what would you use if you were printing on....?

[Coopart]

First off, i apologize for posting a broad question in the PRINTERS section for i need info on an entire setup. I have found vague info throughout the internet on my research into printing on light weight polyester. and light weight nylon. What i want to do is print MY art work on hair salon hair cutting capes like the ones your barber or hair stylist put on you when you get a haircut. I researched this a few years ago and folks told me it would be difficult to transfer for the heat would ruin the garment, direct printers seem very expensive and im just a hobbyist. I have sold designs through a fulfillment company for over ten years but they seem not interested in adding capes to their product line. If you were to take on this task, what equipment would you use? i really don't want to get into screen printing so would have to be digital images transferred in some way...thanks for any tips you might have for me.

[John G]

Sublimation printing will work on white 100% polyester - but most of the capes I've seen have been black.

[pisquee]

nylon is a polymer so should be fine as well as polyester, but as mentioned above it would need to a light colour to be able to dye-sublimate it.
So, you would need a printer with sublimation ink, and a heat press. I would recommend getting a sample garment and getting someone else to try sublimation printing onto it for you, before you go and buy a load of kit!

[John G]

I've kind of discounted nylon as it won't take the heat used to sublimate - well at least the nylon zipper bags I used didn't, and i've got around a few thousand of them sitting in my unit. :frown:

[Coopart]

yes white was my choice of garment, im a hair stylist also and we do use white as well, if your a guy often time stylist will put a black cape on ya so you don't feel out of sorts..lol THATS a good idea to have some one try it first with their equipment!!!

[John G]

Back in the day I used to screen print these by the thousand, all black :biggrin:

[Justin]

You can heat press vinyl into nylon, it goes on at a lower temp for a quick application time.

[Coopart]

ok, so to do this i would need to print on vinyl? then transfer to nylon? would this solve some of the dark garment issues? i guess what i mean is would printing on vinyl first help render a non translucent image? hey thanks all BTW for all the great ideas!

[logobear]

we do them in vinyl, and have used obm too, looking forward to using white wow. (both from the magic touch)
we usually print back to front so they look good through the mirror.

[John G]

If its just one colour basic text, you'll need a plotter to cut the vinyl, then, once weeded, a heat press to press it onto the capes. No printing involved.