The things I didn’t know fills volumes! Terrific useful information Dave. Simple, straight forward explanations. I’ve been printing for 30 years and am happy to say your teaching methods are easy to grasp. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.
Thanks for the kind words Kim! I'm very happy to be able to share my experiences and help apparel decorator grow (and hopefully not make some of the mistakes I did along the way 🤣)
Absolutely! We're always happy to help out decorators of all sizes. If you have specific questions or can't find a video on something you're looking for just let us know :)
Thanks Louise, we're so happy to help out in anyway we can for small businesses, hobbyists and apparel decorators of all sizes! We also take requests for videos on any specific issues or challenges you may be facing, if you ever need us just give us a shout.
Any ink covering fabric (aside from sublimation) inhibits airflow through the fabric. For large areas of solid ink coverage try to use the shirt color to knockout certain areas of the image. Screen print transfers are by far one of the most soft and flexible heat transfers out on the market. You can try some samples here: www.transferexpress.com/marketing-tools/free-samples
In this video we're using the 16 x 20 Hotronix Auto Clam Heat Press, coupled with the Tag Along HP Platen that allows for printing the inside tag and front in the same press: www.transferexpress.com/heat-press-accessories/tag-along-hp This platen is part of the Hotronix interchangeable platen system, which makes swapping the lower platen quick and easy. We have them available together in this heat press package: www.transferexpress.com/heat-press-packages/auto-clam-16x20-package You can also learn more about the Tag Along HP Platen in this video here: th-cam.com/video/vQaCwpaCQGw/w-d-xo.html
We're always happy to help out Dave! The heat press we're using in this video in the Hotronix 16 x 20 Auto Open Clam Press. You can find it here: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
So glad I found your videos!!! Im a beginner with heat pressing! My son has started a running business and is printing shirts as part of his "Team". We are using polyester shirts with sublimation transfers. What Im running into is black specks appearing after we press...the only color in the print is pink....these black specks do not come out of the shirt. Any ideas?
Hi Nanette, we're always happy to help out in anyway we can! While we're not experts with sublimation transfers, it sounds like it may be a printer problem- either with the printheads themselves, excess moisture in the process or excess ink on the rollers that is transferring to the carrier. Without seeing the end results it's hard to tell for sure. Are you buying your sublimation transfers or printing them yourself? Are the black specks visible on the carrier before printing? They may be very small. (This would point to the printer issues).
So I’m pressing on Comfort Colors 1717 @ 300°F, 6 psi pressure, and for 5 seconds for the 1st press and then another 5 for the hand feel press. Should I be worried about the square on the shirt or will it come out like you said in the video?
Hey Wyatt! Likely you may have already noticed the 1717 color returns to normal just a few minutes after pressing. While on certain colors it's more visible than others (like reds). This is due to the moisture in the fabric. With a 100% cotton blank, you can likely get to 400+ degrees before permanently damaging the garment. Please let us know if those press marks did not return to normal!
Hi, I am new to this and quite confused, so I apologize if this is a stupid question. Am I supposed to design in CMYK and have a transparent background? I thought PNG files are only RGB. So what file format do I use to export?
Howdy Bea, that's a Fantastic Question! PNG's with a transparent background will work perfect as long as they're high resolution (300DPI or more at the print size) With DTF, colors are handled a little differently and since we've published this video... we've made some major adjustments as to how we accurately print color for both RGB and CMYK color spaces. PNG's with a transparent background will work perfect as long as they're high resolution (300DPI or more at the print size). With DTF still being a digital process, you can get quite close to exact colors but there may be a variance- For spot-on matches, or Pantone colors, screen printed transfers will be your best option.
Just starting using my heat press and I have a few questions. The videos I watched mentioned not to use a cover when heat pressing. The package I purchased included a flexible application pad - when it is appropriate to use this pad? I used the pad when working with fine polyester material and I realized it greatly increased the pressure setting - is that normal. I also noticed when using a mouse pad it increased the pressure setting. Is that normal or should I lower the pressure setiing when using a mouse pad so that the application pressure is the recommended amount?
Good questions! The use of a cover sheet depends on the specific transfer type you are using. Our Goof Proof screen printed transfers that we feature in many of our videos here on the Transfer Express channel do not require cover sheets- The paper carrier acts as a barrier between the press and your print. Cover sheets can be helpful (especially the flexible application pad) when printing on temperature sensitive garments like polyester or other synthetic materials, because they block heat. With the heat being blocked, the transfer may not be receiving accurate temperature, which may lead to misapplied transfers. Adding any additional layers (coversheets, pillows, mousepads, etc) will increase the pressure, this is normal and should be compensated for. When using mousepads to raise the printing area, you should lower the pressure even further as the press does not know its a smaller surface area (the raised area or a smaller platen). Here's a helpful chart you can reference to dial in the pressure a little better when pressing smaller areas: assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/267afb21-f6b9-006a-3e77-21a9fe1f2ad9/ca9e6a37-ba32-4456-85a0-ada62eeb5df1/TransferExpress-Perfect-Pressure-Guide.pdf
Fantastic question! It depends a little bit on what you can afford or within your budget: We're all about limiting expenses to maximize profit, but a low-quality heat press typically ends up hurting your business more than helping. Sure it can apply a t-shirt, and look fine, but once delivered to your customer and washed, the design may crack, peel or fade due to inaccurate temperature or pressure. We typically recommend spending no less than $400 on a heat press. Something like our Craft Press is great to get started, ensures adjustable locking pressure and accurate heat: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/craft-heat-press The best case scenario would be to pickup a press that can grow with you while providing all of the features that make learning how to print apparel easier: Full-size threadable platens for easy loading and print alignment, Interchangable platens to make decorating any item easy, and Digital Pressure readouts to reduce guesswork on application settings like on something like the Hotronix Fusion: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-fusion-press or Hotronix Auto Clam: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
That's a great suggestion! We'll get it in the mix and test all of the transfer types on something with a waffle knit! We do show a waffle knit towel printed with our Goof Proof screen printed transfers here: th-cam.com/video/TIW_yOBcZAM/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared&t=386
Help!! New to the industry when peeling my dtf off the T-shirt the image doesn’t stick just a little bit of residue on the tshirt very faint colours When touched the ink is sticky I use window 10, print using adobe express, use Yamation film from Amazon, use a sahok heat press at 150’c (it’s in ‘C not ‘ F ) and dtf powder Any advice greatly appreciated :)
Hey Adam, unfortunately we're not too familiar with the supplies or equipment you mention and there can be many different variables that can be creating this issue, from incompatible materials with each other (inks /carriers / etc), wrong curing temperature for the DTF adhesive (please make sure you're doing that in a well ventilated area and should not be done in your home) to heat press issues (a quick google search of that brand of press details a lot of inaccurate temperature issues). We hear issues like this quite often with home setups- Which can be frustrating for sure. It took our team almost 2 years to perfect our DTF recipe before we released our UltraColor Max DTF Transfers. You can start to rule out if it's the printer or the press first. You can pickup free samples of UltraColor Max DTF Transfers here to try yourself: www.transferexpress.com/marketing-tools/free-samples
Those are some t-shirts we featured in our Western T-Shirt Trends video: th-cam.com/video/52m14dLdJQA/w-d-xo.html While these exact ones are not for sale, but you can make you own- Design for free in the Easy View Online Designer: transferexpress.com/designer
Howdy! This press is the Hotronix® Auto Open Clamshell Heat Press, with the full size 16 x 20 version we used here retailing for $1,950. You can learn more and order here: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
Absolutely Linda! We're always happy to help out experienced or beginner apparel decorators. If you have any specific questions we're always here to answer them!
I don't believe we had any service outages recently, www.transferexpress.com/ is working properly. Thanks for letting us know- We'll have our team look into it incase of any issues.
Yes on the special orders or using their shirt. I seem to always have trouble with special orders 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️😂. For me it’s the easiest way to loose money. Not always, but has happened a lot
Absolutely! Special orders can be an awesome way to get a customer in the door, but yeah, we've been there with the slippery slope of customer supplied apparel that has trouble printing on and not having enough to account for misprints! We've got a whole video planned on printing on customer supplied apparel coming soon!
Sorry! We do only service the US, Canada and select Caribbean Islands... However, we do have partners in the Uk and Europe with very similar (and exactly the same) decorating solutions Target Transfers: www.targettransfers.uk Stahls' Europe: stahlseurope.com/
Look, my friend was making shirts that smelled bad, nobody knew why. He mixed the shirts with dirty laundry. He's serving almost 20 years in prison now.
That's a pretty steep sentence to serve for t-shirts! But, keeping blanks clean is definitely a printing mistake- from pet hair and dander, to dirty shirts out of the box... no one wants that!
Love all the tips! Thank you!
Absolutely! We're always so happy to help out
The things I didn’t know fills volumes! Terrific useful information Dave. Simple, straight forward explanations. I’ve been printing for 30 years and am happy to say your teaching methods are easy to grasp. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.
Thanks for the kind words Kim! I'm very happy to be able to share my experiences and help apparel decorator grow (and hopefully not make some of the mistakes I did along the way 🤣)
This is awesome! Thank you soo much!
I'm a beginner. Thank you for all the videos. They really help!
Absolutely! We're always happy to help out decorators of all sizes. If you have specific questions or can't find a video on something you're looking for just let us know :)
Thank you for sharing this video
Absolutely! We're so happy we could help out.
This video has answered ALL of my initial questions...I'm so grateful for this - thank you!!
Absolutely Caroline! We're so happy we could help out, we're all about helping decorators succeed!
Really helpful video, thank you 😊
Thanks Louise, we're so happy to help out in anyway we can for small businesses, hobbyists and apparel decorators of all sizes!
We also take requests for videos on any specific issues or challenges you may be facing, if you ever need us just give us a shout.
How breathable are screen printed transfers/which are best for large logos?
Any ink covering fabric (aside from sublimation) inhibits airflow through the fabric. For large areas of solid ink coverage try to use the shirt color to knockout certain areas of the image. Screen print transfers are by far one of the most soft and flexible heat transfers out on the market. You can try some samples here: www.transferexpress.com/marketing-tools/free-samples
I would love to know what heat press that was with the label press area!
In this video we're using the 16 x 20 Hotronix Auto Clam Heat Press, coupled with the Tag Along HP Platen that allows for printing the inside tag and front in the same press: www.transferexpress.com/heat-press-accessories/tag-along-hp
This platen is part of the Hotronix interchangeable platen system, which makes swapping the lower platen quick and easy.
We have them available together in this heat press package: www.transferexpress.com/heat-press-packages/auto-clam-16x20-package
You can also learn more about the Tag Along HP Platen in this video here: th-cam.com/video/vQaCwpaCQGw/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the tips! It was very helpful for when I get my first heat press I actually need the one here in this video where can I find it?
We're always happy to help out Dave! The heat press we're using in this video in the Hotronix 16 x 20 Auto Open Clam Press. You can find it here: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
You are a legend! So many questions answered!
We're so happy we could help out! Anything we can do to support decorators, creatives and entrepreneurs succeed is what we're all about.
Thank you Dave! Good explanations, I'm new here just a bot machine😊
I love these videos and transfer express!
Thanks Carrie! We're so happy we could help out :)
So glad I found your videos!!! Im a beginner with heat pressing! My son has started a running business and is printing shirts as part of his "Team". We are using polyester shirts with sublimation transfers. What Im running into is black specks appearing after we press...the only color in the print is pink....these black specks do not come out of the shirt. Any ideas?
Hi Nanette, we're always happy to help out in anyway we can! While we're not experts with sublimation transfers, it sounds like it may be a printer problem- either with the printheads themselves, excess moisture in the process or excess ink on the rollers that is transferring to the carrier. Without seeing the end results it's hard to tell for sure.
Are you buying your sublimation transfers or printing them yourself?
Are the black specks visible on the carrier before printing? They may be very small. (This would point to the printer issues).
@@transferexpress thanks for responding! Nothing black is visible on the sublimation. We purchase the sheets.
So I’m pressing on Comfort Colors 1717 @ 300°F, 6 psi pressure, and for 5 seconds for the 1st press and then another 5 for the hand feel press. Should I be worried about the square on the shirt or will it come out like you said in the video?
Hey Wyatt! Likely you may have already noticed the 1717 color returns to normal just a few minutes after pressing. While on certain colors it's more visible than others (like reds). This is due to the moisture in the fabric. With a 100% cotton blank, you can likely get to 400+ degrees before permanently damaging the garment.
Please let us know if those press marks did not return to normal!
Thanks Dave, I always appreciate you!
Thanks Kurt, I'm always happy to help out!
Hi, I am new to this and quite confused, so I apologize if this is a stupid question. Am I supposed to design in CMYK and have a transparent background? I thought PNG files are only RGB. So what file format do I use to export?
Howdy Bea, that's a Fantastic Question! PNG's with a transparent background will work perfect as long as they're high resolution (300DPI or more at the print size)
With DTF, colors are handled a little differently and since we've published this video... we've made some major adjustments as to how we accurately print color for both RGB and CMYK color spaces. PNG's with a transparent background will work perfect as long as they're high resolution (300DPI or more at the print size).
With DTF still being a digital process, you can get quite close to exact colors but there may be a variance- For spot-on matches, or Pantone colors, screen printed transfers will be your best option.
@@transferexpress Thank You so much!! I truly appreciate your quick response and your channel!!
Hi, I'm a beginner. Thank you for this tips. You have gained yourself a subscriber. Hope I'm free to ask you questions whenever the need arises.
Welcome, we're always happy to help and glad you found us! Also, absolutely feel free to ask questions anytime- It's what we're here for!
Just starting using my heat press and I have a few questions. The videos I watched mentioned not to use a cover when heat pressing. The package I purchased included a flexible application pad - when it is appropriate to use this pad? I used the pad when working with fine polyester material and I realized it greatly increased the pressure setting - is that normal. I also noticed when using a mouse pad it increased the pressure setting. Is that normal or should I lower the pressure setiing when using a mouse pad so that the application pressure is the recommended amount?
Good questions! The use of a cover sheet depends on the specific transfer type you are using. Our Goof Proof screen printed transfers that we feature in many of our videos here on the Transfer Express channel do not require cover sheets- The paper carrier acts as a barrier between the press and your print.
Cover sheets can be helpful (especially the flexible application pad) when printing on temperature sensitive garments like polyester or other synthetic materials, because they block heat. With the heat being blocked, the transfer may not be receiving accurate temperature, which may lead to misapplied transfers.
Adding any additional layers (coversheets, pillows, mousepads, etc) will increase the pressure, this is normal and should be compensated for. When using mousepads to raise the printing area, you should lower the pressure even further as the press does not know its a smaller surface area (the raised area or a smaller platen). Here's a helpful chart you can reference to dial in the pressure a little better when pressing smaller areas: assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/267afb21-f6b9-006a-3e77-21a9fe1f2ad9/ca9e6a37-ba32-4456-85a0-ada62eeb5df1/TransferExpress-Perfect-Pressure-Guide.pdf
What is the approximate value for the machine budget to start the business from home?
Fantastic question! It depends a little bit on what you can afford or within your budget: We're all about limiting expenses to maximize profit, but a low-quality heat press typically ends up hurting your business more than helping. Sure it can apply a t-shirt, and look fine, but once delivered to your customer and washed, the design may crack, peel or fade due to inaccurate temperature or pressure.
We typically recommend spending no less than $400 on a heat press. Something like our Craft Press is great to get started, ensures adjustable locking pressure and accurate heat: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/craft-heat-press
The best case scenario would be to pickup a press that can grow with you while providing all of the features that make learning how to print apparel easier: Full-size threadable platens for easy loading and print alignment, Interchangable platens to make decorating any item easy, and Digital Pressure readouts to reduce guesswork on application settings like on something like the Hotronix Fusion: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-fusion-press or Hotronix Auto Clam: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
Here's a topic that would help me greaatly. Can you all show us what material can be used on waffle knit thermal shirts?
That's a great suggestion! We'll get it in the mix and test all of the transfer types on something with a waffle knit!
We do show a waffle knit towel printed with our Goof Proof screen printed transfers here: th-cam.com/video/TIW_yOBcZAM/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared&t=386
Thank you!
You're welcome, We're always happy to help out!
Help!! New to the industry
when peeling my dtf off the T-shirt the image doesn’t stick just a little bit of residue on the tshirt very faint colours
When touched the ink is sticky
I use window 10, print using adobe express, use Yamation film from Amazon, use a sahok heat press at 150’c (it’s in ‘C not ‘ F ) and dtf powder
Any advice greatly appreciated :)
Hey Adam, unfortunately we're not too familiar with the supplies or equipment you mention and there can be many different variables that can be creating this issue, from incompatible materials with each other (inks /carriers / etc), wrong curing temperature for the DTF adhesive (please make sure you're doing that in a well ventilated area and should not be done in your home) to heat press issues (a quick google search of that brand of press details a lot of inaccurate temperature issues). We hear issues like this quite often with home setups- Which can be frustrating for sure. It took our team almost 2 years to perfect our DTF recipe before we released our UltraColor Max DTF Transfers.
You can start to rule out if it's the printer or the press first. You can pickup free samples of UltraColor Max DTF Transfers here to try yourself: www.transferexpress.com/marketing-tools/free-samples
Thanks
You're welcome! We're so happy to help out!
you mentioned you printed bulk merch for your band but it never sold what is name of your band please? do you still play music?
The TShirts hanging on the back wall where do I buy them?
Those are some t-shirts we featured in our Western T-Shirt Trends video: th-cam.com/video/52m14dLdJQA/w-d-xo.html
While these exact ones are not for sale, but you can make you own- Design for free in the Easy View Online Designer: transferexpress.com/designer
Hi there how are you how much and how do I get this machine thank you
Howdy! This press is the Hotronix® Auto Open Clamshell Heat Press, with the full size 16 x 20 version we used here retailing for $1,950. You can learn more and order here: www.transferexpress.com/heat-presses/hotronix-auto-clam-heat-press
Thank for informing I’m a new
Absolutely Linda! We're always happy to help out experienced or beginner apparel decorators. If you have any specific questions we're always here to answer them!
Is there a problem with the web page? I put in “transfer express”, it shows up. But it goes nowhere???
I don't believe we had any service outages recently, www.transferexpress.com/ is working properly. Thanks for letting us know- We'll have our team look into it incase of any issues.
@@transferexpress there are a few other sites posting on Instagram of a Microsoft outage.
Yes on the special orders or using their shirt. I seem to always have trouble with special orders 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️😂. For me it’s the easiest way to loose money. Not always, but has happened a lot
Absolutely! Special orders can be an awesome way to get a customer in the door, but yeah, we've been there with the slippery slope of customer supplied apparel that has trouble printing on and not having enough
to account for misprints!
We've got a whole video planned on printing on customer supplied apparel coming soon!
You guys are awesome.
Thanks Tanya! You're pretty awesome too!
Wish i seen this video 5 years ago 👍
So happy we could help... If we had a time machine we wouldn't have had to make this video! LOL
🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂limited to USA and Canada. Transfer express the world has gotten bigger we also need this service. South Africa
Hi, this weekend I tried printing for the first time..one shirt printed perfectly but my fiance's shirt was a disaster
Oh no! We'd love to help! What transfer type were you using?
I was disappointed! you can't order Transfer to Europe,
I was excited to create my account But!!! region US Canada
Sorry! We do only service the US, Canada and select Caribbean Islands... However, we do have partners in the Uk and Europe with very similar (and exactly the same) decorating solutions
Target Transfers: www.targettransfers.uk
Stahls' Europe: stahlseurope.com/
Look, my friend was making shirts that smelled bad, nobody knew why. He mixed the shirts with dirty laundry.
He's serving almost 20 years in prison now.
That's a pretty steep sentence to serve for t-shirts! But, keeping blanks clean is definitely a printing mistake- from pet hair and dander, to dirty shirts out of the box... no one wants that!
He also committed bank fraud & threatened his landlord. Not a good person. I'm glad he's locked up for many years.
Find a homeless shelter or orphanage that needs more t-shirts and give them your old band Ts….. clear that space in the garage for something else.
That's a fantastic idea Rick! We secretly think Dave is hoping the band gets back together so he can eventually sell them.