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screen printing => General Screen Printing => Topic started by: Gilligan on November 08, 2013, 03:21:44 PM

Title: Numbers for backs
Post by: Gilligan on November 08, 2013, 03:21:44 PM
I know most of you guys order your numbers from like Stahls.

What product are you guys actually getting?

We got some plastisol number transfers the other day and weren't that impressed.  Maybe we got the wrong product?

Just wondering what everyone is using.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Frog on November 08, 2013, 03:32:01 PM
When I don't cad-cut, I use die cut Stahl's Thermo Film (Thermo Grip on the rare Nylon)
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Croft on November 08, 2013, 03:36:59 PM
Stahls , dont always like there service.

I buy black and white 8" varsity they do 90% of my orders . I stock them all the time and they are my cheapest #, I offer colour (stahls) and 2 colours but they are special ordereand add a few days to shipping.  For these orders I try and talk them into a team set to save money.   I also cad cut with Stahls/ Siser material in custom fonts and colours but do't like doing it so we charge accordingly.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: inkman996 on November 08, 2013, 03:45:34 PM
We stock Vinyl sports film numbers from Twill USA and we also stock plastisol numbers from Transfer Express. I prefer the plastisols over the film for feel and lack of stiffness. We use the plastisol ones on higher end stuff and exclusively for pinnies. A Pinnie with a film number is to stiff and sticky on the inside.

The one thing with Plastisol transfers is the lack of goof room. You have to have your times and heat dialed in absolutely perfect and all the other processes as well, such as pressure, preheat etc.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Gilligan on November 08, 2013, 03:53:00 PM
We stock Vinyl sports film numbers from Twill USA and we also stock plastisol numbers from Transfer Express. I prefer the plastisols over the film for feel and lack of stiffness. We use the plastisol ones on higher end stuff and exclusively for pinnies. A Pinnie with a film number is to stiff and sticky on the inside.

The one thing with Plastisol transfers is the lack of goof room. You have to have your times and heat dialed in absolutely perfect and all the other processes as well, such as pressure, preheat etc.

I think that is what bit us last time.

They just didn't peel well and I think my guy kept thinking of them as vinyl and would toss them aside after pressing and not paying attention to the fact that they could stick together because it's freshly cured plastisol.

Overall we got the job out and it looked pretty good but we knew that it wasn't as clean as it should have been.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Sbrem on November 08, 2013, 03:59:38 PM
We've had excellent luck with the plastisol transfers from Stahl's. We only get the 2 color, as we have a numbering machine, but usually just do 1 color numbers on that. The 2 color are a bit of a pain, so Stahl's transfers work out to go faster. I believe we order the Champ style...

Steve
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: inkman996 on November 08, 2013, 04:02:22 PM
We stock Vinyl sports film numbers from Twill USA and we also stock plastisol numbers from Transfer Express. I prefer the plastisols over the film for feel and lack of stiffness. We use the plastisol ones on higher end stuff and exclusively for pinnies. A Pinnie with a film number is to stiff and sticky on the inside.

The one thing with Plastisol transfers is the lack of goof room. You have to have your times and heat dialed in absolutely perfect and all the other processes as well, such as pressure, preheat etc.

I think that is what bit us last time.

They just didn't peel well and I think my guy kept thinking of them as vinyl and would toss them aside after pressing and not paying attention to the fact that they could stick together because it's freshly cured plastisol.

Overall we got the job out and it looked pretty good but we knew that it wasn't as clean as it should have been.

A properly done Plastisol transfer should peel perfectly and be crisp. Getting your settings dialed in is the first thing that should be done. Do not trust the temp read out on your press it will not be exactly correct. Once you have the perfect settings all set then you still need to take care on different garments and material none are alike and some need a different settings when pressing plastisol. Always always always test before you start any job. Nothing sucks more than pressing a plastisol number and when you go to peel half of it comes up on the paper.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: blue moon on November 08, 2013, 04:18:20 PM
goof proof from transfer express . . .
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: dirkdiggler on November 08, 2013, 05:47:28 PM
transfer express plastisol CHAMP works great!
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: TCT on November 08, 2013, 05:57:25 PM
goof proof from transfer express . . .

Ditto Transfer Express

We used to actually have a Inline number press, but unless you have like 4 of those suckers and do A LOT of numbers it just isn't worth it. If you have down time or a slow season it is nice to put a guy on printing 8" transfer numbers also. We do that for the big standard 5 colors.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Gilligan on November 09, 2013, 03:21:41 AM
Great info... notes being taken!
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Sbrem on November 09, 2013, 11:14:32 AM
ditto on the Goof Proof too, as we just did a couple of jobs with them, excellent product, very happy customer.

Steve
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Nation03 on November 09, 2013, 12:07:42 PM
We stock a good deal of the champ pro transfers. They do work great, however, we do a ton of football uniforms and have found that they aren't the best number to use for a contact sport. I really don't want to start screen printing numbers on mesh football jerseys, but it looks like it may be our only option for the football market. Every other sport though, these transfers are awesome. Very easy to use and I would say 97% of them peel without a problem.

Has anyone else has issues with the 1 color grey transfers? That seems to be the only color that doesn't peel clean and I never understood why.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Frog on November 09, 2013, 12:32:11 PM
Just an interesting note.

A little while back, I was brought some old collectible CFL jerseys, to do a partial repair/restore, and reattach some vinyl numbers that had torn and slightly lifted in those spots.

It was quite a surprise to see vinyl used at that level.
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Gilligan on November 09, 2013, 02:19:36 PM
...

Has anyone else has issues with the 1 color grey transfers? That seems to be the only color that doesn't peel clean and I never understood why.

Lol... This is the exact plastisol transferred numbers we used... Maybe that was the whole problem!
Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Nation03 on November 10, 2013, 11:37:21 AM
...

Has anyone else has issues with the 1 color grey transfers? That seems to be the only color that doesn't peel clean and I never understood why.

Lol... This is the exact plastisol transferred numbers we used... Maybe that was the whole problem!

Wow, yeah I guess it is a common color. The grey with white outline works just fine. I've literally only experienced issues with the one color grey and occasionally the 1 color purple numbers. Everything else peels just fine.

Title: Re: Numbers for backs
Post by: Maxie on November 12, 2013, 01:45:57 PM
We print our own numbers, if you use a lot of numbers it's really easy to build a vacuum base and print plastisol through a 110 screen.
Works really well.       We also use simple baking paper that has a coating, it's really cheap and works well for one color designs.
We use the same system for making one color hat transfers.