Heat Transfer Decal Vs Silk Printing

Two Methods, Two Completely Different Cost Structures

Every decorated item in this catalogue is finished by one of two methods. Choosing the wrong one is the most common and most expensive mistake in a private label programme.

Heat Transfer Decal

A decal is printed in CMYK, with white bases underneath so the colours sit on a coloured body, then transferred onto the moulded part with heat and glue. It carries photographic artwork, gradients and full wrap designs.

What the quotation covers

• Set up cost covering CMYK plus two white bases and glue
• Decal cost charged by square metre of decal used
• Processing fee when the printing quantity in one run is under 1000 square metres

The point of no return

Heat transfer decals can only be confirmed by paper proof before the plate is set up, and the set up cost cannot be refunded once you have confirmed that paper proof. If you want to see the printing before the plate is fixed, an advance sample decal print is US$200 each time. Plate set up takes 10 to 15 days, and several designs are usually combined onto one plate, which we confirm with you first.

Silk Printing

Silk printing pushes ink through a screen, one screen per colour. It is charged colour by colour. One to two colour logo printing is the normal case. Big size or full colour silk printing is not something we will take on, because the result does not hold up.

How To Decide

• Photographic or full colour artwork, or a full wrap: heat transfer decal.
• One or two colour logo on a small area: silk printing.
• Multiple designs in the same run: decal, because they can share a plate.
• Very short run where set up cost dominates: silk printing if the artwork allows it.

Send the artwork before you decide the price. We would rather tell you the method changes the cost than discover it after a quotation is agreed.