# Blue dots on shirts after pressing



## trinitystores (May 18, 2008)

Hi all:

I have searched this great forum and have not found the exact post topic I am seeking.

Everytime I press a shirt I cringe waiting to see if I will end up with dots or spots on the white area of the shirt. 

The spot(s) are almost always a light blue but may also be a shade of black. No bigger then 1/32 of an inch and I have even seen them in the shape of piece of lint or hair.

There is nothig visible to the eye and certainly not blue on the shirt right before lowering the press.

I do not believe it is the equipment or products but I am utilizing a HIX HT-600, Artanium inks, Hanes Soft Link shirts, and standard sublimation papers.

I work in Colorado which has very dry temps and air so their is dust in the air, seen and unseen.

I always check the shirts first and then secure them in plastic boxes as storage. When ready to press, I give them another good shake to make sure there is no lint or dust, etc. on shirts. I wipe the press with a lint brush between each pressing. Everything short of working in a hermetically sealed room.

But I have yet to win the war with the magical dot/spot or two that may appear an a shirt at any time (maybe I am averaging 70/30 clean compared to spot) only after pressing.

Any knowledge about these spots and suggestions for minimizing this problem is greatly appreciated. 

Thanks a bunch!


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## ggraphics (Nov 20, 2008)

Does your press have a blue oil? I'm reaching out on a limb...a far away limb.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

trinitystores said:


> Hi all:
> 
> I have searched this great forum and have not found the exact post topic I am seeking.
> 
> ...


If you are using a 50/50 blend it could be dust from a carpet that dust will make little marks on the shirt we now lint roll every shirt before we print it even 100% cotton and no longer have that problem.


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## trinitystores (May 18, 2008)

Hey ggraphics:

Thanks for giving it a try but no, there is no blue oil involved (not even sure where that would go) nor are their any blue related products or fabrics around.

It's like that old detergent (???) commercial gingle; "...shakes out white, turns blue..."


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## trinitystores (May 18, 2008)

Thanks selzler:

Your idea to lint roll the shirts sound good. I will definetly try and add this to my routine.

I gotta ask you if your spots also came out as light blue before you lint rolled? I can look at my shirts laying on the press with a mignifying glass and still see nothing on them until after pressing.

Thanks again.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

that is the problem we had roll one and look at the roller and then you will see the lint and dust it happen real bad an polyester shirts we also do this when heat pressing caps. some times you can see it on the shirt and some time you can't


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## THEGURU (Feb 9, 2009)

What color is the vinyl? look at the top of the heat press for lint? do they wash out??? and i had this happen before there was blue ink from a screen printed tee stuck to the top? just asking


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## Teeser (May 14, 2008)

I've had this happen too. I was printing on teddy bear hoodies and tees. Drove me nuts. I press with kraft paper top and bottom.


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## THEGURU (Feb 9, 2009)

ya I FORGOT TO THEM THAT!! go to Wellington House - your source for Stahls' and sign vinyl products and order the vinyl protectors/ wax paper, sometimes you can get spots if you dont use a full sheet---


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## denise817 (Apr 21, 2010)

OMG This is happening to me too! it's driving me nuts and I don't know how to fix it. it's so random. You're right, you can't see anything then after you press the shirt - there it is. Sometimes mine are magenta dots, but most of the time blue. And sometimes black/grey but that is def. dust or lint. I use a teflon sheet between the shirt and the top plate (cleaning often) but it was still happening. So i used a fresh sheet of parchment paper each time.... and still blue dots.

Did you ever find a solution that works? I would love to hear it. Do you still sell those shirts that have the dots on them or not? I have a pile of shirts I don't know if I should sell or not. i'm not sure if people would notice the dots (or care) or if they'd even come out in the wash. Let me know! thanks.


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## trinitystores (May 18, 2008)

Rolling the shirts with a lint picker-upper thingy was the answer and a major blessing. I am now about 99% blue dot free.

I place the shirt in the press, hold the left side of the shirt so that it does not get pulled off and then I roll away, left to right, top to bottom with a lint brush/roll.

I then center the shirt and am good to go. I used to ruin many shirts and now I only get the blue dots once in a blue (no pun intended) moon. I suspect the rare time I now get blue dots is because a piece of dust fell on the shirt after rolling and before pressing.

I will also brush the shirt I am wearing with my hand or sometimes take my shirt off to do the work because I believe the dust, etc. is on me, especially if I have a sweater on or anything that holds dust. Very, very dry air in Colorado and therefore floating particals everywhere.

I did not and still would not sell any shirts with the blue dots on them no matter how painful it is to waste a shirt and 5 bucks and time. I am very picky about the quality of the products I sell and I want customers to come back again and again.

The lint roll is the ticket and I bet you will love the results too!

Perhaps you could test this out by using some of the ruined shirts you have piled up. Somehow mark the blue dots already on a ruined shirt (maybe circle them with a pen) and then lint roll the shirt and press with no image. See if there are any new blue dots. I bet there will not be.

Good luck and best wishes!


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## denise817 (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks so much, I am going to buy a lint roller today! Fingers crossed


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## conde tech (Nov 15, 2007)

The blue specks are debris floating around. Shirts are milled in factories the make several different kinds of shirts. Lint roll shirt. Place plain white paper or butcher paper on shirt and prepress. Throw the paper way. If you reuse paper you will get blue specks. Then press.


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## jean518 (Sep 23, 2009)

Be sure to get the pet type rollers that use the tape not a fabric one.


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