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Plastisol transfers
From T-Shirt Wiki
Plastisol Transfers are screen printed designs that are printed on heat transfer release paper, rather than screen printing the design directly to a garment. Once the design is screen printed onto the paper, it can be stored until it is ready to be applied to the intended substrate (a t-shirt for example) with a heat press.
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[edit] Manufacture
Unlike inkjet transfers, plastisol transfers can't be printed at home with an inkjet printer, they must be printed by a professional screen printer who specializes in custom plastisol transfers. As with screenprinting the minimums vary between manufacturers, and can be as low as six pieces. Like most forms of printing, price breaks tend to make larger orders more cost effective.
[edit] Design
Plastisol transfers can either be stock designs (artwork provided by the transfer company) or custom (your own custom design that you provide).
[edit] Custom
Custom designs are printed to your specifications and shipped to you. They can be used as an alternative to short run printing, or as a way to minimise inventory costs by avoiding the need to stock a large inventory of pre-printed t-shirts.
[edit] Stock
Stock transfers are available from many manufacturers in many different styles. Some businesses make their living exclusively through stock transfers, others use them to supplement an original or custom line.
[edit] Limitations and Technical Considerations
[edit] Application Options
Plastisol transfers can be used to decorate dark or light colored garments. They can be applied to 100% cotton, 50/50, Nylon, Polyester and other fibres. This sometimes requires the transfers to be formulated for a specific application, so the end use of the transfer needs to be known at the time of printing.
[edit] Quality
Compared to inkjet printed transfers, vinyl transfers, laser printed transfers and opaque transfers, plastisol transfers have the highest print quality and best durability.
[edit] Specialty Techniques
Several of the specialty printing techniques done by traditional screen printers can be done with custom plastisol transfers. This includes puff printing, glitter printing, foil printing, four color process screen printing, and sparkle printing.
[edit] Advantages
Plastisol transfers help lower overhead by holding a minimum of shirts in inventory. Out of pocket costs for failed designs are also lower. They facilitate a wider offering of shirt sizes, styles and colours.
[edit] Disadvantages
Plastisol transfers share many of the disadvantages of traditional screen printing, the biggest of which being that for each colour that appears in the design, a separate screen must be made. If the shirts are being made in a large quantity, plastisol transfers are more expensive and slower to produce a completed shirt.
[edit] Varieties
Plastisol Transfers can be applied to a garment in a number of different ways.
[edit] Cold Peel
Applied with a heat press and peeled off once the transfer is cooled. Usually has a glossy look.
[edit] Hot Peel
Applied with a heat press and peeled immediately after pressing, while the transfer is still hot. Usually has more of a matte look.
[edit] Hot Split
Applied with a heat press and peeled immediately after pressing, while the transfer it hot. Some of the ink transfers to the t-shirt and some of the ink stays on the transfer paper causing a "split". This is supposed to give the final design the softest hand with a matte finish.
[edit] Storage
Transfers have been successfully applied after twenty years or more, but are not intended for such longterm storage. They should be kept in a cool, dry place.
[edit] Typical Application Settings
Settings vary depending on how the transfers were made, but are typically in the 325-350f temperature range, and 3-30s time range.
