bms;20311 wrote:You have to use the dura rite inks for this otherwise you'll get a fuzzy non wash safe result. The effect is matt but full colour on material that is slightly thicker than TMT OBM material. Print, cut, peal and press.
Washability is up to 80 degrees but 60 degrees is about as high as we'd recommend and probably hotter than most people wash these days. Image should stay so long as you don't use bleach etc.
Hi Martin
Tried twice this week to find out more about this stuff (on Phone) but no one was able to help. Is this vinyl like Magictouch OBM when finished or is it more like a standard vinyl flex feel but printed.
It's thicker than OBM and depending on what flex you are comparing it to then it might be thicker or about the same. Some flex is really thin - ours is around 60 microns whereas other flex can be much thicker. Given you have to peal this to lay on garments then it is thicker than 60 microns but nothing like as thick as flock. Print wise, you're printing with inkjet rather than laser so there is often a differrence between the final image if you are to compare like with like.
AdamB;20263 wrote:I still have to print it yet guys but I will keep you posted. It's funny but pigment ink is reccommended for this so I remebered I had an old epson 1290 A3 printer that was stuck upstairs in a box. It had been in a box for about, well over 3 years, so I got it out - took the cardridges out (which still had ink in them!) and ran some cleaning fluid through it and it printed perfect after a couple of clean cycles! I got the pigment ink the other day and it's ready to go - I just need to print something now and test-wash it ................. I will keep you all posted
I dont suppose you fancy posting me a couple of sheets to try. Dont fancy wasting £35 if its not what I am looking for (done that too many times) I am happy to pay full price and postage straight away.
as Martin says there are single sample sheets to purchase which work out at quite a good deal to try it out (as I did). I would send you some mate but as it was I only got a few sheets to try and all have been used.
My results were quite positive - at first .................
I tested the printable vinyl (sorry Martin, printable flex) along with some other types of transfer paper I had purchased as sample packs (one being an ebay special) by printing and contour cutting a logo that I am currently using for a charity I do stuff for. I had 4 different types of media (including the printable flex from BMS).
I have an epson 1290 A3 printer that I have installed a ciss system of pigment ink. I had tried the pigment ink in comparrision to dye ink the day before and done a couple of wash tests so I knew the pigment ink would do it's job (dye ink faded a little, pigment ink stood fast).
I printed the logo onto 3 of the dark transfer papers and all printed very well and I managed to contour cut them on the cutter with no problem. It was now the turn of the printable flex and (to be honest) it felt a lot thicker but the backing plastic was also very much thicker (which could have made things seem a lot thicker in the long run). I had noticed on the BMS site that it stated "Please check your printer to ensure it uses durabrite inks as otherwise the image will be slightly fuzzy when printed." I wasn't using durabrite inks but another pigment ink brand. After printing the logo I noticed that in certain areas the colour had ran .............. this may be the term fuzzy that was mentioned on the site???
I pressed them all on the same t-shirt and then stuck it in the wash, then dried it on the clothes horse. I did this for 15 times (the missis loved me I can tell you). After 15 washes there was a noticeable difference between the 4 media types with the printable flex looking as though it hadn't been in the **wash at all!
Brilliant I thought, I can use this and the colours that had ran at the start .................. well, I couldn't see the problem now?? Was it my eyes at the start of this test as I couldn't see anything now!
Well, that was a few weeks ago and someone asked me a few days ago if I could print a dark t-shirt, yes I thought as I had a sheet of printable flex left (bonus). I printed the design (which contained a lot of colours) and the yellows ran into the blues, and the reds ran into the blacks. I'm not sure if this was cured earlier in the wash phase but I CAN'T wash a shirt and then sell it, so I couldn't use it and had to use my next choice of transfer media (which I put a note on, to avoid the drier to preserve the garment).
Conclusion, everyone is looking for a way to print on Darks with full colours and this is not something that I (or you reading this) are the first to try and figure out. People are still trying to find an easy option and yes (before anyone says) there is the kisscut (2 step) process and the magic touch (2 step) process which I know have glowing results, but with fingers like bratwurst sausages I wanted to avoid things so finnicky. The other option is DTG (Direct to Garment) which IS THE ANSWER but a very expensive answer at that (unless your name starts with a J and you make everyone jealous by posting designs of your latest creations - only kidding John).
Whether the printable flex will print perfect with durabrite inks - I don't know as I didn't have that ink to test, but apart from the running/fuzzy bit (and it tested it on various print quality options to no avail) in the middle, the printable flex (although heavy and thick) performed well above the rest.
**Note: During the wash tests I didn't put the t-shirt in the dryer until the last (15th) wash. After the drier phase one of the transfers (the ebay special) was in a right state (but good for hen night and corporate stuff). Two of the more expensive transfer papers were still holding up nicely but a little crispy (the heat in the drier had made them a little harder) - the printable vinyl however, ............. no change (10/10) - just the ink thing for me that stops me using it, if it wasn't for that I'd use it all the time.
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If you mean were the colours running/fuzzy before or after the wash then the answer is that the colours ran after printing on the second print I did.
But, it's only certain colours that are running. As an example grey and black together ........... no problem - green and black together and the green runs into the black, if this makes sense?
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thanks for the info Adam very informative.
most transfer images say don't tumble dry, i know my works polo's we got supplied last year had a horrid transfer on the back and a big sticker on the pack saying, 'do not tumble dry or iron transfer'
although the big question is do ppl read ??????? lol
i keep thinking about trying printable flex as it has good results but i don't have the room for another printer just for durabrite inks so that won't be happening for a while
and lol and the direct to garment print, that made me laugh out loud lol glad i'm not the only one who is jealous
