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What Is An Iron-On Transfer? |
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An iron-on transfer consists of an image printed in reverse (i.e. mirrored) and
applied to a piece of high release paper. The image is usually printed onto the
paper with plastisol inks which have the characteristics of being flexible enough
for stretching and durable enough for wearability. The transfer is typically used
for decorative purposes and applied to garments, mugs, mouse pads, and other surfaces.
The image is applied to these items using a heat press machine which uses high temperature
(typically 385 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressure to transfer the ink from the paper
to the garment. The process of transferring an image from the paper to the garment
typically takes typically 8-12 seconds and does not require a drying or curing process
once applied. Transfers are available in a variety of sizes, processes, and colors.
Most transfers produced today are known as hot split transfers where the ink splits
between the transfer paper and garment when heated. Other popular transfer types
include puff (ink that puffs), glitter (ink that sparkles), foil (ink that shines),
and sublimation (used for mug transfers).
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Can I Print Transfers on Any Color Garment or
Material? |
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No, some transfers are intended to be printed on light color (i.e. white, ash, yellow,
light blue) garments only while others can be printed on dark and light color garments.
Each transfer we offer will indicate which color(s) to which it can be applied.
Like color, not all transfers can be applied to all materials. Virtually every transfer
we sell can be applied to 'normal' printable
items....from 100% cotton to those that contain
50% polyester/50% cotton. However, printing on a mug, mouse pad, or a cap often requires a transfer
specifically intended for those surfaces.
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What Equipment Do I Need to Print a Transfer? |
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All transfers that we sell can be applied with a professional heat press machine.
They will not work using a household iron. These machines are available in a manual
or automatic format and have standard voltage requirements (U.S. 120 volts, International
220 volts). A standard manual heat press costs approximately $649 and will endure
years of use. Automatic heat presses generally cost in excess of $1900. A manual
press requires the user to apply pressure to a handle attached to the heating area
in order to lock the heating area in place for transferring. The automatic presses
handle this process automatically.
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How Much Do Transfers Cost? |
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Most of the transfers we sell range in price from $.39 to $3.75 each. Most full
size transfers intended for t-shirts and sweatshirts average $1.50 each. Cap and
mug size transfers are typically under $1.00 each while larger/oversized transfers
using creative processes are in excess of $3.00. Although size often determines
the price, transfers created by a well-known artists or which use a new technology
can inflate the price.
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Using Transfers vs. Direct Printed Garments |
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With the improvements in technology used to produce transfers, it is virtually impossible
to tell the difference between a garment printed directly with a screen printing
press and one printed using an iron-on transfer. In most cases, the iron-on transfer
has a soft feel (or hand as we say in the industry) and is as durable.
The advantage to using transfers lies in your ability to run your business with
limited inventory. Because you don't typically print the shirt until it's sold,
you can offer hundreds (even thousands) of designs to your customers just by keeping
minimal stock of the transfers which cost considerably less than a pre-printed shirt.
Imagine if you wanted to offer 300 different shirts to your customers. If you carried
pre-printed garments, you would have to inventory each design in a minimum of four
sizes and keep on hand at least 2-3 pieces of every size. That amounts to inventorying
over 3600 shirts. For most small business, this is not realistic. To carry the same
300 designs using transfers you would only have to inventory four sizes of blank
garments and 2-3 pieces of each design. This is a more realistic scenario for most
small business owners.
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How Do Transfers Hold Up When Washed |
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Special care is normally not needed to wash a garment printed with a transfer since
it has the same characteristics as a pre-printed or direct printed shirt. However,
we recommend washing the garment inside-out and in cold water to prevent the cotton
fibers from peeling away from the garment. It is normally the cotton fibers peeling
away which cause fading in a printed shirt regardless of whether it was printed
with a transfer or directly printed.
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How Does a Transfer Feel When Printed? |
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Transfers normally have the same textures and feel as a pre-printed garment. |
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Can I Print the Same Transfer More than Once? |
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No, once applied to a garment, mug, cap, or other surface, the transfer cannot be
reapplied again.
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Can I Customize, Add, or Change an Existing Transfer? |
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You cannot alter the image of a transfer already adhered to the high release transfer
paper. However, you can accessorize transfers with lettering, other transfers, or
with custom transfers produced on a computer after you press your transfer onto
the garment.
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Can I Make Custom Transfers Using My Computer? |
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Yes, there are a variety of iron-on transfer papers available today which you can
print on using your computer printer. The 3 most popular iron-on transfer papers
available are: color laser copy (CLC), thermal, and inkjet paper. The CLC paper
must be used with a color laser copier such as a Cannon Color Laser Copier System.
Thermal paper is intended for thermal printers such as those produced by Fargo.
The latest transfer paper to hit the market is inkjet paper. This paper can be used
with most inkjet or bubble jet printers such as those manufactured by Canon and
Hewlett Packard. Keep in mind, you must have the correct printer and software to
use these papers. The software must be able to print a mirrored image as well as
give you the ability to create graphics. Some of the more popular software programs
on the market are Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop, Hanes T-Shirt Maker, and Corel
Draw.
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