Grunddragen i papper Christine Cora

Right paper, right printer

In search for the most cost-effective and

marknaden uppfyller medel i utsmyckning en

T-shirt-i omfattning i tillgängligt

resources—embellishers and non-embellishers alike have turned to the ease and

economy of heat transfer papers. While art, a computer and output device

, and a decent heat press are certainly important, at the very heart of the

heat transfer is heat-transfer paper.

It is this paper that enables the digital embellisher to decorate T-shirts

—along with mousepads, coffee mugs, signage and a nearly unlimited

range of other substrates

—using standard office printers and copiers loaded with standard office

inks and toners.

The key is using the right

digital-transfer paper in the right printer or copier. For starters, according to our

sources, a significant difference between laser and inkjet output is the fact

that, while serviceable inkjet printers may be purchased cheaply, their

output is significantly slower than the more expensive laser. In this end of

the market, though—one significantly populated by start-ups, established

embellishers seeking to capture additional niches, and those in search of a

quick-turn solution for low-volume jobs—slow output is more than made

up for by lower initial investment. Thus, despite the fact that ink is also

more expensive per-print than laser toner, inkjet technology—and the

paper designed for its output—is more prevalent in our industry than its

laser counterpart.

According to our sources, these little details include such things as the

availability of training, service and support from the given paper supplier.

Troubleshooting

In fact, the inaccurate conveyance of information

—specifically, what paper to use for what type of work, output from what

type of printer or copier—is perhaps the leading cause of difficulty with

digital transfers, particularly among newcomers. Ironically, it happens that

much of the confusion comes from outside our industry, from copier reps

who don’t take into consideration the uses to which their products may be

put, and which papers are likely to be applied to those uses.

But there are certain models out there that you cannot run anything but

plain paper through. We get many of them, after they’ve been damaged.

We try to turn them around, help them with a low-cost way to get the right

printer and, hopefully, make them happy.

Next, says Fields, is the time-honored tendency to not read and follow

directions—encouraged, perhaps, by the otherwise gentle learning curve inherent

with digital transfers. “Aside from their image quality not being good

because they’re not controlling their image as well as they should in the

computer, they’re just not following the instructions. Part of that is, how

forgiving is the paper? Certain papers have a range that they’ll work well

in; some papers have a more narrow area of operation, less forgiving. Is

the heat off? Or the pressure off? The whole transfer process is paper, heat,

ink and pressure. Are they following the recommended settings?” Fields

also cautions against skimping when it comes to a quality heat press. “If

they get into cheaper and cheaper heat presses, where they can’t necessarily

control the pressure, that’s probably where more black eyes are going to

happen. If there’s no gauge, they’re just screwing down a handle. If you

use a quality paper and you know the ink’s right, but the results still aren’t

there, there’s just something off in the way you’re transferring it.”

Trust reputation

The bottom line appears to be that quality ingredients in the

digital-heat-transfer recipe are readily available. The user, though, must be

sufficiently diligent to not necessarily settle for the first answer, but get a

second and third opinion when shopping for an output device. And, finally,

when it comes down to which transfer paper to use, says Rector: “Trust

reputation. When you can’t afford to be wrong, because your image is

depending on it, you go ahead and make the decision to buy a better paper.

Yes, you can probably find something that will work, some of the time,

most of the time. But if you put the transfer on something that you’ve spent

a lot of time making, or has your identity on it, you don’t want to use just

anything. You want something that you know will work, and you know it

will work every time.”