hotxfers - Tumblr blog

[hotxfers]

Start a New Business Today!

You heard that right! Start your new year with a new business in a spare room, basement, or garage with very little investment.

I got into the t-shirt business about eight years ago because I was tired of inconsistent quality and high prices for small team runs. When I started, I jumped in with both feet and bought a $24,000 Direct to Garment (DTG) print system. I still have it, I still use it...just not as much.

Last year we grew in a huge way and bought an industrial Direct to Film (DTF) printer to make unbelievable print transfers. These are not the old heat transfers or vinyl that crack and peel after only a few washes. These are almost indestructible!

We are now selling DTF and sublimation heat transfers with no minimums. We spent tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and had years of mistakes on our way to success so you don’t have to.

What do you need?

Imagination and a graphics program You need one that will generate vector images or raster images at at least 300dpi in the actual size you want to print them this can be one of the traditional computer graphics programs or even a good quality app like Canva or a more professional system like GraphicsFlow. Please remember that you can't just grab graphics off of the Internet from a search. Someone worked hard to get to the point of making those images, and not only is it wrong to steal their work, it can put you out of business if someone lawyers-up. Especially out of scope are pro team logos, and licensed characters...you know, like a certain mouse that has homes in Florida and Cali.

Some way to apply your transfers Regardless of what you are going to want to press, at the minimum you will want a flat heat press of at least 12" x 15". But if you are serious about doing this as a business, I would recommend a flat press made by Hotronix or Knight. No, they are not cheap, but they are extremely reliable with great tech support. If are going to try sublimating odd shapes like water bottles, and mugs, you may also want to consider a convection oven. Using specialized (and inexpensive) shrink wrap and a heat gun, you can keep the sublimation design in place at the perfect pressure and "press" them in a convection oven. This will save you a lot of money on a good mug press, and will let you print on a large variety of shapes.

You need a way get transfers. You can go out and buy printer to print transfers like sublimation transfers or DTF transfers, but that can be expensive and require a lot of maintenance. My number one recommendation is to NEVER get yourself into a consumer printer that has been “converted” to do something they were never designed to do. I tried that with my first sublimation printer and on my first huge order, it cost me more in ruined shirts, lost time, and mental health than it would have cost me for a printer made to do sublimation. If you can’t afford a Printer built to do what you want to do yet, don’t worry. DTF and Sublimation transfers are truly affordable, and you will appreciate the peace of mind and time savings until you grow enough to need and afford your own print systems.

You will need a way to sell your products. In a later post, we will cover various online options with their pros and cons. The platform we settled on, and the one you may be purchasing your transfers on is InkSoft. They have been around for a long time, have great support, and offer an affordable solution to host multiple stores.

[hotxfers]

We are here to help!

Whether you are trying to start a new career or add a side-hustle, we are here to help. We have made most of the mistakes so you don't have to. We are here to help you start and run a product decorating business. We are happy to help you find your way to success!