how can i heat t-shirt vinyl properly?

[Lynn Normington]

Emma when you say vinyl, which product are you using ?

Lynn

[Frank Horner]

Hi,

With so many materials on the market more help will be available if you can tell us what make of material you are using, also the time, temp and pressure you are using when pressing.

Frank

[Deleted User]

D-tang i have had the same problem before when i started doing t’shirts about 6 years back, i know exactly the type of material you are using and it is a nightmare to use!!

What you need to use is a material called "easimark opaque"

PM me and i will give you full details or were to buy from and at a very competative price with a vast colour range.

[David Mellon]

The pictures on there are from Grafityp so would naturally assume thats where they get their vinyl from (haven’t used them) New to vinyl myself, done about 100 t’s so far and only messed up the first 2. Have purchased about 5 different types of garment vinyl from 3 suppliers. Sounds like your over cooking if the backing is melting – mines gets very hot never close to melting! Pressing @ 180C for 50 seconds and cold-peeling on Jerzees 101f(adult) and Humbugz(kids) and have not had one returned yet.

[D-Tang]

I’m not sure on what you mean! The material of my shirts or the vinyl? I don’t know what the vinyl is, i ordered it off the same place I got my shirts from, the link is here http://www.polo-shirts.co.uk/Printing+Materials/STANDARD+Textile+Vinyl. The shirts are made from cotton.

I’m sorry I was not clear. I have no real idea. We press the vinyl for 3.8 minutes, we’ve tried less and it doesn’t stick. The pressure I can’t quite remember, and I have not got the press at my house right now to check. I know we struggled to even change the pressure with the knob thing. The temperature I use is 180 C.

Thanks for all your responses, I didn’t expect such a quick reply! I hope the information I’ve given this time is a bit more helpful!

EDIT: Ali, I’m not allowed to PM 🙁 . I don’t know why! Your information sounds very helpful though, is there another way I can contact you?

[Lee Husselbury]

That sounds far too long for any vinyl, i use xpres 10 – 15 seconds at 160-170 degrees medium pressure, no problems yet.

If they cook too long too high temp and wrong pressure you will destroy the vinyl and backing no wonder it’s ruined the t-shirts.

Are there any instructions with the vinyl?

[Saph-D]

Hi,

The majority of t-shirt vinyls will be pressed at between 170 and 180 degrees for between 10 – 20 seconds. 3 minutes is very extreme and I have not heard of any that require that time.

I use a variety of vinyls from the new premium vinyl for most fabrics to flock, econofilm, econoplus and others and never have a problem.

My standard routine is

1. preheat the t-shirt for 5 – 10 seconds to remove any moisture & creases.

2. line up the transfer on the material and tape in place if necessary with an application tape – mine is paper style.

3. Press for 10 – 20 seconds depending on the vinyl I am using at 170 – 180 degrees

4. Raise the platen slowly so that there isn’t a gush of cold air which can make the edges lift / curl

5. Allow the vinyl to cool before removing.

I’ll take a peek at the vinyl you are using. I tried numerous ones before I found the econofilm range and wouldn’t switch now. the premium vinyl has an adhesive backing, the others all just have a support sheet as such so the vinyl doesn’t stick to it.

Saph

[Peter Mindham]

quote Ali:

D-tang i have had the same problem before when i started doing t’shirts about 6 years back, i know exactly the type of material you are using and it is a nightmare to use!!

What you need to use is a material called “easimark opaque”

PM me and i will give you full details or were to buy from and at a very competative price with a vast colour range.

Is this the 10 second or 30 second commercial? 😕

[Leigh]

I use a teflon sheet to place between the shirts and the platen
before I press.
If you don’t use this…maybe that is the problem

[Nigel Pugh]

The images on that website are indeed the same images that we have on our website and catalogue (and are our own images), but we have no connection with polo shirts company or the product they supply, as for them using our images well I just don’t know why they have.

Saph your temps are way to high for most textile materials and as said D-Tang your application temp is 25 to 30 degrees to high too, I would lower your temp to 150 – 155 and also check just how much pressure you are using.

Nigel

[D-Tang]

Wow, thank you for all of your advice. I need to make some shirts today with the leftover of my batch and will be trying out a much less time! My vinyl didn’t come with any instructions which is why I’ve been having so many of them mess up! I will definately try those different options today and let you know how they have come out.

I will need to be ordering in some more vinyl as mine is running out, I am currently using gold and silver vinyl. Is there somewhere you can recommend me buying it from? I tried looking at graffityp but I didn’t understand the options of vinyl they had on there…

[Nigel Pugh]

D-Tang if you want to give me a call I will happily go through all the different textile vinyls we offer and also arrange some samples for you.

Nigel

[Calvin.Turner]

Nigel,

Do you have a link to your site? I am unable to send PM’s to ask. I am interested in tshirt materials.

Thanks

[Warren Beard]

Not sure if Nigel can give you those details but check this link out, it is very useful 😉 😉 😉

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … highlight=

[John Harding]

and you can link to graphityp from their ad box on the home page here

John

[Nigel Pugh]

Thanks John, e-mither address and contact number are all on our site.

Nigel

[D-Tang]

I have tried to print some new shirts, and with your guidelines they have come out perfectly!! Thank you all for your advice! I will also be calling grafityp on monday to order some more vinyl as I am running out. I am also curious as to what the different options of vinyl I can get.

I am so pleased with the results I have got!! I was using much too longer time. I assumed before, that the longer you keep it in, the better it suck to the shirt. I’m smiling ear to ear right now! Lol sorry if I sound stupid, I’m just so happy with the results! 😀

[Deleted User]

Whatever you do dont use the graflex pva material or you will have the same problem, use the standard graflex material as this is very easy to use

[Edfalstrem]

I do a lot of heat seal vinyl on t-shirts and felt banners with great results. The brand I use is called Pressmark 70. I buy from a Canadian supplier but I believe it is a European product. I use 350 degrees F, meduim pressure for 20 sec. Remove the carrier when cool.

[Steve Underhill]

quote :

Pressing @ 180C for 50 seconds and cold-peeling on Jerzees 101f

Thats almost Dye sub time and temperatures
Flex/flock should be 10 – 15 seconds at 150 to 160 c
sometimes glitter flex needs 170 but mostly its ok at 160.
I only press dye sub place mats & coasters for 50 seconds lol and theyre made from wood.