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Any advise on pressing textile vinyl onto tshirts STRAIGHT!
Hi all,
Has anyone got any advise on helping to get your vinyl straight all the time and every time using a cam press.
My press has just got a square bed on it and i am sure it would be much easier if it was garment shaped such as a screen printing setup.
Cheers
Dan
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18 Replies
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good question that cos ive just started pressing shirts.
at present i am lining up the shoulder seams with the bed top worked so far.
and with polos square off the neck buttons.wait for any jems of ideas
chris
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Hi Chris,
Yeah that’s what i have been doing but it’s hard with say XXXL tshirts aligning them in the centre and trying to get the print level too!
It just seems to be a suck it and see situation at the moment, which seems ok but i feel there must be a better way.
For screen printers you have a garment shaped board so in theory seems better practice and also having alignment locator’s for the screen when it is brought down.
I know there must be a better way, anyone else have any techniques they would like to share?
Dan
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Upperlevel
make a small work table that fits around you heat press as in 3 bits of 150mm timber made into a U this allows you to lay the shirt flat. For breast logos etc steel rule along side button placket, tshirts as Chris said line up shoulders then steel rule to side of label i have visual marks that i line my rule with which helps but some of it is practice & a good eye. If you print something that looks slightly out adjust it by moving the should seems & repress, when shirts come to you they are very rarely in line especially the cheap onesKev
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I have a length of dibond and just sit it level with the underarm seems then move up to the logo to get the level.
Cheers
Dave
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Hi Dave,
Is the dibond cut to a shape at all or just rectangle?
Just tring it now but have no dibond in at the moment to tring it with a sheet of mdf.
Seems to be working better just going to try a few different angle but will keep it posted on progress!
Dan
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have you tried heat press tape, lay your garment on a flat surface and tape the transfer to the garment and then feed it on to the press, lot easier than burning your knuckles trying to level it, once you have mastered it it doesn’t take up much more time
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Humm.. so that’s what it’s for is it!! I thought so but never bothered gettng any.
I am using vinyl with a sticky backing so i’m sliding the board into the shirt, making sure it’s straight, placing the print onto the shirt, the sticky backing is keeping it in place while i slide the board and shirt under the cam and hay-presto! straight printed shirts.
Watch this space tho as i have a couple of ideas up my sleave now! 🙂
If anyone else has more ideas i’d love to hear them still!
Cheers all,
Dan
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what transfer material are you using?
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Hi Ian
Xpres Ultracut – supose saves on having to use the tape really!
http://www.xpres.co.uk if you want their website mate
Dan
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you could try heat tape to hold in place then line up on a bench by eye, much easier. Victory sell it I am sure and it made just for the job in question
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I use a straight edge(or eye) using the bottom of the point where the sleeve joins the main body, seem to work well. Also use heat tape which does help.
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ultra is is good
we use 100’s of mtrs of it, you shouldn’t need the tape, just a good eye
Ian -
Yeah ultra is a good product, i have really found the sticky backing work well and to my advantage on this last print run.
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Dont know if Im allowed to post the addy the teesquareit comes highly recommended on the tshirt forum http://www.teesquareit.com/
I’m just using the eye method myself -
it all depends on you getting the garment straight in the press in the first place, not as easy as it sounds for some garments
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basically the eye has it then.
if all else fails then tell the customer to stand up straight.
chris
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Cut the vinyl with a weeding box around each image.
Put the garment on a flat, level work surface.
Place the vinyl in position on the shirt. (The norm is about a hand-width down on T-shirts and Polos). Adjust it by eye to get it straight.
If it has to be in the center, as opposed to offset to one side, measure so that it´s equal from side to side.
Apply a couple of small pieces of tape to keep it in position.
I do this first on all the garments I need to print so that they´re all ready to put in the press.
For print onto Polos where the image is alongside the buttons, I use just the corner of the heat press to avoid pressing onto the buttons and thicker area of the shirt.So-called heat tape is expensive. Try Scotch Magic in the green packet. It does the same job. A tape dispenser is useful.
Chris
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I use teflon pillows to avoid the problems with buttons, pockets etc.
Be careful what heat tape you use because you can a) find some dye on the shirt if it is a coloured tape and b) find that it leaves a mark on the pile.
For vinyl I use the new Premium vinyl which has a sticky back but cuts and weeds really easily. I also leave a weeding box which helps with showing a straight line, but I do buy in different size application tape – I think it is better to pay out for that than to find ruined shirts because something is off centre or crooked.
Most of mine I place and press by eye and am lucky that they are usually central and straight.
If necessary I lie the shirt on a flat surface, measure up from each side to the desired level and put a pin in near the seem on each side – lie a long ruler across and lightly tape the transfer/vinyl down. Sounds long winded but it actually isn’t. Once I have done the design on one shirt I can normally see the right height needed and just lie the ruler across to tape down the transfer.
On other occasions I have measured from the middle of the neck down.
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