50/50 or 100%?

[newschool]

50poly/50cotton Or 100% cotton for starting a t-shirt setup?
and does anyone know a good source and price for tees?
Also looking for a heatpress whats the difference between heat press and a heat transfer machine? which do I need Somebody please help thanx

http://hixheatpress.com/ht400.htm is a very nice press i had one myself worked great

50/50 or 100% depends on the artist
try both see which you like best

Hello newschool, I use a 50-50 blend because I think (I know) theres a lot less shinkage if any at all & the material doesn't seem to pill up as you paint it (staying flat) & this handles & controls overspray a lot better--but here again this is a matter of preference by each individual artist, & when & if you're ever in a pinch for shirts you'll use anything you can.. I purchase mine from Broder Bros. by the case & get a pretty good price.. I usually run with Hanes because my customers love & recognize the name so readily but if times are tight I'll compare prices between Hanes, Fruity, Jersey etc. & run with the cheapest--the funny thing is it's usually only pennies difference!! If you work with Broder you will have to provide a sales tax number--they seem to have several locations throughout the states & I get one day delivery from Houston..many young t-shirt artists are forced to use the tees from department stores that come in a 3 pack--they're very thin weight but if you have your style down & write a pretty name very few complain..It's just not the most professional way to go about it but new tee artists sometimes have few choices..
A heat press is a transfer machine & this is an investment that will sting a little- -I bought mine at an auction many years ago for next to nothing & I'd hate to have to replace it now. I'd love to have one of the larger ones so keep in mind to try to get one with a bed as large as you can afford.. In the meantime an ordinary iron will work & I know of tee artists that instruct the client to heat press the shirt themselves..not professional, (I would hate to hand out a wet shirt) but there again you have to do what you have to do..good luck with this..

[Ragnarnorsman]

Stock both - it actually depends on the customer. Some people refuse to wear 50/50 (I'm one) and others don't care. No need (IMHO) to buy a tshirt press if your not going to use it to apply heat-set transfers. An ordinary blow-dryer works just fine to dry and set colors. Without removing the shirt from the shirt-board, place the blow-dryer nozzle between the collar and the shirt-board and turn it on high. In about sixty seconds you'll have a toasty warm shirt thats good to go
Ragnar

[Jammer]

I have to disagree! A hair dryer WILL NOT heat set a shirt properly!!!!!!
If you want to give your customers junk so be it but don't suggest it to a newbie.
I've done every test possible with different methods and a heat press is the best. A heat gun or a clothe dryer or no heat setting at all is the worst and the paint WILL fade when you wash it.
You need to atleast use an Iron set to cotton or turn it all the way up and use a lot of pressure while doing it.
You can also buy a singer press, Not sure the model name, for around $100 and it will work too. I used one of thosae for 2 to 3 years and it worked great.
Also 50/50 will fade less than 100% and they're cheaper, Guilden are on sale now for $.99. But the colors are brighter on 100% cotton. So it's up to you.
If you have any more questions I'd be more than happy to help
Jammer

[spiritwind]

Jammer Knows His Stuff! Look at his work. I think he and Darla are two of the best T shirt artists ( of the many great ones ) on our site!

[Diaz Dezine]

Well what if you are just starting out and you don't have the money for a heat press? Me myself do not have a hundred dollars to blow on a heat press just yet but I will keep that in mind, would it still be ok to use the procedure that ragnar talks about?

[aixguy]

Use a standard house hold iron set to NO steam. Cover the paint with an old pillow case, make sure you are still on the shirt board or have another cloth between the front and back of the shirt. Then iron every inch of your painting for at least 2 minutes keeping the iron moving at all times. I have to say you need to be carefull of turning the iron all the way up. I have been told by the paint manufacture (golden) to use the temperature on the iron for the fabric you are working on. This has worked for me for over 2 years. However, I just resently check my iron with a non contact themometer, the paint I was using said heat set at 350 degrees F .. Cotton setting on my iron was over 600 degrees F. So be carefull with the termperature, set the iron for the fabric type be it 50/50 or cotton, it will be plenty hot.
As jammer said, you are applying pressure with an iron, this forces the paint into the fabric as it melts it into a solid mass. Make sure you lift the cover cloth often because the paint will tend to melt into it as well.

Well I agree to disagree..I highly respect Jammer & aixguy & I know that they are following specific paint recommendations & drying instructions but I also think anyone who creates a pretty piece of artwork on a t-shirt is foolish & washing is totally out of the question if you care to keep it nice..I know that there is probably a chemical & scientific reason to dry or heat set an airbrushed t-shirt, but I also know that I have no time for such time consuming procedures (I work to a loud, impatient public who are sometimes inibriated & have 6 crying kids!!) & whether or not my shirts fade causes me no more anxiety..I haven't any illusions that my t-shirts are anything but a novelty item & most of them I think are doomed to be waxing a car in 6 months or less.. Any way to get them to dry quickly (without too much effort by either myself or my helper) in order to safely hand them out to an impatient public is my goal...I turn out a quality product & try to include a variety of cheaper designs--it's these designs that I actually hope fade quickly because in fact this is what keeps me in business--although I offer one free respray with each of my shirts my customers rarely take advantage of it..sometimes my people will say their shirt stayed bright forever & I just have to smile because I don't know why?? Most of my custom work that I do at home throughout the week I dont heat at all but just let airdry--I can't remember any comebacks & I've been at the same location for 8 years..It's my belief that I try from start to finish to hand out a quality well executed design on a quality shirt & if my client only gets one wear out of it (& they were the belle of the ball) I've done my job & they got their moneys worth..all I want is for the shirt to be dry when I hand it out & anyway that happens is fine by me..

[Jammer]

I'm sorry Darla but if you don't have 20 seconds to heat set a shirt something is wrong. I do a ton of portraits and custom shirts and when people are paying $30-$75 for a tee it better last. My wife has tees 3 and 4 years old that still look good and she still wears them because I spent 20 seconds to heat set it right.

This is my business and to give my customers anything but the best that I can is totally unexceptable. My customers keep coming back because I sell a custom product that lasts. If they faded and looked like crap after a few washings I know I'd loose business. I'm in a store in the center of town, there are no impulse buys here, they come here because they want something custom made.
To tell someone that it's not important to heat set something properly because it's a novelty item is just wrong in my opinion. You should teach them the right way and if they listen fine and if they don't that's their problem.
I'll shut up now b4 I say something I don't want to.
Jammer

Jammer dear--you're taking your work far too seriously--LOL!! I do heat set all of my shirts just as the directions state--My helper busts her buns to go 30 seconds at 300 degrees all the way around & thats 4 times with my large designs & my small press--A lot of work for her while she's taking orders too.. I've found it very nice to have a fan that blows up the bottom of the shirt while it's setting waiting to be heat pressed..but when you find yourself in a venue that demands that you turn out a shirt in 10-15 min. or less & thats order it, board it, pin it, paint it, dry it, turn it around for a pocket name, dry it again, hanger it, bag it, & hand it out with a smile at least 40 times a day, all while other people are being impatient with you, I cannot waste any sleep at night worrying if I've ironed it right..I just need it good & dry..I myself have found no proof that ironing at all insures that the shirt won't fade--I have found that some do & some don't & I guess it's one of lifes many mysteries..I'm blessed & over 80% of my business would be repeat clientel--I get hugs, kisses & I think the handshakes from Mexican men with tattoos from head to foot or bikers that look like they have a body bungy corded to their Harley shows some kind of serious respect..but none the less I believe that if you want your art to have any possibility of permancy please paint it on anything but a t-shirt which will always be nothing more than a novelty item to me....
I firmly believe that a shirt should be heat set as per the instructions of the paint manufacturer but I just don't think it's in the best interest of an aspiring artist to sink a lot of money into a heat press until he is quite certain he wants to make a business of it..I'm very open to different ways to heat set a shirt & think Ragnarn has fallen across something that works well for him & bears looking into for me..
I certainly don't want you to say something to me you wouldn't want to-- I don't know what that's all about young man!!

[Jammer]

I don't think doing things right is taking it to seriously. This is my full time job so I make sure I take it serious.
My main point is, a lot of people look up to you and take what you say as gold, and when your saying it doesn't matter if you heat set and they take that serious.
I never skip corners no matter how busy I am. I just got over doing a super busy xmas season by myself and not once did I skip corners. The customer can wait and yes I deal with a lot of kids and impatcient people but but hey it's my store and if you want it right they know they might have to wait a little longer.

I'm done with this topic, it got away from the original question a little bit.
Heres my suggestion, try both, do your own test to see which you prefer and stick with it.
Jammer

I agree with you Jammer 100%!!!