Success with printed transfers

There are no limits when it comes to printed transfers - you can produce caps, jackets, t-shirts, polo shirts, bags and workwear, all with exactly what your customers want printed on them, in all the colours of the rainbow.

But how do you know which product to use? And what happens if the transfers don't print exactly as expected? Here's a few hints and tips about producing printed transfers...


There are so many products available in the marketplace and it can sometimes seem confusing.
There are 3 questions you need to ask yourself before making that decision:

1. What type of printer are you using?
2. What type of material are your garments made of?
3. What are the garments going to be used for (i.e. industrial use or lots of wear & tear)?

These three things will help determine the product you can use and then it is just a case of shopping around and choosing between transfer films suitable for eco solvent, inkjet and thermoresin inks.


Use the correct profile

Using the correct printing profile will go a long way to ensuring the best possible print results and each media has its own specific print profile. Profiles are called either Textile or Garment, depending on the printer and are totally different to the profiles you would use for printing onto vinyl or banner. An example would be the Roland profile 'TTRH'.

Use RGB print settings

Using the correct profile will ensure the best colour reproduction of your customers logos. I would also recommend using RGB settings rather than CMYK. This is because CMYK settings can lay down too much ink on the media, causing anything from long drying times to damaged transfers through the spread of ink.



Following all product, pressing and washing instructions is the most important thing to do when producing full colour printed transfers. By following the recommended instructions you are minimising any potential for error and maximising the durability of the printed transfer on the garment.


The inks you use will depend on the printer and media you are using, but the most popular are eco solvent or true solvent inks. Your media supplier will be able to advise on the inks you should be using with your particular media.

All the information you will need for pressing the transfers should be on the specification availabale from your supplier. Again, pressing times and temperatures will be unique to the printable transfer film you are using, so your media supplier will be able to supply those to you.

As an example, please click here to see the spec sheet for easiMARK Cotton.

Please note that you will be able to get instructions from your own media supplier

I would recommend the use of a teflon sheet when pressing full colour transfers. Even though your press may be teflon coated, the teflon sheet will help protect it against inks which may otherwise transfer onto other garments later on.


If you are still experiencing problems but are certain you are using the correct product, there are a number of troubleshooting tips that you could try. Here are some of the most common queries...

The inks from my sublimated top are showing through the transfer?
This can occur on full polyester tops, however there are print medias that can be used to combat this (such as easiMARK Colourprint Premier).

The inks from the transfer are transferring onto my application tape?
This could either mean that the inks haven't been left long enough to dry or that the incorrect print profile or inks have been used.

The transfers are peeling off after the garment has been washed?
There could be various reasons for this;

1. The pressing instructions weren't correctly followed
2. The transfers were washed at too high a temperature
3. They have been tumble dried for long periods on high temperatures
4. Intense stain removers have been used in the wash

It is important to follow cutting and pressing guidelines for the product you are using.


The instructions for easiMARK Colourprint products can be found here under 'garment films'...