuming LOL (not really but almost) -
Ive got a D1400 for Subli, a DX9400F for my inkjet dark stuff (durabrite inks) and an Oki 5600 and 5800 colour laser.
I did have the D120 that Xpres supplied me but my roof tile fell in on it and the landlord offered to replace it so I stung him for the DX9400 after asking Xpres if it was suitable for their papers.
-
I would ask RA smart for a sample of their subli dark paper, its pretty good.
-
I was lucky enough to join a company who already owned an HP9000s solvent printer. I got hold of some garment material from Dorotape and haven’t looked back since.
We can now produce very high quality images for any colour garment quickly and easily. The material used for white shirts is particularly impressive, the darker material is a little thick on the shirt but when you look at the pros and cons it’s good stuff.
Justin 🙂
-
quote Paul Humble:quote John Cooper:Meanwhile, does anyone have the special drivers for the OKI LED Colour Laser printer?
JohnJohn, is it a 5600 or 5800 or something totally different?
I’m still trying to decide what to get. Of course, if I buy from TMT it costs a lot more, something like £150 and I have been told it’s not the hardware that’s been changed but the drivers for the specific transfer papers.
I know there are drivers out there for downloading so if I can save £150 that would be great.
Presently we have a Panasonic KX-P8415 which is about to expire! Never managed to get the colour output correct either.
So time for a change
Log in to reply.