Need help with T shirt transfer print quality...

[ffokazak]

I have been trying to get this stuff to print with a quality that I would be happy with... But I havent been able to!

I am using Multicut Super stretch dark.

I have tried with heat, no heat, and both didnt help.

It seemed like the printer was laying down too much ink, so I adjusted it to lay down less... Still not perfect.

After wasting so much material experimenting, I was hoping for some insight.

Tips tricks?

I am using Flexi 8, and my images have good resolution.

The stuff is coming out blotchy, and uneven. yet I switch the sign vinyl, and can get perfect prints constantly...

Any help guys?

 

[Replicator]

Outsource, or buy a direct to garment printer . . .

Do it yourself transfers $uck !

 

[ffokazak]

No one is making decent looking transfers with their roland eco sol printers?

I would rather learn the technology than outsource, for sure.

Can you print an image that would rival sign vinyl, onto heat transfer film? Is the material just not able to recreate high quality images?

 

[Replicator]

Yes
no
no
yes

 

[royster13]

Get some samples from Stahls.....They have materials and technical information you need....

 

[signage]

Do it yourself transfers $uck !

And transfers on a shirt are like a big plastic patch!

 

[SightLine]

No idea about the material you are using but unless Rolands just for some reason cannot print heat transfers then Replicator is clueless apparently as every single answer is flat out wrong - again unless it's something specific about Rolands. We run Siser ColorPrint PU heat transfer all the time on our Mimaki and the results are stellar and look every bit as good as prints on matte vinyl. Even down to 6 point text! We even run it wholesale as short runs for couple of screen printers who also love it. I have some of my own shop t-shirts I printed over 2 years ago and washed 50+ times that the heat transfers still look excellent. Also - often times thinner and softer than screen printed stuff. I will admit that DTG and/or sublimated gives the softest feel though. The newer super thin and stretchy polyurethanes are much better than the older PVC materials.

 

[royster13]

Stahls uses Rolands to print their Cad Print line and it has worked well for me....

 

[ffokazak]

Thanks sightline!

Do you print it differently than the matte vinyl? Heat? No heat?

Less ink?

thanks for the help!

 

[ffokazak]

And in regards to to the transfers being crappy, and being a big patch its true. Yet they still have a place in the industry. For this particular design, I COULD setup my 10 colour automatic, and make 9 screens and print with discharge inks, and waterbased top colours, so the hand would be soft, but I don't really want to spend that much time on a t shirt someone will wear once. Digital transfers are not suitable for some of my fashion clients, but they sure as hell are fine for grandmas 80th birthday party.

 

[SightLine]

Now I do have our own custom profile (we create all of our own profiles with an eye one)with the heaters set to 34, 34, 34. I do remember using a generic matte vinyl profile at one point though. Also most of the transfers we print are contour cut as well - so not really all different than a screen print.

 

[dj_elite]

When you contour cut, how do you remove it off the liner to apply to the shirt? I have used transfer tape, but sometimes it will pull little speckles of ink off the print after pressing. Any other ideas?

 

[SightLine]

Uh.... something is very wrong if thats happening. Solvent ink becomes part of the polyurethane material so it's not just on top able to be pulled off like that. You are using transfer tape specific for heat transfers right?

 

[houseofgrafix]

Ifl

 

[Bly]

We do the odd shirt on our Rolands although for the mucking around it's hardly worth the effort. We do a few for a screenprinter across the road who just bought a DTG printer as well.
Seems they have trouble hitting certain colours. They must be pleased considering they say they spent $100k on their setup.

We created a custom profile for our printable transfer film but if you can't do that, see if your vendor or the film manufacturer has a profile available.

 

[Drip Dry]

Sightline is correct. No reason why you can't get a good print.
We use Colorprint from Imprintables ( A merchant member here.)
Ask for Mike. He is most helpful and will get you setup with the correct material for your machine. As far as hand or feel... you can't tell if it's a print or a screenprint.

 

[kriscad]

Stahls uses Rolands to print their Cad Print line and it has worked well for me....

I would love to know what brand of paper stahls is using for their cad cut transfers. I personally own four 10 color screen printing autos in our shop, and recently purchased a new Roland 54" to print not only our color media, but those same transfers that we have been getting from stahls.

 

[headfirst]

Have you tried eco-print? http://www.imprintables.com/product/eco-print,487,70.htm

 

[Farmboy]

I would love to know what brand of paper stahls is using for their cad cut transfers. I personally own four 10 color screen printing autos in our shop, and recently purchased a new Roland 54" to print not only our color media, but those same transfers that we have been getting from stahls.

Chances are what you get has been printed on the Solutions Opaque. Very thin, stretchy and will adhere to just about anything. We use it 95% of the time. I don't care for the Color Print, to papery feeling for me. For those asking about color profile, if you're using Versaworks you have several stock settings that will do the trick. I believe one is called Heat Transfer, but I'm not by my machine so I'm not 100% sure on that.

 

[houseofgrafix]

At first I hated using heat transfer and my roland but now i love it!

I got a "play" roll from Fellers. Its the rtape flexprint Tatto. The stuff is great.
Prints great and transfers great.

I tried it on pretty much everything I had

Made 30 shirts for a afterschool program I teach and they looked great!

Works very good on jerseys.. thin and you really cant even tell its there

Made this for a buddy to test

Even tried it on a ball
It has lasted for a long time already!

Stay away from Sojar.. Its junk to deal with the contour cuts