how to start with the feather / tear drop flags

[Quark]

Hi Guys, how do you start with in-house production of tear drop / feather flags? I have a feeling that there are 2 ways, the hard and the easy ones:

hard way: get a special sublimation printer or textile printer, get some sort of heat calendar / ink setter, get a full blown sewing department.

easy way: just get a flag media that is rated for most eco-solvent / latex printers, print, buy a pole kit and without any sewing etc with pole's adhesive pockets etc assemble together.

The hard way seems to have about $100k entry cost. The easy way... it's hard to believe the regular ink (solvent, latex) without heat setter would have the same brilliancy / punch, etc.\

how do you do flags? (in house)

thanks all!

 

[visual800]

why would you want to do this when they are already dirt cheap? Im just curious

 

[Quark]

We make a living on dirt cheap

 

[visual800]

We make a living on dirt cheap

thats good enuff for me sir

 

[nate]

Hello there--
Many years ago we were in a similar point as you. Some of our customers' wanted feather flags but there wasn't yet enough demand to justify an outlay of capital. We started offering the flags and other dye sublimated products using wholesale suppliers. As our sales grew we took the first step and purchased a Mimaki JV5 3meter machine. About six months later we outgrew the capacity of that machine and moved up to a Global Imaging Evo33, another 3meter machine.

So here's my advice to you:
Start out be using a wholesaler. Grow your business. My company would be glad to help or one of the other merchant members here. Once you have the sales demand, look at products out there. don't be too cheap. Sure, you can get a small setup for relative cheapness, but you will never be happy with the production ability.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Quark]

Hello there--
Many years ago we were in a similar point as you. Some of our customers' wanted feather flags but there wasn't yet enough demand to justify an outlay of capital. We started offering the flags and other dye sublimated products using wholesale suppliers. As our sales grew we took the first step and purchased a Mimaki JV5 3meter machine. About six months later we outgrew the capacity of that machine and moved up to a Global Imaging Evo33, another 3meter machine.

So here's my advice to you:
Start out be using a wholesaler. Grow your business. My company would be glad to help or one of the other merchant members here. Once you have the sales demand, look at products out there. don't be too cheap. Sure, you can get a small setup for relative cheapness, but you will never be happy with the production ability.

Thanks for looking.

Thanks Nate. Would you mind sharing what kind of ink set you're printing with (sublimation, or something else?) and what kind of machine you're using to set the ink? (heat treatment, sublimator, transfer, etc)

 

[FLAGLOFT]

We have two mimaki ds-1800 direct fabric print machines that print acid dye inks for nylon. We use a steamer to set the inks. The whole set up was around 60,000 for one printer and steamer. Just added second printer not long ago but was in poor condition, had to put all new heads and clean out all the lines. But this is also our main focus here, flags.

 

[Quark]

We have two mimaki ds-1800 direct fabric print machines that print acid dye inks for nylon. We use a steamer to set the inks. The whole set up was around 60,000 for one printer and steamer. Just added second printer not long ago but was in poor condition, had to put all new heads and clean out all the lines. But this is also our main focus here, flags.

Thanks!... Steamer? sounds intriguing! Anything on youtube on the type of steamer can be used?

 

[FLAGLOFT]

Never looked on youtube for anything about a steamer. We use jacquard brand steamer. We also do some direct poly printing and use the same steamer to set those inks also, just different settings.

 

[Quark]

thanks!!