I ran an apparel company back in 2008 and believe me that the fact that you cannot print sublimation on 100% cotton t-shirts will be an annoying hurdle that your apparel startup may never get past. This alone should steer you away from sublimation if your main goal is apparel. You could print sublimation to 50/50 cotton-poly blends, but the ink will still wear off in under 5 - 6 washes. If you want to sell cheap-o tees for a one off event or make matching shirts for the family trip to Disneyworld then cotton printing will be fine. But when it comes to buying wholesale inventory, quality shirts out there will be 100% cotton and even at a low retail price, people buying your shirts will expect to have the image not completely fade away in a few washes, and if you do print to 100% cotton, it will wash off completely within 1 - 2 washes. It will have a soft hand for sure, but the longevity just is not there. Also, when using a regular inkjet printer with sublimation ink, the colors will often not match up as well as other methods, so the colors you see on the screen will not 100% match what actually prints, which can often make or break a design that you likely spent time creating. Sublimation ink is just not a language that your Canon inkjet was created to fluently understand, so there will be some misinterpretations. And depending on what app you're printing from, like Photoshop, you'll have to play with the color management a lot to get it to be as close to your on-screen image as possible, because monitor settings also vary and colors can completely change on screen depending on your contract, brightness, etc settings. And of course, the fact that you cannot print to black/dark shirts can be a deal breaker all in itself. I was able to make some black ink to olive green shirts, but that's about it and even then it's still barely visible. And in regards to 'maintenance ', sublimation ink actually WILL dry up over time. It is recommend to do at least one print a week for proper ink flow. I have had $5,000 printers turn into large paperweights because of not being used often enough and having the ink within turn to stone. I suggest routine DIY cleaning as well using an OTC solution called Simple Green. And know that if you plan to purchase an inkjet printer and use sublimation ink instead, this will only work if you put in the sublimation ink first and ONLY. Whatever type of ink you put into that printer when taking it out of the box - that is the only type of ink you can use from there on out. If you've already used it with regular ink then try to use sublimation ink instead, your tubes are going to get clogged and depending on the severity, you'll either have to get the tubes professionally cleaned out or worse, replaced completely, which is costly. So don't think you can use that old inkjet you've got sitting around the house and just change inks, because that won't work. Regarding size, you are certainly not limited to 8 x 11 with sublimation. Print size depends only on printer size, and larger Epson printers for example can net you 36+ inch wide images. Though remember that you will also need a larger heat press for larger images, and if you're doing an 'all-over' print, using a smaller press and trying to get the top and bottom to match up using several presses is not going to work out well for you.
Thanks for this insight, its very informative. I've known that printing on cotton shirts makes the print kinda dull but i havent heard about it fading fast, especially since its always been said that since its adhered to the fabric far better than DTF and doesnt leave a film then the print is presuned to last longer. I guess thats why i havent really seen much artists in art conventions/artist alleys sell sublimation printed shirts, its always tote bags. In the case of tote bags however, sublimation prints on canvas seem vibrant and close enough to digital designs from what i have seen, plus i own quite a number of totes that i have used and washed a couple of times now but the print still looks fine. I guess because its printed on canvas instead of cotton? I'd love to hear more of your insights if you have any regarding sublimation on canvas. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for this comment. I just have a question. So, say I have a square picture. Would it work if I put a white vinyl on a t-shirt and then put the sublimation on the white vinyl?
I really appreciate y’all taking the time out to do this video and y’all are so cute together. I’m new to this small business and I am doing my homework on every bit of these processes. I am leaning toward DTF. Thanks again
Amazing video! Thank you!!! Also yall need to mention.. sublimation printing doesn’t work on 100% cotton (which is better than polyester shirts) and that it releases a lot of fumes. DTF is more versatile and worthwhile.
So I want to make more tshirts that is better than my current method: printing laser printer on vinyl iron on and iron on transfer. Don’t like thickness and easy cracking. So I got into looking at ordering DTF transfer prints or making my own prints at home with Eco Tank sublimation. Your video helped me give a clear ideas of pro and cons, and that the route with sublimation will limit me on product I can offer BUT def a easier and more affordable start up! Thanks again
I love your explanation of sublimation! Thank you for explaining the chemistry. Sublimation = transformation from a solid state directly to a gaseous state
Great video, thanks! but I wish the video had more info about how safe is to use DTF method, specially when you have to heat that powder. I would stick to sublimation. Safety is my number one priority.
Yayyy!! Happy Friday!! You guys help make these processes “make sense” that’s why I love you guys! Thanks for everything you do! (My Google review for this Fridays video 😆 but it’s so true! )
Thank you so much for this awesome video. DTF is awesome but its machines still not matured enough. I would start with Sublimation for now, and may be in few years DTF will become easier to maintain and faster in terms of the extra step with powder, baking, etc.
I thought sublimation printing was referred to as DTF- direct to film and what yall call DTF is actually DTG- direct to garmet. Im try to learn all this, not because Im use it, but because Im trying to suprise my girlfriend for Christmas and I need to do sone research.
This was very helpful. I am still a little lost but I will be starting with the Sublimation. I just wish I had found this video before I put the ink into the printer. Wasted money. But aye.
Wish we'd had all this info before we dumped money into sublimation and white toner printing a couple years ago. I think we're on our third Sawgrass printer. They die and the hubby just buys another one because it's what he knows. And we are not happy with our white toner printer, which was way more $$ than your DTF printer and really doesn't transfer well.
Sublimation for me. Hopefully I can use my Cricut for what my Sublimation can’t do! Thanks to the both of you for the information….you guys are awesome!!
Thank you 😅this was absolutely thee greatest explanation… I’m a Newbie and am looking to upgrade to a dtf printer /oven 😬any suggestions on a start up dtf?
Glad it was helpful! This is the only DTF printer we have used. We like it, but if we did it again, we would get one with the roll of film and the automatic powder and oven.
I wish I had gotten an eco tank. Have u tried printing on Inkjet transfer film and then using the dtf powder on the image? Then pressing on a cotton shirt. I’ve seen it done a few times but have yet to try. A mix of both worlds lol. Would love to see your take on it!
Thanks a lot for this video. I have a question for mr Kim about DTF . can i print a picture on top of another. For example i print a picture and after it cool down i print another smaller one on top of it ?
How long does the ink last in each? Or about how many projects can I make till I need to reup on the ink? Is there some type of ink program that HP has that will send you ink when u start to run out??
Just curious if you can post a close up photo of the DTF film after you've cured the powder? Just wondering if it looks smooth or like alligator skin? I tried the sublimation hack with sublimation paper & the powder, looked nicely coated, but when cured it was very alligator or dry skin look, not smooth. Thanks for your awesome videos.
Ok I brought a DTF from Amazon. I've been sick every since. The fumes are killing me what do I do to get rid of fumes in my house? No body talks about the fumes.
That's definitely a topic that needs too be addressed... I use a 3M mash with the pink filters that are designed too filter out gases... I also have an extractor fan that sucks out dirty air and pumps in fresh air...
Because the composition of white ink is titanium dioxide, it is easy to precipitate. You can use a needle to pump the waste ink tube to let the ink circulate, and you can clean the print head with F12
Hey Michelle! Yeah, the white is finicky! It clogs and separates pretty quickly. When my white starts looking thin, I will use the syringe to pull a 1-2oz through both white nozzles and then do a print head cleaning. That will usually put me back in business.~garrett
Dtf inks are glue based in nature.. turns almost plastic when set up for too long. It took a year of learning my large format dtf as well as I had to learn how to fix it constantly
Im missing something; health hazards. You talked about sublimation causing a gas reaction in the shirt. Do you need a extraction?? Im a little in a dillema. I like the epic full color and better graphics but I don't like the feeling of a sticker that also washes after a certain time 😅 pls answer the health hazard question if you guys can. Tnx for the video :)
Anyone know if there's any daily maintenance for a converted Epson sublimation printer? I just got mine and I've heard many horror stories about ink drying up if it's not used daily. Can I keep it unplugged when it's not in use?
Whaaat? No wearing a t for more than 50 times? The whole year has 52 weeks, so if you’re wearing a T once/week you can only have that for a year? That’s crazy wasteful.
Honestly a good point but. In a year you should have a new design to add to the collection. I mean .... Seriously new design once a month is minimal for most ppl. You got plenty holidays in a year.
Your creativity knows no bounds! DTF printing could be the perfect tool for unleashing even more innovation in your custom t-shirt designs! 🚀 @fastdtftransfer
