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PRINTING ON TO DARK TEES
Hi ive been printing onto dark and light tees and im havin probs with the ink coming off the dark ones!! The light ones are fine. When washed the ink seems to be cumin off from the side but im doin the same designs on light tees and im not havin the same problem!! Im useing White Plastisol ink and cureing for 2mins under my dryer which has 4 500w heads on it! Does any one no where im goin wrong?
Cheers Simon
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9 Replies
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simon.
I sometimes use my spot dryer to cure tee shirts if the order is only for a few, as the larger dryer takes 30 mins to reach temp.If I dryer the tees for the same time as you (2mins) the tee shirt would burst into flames. I Can`t remember what the wattage of the units are ( electric cooker unit) but its somewhere like 1500 – 2400.
I only dry them for 30 second max under the spot dryer.
So it must be a temp thing.
Either get larger wattage units or dry for longer. ( use an old white tee shirt and time how long it takes to singe. Then nock off 10 seconds, you sound be somewhere near the mark)
If the ink is only washing off on the sides of the design, then the sides aren`t getting the same temp as the middle. You spot dryer is too small.
Dark tees always require longer drying times.
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Thanx, how do i know wen the is singeing? The dryer has 4 500w heads on it and the other tees with same design on them dnt wash off at all could it just be that im not letting the dryer heat up properly? Also why does it take longer for a dark T- Shirt to dry as i thought that black attracts heat more than white.
Any one know of a realible suppler as every time i phone up the one im useing at the mo he never seems to have anything in stock!!
I might have a bit of wrk to send out to other companys in the next few weeks! Any one wnt to help?Thanx for your help
Regards Simon
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you see the colour of the white tee shirt change to a yellowly colour.
singe-ing is just before burning completley.
the elements of the dryer should be a cherry red colour. you could buy some temp strips to see what the temp is on the tee shirt when you are drying it.
i think dark colour tees need more time, because the tee absorbs some of the heat. don`t forget you are cuing the ink not the tee shirt….
pm me with your address and i`ll send you a list of suppliers and some temp slips.
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Hi i carnt send pm’s for sum reason, email me and ill put my address on a reply.
Thanx
Simon
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Still wnt wrk it said the administrator has stopped me???
Simon 🙁 -
What sort of a dryer are you using, is it a tunnel dryer ? If so, slow it down put the temperature up, I’m told the curing temperature should be reached and maintained for about 30 seconds. When we print dark shirts we have it set at 200 degrees and the shirt is in the tunnel dryer for about 50 seconds. Once cooled, you can test it has dried properly, if not send it down again.
Good Luck
Tony -
how do you test if the ink is cured???
only true way i was told was to stretch the print when it’s come out of the dryer, if it cracks it’s not cured so send it through again
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Hi Simon
Yes, that’s what we do stretch slightly if it stars to crack then put them down the dryer again. The only true way of course is to take one home and put it through a wash cycle, but who ever has time for that ??
Best advice is if in any doubt send it down the dryer again, not much you can do if the customer brings them back with half a print on.All the best
Tony
Printwear.co.uk -
im just useing a spot dryer its got 4 500w or 1000w ceramic heads on it! i dnt think that the dryer is the prob its just the times i think!!!
Simon
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