I just received a dark t-shirt that I ordered from my shop that just seems to be an "Iron-On".
There is a very obvious square on the front of the shirt that looks like "iron" or "heat" marks.
Also, the design itself seemed thicker.
I have ordered quite a few of my own products in the past, and I don't recall any of my shirts appearing to look like an "Iron-On".
Maybe I'm losing my mind... lol.... maybe all of my past orders appeared the same way. I am after all going to be 45 this month ;-)
Alright... so tell me if this is the way that they are supposed to print on dark shirts, or if my shirt was an "ooops" that should have been printed with another method.
Marcia

I just got a dark shirt tonight with the same issue. None of my other dark shirts I've gotten in the past were like this.

The thickness, however, is due to the underlayment - it's a heavier print job. It's not an iron on, it's a layer of white (almost like paint) and then a second pass with a layer of color on top, almost approaching silk screen in thickness.

It sounds like you might have marks left where the press cured it. Normally a wash or two makes this go away and becomes less noticeable. If you're confident it's way out of whack then contact CP for a refund. If you're not sure of the dark garments, maybe post a picture or two and we can give our impressions.

I do understand how on dark apparel that they lay down a layer of white first, but what I am referring to has nothing to do with the design itself.
What I am saying is that there is a very obvious "Square" that covers the front of the shirt where the appearance is different.
There are a couple streaks where the black of the shirt are lightened.
Also, looking at and feeling the shirt, this template area that I'm referring to appears "Shiny" compared to a non-printable area.
And when you touch this "shiny" area, it feels like there is a "Clear, thin layer" of the material that they actually use to create the designs.
When I was young, I used to work at a T-shirt shop where we applied "Iron-on's" to T-shirts. I remember what would happen when we would put these iron-on's on the darker shirts if we were not absolutely meticulous about smoothing out the wrinkles prior to the application.
We would end up with lighter streaks wherever there was a thicker area of the shirt. These thicker areas would be caused by un-smoothed wrinkles or seams from the reverse side. (like if we were putting a design on the back of a shirt that had a pocket in the front).
I really am pretty certain that this is an IRON ON.
So now the question remains.... Was this, as well as the other person that said that they received a shirt just like this just a couple of "OOOPS"... or is this their new way of printing on dark apparel.
If this is their new way, I am not going to be happy. I want to know that I am selling shirts to my customers that they cannot "make at home" with their home printers and an iron, on higher quality shirts for a LOT less money.

Well, it's not an iron on. It's a different process, so appearances aside, it's not an iron on. We know that much.

As I suggested above, it might be the place where the heat curing takes place - pressure and heat applied to the printable area? That, in my experience, does create a shiny, outlined area (even if the art doesn't cover the whole region). I don't know that BoltZ22 was saying he's gotten a dark garment as an iron on? I read that he was describing getting a similar result on a dark shirt.

I also suggested it might be a problem worth asking CP about if you think it's beyond what's considered an acceptable print job.

I, too, have experience in physical printing and use current screen printing services - there's a lot that's changed even in the last several years. So, it's hard to say for certain what might look like something akin to an older process... but we do know printing on dark garments isn't a heat transfer. It's direct printing using ink:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/in...page=processes.aspx#

We're just shopkeepers helping one-another here, not official CP staff. So, answering your questions in any greater detail without seeing what you're seeing is difficult - but still trying to help you.

I've probably gotten over a hundred CP products of every type over the years. I've seen many shades of quality, so I'm happy to give my input on the good, bad, and the ugly but I can't speak for what you're looking at nor for CP - can only offer suggestions.

Ok... I was able to get a picture of the shirt that shows what I am talking about.
The first link is a picture of the shirt that I just received. (Football Season).
The second link is to another Cafe Press Goof shirt that I received a while back.I have never washed this shirt (because it is unwearable). But, the reason I am showing this shirt to you is because it does not have the issue that the Football season shirt does.
Yes...lol... it does have it's issues though...
But here is what I noticed when comparing these two shirts side by side. When I run my fingers across the words "FOOTBALL SEASON", there is no texture difference between the letters. It all feels the same.
However...when I run my fingers across the letters "GIRL ON THE FLY", there is a very obvious difference when my fingers touch the area between the letters. On this design, it feels like "shirt" between the letters, and not like "plastic" like it does on the Football Season shirt does.
Something is definitely different here.
From a buying customers point of view, I don't think I would be impressed if I were to receive this shirt because regardless of what actual process is being done.... it "LOOKS" like a cheap iron-on.
FOOTBALL SEASON LINK
FOOTBALL SEASON http://i67.photobucket.com/alb...FOOTBALLSEASON-2.jpg
ANOTHER FOOTBALL SEASON
ANOTHER FOOTBALL SEASON PIC http://i67.photobucket.com/alb.../FOOTBALL-SEASON.jpg
GIRL ON THE FLY
GIRL ON THE FLY http://i67.photobucket.com/alb.../GIRL-ON-THE-FLY.jpg

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Reel Gifts,

Well, let's not worry about it having other issues. It's all subjective.

The FootBall Season does, to me, look like that's the heat press area that it clamped down on - and if it is it goes away with a wash or two. In my experience I've seen so few merchandise returns and yet so many repeat-customer returns I'm inclined to think customers aren't quite so sensitive to seeing that square, pressed area that's shiny. CP has also been known to include a wash and care set of instructions... perhaps to let customers know what to expect? I don't know if they do that anymore or regularly - but it might have been something they did to overcome the reaction you're describing in seeing that shiny square - if that's what it is.

I've gotten shirts with and without that - mostly without but then again most of my images fill the printable area so there's less fabric visible. All of which washed out, but I know what you mean by first impressions. So, I'm the last one to suggest it doesn't matter.

The On The Fly shirt *might* have more fabric feel just because of coverage? Hard to say - again, just guessing.

As always, if you think you have a problem contact CP. It's the best way for the right people to know if there's a problem with the process, the design, the equipment, etc. Since we're a peer-support forum we can't always get to the heart of every problem.

Personally, my customers have expressed overwhelmingly favorable impressions over the years in the products they get. I'm careful in that I design for the product as well as the process and I take polls and surveys from my own sites to collect this info. If you feel you're getting more than a couple instances of questionable products, negative feedback from others, etc. it's imperative you let Cafepress know.

I can't find the product page for the On The Fly shirt so I might be talking out of turn, apologies if so, but may I ask if the dotted/speckled pattern on the fly an intentional part of the design or was this among the concerns you had too?

No... those speckles were definitely not part of the design. I was shocked to see them, and wondered if all of my shirts sold with this design looked like this.
I spent a lot of time with Cafe Press and their graphics department trying to figure out why it looked like this, and nobody was able to figure it out.
Here is what the shirt should have looked like...
http://i67.photobucket.com/alb...0GOOFS/jitcrunch.jpg