Digital Print onto T-shirt Vinyl.

[Dan Osterbery]

Hi Earl, like you we are disappointed still with DTG printers. We use a combination of screen printing, transfer,cut vinyl and do also use different vinyls printed on our versacamm for t-shirts.

we find they wash well, we have not had a problem with ink fade, we have thousands of transfers out there for quite a few years, so would have had grumbles by now.

The downsides: vinyl can tend to be quite thick, we have had people grumble about the way it feels if it a big transfer on the back for example.

you need to make sure you adhere to transfer instructions or you can find the transfers become brittle and very glossy.

if you are doing polyester shirts you must buy the blockout material or when you press the transfers onto the shirts, it looks fine, but after a couple of days, the colour can bleed through.

but overall, i would say go for it!

cheers

Dan

[Earl Smith]

Thanks Dan. I have been speaking with a contact in an American company called Stahls. They seem to be at the forefront of t-shirt vinyls and Im told they do a "soft feel" t-shirt printable vinyl. Maybe this could be of interest to you as well. If you are interested then I can give you the contact info in the states. Target transfers are the resellers in the UK but they dont have everything that Stahls US make. I have always worried about washability but you seem quiet positive. What type of ink do you use?
My problem here is the end of term school shirts. They usually want all their names printed on all their shirts. For 25 shirts that means weeding 625 names. No fun at all and thats why I am looking at a printer. Print and cut out the contour.
Thanks again
Earl.

[Dan Osterbery]

Hi Earl, i do use target in the uk but would like the link to the soft feel please! we have an sp-540 roland versacam using its eco sol max inks.

cheers

Dan

[Quentin Tomkies]

Hi Earl

We do a lot of shirts with digital print onto printable garment vinyl. We use a product called Siser ColorPrint. All printed with a Roland VP540i with Eco Sol inks. We have found the product lasts really well, but like Dan, we have had people complain about the feel of the product when the print is large (especially in the hot weather), as it doesn’t breathe. But, if you can get around that, it lasts well and is fairly cost effective.

Cheers
Q

[Earl Smith]

http://www.stahlsinternational.com/eng/p-cad-color.html

Heres the link Dan.
The info they supplied me with is ;

Solutions™ Opaque is a pu printable media. Super thin (great stretch and rebound) material that adheres to virtually everything. The “Porsche” among all digital media in my book.

Express Print. Almost no drying time which is nice (many materials require drying times of 4+ hours before contour cutting) PU, 88 micron so this is just a tad bit thicker than the opaque (but less $ or €)

Prime New. PVC. You can wash this hot hot hot …. (thick/er, of course [165 micron])
As you know: washing inside out, low temps is crucial (except the “Prime New”) to keep the colors nice. The right Profile setting for the machine one is using to print and cut (Stahl’s provides these free of charge), following the application instructions …

Thats what they told me.
I use their Premium vinyl and its very good. Hopefully their printable stuff is as well.

The guys at Target buy from Stahls but they might not have eveything on the list. If you want it you could also try Stahls.de and if not then go direct to the US.

Earl

[Dan Osterbery]

thanks earl will look into it! we use also xpres ink jet dark media which is great for washing 60ºC i think and does not appear to fade and doesn’t need to be washed inside out!

thanks for the links

Dan