Newbie advice please cotton/colour etc.
Although I have never done printing of this kind I really want to get into the market of printing a variety of things including t shirts, cushions, bags, mugs etc.. I am confident of demand so that is not an issue.
I have already taken the advice in reading through the forums, the FAQ's etc. but still feel I need some advice before I approach companies.
Basically what I really want to do is to print on cotton but also have the option of printing onto mugs and other consumables. Plus I would rather pay more to get good quality finishes rather than waste money on a budget set up, so I really need to get this right.
Now, I have looked at the OKI C711WT which on the face of it seems ideal for cotton but am I right in that it is only for printing on dark items? I would want to be printing on mostly light coloured fabrics.
Therefore, I have looked at a Chromablast system which I know would only be suitable for fabrics so I guess I would also have to get another printer for doing mugs/coasters etc.
I also want to ensure that prints are not plasticky and won't crack.
Does printing on cotton work out more expensive overall than standard sublimation on polyester? I absolutely want to work with cotton items as my market includes the eco-warriors and so this is important. But always good to have the option for one offs.
So, any advice on the OKI and Chromablast would be great or is there something else I could be looking at?
If I go down the Chromablast route can anyone recommend a not too expensive sublimation printer which could be used for mugs etc. and possibly for one off t shirts.
Of course there is still the issue of a heat press but I want to get this sorted first.
I don't have a bottomless budget and I am not looking at doing massive amounts of print runs. This will be for printing my own designs for local retail sale.
Many thanks!!!
