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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: royster13 on August 28, 2012, 06:40:19 PM
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It always surprises me when I get an order for names and numbers on shirts printed somewhere else.....As this seems to happen often, I wonder how many screen printers here do not have heat presses?.....Seems to be a necessity for folks in this line of work....Am I wrong?
PS....I am not talking about shirts shipped in from "Mothercorp" and personalized locally...I am talking about shirts printed at local shops that do not do names and numbers....
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We have one that we use primarily for sublimation but names and numbers via screen printed transfers are done as well on it. Geo Night DK20S I think is the model, 16x20. It's a decent unit but I think there are better options out there for sure.
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Some just don't want to deal with "personalization" and the inherent small runs and/or handling of single pieces associated with them.
Then again, the reverse is true as well. There are heat pressers who don't screen print.
oh and btw, I have six, with at least three in use regularly, the most handy and uncommon, a 6x8 "label" press from George Knight.
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I've always felt a vinyl cutter and a heat press go hand-in-hand with the screen business. I wouldn't be caught without one, personally.
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Yeah we send all that to the guy who likes the team work. That's the mentality Frog- we don't offer numbers. We do offer names though, side clamp presses make that easy and good money and they get to pick any font they want.
I could do a lot of good stuff for our retail line with a vinyl cutter though aside from just plotting out names/numbers for Ts though.
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4 here. Probably a necessity but personally I hate anything we do with them.
It's hard to go from 700/hr to like 120 or so. You almost can't charge enough.
We have a vinyl plotter too and a bunch of Thermoflex or whatever but I really
really have to be coddled to break that out. Used to do a bunch, but now I tell them
to call Andy.
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we do foil almost weekly so we have to have one. as much as I dislike the model we have, one of those 2 platen swing type jams would be kinda cool.
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We got one and a vinyl cutter. We use it a lot for names and numbers along with doing one or two shirts with a logo or some goofy saying done in vinyl for customers.
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we have two and now three plotters to cut names or numbers
sam
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We have one for hats with two sizes of platens, one for t's and other things with four sizes of platens and then we have the huge Geo Knight Maxi Press 40X60 twin shuttle for our AOP sublimation. For the past two and a half decades, every shop I have worked with had at least one heat press. My first job as a rookie screen printer was 300, 3 color, hat transfers. I printed and pressed them all.
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If yer serious about it, air powered shuttle type are the best, preferably with two platens.
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We have two now.
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3.
Hotronix Auto 16x16 (first thing we got w/ a Graphtec).
Then a buddy told me about a small 9x12 swing away hix at a pawn shop I picked up for $100 bucks.
Then I picked up a hat press on t-shirtforums for a couple.
There is another 15x15 clam style at the pawn shop for fairly cheap (practically new). I know the owners of the pawn shop. Soon as I get same extra cash hanging around if it's still there (I'm sure it will be), I'll go see what they will let me have it for. Might trade an old PS2 that is collecting dust to them and some cash thrown in.
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I have a dk20 swing away. I think when I get more room I will get the shuttle attachment and stand.
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I've always felt a vinyl cutter and a heat press go hand-in-hand with the screen business. I wouldn't be caught without one, personally.
Ditto
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We have 8 presses. Air, hover and manual. We use them for DTG, vinyl and sub.
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We use a hat heat press for hats and inside neck labels. I've been looking into getting one to do some dye sub work, but we don't get the orders for it.
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I had to run over to a buddy yesterday and get some stuff cut, I,m thinking its time to buy a vinyl cutter
Darryl
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I have five all air operated including one for hats and a dual platen flats. For foil, transfers, #s, heat applied applique, and sublimation; which is in it's infancy. We were lucky enough to inherit a guy who is quite fast and accurate. It is self contained in it's own room.
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DK20S Swing away here, and Roland Camm-1pro Vinyl Cutter. These two are a must have for our market. There are decent margins to be had if the job is priced right. Seems as if customers are willing to pay considerably more for this level of personalization..
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Don't have one, generally really happy that we don't have one, but recently some jobs have been passed on because we didn't have one that I would have liked to had.
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my favorite thing with a heat press is pressing a print that didn't quite come out smooth. heat presses are great for fixing screwups.
we have 2 here, plus 2 cap presses.
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I got DK16 that I bought used, it looks like it is a brad new machine. Looking to buy a vinyl cutter pretty soon too for the names and numbers.
You might be able to find one used on Craigslist or on eBay. Look for a name brand, Hotronix, Geo Knight, Hix, .......
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We have a 16 x 20 flatbed Insta, a Hotronix hat press, and an older Knight double hat press. The hat presses are great for sleeves, labels, any small transfer. Hats too, duh...
Steve
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A heat press can pay for itself extremely quickly in this industry, I think every shop should have one. Pair it with a vinyl cutter and you can do things pretty cheap.
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For those looking for a vinyl cutter, hit me up when you are ready. We have been meaning to put the Roland into production and pull the Graphtec for a while now but have just been too busy.
When I do, I'll likely be ready to sell the Graphtec.
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we have a Hix N820 heat press with two platens.. its been in service since 1997 - No huge issues other than the coil springs that keep the handle up break every few years.
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We got one about 8 years ago after the fire. I needed to spend some $$$.
We order the names from Stahls and go for it.
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Forgot to mention I have an Ioline plotter/cutter. Working on a project for the resort line where we print patterns and graphics on fabrics with waterbase inks, cut them into namedrop letters, and attach them to finished garments with a running stitch. Set to roll it out at Spring Surf show.
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That's pretty awesome Tony. How do you do the cutting?
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EB, The ioline.
Which if anyone wants one, the one that is on used equipment's website in Texas is practically brand new untouched. I repo'd it myself from my buddy's shop and he probably NEVER used it once. He bought a package and it was in it.
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BTW that is a design I printed on St. Thomas. Direct sim process discharge on darks. It was very successful even after the event. I have the files and will print them again here for sales samps so I'll post pics of actual shirt. This was inspirational for the print/cut/sew program and is not exactly how the finished program will look.
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You can cut fabric with an Ioline? Do you stick it to some sort of backing or something?
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That part I don't know... I didn't really mess with it. I was given a list of things to pick up and the Ioline "cut and sew" was one of them. So I assume this much as the name implies.
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EB, The ioline.
I repo'd it myself from my buddy's shop
Ooof.
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Yeah, I need to remember to clarify that. He was at the end of his lease and didn't want to do the buy out. So he was giving it up freely.
I would not have done it otherwise.
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hat a heat press from the very beginning, and just a few months ago i purchased a vinyl cutter now i wonder why it took me so long to own it.
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I kinda lied, we have a Hotronix cap press that we apply transfers (we print them in-house unless it's a cad cut project) with for private labels and foam front trucker caps.
Our neighbor just gave us two super old Hix presses as well, one cap and one shirt. The shirt one is charming- it has an egg timer on it and analog temp gauge, like a kitchen thermometer. I'm assuming they'll work just fine with a little TLC.
I always thought that the Stahls air swinger looked BA and I liked the concept of the one Anatol has a lot.
(http://sidstatic.blob.core.windows.net/content/images/products/HP-Htrnx-AirSwingerB_medium.jpg)
(http://www.anatol.com/images/stories/heat-press.jpg)
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So today I get another call about names and numbers on some shirts printed by a printer that does not have a press....I wonder how long before he figures out he is losing some repeat orders to me because next time they will come direct to me....
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We got one about 8 years ago after the fire. I needed to spend some $$$.
We order the names from Stahls and go for it.
We order 2 color names from Stahl's, but cut the one color. Our plotter is 17 or 18 years old. I'll have to replace it with a model that will run on a computer from the 21st century, probably the GX24.
Steve
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We have the mother of all heat presses - 4 by 8 image area (feet)!
Use it mostly for sub. The shuttle is cool.
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I met with Insta oh about a hundred ys ago and had the pleasure of a factory tour. They had several of those in production to produce.............?
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I never get requests to do entire orders for jobs printed elsewhere.....just an occasional onsie-twosie.
I find names and numbers to be an easy mark up for whats done for teams and retail sales....use transfer express.
16 X16 Hotronix and a cap press too....zero investment
Knew a guy that bought them and was gonna start his business doing just transfers.....but never went after any work. ....then gave up.
Said I could "use" them as long as I want....couple years later offered to buy them...he said "ahhh...just keep them"
Lovely...thank you very much.
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I met with Insta oh about a hundred ys ago and had the pleasure of a factory tour. They had several of those in production to produce.............?
Okay since nobody is biting the answer is Welcome Mats.
Now you know!
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We have the mother of all heat presses - 4 by 8 image area (feet)!
Use it mostly for sub. The shuttle is cool.
What kind of printer you use?
Sent from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)
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What kind of printer you use?
I honestly don't know. They make the sub transfers at our other plant and I haven't been
down there in a couple of years. They have sent up stuff that is 3 by 5 feet for flags and
the like Also trans for all over on poly shirts. I do make any plastisol transfers here.