Any business responsible for decorating or branding textiles, from garments and hats to backpacks and shoes, will benefit from including custom heat transfers as part of their product offering. Along with a professional-grade heat press providing even heat and consistent pressure across the entire upper platen, custom heat transfers offer several benefits, including:
1) Quick delivery times-Maintain stock of transfers and blank garments so that you’re ready for business. When the need arises to “print” one or more garments, the work can be started quickly and, depending on quantities, completed the same day. In today’s business climate, same day shipping is the standard. For smaller amounts, imagine telling your customer their order will be ready in an hour or less.
2) On the go application-Consider taking your gear on the road and decorating at remote events, such as school or sports team functions. All you need is an electrical outlet for your heat press machine and transfers to decorate apparel for customers on the spot.
3) Printing in multiples-When compared to toner heat transfer printing or direct-to-garment (D2) processes that print one at a time, custom heat transfers print in multiples. For businesses that want to decorate more than one garment with the same artwork, custom heat transfers are can be a more efficient use of time.
4) Unique print/texture options-Custom heat transfers offer a multitude of design options not readily available with other decorating processes, including matte, gloss, glitter, high density, reflective and photo-realistic images. Don’t let your creativity be limited. Think outside the box and consider transfers.
5) Durability-There are custom heat transfers designed to withstand the intense wash temperatures and harsh detergents used by industrial laundries. Once applied to a garment, these transfers will continue looking great, wash after wash, even though the garment may start to fade or fray.
6) Superior stretch-Some of today’s custom heat transfers are the best solution for the trending stretch fabrics used in performance-based garments. They apply at relatively low-temperature settings as to not damage the sensitive materials.
There is a wide selection of transfers on the market. The keys for using custom heat transfers include having a professional-grade heat press machine and selecting the right transfer for your specific application. Work with your supplier to ensure you have the right product for a successful transfer business.
—Insta Graphic Systems
