m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT) (02/05/91)
I had a heat-transfer ribbon for my Epson. The results were pretty poor; the design did not transfer very well, and it faded quickly with several washings. Perhaps it would be better to tranfer an outline or design and then color it with t-shirt paints or markers. Then the transfer quality would not matter as much. Wildstar
kelson@ais.org (David Lewis) (02/07/91)
In article <703@tnc.UUCP> m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT) writes: > >I had a heat-transfer ribbon for my Epson. The results were pretty >poor; the design did not transfer very well, and it faded quickly with >several washings. Perhaps it would be better to tranfer an outline or >design and then color it with t-shirt paints or markers. Then the >transfer quality would not matter as much. > >Wildstar Well.. I am useing a star nx1000 rainbow.. and I got a heat transfer ribbon for it.. so far.. the transfers look ok.. they turned out MUCH better than I thought.. there pretty color full and deep.. But I dont know if there still good enough for 'marketing'. the problem with coloring them with tshirt paints.. is.. they need sorta complex designes (comples enough to make paitning a hassle) and they also need large quantities.. of course I woudlnt be trying to take over for what thier doing now. Just try to supplement.. to help reduce costs.. and give more felxibility on designs.. *sigh* perhaps designing on the amiga then going to a print shop is the way to go.. -- Internet: Kelson@ais.org
hgm@ccvr1.ncsu.edu (Hal G. Meeks) (02/07/91)
My admittedly limited experience with heat transfer ribbons is that they are not really durable enough for commercial production. Also, I suspect that the cost of using heat transfer ribbons does not compare favorably to plain old silk screening. I recieved an announcement a year or so ago from Software Sensations (makers of SView and Inky Dink Inks for inkjet printers) that they were coming out with a thermal transfer ink for inkjets. Never heard anything else, though. However, for small batches of custom t-shirts, there are a couple of alternatives. There was a place locally that used a canon color copier to make a thermal transfer. I could bring if a reversed printout from my Xerox 4020, and they could make a copy of it on a coated paper. Since the "toner" in a color copier is actually a thermally activated plastic, printing a copy on a suitably slick paper means that you can reheat the toner, and hopefully lift the design off the paper. Results were a very good copy of the original. Durability is surprisingly good. I was told to wash the shirt in cold water, and not to dry it. While I normally wash all my clothes in cold water, I also habitually throw everything in the dryer. It's held up fine so far, with minimal cracking after 6 months. The place has recently gone out of business, so now I'm trying to find a source for the transfer paper. Color copiers are relatively common; there is a place down the street that will do 8x11 copies for $1.00; legal size is about $1.50. The other alternative is to use your amiga to do color separations, via PixMate or TAD, print out the separations, and find a place that will do 4 color process screen printing. Some places will do a run as small as 20 shirts at a time. While this is admittedly more expensive, it still is a little cheaper than having to have someone do custom artwork for you. For simple one-off designs, I've been playing with this goop that resembles elmer's glue. It's available at any craft store. The idea is that you take your artwork (laserwriter or copier output preferred), smear this stuff on it, and then press it down on your target shirt. After it dries (about 24 hours), you soak the shirt in water, and the paper backing falls apart, leaving your design. It's a little tricky to use, but it's possible to get good results. And the stuff is cheap; $1.30 for a bottle that is enough for three shirts. I'd still like to find a source for the thermal transfer paper for copiers/laser printers though. If anyone has any leads, I'd be very appreciative. --hal -- hgm@ccvr1.cc.ncsu.edu "..now that Mac way of doing things has taken hold, netoprhm@ncsuvm.bitnet will we ever be able to get rid of it?" Alan McKay "User Interface, A personal view"
kelson@ais.org (David Lewis) (02/08/91)
>they were coming out with a thermal transfer ink for inkjets. Never heard >anything else, though. > >I'd still like to find a source for the thermal transfer paper for >copiers/laser printers though. If anyone has any leads, I'd be very >appreciative. > > if they have thermal transfer ink for inkjets that would be PREMO! if anyone has heard of that.. I would like the info too.. Also, what was the name of that glue? -- Internet: Kelson@ais.org
LASKEY@svax05.pcr.co.uk (03/02/91)
I recently experimented with transfering my digitized images onto T-shirts, using my Star printer. The inital result was very good, but pressing down with the iron meant that I was limited to very small images (size of the base of the iron). I've tried various techniques to print A4 images, but I either fade parts of it I've already done, or end up with gaps, overlaps or smudges. I wonder if anyone out there has had some experience with this, and whether they have defeated my particular problem. Thanks in advance for any info... ================================================================================ Mike Laskey || "We've only TEN years to save our planet" Contact address: || UUCP || Belinda Carlisle LASKEY@UK.CO.PCR.SVAX05 || Runaway Horses - World Tour 1990 ================================================================================
root@graphics.rent.com (Bob Lindabury) (03/03/91)
LASKEY@svax05.pcr.co.uk writes: > I recently experimented with transfering my digitized images onto T-shirts, > using my Star printer. > > The inital result was very good, but pressing down with the iron meant that > I was limited to very small images (size of the base of the iron). I've > tried various techniques to print A4 images, but I either fade parts of it > I've already done, or end up with gaps, overlaps or smudges. > > I wonder if anyone out there has had some experience with this, and whether > they have defeated my particular problem. > > Thanks in advance for any info... Yes, you just call up a T-Shirt place and ask them for the name of a company that sells heat presses. There are several models but I forget the name of the company I use to get mine from. (I designed and built a complete T-Shirt transfer system for the IBM with a ICB or TARGA board) You usually need at least a 12"x12" heat press for T-shirts. This will give you an even heated surface for pressing. Works like a charm. You can also get sublimation color ribbons and other supplies from a company called QLT in New York. -- Bob InterNet: root@graphics.rent.com | Raven Enterprises UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!root | 25 Raven Avenue BitNet: root%graphics.rent.com@pucc | Piscataway, NJ 08854 Home #: 908/560-7353 | 908/271-8878