contout cutting

[thomasmary 11]

I have been looking at doing t-shirts and I have a question that those that have the know how can answer,,,LOL

I am looking at getting the Cobra WF1100. I understand the concept of printing a mirror image and heat transferring it to a t-shirt.

My question is why and when would you print onto vinyl then contour cut it and then press image and vinyl together onto a t-shirt?

Thank You for any help you can provide

Thomas

[Rodger 527]

When you don't have a " Direct to Garment " printer . At the Atlantic Sign Show a few years ago , they had a printer that they sent a front house door thru . It looked almost perfect . It would have been perfect if it was flat . It had ridges & on the back side of the ridge where it dropped away , it got a little thin . It was $225,000 " show sale " though .

[thomasmary 11]

Rodger Thanks for the reply. With t-shirts I did not know if it was needed to print onto vinyl then contour cut and apply the vinyl itself to the shirt. I know there is printable vinyl that you print a mirror image on and press the printing onto the t-shirt.

Thomas

[randalle 50]

For jpss or 3g jet, you don't print in 'mirror' and then contour and press. you print regular (not mirrored), then contour and press.

For siser ez weed (which is just heat pressable vinyl - non print) you cut it in mirror. Then press it.

When I started out, I thought that printing and contour cutting would be the cats meow the majority of the time. I, in my humble opinion, was wrong. I very much prefer cut vinyl, not printed and cut vinyl.

Some comparisons and / or pro's-con's of each:

siser ez weed, way better color than printed vinyl. If someone can make a liar out of me on this, I WELCOME you. I have a WF1100 being underutilized because of this. Advantage = ez weed

gradients, not possilbe with ez weed. Advantage jpss / 3g

placing multiple items on a shirt, ADVANTAGE EZ WEED. I tried ONE time to make a shirt that had a first name, last name, and number on the back that was printed and contour cut. By the time I had the first name lined up, it was curling. Then I started the last name, and the first name curled into a ball, then I got the number on and by the time I had it lined up, the first name and last name curled up and stuck to each other and had to be thrown away. It was a complete debacle. I threw it all away and did it with siser ez weed and was done lining up and pressing in less than 60 seconds - no muss no fuss.

and lastly, layering 2-3 colors of ez weed is super easy... way easier than even layering decal vinyl. I mean it couldn't be easier. The only real 'suck' about ez weed is the price. and that, does suck. I figure it at about $2 a square foot.

[thomasmary 11]

Thanks, I was thinking about going with both, vinyl and printing. The reason I am thinking about printing is to do stuff like pictures of people then putting it on t-shirts. That used to be a huge thing back when... LOL The cut vinyl is a must. Will also be doing airbrushing on shirts so got to have a heat press for all that. Anyone have any input on the heat press here at http://www.uscutter.com/Large-15-x-23-Clamshell-Heat-Press_p_1189.html

It is more or less a heat press just to get started into this adventure and will get a better one.

Thanks again

Thomas

[randalle 50]

for a starter press, i got this:

http://sunie.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2

I love it. Great unit for the $.

[thomasmary 11]

Very nice link, Thank You very much for all the info, it has been a big help.

[CRD 9]

JPSS you print in mirror.

3Gopaque you DO NOT print in mirror!