T-shirt making advice!

[valorJ]

I'm looking at getting into making some t-shirts and was looking for some advice. My girlfriend and I made our first two shirts and they came out pretty good. They definitely look homemade, but look very retro which is cool. After coming up with our own t-shirt design, which is the best way to transfer the image to a shirt? Screen printing, or heating press? I only know of those terms, and not about the specifics of them. What's the cheapest way? Most professional? Thanks!

 

[mnphysicist]

A heating press offers the most resolution.... but suffers longevity issues, texturization, ink selection, and high price per item.

Screen printing is the absolute cheapest way to go, if you have some volume. The ink selection is huge, everything from textured inks to metallics, to glow in the dark colors. However, the time needed to separate colors, make screens, and run them, makes it less than practical for under 50 shirts imho.

Otoh, you also have capital equipment costs.A full blown octupos press, screens, flash dryer, and conveyor oven are going to cost 50X what a heating press does. In addition for low volumes, one can even use a household clothes iron rather than a heating press if one is very careful, and the images are small.

Here is an octupus press
http://www.microperfect.net/PictureFolder/EightColorRebel2.htm
Flash Dryer
http://www.microperfect.net/PictureFolder/Affordaflash2.htm
Conveyor Oven
http://www.microperfect.net/PictureFolder/2409-2.htm

And a DIY plan set for a heat press
http://www.heatpressplans.com/

 

[healy]

I didn't realize to get that tshirt done it was that complicated because I love them.I'll stick to buying them.