PDA

View Full Version : Xpres Tees. Anyone printed up the newer tees.



New Horizons
04-05-2013, 01:09 PM
I used to print up a few of the older Subli Tees with the cotton inner and the poly outer. Great tees, superb results but they always felt heavy, more like a sweatshirt than a tee. Plus being so thick meant it was a real squeeze to get to fit into the large letter postal sizes.

This is where I am now: Looking to get a new printer, but still pondering on the A4/A3 thing. I have got a couple of the new Xpres all polyester tees from BMS, which are nicely made, but has anyone actually printed any of these up yet and how were the results? Apart fom the odd flek outside the image area, the older style Subli tees used to print up brilliantly.

From a marketing perspective I am really not sure how well the all polyester format will appeal to customers, as it hardly a desirable material (unless your a subli printer). The moisture wicking thing is only really going to appeal to athletes perhaps?

JMugs
04-05-2013, 02:33 PM
I find them incredible. Strong words perhaps, but I use them without complaints from the customers who often think they are cotton!
I have printed photos for a professional photographer on them and he just kept looking at the image in disbelief at how good it was. I am just an average printer, so those sort of results are obtainable by everyone.


Hope that helps.
Janners

ssp
04-05-2013, 10:07 PM
I have been using the xpress tees for my prints and the results speak for themselves, lovely, i just wish i could get them cheaper. I will be trying the gildans out next week, looking forward to trying them.

New Horizons
04-05-2013, 11:05 PM
Thanks for the replies Janners and SSP. I currently use flex, but make a rod for my own back sometimes by creating complex designs that take a lot of detailed weeding. Been two years since I have made any sublimation tees, but from a personal perspective it is the only technology I truly trust for full colour prints. I have seen (and owned) full colour screen printed tees, dtg tees and even pro printed vinyls where the designs have cracked even after only a few washes. With sublimation (and flex) I can sell tees with one hundred percent certainty that the design will outlast the tee.

Trouble with the blank sublimation tees being expensive, is that the cost has to be passed onto the customer making them less competitive for many jobs. :frown:

ssp
05-05-2013, 12:35 AM
gildan tees.. very cheap i got mine from btc

New Horizons
05-05-2013, 08:03 AM
Couldn't find them on the BTC site SSP, but I have found them on another suppliers site at £3.29 VAT inclusive, which compares very favourably with the Xpres tees currently retailing at £4.38. The White and the Carolina Blue are definitely looking good for subli work. I don't know what the Royal and the Red would look like if printed up with black subli inks as I have only ever printed on white tees in the past. :confused:

daviddeer
05-05-2013, 10:24 AM
Found two links to the 100% polyester Gildan shirts Gildan - Performance T-shirt - GD120 (http://www.barone.co.uk/products/sports/23/performance-t-shirt-from-gildan/5015) £1.94 and the new Gildan Men's Core Performance T-Shirt code:42000 (http://www.buytshirtsonline.co.uk/gildan-m25/classic-t-shirts-c20/mens-core-performance-t-shirt-p3826) £2.79 to £3.08 which I see from printwear and promotion is the latest one. Couldn't find it on BTC either.

ssp
05-05-2013, 11:38 AM
here you go: http://www.btcactivewear.co.uk/store/index.pl?submit=View_ITEM&sfn_spc=42000

New Horizons
13-05-2013, 09:30 AM
Have ordered one of the Gildan poly tees to see how they compare with the Xpres ones. Have also ordered a FOTL poly tee as well for comparison, although the colours in their poly range are minimal compared to the Gildan. Whilst the quality of the Xpres tees has always been very good, having active competition to keep their prices keen, is always a good thing for the buyer.

New Horizons
14-05-2013, 08:34 PM
UPDATE: OK I got the Gildan and FOTL tees arrive today, to compare directly with the Xpres tees.

First impressions of the Gildan is that although it is extremely well made, it is significantly lighter than the Xpres tee and feels distinctly flimsy. Having worn it for an hour as part of my evaluation, it is nothing like as warm as the Xpres or a cotton tee. Probably great for sporting use, but I would have real reservations about selling it as a 'regular' wear.

The FOTL performance tee although physically lighter than the Gildan actually felt heavier. Again a well made garment but dramatically let down by the use of an airtex type weave, that would produce an inferior print surface. My partner described it as looking like something an old man would wear and I have to agree with her. Although I use FOTL cotton tees, this poly garment just doesn't look right, either in the material used, or in the unusual angle of the shoulder seams.

All of the tees were XL in size and the garment physical weights were as follows.

Xpres 247gms .... Gildan 185gms .... FOTL ....165gms