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  • Dye sublimation on T-Shirts?

    Posted by Paul Franklin on May 19, 2005 at 9:07 pm

    We have recently gotten ourselves into the T-Shirt printing game and have a bought a new press, and have not had any major problems so far with using flock or flex or heat transfer paper for that matter.
    Could anyone out there shed any light on the dye sublimation which I’ve been looking into with reference to T-Shirts.
    It seems that cartridges are available for Epsom printers, but exact details of ‘how to’ are pretty vague.
    Do you have to die cut around any of the blank / unprinted heat transfer paper so you don’t get that waxy film on the textile where it is supposed to be clear.
    Does anyone have any suggestions for small text (10mm high or less).
    Any help appreciated.

    Gordon Forbes replied 19 years ago 5 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • Peter Normington

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 9:15 pm

    Basicaly there are 2 types of print.
    one for white/light coloured Ts and one for dark.
    Lazer is better for both, but the principle is the same. For light coloured Ts the “background” is clear and hardly shows. For dark Ts you need to print onto a solid background, and this may be contour cut before application ie print and cut style. http://www.themagictouch.co.uk explains it
    Peter

  • Paul Franklin

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 9:21 pm

    We got our press from magic touch, and had one of their sales reps deliver it who was very helpful. But is there a product out there that can be used on any colour garment that will only transfer the ink after you have printed it onto some sort of paper/vinyl without the need to weed or that will not leave any residue from the non printed area? Maybe this is where I’m going to find myself getting into screen printing.

  • Peter Normington

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 9:33 pm

    The money in Garment printing is for small quantities. 10-30 units. or just the opposite, hundreds or thousands. Taylor your market to your kit, and “persuade” customers to buy your product. they will normally be satisfied. Bear in mind that most “fashion shops sell Ts for £4-£8 with fantastic prints. you on the other hand do individual items. going on a bit but been there, and MADE the T Shirt.
    P

  • red dragon

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 9:43 pm

    Unless it has changed over the past year you can only use sublimation printing onto white or ash grey t-shirts. They need to be either dedicated sublimation t-shirts (colours should show vivid) or at least a 50/50 polyester content (colours will not be as vivid).

    You can use Epson photo quality inkjet paper, or sublimation paper. It is the inks which will transfer into the polyester content of the t-shirt and no trace of paper/glossy layer will be present – if you get my drift.

  • Peter Munday

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 10:37 pm

    There is no one product that will do both, you need dye-sub for white polyester t-shirts or laser on contour cut paper for dark shirts. Dye-sub means there is no cutting, just print and apply,but only on white garments

  • Gordon Forbes

    Member
    May 19, 2005 at 11:52 pm

    for one colour stuff or even multi colour you can over lay it hotmark is good sticky backing weeds easy but you need acutter

    goop

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