short tshirt run

[TyrantDesigner]

I really don't have a problem with some of the cut heat press materials, they have a better hand than some of the screen printed shirts out there.

That being said OP, you might have to get a digitally printed heat transfer to get some sort of longevity to a short run process. Either that or fork out for the screens and get it full color printed. Either way you're looking at 10-20 washes and then you'll start to see stress issues happening like any other print out there. Some screen processes like discharge will lessen the effects since it strips the dye from the shirt itself and replaces it ... but not a lot of shops do it still.

There is also Dye Sublimation printing if you were going for dri-fit or pure polyester shirts ... but it's expensive to do yourself and hit or miss with companies (can look faded if they didn't press it right) ... so yeah.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Is there a quality material that doesn't look like a rubber iron on? Not being a smart-***, if there's something out there that mimics the feel of screen printing I'd love to try it.

Apparently over in europe, Siser has a 'puff' material that simulates the heavy body plastisol inks. Haven't seen it in person though.

 

[jfiscus]

Apparently over in europe, Siser has a 'puff' material that simulates the heavy body plastisol inks. Haven't seen it in person though.

I have seen it, I think they will send you out a sample pack... it's been a couple years but they sent me one on request. They actually have a LOT of different cool heat press materials that are plot-able.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I have honestly never seen a sample pack request anywhere online for siser! If I pester my supplier about a sample he'll cut me a foot of something to try out ... but that is all.

 

[jfiscus]

I have honestly never seen a sample pack request anywhere online for siser! If I pester my supplier about a sample he'll cut me a foot of something to try out ... but that is all.

It's been a few years, an dit wasn't samples I could "try out", it was more samples of the stuff already cut. I may have seen them at an Advantage Sign Supply Open House and got it from there??? Can't recall anymore...

 

[WildWestDesigns]

There is also Dye Sublimation printing if you were going for dri-fit or pure polyester shirts ... but it's expensive to do yourself and hit or miss with companies (can look faded if they didn't press it right) ... so yeah.

It doesn't technically have to be pure polyester, just where you are doing the sublimation has to be polyester or synthetic (poly just being the more common synthetic).

As to fading, it just depends. It could be because temp or pressure isn't right, but if it's an off white light color (light colors only is another requirement, if you have a big enough press, you can make a white shirt black via sublimation, but the base shirt has to be light color), it could actually be due to the blending (it is a dyeing process after all) of the color of the shirt with the colors of the design. So knowing your colors (both substrate and your design) is going to be necessary. What works with what combinations etc.

What you see on your screen and what is printed on the paper, may not be what you get after you press it on the substrate.

If you go small format, more then likely you'll be using sawgrass inks (very expensive, but very good inks) and they do have color palettes with their drivers for Ai, DRAW and Ps. That helps.

Dye sublimation is my favorite method (second to only embroidery overall), because it has no hand and unless you put the garments through industrial laundering or you use something with a lot of bleach in it, the decoration easily lasts as long as the garment does. Synthetic fabric and light colors to start with only (again you can press them black with a big enough press and sublimation printer) are the two biggest drawbacks for customers.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

As to fading, it just depends. It could be because temp or pressure isn't right, but if it's an off white light color (light colors only is another requirement, if you have a big enough press, you can make a white shirt black via sublimation, but the base shirt has to be light color), it could actually be due to the blending (it is a dyeing process after all) of the color of the shirt with the colors of the design. So knowing your colors (both substrate and your design) is going to be necessary. What works with what combinations etc.

Most issues i see are operator error. Out of the last 9 wholesale places I've gotten samples printed at (and no, i'm not going to name them) 4 have come back not printed dark enough on white shirts. (which is a heat and/or time issue) One had a big crease in the middle so they obviously didn't look at the product before they pressed it or after. Decent prices ... horrid results.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Out of the last 9 wholesale places I've gotten samples printed at (and no, i'm not going to name them) 4 have come back not printed dark enough on white shirts. (which is a heat and/or time issue)

Or color profile that they used when they printed it. The black can be muted if you don't tweak it. It's not a rich black from the get go. Of course, this does depend on their inkset and profiles.

Still operator error nonetheless.

Colors are much more important for this to look like what you see (or at least as close as you can get it, not all the inks are able to achieve the entire range of color that you or I can or would design in). Sometimes you actually have to use a slightly different color to achieve the true color that you want as well.

One had a big crease in the middle so they obviously didn't look at the product before they pressed it or after. Decent prices ... horrid results.

That's definitely not good.