r/heatpress

The displayed temperature and the actual surface temperature may not always tell the whole story. How do you check for hot or cold spots, and how often do you verify your press?
I’d also be interested in how people document pressure and dwell time when testing a new transfer or garment.

I print shirts for my small brand. Mostly dark fabrics like black and navy

The white underbase is the hardest part and it never looks solid. I mean the colors come out dull. The white looks grey. I've tried different settings. Different papers. Different heat presses. Nothing works.

Some customers complain about that saying the print looks faded and because of that I'm losing sales

I found DTF transfers now and they promise dense white coverage. They say their white ink is bright and opaque. It sounds like exactly what I need

But I've heard promises before. Will the white actually be bright? Or will it look like every other transfer I've tried? How do I know it'll work on my dark shirts?

I want to order a sample. But I'm scared of wasting money on something that doesn't deliver

If you've printed on dark shirts with DTF, please share your experience. I'd love to see photos too. I'm curious but cautious

Curious about everyone's origin story.

Was it:

• T-shirts
• Hoodies
• Names/numbers
• Tote bags
• Hats
• Stickers
• Custom gifts
• Something completely random?

And at what point did you realize, "Okay, people might actually pay me to do this"?

Would be cool to hear what everyone's first successful product was.

Starting a T-shirt business can get confusing quickly because there are several popular ways to decorate apparel, and each method has different strengths depending on what you plan to sell.

Before buying equipment, it helps to ask a few practical questions:

What will you print most often?
Full-color logos, small left-chest prints, large back designs, names, numbers, or simple text?

What materials do you want to decorate?
Cotton, polyester, blends, dark garments, light garments, or non-apparel items?

How many orders do you expect to produce?
A few custom orders per week is very different from producing 100+ shirts regularly.

How much maintenance are you comfortable with?
Some systems require daily upkeep, while others are better suited for occasional or short-run use.

Here is a general breakdown of the most common options:

White Toner Transfer Printing
This method uses a laser/toner printer to print designs with white toner onto transfer media, which is then heat-pressed onto fabric or other compatible substrates. It can be useful for small runs, custom orders, light and dark garments, and some non-apparel products such as wood, acrylic, ceramic, glass, and metal. Since it uses toner instead of liquid ink, there is no daily ink maintenance. Results depend on the right transfer paper, adhesive, artwork setup, and pressing technique.

DTF Printing
Direct-to-film printing uses ink printed onto film, adhesive powder, curing, and heat pressing. It is popular for full-color apparel and works on many fabric types. It can be a strong option for shops focused mainly on garment production, especially when making transfers in bulk. The tradeoff is that it requires more workflow steps, maintenance, powder handling, and curing.

Sublimation
Sublimation works by turning ink into gas under heat so it bonds with polyester fibers or poly-coated blanks. It can produce bright, durable results on the right materials, especially polyester garments and coated hard goods. The limitation is that it does not work well on cotton, dark garments, or raw/uncoated hard goods.

HTV
Heat transfer vinyl is a lower-cost way to start. It works well for names, numbers, simple logos, and short runs. The main downside is that weeding and layering can become time-consuming, especially with detailed or multi-color designs.

Screen Printing
Screen printing is excellent for larger runs of the same design and can be very cost-effective at volume. However, it requires setup, screens, inks, space, cleanup, and more skill. It is usually less practical for lots of one-off custom orders.

There is no single best printer for every new T-shirt business. The right choice depends on your budget, order volume, materials, maintenance tolerance, and whether you want to focus only on apparel or offer a wider range of custom products.

For those already running a T-shirt or customization business: which method did you start with, and what would you choose differently now?

 

I’m trying to set up a proper wash test for DTF instead of pressing one shirt, looking at it for ten seconds and calling it good. my rough plan is to use the same transfer on cotton and poly, check the actual platen temperature, press at a couple pressure settings, wait a day, then wash everything the same way. I’m still not sure how many washes tell you anything useful though. how are you testing adhesion before using a batch on customer orders?

I run a small apparel business and it’s basically just me and my printer. So I've been using the same DTF supplier for over two years. They were pretty reliable offering good quality, consistent colors and the most importantly I trusted them

Then last week, I got an email saying that they're shutting down. Done. Gone…

I panicked because I have orders to fill. I need transfers. I started googling frantically. Found a few options. One Dtf transfers site caught my eye becuase their prices are way cheaper than my old supplier. Like, almost half…

It's tempting and I could really save a lot of money. But the low cost is kind of scary. What's the catch? Are they using cheap film? Will the adhesive fail? Will the colors be off?

I've been burned before. When I first started, I went with the cheapest option. The transfers looked great at first. Then they cracked after two washes and I lost customers and I learned my lesson…. like the hard way..

But I need a new supplier fast. This site has good reviews and they seem legit. But I'm still nervous…

Has anyone ordered large batches from a new supplier like this? How do you test quality without wasting money on a huge order?

Looking for custom shape heat press applied 3d embroidery patches (for hats for this current project)
Looking for some leads and any advice if anyone’s used them before. I don’t really want to outsource this project to a embroiderer if I don’t have to
Tyia

Looking to purchase about 100 to 150 T-shirts ranging in sizes from toddler to adult. I won’t ever sell them just would like to make some gifts for my family and coworkers. Of course everyone is asking for comfort colors. Where can I get like basic T-shirts for my kid nothing fancy?

Has anyone found a supplier for mock neck sweatshirt blanks? I typically order from S&S and SanMar but am not seeing any options there. Would love to find someone with more specialty/trending styles.

I currently have a print on demand business but I’m looking to buy a heat press and do everything myself to better control quality and shipping. I’m looking for some advice on whether I should use DTF transfers or screen print transfers (or sublimation when applicable). What looks best and will hold up the best? The main thing I DON’T want is the design to look like it was just stuck on and feel thick and plasticky, but I also want it to hold up and not peel/crack after 5 washes. Would love some advice and photo/video examples!

I will mostly be heat pressing tshirts and sweatshirts for adults and kids.

Hi! I'm thinking of applying a Ninja DTF transfer to a 65/35 poly-blend jacket with a water-resistant finish. I know this is a risk for adhesion and 'pinholing.' Has anyone successfully done this on this specific fabric type? What temp/time/pressure did you use to get it to stick without damaging the water-resistant coating? As the jacket wasn’t cheap, I’m fine leaving the jacket plain if people think this is too risky but I’d otherwise think it’d look so good if I’m able to apply the dtf. Thanks in advance! :)

Also, I’m new to all this so if ninja transfers are considered cheap quality, I’m also open to trying other DTF vendors but I do realistically have a price range since this is a hobby. ;)

Hey yall,
I’m getting ready to start a small home-based custom apparel business with my husband and I’d love some advice from people who are already doing this.
We’re planning to start fairly small and outsource our DTF transfers rather than buying a DTF printer. We’d mainly be doing T-shirts, sweatshirts/crewnecks, hats, and eventually things like embroidered/faux-leather heat-applied patches.
Right now I’m looking at a 15x15 heat press plus a separate hat press, but there are SO many brands and wildly different price points that I’m having trouble figuring out what is actually worth buying.
For those of you who do this regularly:
• What heat press do you use, and would you buy it again?
• Is there a particular brand you recommend for someone starting out that is reliable without spending thousands?
• Clamshell vs. swing-away vs. auto-open — which do you prefer and why?
• Any hat press recommendations?
• Who do you use for ready-to-press DTF transfers? I’d especially love companies with good color, fine-detail/small-text quality, consistency, and reasonable turnaround/shipping.
• Do you order gang sheets or individual transfers?
• Are there any DTF suppliers you would specifically avoid?
• What blanks do you find press the best?
• What supplies should I buy from day one besides the obvious stuff — parchment/Teflon sheets, heat tape, lint rollers, pressing pillows, alignment rulers, etc.?
• Any tips for getting a softer/professional finish rather than that thick plastic-looking transfer feel?
• How do you handle tiny lettering and detailed designs? Are there minimum line/text sizes you stick to?
• If you apply heat-seal embroidered or faux-leather patches, does your regular press/hat press handle those well too?
And most importantly: what do you wish someone had told you before you started? 😂
I’m trying to buy decent equipment the first time without going overboard before we know how much business we’ll actually have. Any beginner mistakes, favorite suppliers, temperature/pressure tricks, workflow tips, packaging recommendations, or other advice would be VERY appreciated.
Thank you!!

Hello! I recently bought a heat press so I'm new to this and learning. I have a image that was created in chatgpt that I want made into heat press sheets to make a shirt. The front, back, left sleeve, and right sleeve are shown separate in the image but I can't figure out how to make it 4 different images. Can someone tell me how to do it? or would be willing to do it for me if I send you the picture?

hello, could you please tell me what you use for the second press? For a professional finish.