I've used t-shirt transfers before, successfully & happily, but this was the first--and last--time I've used Avery brand.
My Epson Stylus printer was printing just fine before I printed on the Avery transfer paper. However, the first print on the transfer paper bled black ink --I assume the transfer paper did not absorb the ink properly. At the time, I just tried printing again, & the second sheet came out ok. Mind you, these are $2/sheet, so it was not a cheap mess-up. It got more expensive. After the second sheet, my printer stopped printing in black. Again, I did not immediately suspect the paper. I cleaned the nozzles & ended up using a lot of ink to clear up the problem. I even changed a not yet used up ink cartridge for a brand new one.

The new ink cartridge eventually started printing in black again, & I just assumed the problem was with my printer. For the rest of the day I printed on Office Depot transfers, on plain paper, on card stock, on photo paper--& got beautiful results.

At the end of the day I printed out 2 more Avery dark t-shirt transfers. Again, the ink smeared a bit, but the transfers printed out & worked on the fabric. The next morning, I revved up the printer, but it once more would not print in black. So now I suspect this is not the printer's fault, & not just a coincidence. There is something about the Avery transfer paper--perhaps a coating that ends up clogging the nozzles, or perhaps something in the way the paper does or does not absorb ink.

I called Avery customer support not because I expected any sort of compensation for this--I'm sure I wouldn't get it; I will just have to live with the difficulties this little t-shirt decoration has caused--but to alert the company so that perhaps they could put a warning on their product. I also hoped they might be able to tell me how to fix up my printer after the difficulties with their paper. I spoke to an Avery representative who suggested that I had a printer I had not taken care of, & that I should have my printer professionally cleaned. I won't even go there! It was pretty obvious the rep knew absolutely nothing about printers or printing or inks, & she was not terribly civil, either. She also could not seem to get it straight that I was using an Epsom, not a H-P printer.

I would say that anyone considering using the dark t-shirt transfers should be extremely wary. I will never again risk using them. I suspect the paper does not absorb the ink correctly, & the unabsorbed ink then causes problems.

Recommended: No