Custom Screen Printed Transfers Proven Durable!
Nov/111
Our products have been tested for proven durability to meet your customer’s needs. All of our screen printed transfers recently went through a wash test by a testing lab.
The products were tested on 100% cotton, 50/50 Cotton/Polyester, 100% Polyester Steel mesh, 100% Polyester patterned Jacquard, 100% Polyester 70 Denier Tricot Mesh w/moisture wicking, anti-microbial agents and stain resistant coatings and 100% Polyester Dazzle.
The products tested were Goof Proof, Polytrans, Hot Split, Reflective, Glitter, Pearl, Puff and Elasti Prints. Each was applied to every fabric and then subjected to 50 wash/dry cycles.
Through all 50 wash/dry cycles, all of the products submitted held up through this vigorous testing. This is helpful to ensure your customers are receiving the highest quality graphics that will last them a long time.
Our Goof Proof® ink formula on a variety of fabric types after testing.
Apparel Terms to Help with Heat Transfers
Nov/111
Terms used when ordering apparel can be confusing. A special thank you to team member Andy Curtiss who did some research on what they mean and how it comes into play when applying heat transfers.
Denier– A unit of measurement that indicates how fine the weave of a material. Specifically, denier references to the weight of a fiber. For example, 1 denier = 1 gram per 9,000 meters of a fiber. So this means that the higher the number, the heavier the weight of the fibers used. A lightweight garment has a lower denier. For example, a woman’s nylons could be 7 denier. But a heavy duty nylon awning could be 1,000 denier. This does not affect heat printing.
Moisture Wicking – This term refers to some fabrics abilities to absorb sweat from your skin and pull it through to the outside of the garment. This leaves your skin dry and comfortable and allows the sweat to evaporate more quickly. Both nylon and polyester have the capacity to wick moisture as noted above. This term alone has no effect on the adhesion of our product as it is NOT a special coating, but a natural ability of some fibers.
Dri-Fit, Aerocool and Cool Mesh – These are trademarked or brand terms that refer to a type of jersey in which nylon or polyester has been mixed with cotton or another natural fiber. These garments are advertised as not only good at wicking away sweat, but the added natural fibers like cotton make the garment more breathable and comfortable, allowing a person to cool down more quickly. So when dealing with these garments, we will always need to ask: polyester or nylon.
Porthole, Mini, & Micro Mesh – These are all terms that simply refer to the size of the holes and the denier (weight) of the mesh fabric. All three can either refer to polyester mesh or nylon mesh. The largest holes with the heaviest denier are generally the porthole mesh which is used for some football jerseys or mesh laundry bags. In contrast, the micro mesh has tiny holes and smaller denier and it is used for basketball and lacrosse jerseys. Mini mesh is between the other two and can be used in any of the sports previously mentioned as well as soccer. When a customer mentions any of these products we should immediately ask if it’s nylon or polyester and make the appropriate transfer type choices from there – don’t ever assume!
Tricot Mesh – Tricot is a term that refers to a style of knitting or weaving. The tricot style will generally leave one side of a garment smooth and the other side textured. Tricot mesh is this style of weave used in a mesh jersey. These are often times a higher end jersey in the sports world (it is also used in undergarments and sleeping bags). Tricot mesh comes in both polyester and nylon varieties so we need to ask when customers mention it – don’t assume!
Performance Wear – A garment that is worn close to the skin because of its wicking properties. Performance wear is made to be tight, but flexible so it can be worn under a uniform or as a uniform itself in some sports. Some performance wear is worn as a loose fit. These garments can be decorated with any of our products that are appropriate for polyester. However, other performance wear is referred to as compression fit. These garments are worn skin tight and will generally stretch to some degree. For this fit you should use Elasti Prints® or CAD-PRINTZ™. You will hear the terms moisture wicking, dri-fit and aerocool occasionally in conjunction with performance wear (see above for their definition).
Sublimation – A high end process of decorating garments that involves dying the garment with a gas process. Garments are polyester and start the process as white or very light grey. After the sublimation process is complete, the garment will show a different color(s) on the outside, but still show the original white or light grey on the inside. The only catch to the process is that it easily suffers from dye migration (see below). The only transfer type that can be safely used is CAD-PRINTZ Sub Block.
Sub Block on a Sublimated Shirt
Choosing Your Custom Transfer Product-Your Apparel Will Make Your Choice
Nov/110
When choosing what custom transfer to use, one of the most important factors is what apparel type your customer is requesting. If your customer wants to order a nylon jacket, your product choice is limited to the only product that works on nylon—CAD-PRINTZ™ Opaque. If your customer wants a compression fit polyester material, your product choices are CAD-PRINTZ Opaque and Elasti Prints®.
Shown here is a CAD-PRINTZ digital transfer used to decorate a compression fit polyester material.
If your customer wants a custom printed t-shirt, or anything cotton, polyester or cotton/poly blends your choices are unlimited. You will then need to consider if it is full color (digital product line) or spot color (screen printed transfer line). Another factor to consider is quantity. You can order as few as 1 of the digital transfers, but there is a 5 piece minimum when ordering the screen printed transfers using our layouts, or 10 if providing art.
Our customer service team will help you get the best product at the best price for your job.
Transfers Offer Solution For Hard-To-Decorate Items
Sep/110
Almost everyone is familiar with the fact that transfers are a great decorating medium for just about any type of apparel that is made of cotton, polyester, or a cotton/poly blend.
What you may not realize is that Transfer Express offers two distinct types of transfers: screen printed and digital. Screen printed transfers are limited to the traditional cotton and polyester fabrics, but digital transfers such as CAD-PRINTZ™ Opaque will go on almost anything you can fit in a heat press and can be created in unlimited colors.
This opens the doors to a much wider range of apparel and promotional items including nylon team uniforms, umbrellas, swim suits, and leather goods.
When Illinois Glove Co., Northbrook, Ill., was looking for a solution to print full-color logos on gloves for its promotional product customers, CAD-PRINTZ™ turned into a great solution for the company.
Prior to using Transfer Express, the manufacturer was screen printing one-color logos onto gloves. “Screen printing was a mess,” notes Jay Shmikler, director of sales and marketing. “Because the glove was made of a knit fabric, the print would fall into the little mesh holes. We could do only one color with screen printing, and then we lost out on orders to other products that could offer multiple color logos.”
Today, the company uses Easy Prints for one-color orders and CAD PRINTZ for full-color logos. Another reason digital transfers have been such a great match is the wide range of materials that gloves are made of.
“We offer gloves for automotive, construction, farm, ranch, trucking companies, freezer gloves for people who are stocking shelves in the grocery stores, and safety awards; you name it, we have probably done it,” says Shmikler.
So when choosing a decorating process, it’s important to match the right method to the glove material.
“We have certain types of gloves that we use Easy Prints,” says the director. “If the glove stretches, we have to make sure we get Easy Prints because that stretches. If the logo has a lot of detail, we use CAD-PRINTZ. So when someone comes to us with an eight-color logo, CAD-PRINTZ looks amazing. You can get shading that you really can’t get in a screen printed transfer.”
As a steady customer for the past four years, Shmikler has been satisfied with the product and the customer service. “They are good at returning calls, they are professional and they’re easy to deal with.”
If you have a customer come in with a hard-to-decorate item, next time, don’t turn them away. Investigate if using a digital transfer may be the perfect solution!
Switching from direct screen printing to screen printed and digital transfers solved several embellishing challenges for Illinois Glove Co. faced when decorating gloves for promotional product clientele. Photo courtesy of Illinois Glove Co., Northbrook, Ill.
Screen Printed Transfer Inks: Goof Proof vs Polytrans Plastisol Ink Formulas
Sep/110
White backed in black - Polytrans screen printed transfer
Our Goof Proof® and Polytrans screen printed transfer products use the same ink and paper but offer different application techniques. Both products can be used on cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blend apparel. Both our numbers and names can be applied using either technique.
Goof Proof® is made for speed! It uses a higher temperature (365º) at a faster application time – just 4 seconds. This is our number one top selling product!
Polytrans uses a lower temperature (340º) for a longer application (10 seconds).
Use Polytrans when:
• A fabric is sensitive to heat such as some polyester
• Doing a multi-color transfer and the background outline color is darker than the foreground color
Using the low temperature technique, the color stays brighter in this situation as shown in the photo.
How to Print Custom Koozies using Transfers
Jul/110
Looking for a great party or wedding favor? Or a giveaway for a tailgate party? A great, low cost, custom printed, ad specialty item is a Koozie. Koozies can be purchased for under $1 and printed with custom transfers for the event or to advertise your business.
You ask what is a Koozie? According to Wikipedia, “other names are can cooler, “beer sleeve”, stubby holder. It began as a marketing tool. The primary use of a beer koozie is to keep one’s hand warm while keeping the beer cold. A secondary use of a beer koozie is to easily identify one’s beverage from another. Many different companies have used the koozie as a promotional giveaway because it is not only inexpensive to manufacture, but its frequent use is more likely to bring the company’s name to a household presence.”
Custom transfers make personalizing a koozie easy—and it takes just 4 seconds. Be sure the koozie you purchase is either collapsible or the Velcro wrap type so that it lies flat in your press. Both screen printed and digital transfers can be used since this item is 100% polyester. Any color of koozie can be used; you are not limited to white only. Position the transfer on the koozie and press according to the directions provided with the transfer. Your custom printed koozie is ready for use.
Custom screen printed transfers work great on koozies and are perfect for parties.
Celebrate Your Patriotism And Your Independence From Boring Transfers! – Today is “Decoration Day” with our new product, Transfer Extreme!
May/110
Transfer Extreme™ Layout USA-7
STAHLS’ Transfer Express® is well-known throughout the industry as being the industry leader in providing its customers with custom transfers. We set the bar with our one-day shipping of our Easy Prints® screen-printed transfers using our Idea Book™ catalog of thousands of available designs, layouts, and clipart. We’re also established as an innovative company, constantly employing new technologies and adding new products to our ever-expanding collection. Most recently, this has included CAD-PRINTZ™ digital transfers, Foil, Glow-In-The-Dark, and non-apparel Banners, Stickers, Wall Graphics, and Window Clings.
Today, we are proud to announce the introduction of our newest product. Transfer Extreme™ is a transfer that is screen-printed with plastisol inks using an inventive simulated 4-color printing process. The end result gives your customer a beautifully screen-printed graphic, allowing for extremely intricate designs and vibrant colors. The image quality is very comparable to that of digital transfers, but with the much softer hand of screen-printing.
Other transfer companies offering similar products are forced to deliver you a very hard, heavy graphic in order to deliver similar image quality. Or, they have to sacrifice the quality in order to provide a softer hand. Transfer Extreme provides both quality and soft feel, AND is VERY easy to apply: 4 seconds! Using one of STAHLS’ Hotronix® heat presses set on 365 degrees, Transfer Extreme applies in just 4 seconds. [Transfer Extreme Application Instructions] You can screen-print 4 colors in just 4 seconds! (Well, actually, it’s MORE than 4 colors, but who’s counting?!) Transfer Extreme applies to cotton, polyester, and cotton/polyester material, and works on both light and dark fabric.
Layouts USA-9 and USA-7
Just in time for Memorial Day, in preparation for your customers’ 4th of July Independence Day celebrations, and in advance of the 10th anniversary of 9-11-01, we are offering Transfer Extreme in the form of patriotic/Americana-themed stock transfers. There are 10 fabulous designs for you to choose from, available in the form of individual packs of 10 transfers for just $20. Or, if you can’t make up your mind, there are 2 separate variety packs available containing 2 of each of 5 of the designs.
Transfer Extreme™ Layout USA-1
The designs are patriotic, yet edgy, and are perfect for your customers’ summertime fashion. Try putting them on zipper hoods or burnout tees for the alternative look the teens love!
Transfer Extreme™ Layout USA-11
Transfer Extreme™ Layout USA-5
STAHLS’ Transfer Express is very excited about this fantastic new product, and we are sure that you will be, too. With more to come in the future, today please give your customers the opportunity to celebrate America with Transfer Extreme!
Transfer Extreme™ layout USA-8
Dancing in the Dark? No more, with Glow-In-the-Dark Custom Transfers
May/111
Does your customer need custom transfers for an upcoming celebration?
Give them something unique with new Glow-In -The-Dark custom transfers. Your customer will have a lot of fun seeing their design illuminated when the lights go out! Glow-In-The-Dark is a frosty white color in daylight, and an illuminated green tint when the lights go out. Glow-In-The-Dark custom transfers can be applied to cotton, polyester and cotton/poly blends in 10 seconds.
One customer told me how they used these for an 8th grade end of year party and the kids had a blast seeing their design in the dark as they danced!
Tip - For the best effect choose bold art and text so more of the shirt glows.
Glow-In-the-Dark Easy Prints® design for school dance
New! Screen Printed Transfer Numbers that Stretch
Jan/110
Our new Elasti Prints® transfer numbers stretch with the apparel. The number comes in a new number style, Avalon, which is a unique block style. You can order your front logo print in Elasti Prints as well using the same letter style if you like for a professional look. Elasti Prints numbers can be applied to cotton, polyester, cotton/poly as well as other types of poly blends. The numbers apply at a low temperature, 275 degrees in 15 seconds. They are available in white, black, black with white outline, and white with a black outline in the 4, 6, 8 and 10” sizes. Elasti Prints numbers, as well as all Easy Prints® numbers, are on sale during the month of January for 15% off so give them a try and save!
Avalon typestyle for Elasti Prints® numbers are stretchable
Creating Custom Shirt Tags
Dec/100
You can have your own custom t-shirt tags printed that apply in just seconds to cotton, polyester and cotton/poly blends. To order, send us your own artwork laid out ready to print or use one of our t-shirt tag templates. Using our templates, each sheet will create 30- 1.75” x 1.6” tags. Different shirt sizes can be placed on the same sheet. The minimum order is 5 sheets. For example, each sheet may have tags for 6 Small, 6 Medium, 6 Large, 6 XL and 6 XXL—and you may order 5 sheets giving you 30 tags for each size. Or if you order 10 sheets you will have 60 shirt tags for each size. Each tag has room for 3 lines of text in addition to the size that can be customized for your needs.
If sending your own artwork you will set it up similarly to the tag layouts, however you can add custom art or customize your own size. The minimum order if sending your own artwork is 10 sheets. Create all artwork in an image area of 11.25″ x 14″
One of our customizable shirt tag layouts
