What's everybody using 'paperwise' for their tshirts?

[fridayschild]

Hi all, I think I might be having a blonde moment! Just about to order my first printer with sub inks etc, added tshirts and what have you to the order and then thought, blimey, what am I actually going to print on? :redface:

I know about jet pro sofstretch, I have samples, but this seems to be quite new (unless I am totally reading it wrong) so what was everyone using up to then? Surely everyone can't be using it now?

I tried having a little search on this forum and came across a query for an alternative dated a few months ago but although there had been hundreds of views there wasn't a single answer - ahh, I felt quite sad, come on chaps, that' s not like you! - anyway, enough about him, back to me BMS order pending and desperate to get started.

Cheers everso, hope you're having a great bank holiday weekend that's not as soggy as mine x

[bms]

I suspect you'll get a range of responses here from members using different papers. The TruPix range is the paper we recommend for printing onto all substrates, so that would be our recommendation and it's what we use for demo purposes in the Ricoh printer.

[JSR]

I've always preferred a high release paper such as TexPrint for fabric items. TruPix will do the job, but I tend to keep that for hard items. For me, TexPrint gives a much more satisfactory result on fabric items.

I believe SofStretch can be used with dye-sub inks, but it's recommended to use pigment inks. It's a different process to dye-sub, really. I have some samples here that I'll be trying out during the week.

[fridayschild]

Thanks you two - any other replies from members would be appreciated too.

Martin, do you have anything like that on the BMS website only I couldn't find it - please feel free to PM me if you don't want to be accused of advertising or anything - only I really want to get my order in this weekend.

JSR - I was a bit surprised about the sofstretch and sub inks really but that is what the YOLO lady told me. I had come across the product on a different forum (shh, don't tell Justin) when I was wondering if I should be trying a different form of printing whilst I was attempting to sort out my sublimation queries and they were using pigment inks with no mention of sub at all.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

[JSR]

JSR - I was a bit surprised about the sofstretch and sub inks really but that is what the YOLO lady told me. I had come across the product on a different forum (shh, don't tell Justin) when I was wondering if I should be trying a different form of printing whilst I was attempting to sort out my sublimation queries and they were using pigment inks with no mention of sub at all.

Dye-sub ink is formulated to bond with polyester/polymer surfaces. It doesn't do well with cotton, so you need special T-Shirts to use them with dye-sub inks. When you use the right materials with dye-sub ink you get something that's resilient enough to stand up to bleach washing and high temperatures.

SofStretch is a material "sheet" (a bit like other t-shirt transfer papers) onto which you print and this is adhered to the T-Shirt (which can be cotton or poly/cotton) via heat. You can use this with dye-sub inks as I understand it but dye-sub inks are still "dye", and you'll get better wash resistance/fade resistance with a pigment ink.

That said, I haven't tested my sample sheets yet, so I'm only saying it as I understand the product description.

So, best results are going to be dye-sub inks to dye-sub t-shirts, but SofStretch gives you the opportunity of using cotton t-shirts and pigment inks.

[bms]

Martin, do you have anything like that on the BMS website only I couldn't find it.

I'll pm you, but if you just type TruPix in the search box you'll get take straight to it. You only need the A4 paper if you're going for an A4 printer.

[mgibbs]

I use TexPrint for dye-sub t-shirts, TruPrint for hard items and OBM 5.6 for doing transfers onto cotton t's (using a Konica-Minolta laser printer).

Mark

[bms]

I use TexPrint for dye-sub t-shirts, TruPrint for hard items and OBM 5.6 for doing transfers onto cotton t's (using a Konica-Minolta laser printer).

Mark

TruPrint? Not heard of that one...

[fridayschild]

I'm guessing that was a trupix typo.

Thanks mgibbs, this is all very helpful, I appreciate it.

Also, thanks again JSR, for explaining the difference beween using sub ink & pigment inks on polyester/cotton tees.

I've ordered my printer now but I must admit I'm starting to get a bit anxious about those polyester tshirts and whether people will like them....oh well, only time will tell, I guess. I can always use the subs on mugs etc, as I have a multi press.

[bigj2552]

I'm guessing that was a trupix typo.

Thanks mgibbs, this is all very helpful, I appreciate it.

Also, thanks again JSR, for explaining the difference beween using sub ink & pigment inks on polyester/cotton tees.

I've ordered my printer now but I must admit I'm starting to get a bit anxious about those polyester tshirts and whether people will like them....oh well, only time will tell, I guess. I can always use the subs on mugs etc, as I have a multi press.

we were going to sell the poly T-shirt but since i got a couple of samples delivered and tryed one on, and gave the other one to various people give me some feedback on them - i hate the feel of them and 80% of the folk i showed them to said the same thing.....

so we decided to go with the 100% cotton T's and use vinyl / transfers ect, rather than sub dyes on the very uncomfy poly T's.....BUT EVERYBODY IS DIFFERANT..