If you are thinking of starting your very own T shirt printing business, you must consider several things. Many people are lured by the profits in the T shirt printing industry. Customizable T shirts are becoming quite popular nowadays. It is becoming quite a trend, especially amongst teenagers.
However, while the profits can be tempting, it is important to understand how the process works. Graphical images are printed on T shirts using a process known as heat transfer. Heat transfer printing is a process in which a heat press is used to apply pressure to the fabric. While the fabric is “pressed,” it is heated and specialized fabric ink is used for printing the image on the fabric.
To start a decorative garment business, you will have to buy a heat press. This will be used for heat transfers for T shirts. Specialized heat presses are quite expensive. They are industrial scale and can be used for printing several designs on many T shirts in one go. For small scale businesses, there are other options. You can purchase a small scale heat printer too. Such a printer can only print on one T shirt at a time. Here are three things to keep in mind when looking to purchase a heat printer for T shirts:
Manual or Automatic
Heat transfers for T shirts can be done using a manual or an automatic heat printer. Manual heat printers require manual supervision throughout the process. An operator must be hired for that reason. When the image is inserted in the digital heat printer, the operator must carefully check the dimensions of the image to be printed before the process begins.
An automatic printer is a lot more feasible. The whole process is automatic, so there’s no need for an operator. Once the image is inserted, it is printed automatically on the substrate.
Plastisol or Conventional Textile Ink
The next thing to consider is the ink that will be used. Most heat transfers for T shirts are done using conventional textile ink. This type of ink is readily available in the market and is quite cheap. The transfer process is also pretty straightforward. However, plastisol ink is now being used by most businesses. Plastisol ink produces better quality results, especially when the image is slightly cloudy or light colored. Furthermore, plastisol ink produces vibrant images on darker fabrics as well.
However, the added benefit comes at a cost. Plastisol ink is not readily available, and is only sold by certain companies. For business owners, they may have to increase their prices in order to accommodate the increase in prices.
