# A few concerns



## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

I order some one color, white plastisol transfers from Semo Imprints and..Well their customer service is EXCELLENT and the hand is very soft and I love it..but I do have a few concerns and I am seeking any advice from those who are more experienced. 

My biggest concern is when I do the "Stretch Test" and my transfer cracks and the edges rise. I can also literally take my finger nail and scratch off the entire design without much effort. I have tried many different heat/pressure/time combination's and while the results have gotten better, I still suffer from the same problem. Now the transfers look GREAT on the actual garment but so far has lacked durability. Semo has given me great advice and while that has helped I still know that somethings not right. I have washed a few of the shirts and they seemed to hold up pretty well. Maybe I am expecting to much?? 

I also wonder about plastisol transfers in general. I notice that the transfers don't bleed through into the shirt. I can actually see my design sitting on top of the shirt from the inside out. But it seems that with direct screen printing you can expect some of the ink to seep through the garment. Is this normal? Thanks in advance


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## JBuchanan (Jan 26, 2010)

When screen printing with plastisol inks, they sit on top of the garment as well. Where as water based inks and discharge inks are driven into the garment. Doesn't seem like you have the right combination of pressure/temperature/time. What does the provider recommend?


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

JBuchanan said:


> When screen printing with plastisol inks, they sit on top of the garment as well. Where as water based inks and discharge inks are driven into the garment. Doesn't seem like you have the right combination of pressure/temperature/time. What does the provider recommend?


Well one person there said 375 and 10 seconds and another said 400 and 10 seconds. I've tried both and many combination's in between. After transferring it I have even went back and placed the platen right over the shirt for additional time in hopes of curing it. What I have noticed is that the ink appears to be thin giving the shirts a vintage look and a very very soft feel. With certain combination's I get better results with the stretch test but have been able to scratch the design off no matter what. Does thickness and thinness of the ink play a part in durability?


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## JBuchanan (Jan 26, 2010)

I have never dealt with transfers but plastisol is plastisol. I always do a print flash print which gives the ink some substance without going overboard. I use my heat press to fully cure my prints as well. I usually set it at 340 and cure for 45 seconds to a minute. I am sure someone will come in and question my times, but I have never had issues with this. 

What sort of pressure are you using? How long have you extended the time to? Are you pre-pressing the shirt to remove moisture?


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

JBuchanan said:


> I have never dealt with transfers but plastisol is plastisol. I always do a print flash print which gives the ink some substance without going overboard. I use my heat press to fully cure my prints as well. I usually set it at 340 and cure for 45 seconds to a minute. I am sure someone will come in and question my times, but I have never had issues with this.
> 
> What sort of pressure are you using? How long have you extended the time to? Are you pre-pressing the shirt to remove moisture?


I'm using a manual press (Sunie Seiki) and I have turned pressure knob until I couldn't turn it anymore. The highest I have tried is 430 and 20 seconds. Maybe I am overcooking it. I pre-press the bottom platen and the shirt each for about 5 seconds each.


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## mrvixx (Jan 13, 2009)

Maybe you are having problems with your heat press temp.


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

mrvixx said:


> Maybe you are having problems with your heat press temp.


Yea that may be the problem. I'll give it a few more tries and maybe order a few samples from some different companies. I actually pressed some samples from F&M with the same press, and while the hand wasn't as soft it still looked good and didn't crack when stretched.


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## JBuchanan (Jan 26, 2010)

Do you have a temp gun? If so shoot the element side of your press and see if it is indeed the temp it should be.


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## leadergrafx (Sep 29, 2008)

Get some samples from Transfer Express. It's all we use and will continue to, but more expensive than others. We heat 375 for 3-5 seconds. You might be overcooking as you thought. I know you will be really happy with the look and feel of the transfer.


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## jean518 (Sep 23, 2009)

I haved used white plastisol transfers from SEMO with no problem except operator error. Need heavy pressure especially on black shirts. Try preheating the shirt twice. Some shirts have more moisture content than others. Make sure your press is at the temp you think it is. Presses may lose heat as you press. You can get a gun from auto stores that test heat or you can get a heat test kit from companies that sell heat presses. If your heat press does not have even heat, then you will have problems. I think my press time was maybe 6 or 7 seconds. Never had trouble with it cracking or peeling off. What fabric content are you putting these on?


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

JBuchanan said:


> Do you have a temp gun? If so shoot the element side of your press and see if it is indeed the temp it should be.


I'm headed to buy one now. Let you know the results


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

leadergrafx said:


> Get some samples from Transfer Express. It's all we use and will continue to, but more expensive than others. We heat 375 for 3-5 seconds. You might be overcooking as you thought. I know you will be really happy with the look and feel of the transfer.


I've heard nothing but good things about them. After reading a few people time/temperature settings I think I may be overcooking it. TE doesn't have a price list on their site right?


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

jean518 said:


> I haved used white plastisol transfers from SEMO with no problem except operator error. Need heavy pressure especially on black shirts. Try preheating the shirt twice. Some shirts have more moisture content than others. Make sure your press is at the temp you think it is. Presses may lose heat as you press. You can get a gun from auto stores that test heat or you can get a heat test kit from companies that sell heat presses. If your heat press does not have even heat, then you will have problems. I think my press time was maybe 6 or 7 seconds. Never had trouble with it cracking or peeling off. What fabric content are you putting these on?


I'm going to buy a heat gun right now and I'm definitely going to use less time on my next couple of practice runs. The content I have been using is 100% cotton.


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## ibattle86 (Jan 15, 2010)

I just tested my heat press with a temperature gun and I believe I have discovered my problem. I set the press to 370 and the readings were off my like 15 to 20 degrees. The bottom part of the platen, closer to the base read between 348-350 degrees. As I move the gun up the temperature rises. So the middle part read at around 378-380 while the top portion read between 386-388. So far larger designs that can't be a good a thing.


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