Best Printer for Heat Transfer T-Shirts: Gear Up Your Business
With the fast evolution of printing technology, many solutions have emerged for entrepreneurs in the t-shirt customization business, each offering its unique advantages. Consequently, the question of determining the best printer for heat transfer T-shirts has become a hotly debated subject within the garment printing community. It’s not just a hot topic reserved for post-dinner conversations; rather, it stands as a crucial decision that every business owner must confront. If you have ever been in such delima, you are coming to the right place. This post is your comprehensive guide, offering all the details necessary to make an informed decision. Continue reading, and feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Table of Contents
- What is heat transfer?
- Best Printing Solution for T-shirts Customization Printing
- Best Printer for Heat Transfer T-shirts
- Best Printer for Garment Printing Enthusiasts
- Best Printer for Business Printing
- Best Printer for Upgraded Business Printing
- Best Printer for Industrial Business
- Conclusion
What is heat transfer?
Heat transfer is a technology that employs heat presses or other heating devices to apply heat and pressure, transferring intended designs from transfers papers or films onto garments. The heat transfer process typically includes steps like cutting the transfer, placing it on the garment, covering it with a Teflon sheet, applying heat, and peeling off the covering. Achieving optimal results in heat transfer relies heavily on three key settings: temperature, pressure, and time (You might check this ultimate guide on heat press settings for multiple printing solution).
How Does Heat Transfer Work – DTF Transfer In terms of garment printing, here are some transfer types we could use to heat transfer T-shirts:
- Dye-sublimation transfer paper created with sublimation printer.
- DTF transfer film created with DTF printer.
- Vinyl transfer created with vinyl printer and cutter machine.
- Plastisol transfer created with screen printer.
- Laser transfer create with white toner laser printer.
Best Printing Solution for T-shirts Customization Printing
Before we finding the best printer to print transfers, it’s important to decide which printing solution is the best option for T-shirt customization business among these five options. To make things simpler and easier to understand, we have created a comparing table as following:
| Sublimation Transfer | DTF Transfer | Vinyl Transfer | Plastisol Transfer | Laser Transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 8 (works only on synthetic fabrics) | 10 (works on all fabrics) | 10 (works on all fabrics) | 9 (works on wide range of fabrics) | 10 (works on all fabrics) |
| Details | 9 (possible loss of details while printing) | 10 (photo-realistic details) | 7 (simple design without intricate details) | 8 (best for bold design with color block) | 10 (intricate details) |
| Colors | 10 (Full Color) | 10 (Full Color) | 8 (One layer for each color, works for design with less colors) | 8 (One screen for each color, number of colors increases cost) | 10 (Full Color) |
| Texture | 10 (smooth and soft to the touch) | 9 (soft but large solid designs have a hand feel ) | 8 (strong plastic feel) | 9 (plastisol ink sitting on top of fabric) | 8 (thick feeling of patterns) |
| Durability | 10 (durable and long-lasting) | 10 (durable, flexible, and long-lasting) | 8 (start to peel after a few washes) | 10 (color start to fade after few washes ) | 8 (poor durability and wash ability) |
| Overall | 9.4 | 9.8 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 9.2 |
After reviewing the comparison table, you may notice that the ratings are solely determined by the printing results on T-shirts. However, there are many other crucial factors to consider when selecting the appropriate solution for a T-shirt customization business.
Cost-effectiveness: Among the five printing solutions, DTF and sublimation are popular for small-to-medium orders due to their excellent cost-effectiveness. Screen printing, on the other hand, offers the best cost-effectiveness for bulk orders.
Initial Investment: The initial setup costs for a white toner laser printer are notably high. Screen printing also incurs elevated costs when compared to DTF or sublimation printing. Additionally, the number of colors tends to increase the initial expenses for plastisol transfer printing.
Turnaround Time: Creating screens for each color in screen printing is not only complex and time-consuming but also labor-intensive. Similarly, for HTV, the weeding process can slow down the overall turnaround time.
Considering all factors, DTF printing emerges as the optimal solution to choose. It excels in garment customization with its versatility on different fabrics, cost-effectiveness for small to medium runs, quick turnaround, vibrant full-color printing, photo-realistic intricate details and eco-friendly options. It eliminates complex setup, making it a top choice for entrepreneurs seeking efficient and customizable solutions in the garment printing industry.
Best Printer for Heat Transfer T-shirts
Since DTF printing is the best solution to print transfer for T-shirt customization, the best printer for heat transfer T-shirts would also be the best DTF printer. Though there are numerious options out there from different brands and manufacturer, our DTF printer product line is of no doubt among the best selections.
| Model | Prestige R1 | Prestige R2 Pro | Prestige L2 | Prestige XL2 | Prestige XL2 Pro | Prestige XL3 | Prestige XL4 | Prestige X6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Max. Printing Width | 33cm (13″) | 33cm (13″) | 45 cm (17.7″) | 60cm ( 23.62″) | 60cm ( 23.62″) | 60cm ( 23.62″) | 60cm ( 23.62″) | 90 cm (35.43″) |
| Printing Speed | 8Pass 720x1080dpi 0.97m²/h (10.44 ft²/h); 10Pass 720x1440dpi 0.73m²/h(7.86ft²/h); | 8Pass 700*1200DPI 4.04m2/h (43.49ft²/h); 12Pass 720*1800DPI 2.06m2/h (22.17ft²/h) | 6Pass, 720*1800dpi, 6.5m²/h (70.0ft²/h); 8Pass, 720*2400dpi, 5.0m²/h (53.8ft²/h) | 6Pass, 720*1800dpi, 7.7m²/h (82.9ft²/h); 8Pass, 720*2400dpi, 6.0m²/h (64.2ft²/h) | 8Pass, 720 x1200dpi, 4.8m²/h (51.67ft²/h); 12Pass, 720 x 1800dpi, 4.2m²/h (45.2ft²/h) | 6Pass 720*1800dpi 6.6m²/h (71.0ft²/h); 8Pass 720*2400dpi 6.3m²/h (67.5ft²/h) | 6Pass, 720*1800dpi, 13.9m²/h (149.1ft²/h); 8Pass 720*2400dpi 12.0m²/h (128.6ft²/h) | 6 Pass 720×1800 dpi: 16.7 m²/h (180 ft²/h) 8 Pass 720×2400 dpi: 12.6 m²/h (133.6 ft²/h) |
| Net Weight (kg) | 39.5 kg (87.1 lb) | 59 kg (130.1 lb) | 132 kg (291.0 lb) | 135 kg (297.6 lb) | 135 kg (297.6 lb) | 202 kg (445.0 lb) | 202 kg (445.0 lb) | 285 kg (628 lbs) |
| Main Board & Printer Head | DTF STATION PILOT/ Single EPSON F1080 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Dual EPSON i1600 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Dual Epson I3200 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Dual Epson I3200 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Epson i3200HD*1 + i1600*1 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Epson i3200x3 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Epson i3200x4 | DTF STATION PILOT/ Epson i3200A1 x6 |
| Daily Output Based on 28cmx34cm (11″x13″) gang sheet, 8 working hours | 81pcs (720x1080dpi); 61pcs (720x1440dpi). | 367pcs (720x1200dpi) ; 236pcs (720x1800dpi). | 463pcs (720x1800dpi); 409pcs (720x2400dpi). | 621pcs (720x1800dpi); 536pcs (720x2400dpi) | 545pcs (720 x1200dpi) ; 376pcs (720 x1800dpi). | 571pcs (720x1800dpi); 536pcs (720x2400dpi). | 1104pcs (720x1800dpi); 953pcs (720x2400dpi). | 1,440pcs (720x1800dpi); 1,152pcs (720*2400dpi ) |
| Size | Printer Size 85.0cm×63.8cm×44.0cm (33.5″L×25.1″D×17.3″H) Packing Size 94.5cm×60.5cm×45.5cm (37.2″l×23.8″D×17.9″H) | Printer Size 85.0cm×63.8cm×44.0cm (33.5″W × 25.1″D × 17.3″H) Packing Size 95.3cm×64.6cm×53.0cm (37.5″W × 25.5″D × 20.9″H) | Printer Size 116.0cm×75.0cm×141.6 cm (45.7″W × 29.5″D × 55.8″H) Packing Size 120cm×100cm×71.1cm (47.2″W × 39.4″D× 28.0″H) | Printer Size 166.0cm × 85.0cm×141.6cm (65.3″W × 33.5″D × 55.8″H) Packing Size 146.6cm×100cm×71.1cm (57.7″W × 39.4″D × 28.0″H) | Printer Size 165.95cm× 94.5cm×146.8cm (65.3″W × 37.2″D × 57.8″H) Packing Size 146.4cm×100.0cm × 71.1cm(57.7″W × 39.4″D × 28.0″H) | Printer Size 214.55cm× 107.0cm×165.3cm (84.5″W × 42.1″D × 65.1″H) Packing Size 210cm×110cm×74.2cm (82.7″W × 43.3″D × 29.2″H) | Printer Size 214.6cm×107.0cm×165.3cm (84.5″W × 42.1″D × 65.1″H) Packing Size 210cm×110cm×74.2 cm (82.7″W × 43.3″D × 29.2″H) | Printer Size 2530 × 1210 × 1610 mm (99.6″ × 47.6″ × 63.4″) Packing Size 280cm × 98cm × 83 cm (110.2″ × 38.6″ × 32.7″) |
Best Printer for Garment Printing Enthusiasts
Prestige A4 is Perfect entry level DTF Printer, DTF Station’s smallest printer ever! Perfect for garment printing enthusiasts starting out with direct to film printing,the desktop printer is avaiable in three color options -classic (black& grey ), pink and mint. It ensures high quality and reliable results at 0.8㎡/hour, and its compact design means you can place this printer just about anywhere.
Features
- 0.8㎡/hour! Fast speed at a comparably low price!
- White ink circulating system
- Auto-cleaning system
- Compact size and light weight
- Offered with Cadlink Software
Best Printer for Business Printing
Prestige R2 is perfect for business level DTF Printing. It was developed for business runners with limited space looking to print between 150 to 200 shirts daily. Compact yet powerful, this desktop printer is the key to the entire DTF industry. With DigiRIP RIP software, DTF Station Powder, Ink, and Film, the R2 runs as eash as to any inkjet printer and is the perfect all-around solution for those planning to bring DTF to their garment printing business!
Features
- 2.5㎡/hour at 8pass !
- White ink circulating system
- Auto-cleaning system
- Auto Ink Alarming system
- Compact size and light weight
- Offered with DigiRIP RIP Software
Best Printer for Upgraded Business Printing
The Prestige L2, the newest offering from DTF Station’s DTF printer line, is the perfect fit for mid-sized businesses and those looking to upgrade from smaller pipelines. With similar features as the Prestige XL2 in a smaller package, this 16″ roll printer will boost your DTF printing speed with ease and efficiency.
Features
- 6Pass 5.5 ㎡/hour; 8Pass 4.5㎡/hour!
- White ink circulating system
- Head strike sensor
- Auto-cleaning system
- Auto-wet capping station system
- Auto Ink Alarming system
- Compact size with printing width as 45cm(16.5″)
- Offered with DigiRIP RIP Software
Best Printer for Industrial Business
The Prestige XL2, the fatest in speed and widest in width among DTF Station’s DTF printer line, is the perfect fit for industrial businesses runners. Dual Epson I3200 printheads, premium print quality, and a smaller size in comparison to other printers with similar performance.
Features
- 6Pass 9.5 ㎡/hour; 8Pass 7.5㎡/hour!
- White ink circulating system
- Head strike sensor
- Auto-cleaning system
- Auto-wet capping station system
- Auto Ink Alarming system
- Compact size with printing width as 60cm(24″)
- Offered with DigiRIP RIP Software
Conclusion
Looking for the best printer for heat transfer T-shirts? Amidst various suggestions, the key is to compare all options and find the one that suits your business. Consider pros, cons, and essential factors. Now, equipped with insights, you can navigate the array of choices to discover the perfect printer. If you’re unsure where to start, explore our DTF printer product line for a kickstart in your search. Find the right fit for your garment printing journey today by checking out our recommended printers. If you have any questions or anything to share, please feel free to leave a comment or send us an email.