How beneficial is doing transfers these days?

[Dottonedan]

Zoo's recent paper question makes me ask a question to you all who do transfers. I'm sure it would bring good conversation.

I am a little or greatly ignorant to the uses of what you or anyone is doing with transfers these days. Granted, I realize the best use for then is for retail art and saving on printed stocked garments. You print the art up in mass quantities probably ganged up 4 at a time.

My question would be,  is this still looked at as a viable quality tee these days?  How do people feel about it being a transfer print? As we know, 10-15 years ago, it took a down turn in popularity as many people considered it a "cheap quality product".  I hear things have changed in the inks etc.

How much of your business is using the transfer process?  I only ask, to Ve more educated on the process. Not to knock it. If its a fit, I would offer it myself.
 

[jasonl]

I think its great where needed, I would not consider doing them myself, although some do.  We are doing some glitter stuff where its easier to order the transfers than do it myself.  Also for names and numbers, TRANSFER EXPRESS is the jam.  They are made with real plastisol so to me, they are just as good as printed ones. 

[royster13]

I last screen printed myself in the early 80s.....Since that time I have done lots of plastisol transfers.....100s of thousands would be my guess.....

As far as quality, they work for my client base but for sure they are not the same quality as direct screen printing....Darn close though.....They have their place and they are not a substitute for screen printing if screen printing if the best idea....But they certainly are a great option in certain circumstances

Now I must say that my client base and selling niches are very narrow.....And I heavily promote 1 colour designs and cheap and usually not huge full fronts......I sell mostly white and black transfers.....I also sell the idea that after they buy the 1st 30, 60 or 120 shirts they can buy additional 12, 24 or 36 at the same price as the original order...So if they buy 120 they can get 36 more at the 120 price.....Or 12 with 30 or 24 with 60.....

I am also able to provide fill ins....I try not to sell onsies / twosies but I will not hold a school or church or club hostage for a new member or a kid that has lost his shirt....And delivering or shipping one or two shirts is another "selling opportunity" for something else I sell....

2nd locations are usually small designs.....And I can often fit these in on a gang sheet in what would other wise be waste space....I try to get 0.75 to 1.00 a press for these....The transfers are close to free....So this is good money.....

I always order extra transfers.....And I have a bunch of stock designs....I usually have enough going on that if I am running short on a client or stock design that is selling well I can put them on a gang sheet with some current orders....With the way I gang and the quantities I order, my unit cost is usually less than 35 cents per transfer....

Anytime I can I buy shirts on sale, I do.....And I love closeouts or Craigslist finds....Early in the New Year I go through the transfers and t-shirts I have in stock and offer deals....Great for cash flow in Jan and Feb when I need it....

Now Transfer Express is a whole different ball game......I get more money for these because folks like the designs, they are quick and they cost me more money.......I can order on Monday and have transfers in time to make a weekend event.....I try not to cut it that close but it is nice if I have to..... Their Idea Book is a great selling tool....

So these are my comments for what they are worth.....

PS.....FM Expression has been running a 15 cent special for a while.....Bullet proof transfers but the price is right and 1 day service is hard to beat....

[Frog]

Dan, there are many types of transfers, and many times that they make sense over direct printing.
You are obviously talking  about  plastisol transfers here, and there are two main types; cold peel and hot split.
Pretty much self defining, the cold peel, though sometimes not completely "cold" is peeled leaving virtually all of the ink on the fabric. Used a lot for dark hats, and athletic applications where opacity is paramount.
The hot splits leave a significant amount of ink on the paper, making the print itself quite soft.

Done well, virtually imperceptibly different in appearance to a direct print.

As mentioned, one advantage is on ongoing orders, (or events) no stock is tied up specifically to the particular print, and can be applied as needed.
Another advantage is difficult print areas and/or fabrics like unusual locations on two ply stretch swim suits where even a hold down device may be awkward or ineffective.

[Frog]

How do people feel about it being a transfer print? As we know, 10-15 years ago, it took a down turn in popularity as many people considered it a "cheap quality product".  I hear things have changed in the inks etc.

I actually think that you are way off on your timeline here.
I'm thinking back to Farah Fawcet and other pop trends of thirty+ years ago as being the rubbery patches that defined the niche.
10-15 years ago, the inks and papers were already becoming quite "friendly" and high quality.
Bottom line, hundreds of thousands if not millions of shirts probably draped the bodies of folks who had no idea whether their Kiss or Conway Twitty shirt was direct printed, or applied as a transfer.

Just like in direct printing, results may vary.

[ZooCity]

We actually don't use transfers for shirt prints so I couldn't really tell ya.  Cold peel tags and trucker caps.

[sweetts]

I have used them for arm prints and on multi pocketed vested that were had to get lined up. Looks the same to me.

Sent  from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)

[Im-Magic]

We look after some 300 Child Care Centres in Australia and we use nothing but Cold Peel Transfers. By using transfers we can offer an on demand service and we have never had a complaint. We also do Transfers for companies servicing the Mining Industry and they are used on Hi Vis both Drill and Polyester and once again in 5 years we have not had a complaint and most cannot tell the difference. The last use is for fine prints on Pique Knit fabric which tends to spread if done with a direct screen print but looks way better done with a transfer.
We have also done several Water Polo Clubs using Transfers with Stretch Additive in them.
The biggest problem is with paper shrinkage which makes it hard on multi colour work.

[Sbrem]

For screen printed transfers, we make our own for hats and inside labels, for individual names we cad cut, we have a numbering press, but for 2 color, transfers are faster, so we get them from Transfer Express, and sometimes F&M Expressions.

Steve