Chudimac

Tips on fast weeding? Just got first big order!

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I need to do 70 shirts, two color vinyl, front and back.  The most time consuming part of the process is the weeding.  Can anyone offer tips?  So far, I've learned a couple things....

1. Use a piece of tape to start the corner

2. Wrap scotch tape (sticky side out) around a finger on non-dominant hand to stick all the little vinyl inserts to when pulling out with the tool.

3. Question/Thought - if I added a couple lines in my design, touching my design but not overlapping of course, would that work (so I don't have to pull such large sections off at once and get things tangled)?

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Doesn't your cutting software have WEED LINES?    Most do..As long as you have a good vinyl cutter that tracks good, they work great. 

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Get some help.  There has to be somebody.  Kids are great.  Pay them with a thsirt.   If they are your own kids, just bully them or puppy dog eye them or whatever you can get away with.  What MZ Skeeter said about auto weed lines is great if your software does it.  If not you can add some lines in the design manually.  For HTV, it weeds faster warm.  Press your heat press with nothing it it for a few seconds.  Lay the HTV on it for a few seconds before weeding, (obviously don't press the unweeded HTV.)

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Thanks for the tips!  I'll have to look into the weed lines, I'm sure my software has it, just didn't know about it!

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11 minutes ago, Chudimac said:

Thanks for the tips!  I'll have to look into the weed lines, I'm sure my software has it, just didn't know about it!

The warm HTV does make a difference.

 

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That's great!  Can't wait to try it.  Wish I would have got a press where the top swings out of the way. Would have been much easier to place tshirts on and avoid burns!

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Another question, do you know how long your siser shirts last? I thought they would hold up great but I read on the siser website 30 washes, that doesn't seem that long to me....

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4 hours ago, Chudimac said:

Another question, do you know how long your siser shirts last? I thought they would hold up great but I read on the siser website 30 washes, that doesn't seem that long to me....

Ive never read anything like that Most people say it will outlast your shirt. i know I have t shirts with sayings on them and the shirts have holes and are stretched out and pretty much rags now but the saying while faded is still on the shirt. Not any ive personally done as ive just gotten into this hobby about 2 months ago. I totally forgot about the heating the htv up before you weed it ive got to try that next time i do a shirt

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, Chudimac said:

Another question, do you know how long your siser shirts last? I thought they would hold up great but I read on the siser website 30 washes, that doesn't seem that long to me....

I did a test on my first few shirts a few days ago. I was throwing them into any laundry that the wife was doing.  I had them in with jeans, socks, , and just about anything. After 20 something washes they still looked just fine.  I have a few that I sold that people are wearing running almost every other day for the past week and wash them every time in the florida heat and they have not complained about them at all when i did a follow up with them after the half marathon they did.

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If i was doing 70 shirts front & back two colors i'd get a transfer made, and be done with the job in a couple of hours

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Check into ordering transfers. I had to do 80 shirts for a ball team listing their winnings on the back. I went to Transfer express and got them for $161.  You can try out Transfer express for free and mess with their layouts. If you use your own logo/artwork it always cost more. That's when you check your local vinyl dealers and see if they do custom printing. My local shop cut TE's price by more than half. 

I had a local shop print the front logo which was 3 colors. 80 of those cost me $79. 

Best thing about going that way.... I didn't have to weed a thing!! 

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its a big order and if you need it done in a few days its really a big day but my local place i get vinyl at does all the baseball shirts for the school. i think she said 100 shirts or something like that she gets her daughter and a few friends to come in and help weed so she can get them done in a timely manner. i might freak out if i ever get a order that big but it is doable im sure. My largest so far is 15 front and back. I did 8 at one time and had to get more HTV. I knew i would need more and was waiting for payment on other half. I paid for all shirts with the 1st half of the money.

 

 

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On 5/3/2018 at 9:18 AM, 3barefoot said:

Check into ordering transfers. I had to do 80 shirts for a ball team listing their winnings on the back. I went to Transfer express and got them for $161.  You can try out Transfer express for free and mess with their layouts. If you use your own logo/artwork it always cost more. That's when you check your local vinyl dealers and see if they do custom printing. My local shop cut TE's price by more than half. 

I had a local shop print the front logo which was 3 colors. 80 of those cost me $79. 

Best thing about going that way.... I didn't have to weed a thing!! 

Thanks!  We actually did look into screen printing and it was cheaper and no work!  When you said a local shop printed the front 3 logo color for 80 shirts for $79, I'm assuming you provided the shirts right?  Did that include the setup fee?  I'll have to check out this Transfer Express!

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22 hours ago, Chudimac said:

Thanks!  We actually did look into screen printing and it was cheaper and no work!  When you said a local shop printed the front 3 logo color for 80 shirts for $79, I'm assuming you provided the shirts right?  Did that include the setup fee?  I'll have to check out this Transfer Express!

The local shop only printed them for me. I had to pick them up and come back to my shop and press. I had the logo so there was no setup fee. I pressed all the shirts front and back.

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