# can I print on a saftey vest?



## rjausburn (Nov 17, 2007)

I have a customer that wants single color logo on a safety vest that is polyester. It feels like plastic, can I print on this with my DTG printer? Any cheap and quick suggestion? Thx


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## slamink (Oct 24, 2005)

you could print on it but it will not stay. There is others that are using a pre treatment out there to do golfballs and non cotton items. I am also trying to find out what it is.


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## kriscad (Dec 18, 2006)

Heat Press it then...


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## akaratemom (Feb 20, 2007)

I have tried various safety vests. If you can get the cotton blend ones, you can print, but heat pressing effects the reflective stripes. You have to raise up the printed portion and protect the stripes. It can be done, but not perfectly. Trial and error.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

Since it is a single color, why not use a heat applied vinyl like Thermo Flex Extra that will stick to it better than a dtg ink? The hand of the print can't be that important (when the vest is already pretty stiff) compared the longevity of the design. Otherwise, you might even think about sublimation depending on what color you want to print. Just some alternatives to think about.


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## the funk (Aug 8, 2007)

slamink said:


> you could print on it but it will not stay. There is others that are using a pre treatment out there to do golfballs and non cotton items. I am also trying to find out what it is.


The pretreatment for golfballs and such wont work on garments


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## studog79 (Jul 13, 2006)

We screen print them all the time. I don't know about DTG.


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## 13damien (Feb 21, 2008)

hey there! very cool forum, looks like a lot of good information being shared. I have a question about printing on the mesh safety vests - when manually printing on them, who has a tip or trick about the excess ink that goes thru the mesh holes and collects on the pallets? are you cleaning the pallet after each vest, which is what we're looking to avoid. very time consuming for large orders. thanks in advance for your help


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## akaratemom (Feb 20, 2007)

I don't print on the mesh ones, but how about loading a shirt first. the extra ink will be on the shirt and you can heatpress it and reuse it.


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## bertiewooster (Jul 7, 2007)

What temperature setting did you dry them?
Being plastisol we know it has to hit 160c
We tried the vests down our dryer and they melted!!!


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## Robin (Aug 28, 2006)

Id go with a heat press vinyl if possible.

But if not, do a small test area on the inside, and print with the lowest possible amount of ink. Since it isnt going to soak in very well, you dont need much ink at all. Then let it sit for a few minutes, then hit it with the heat press.

Im thinking you dont have to worry about this vest being washed right? So you probably dont have to worry about the ink washing off.

Just educate your customer on what you are doing, and what will happen if he/she washes it ....etc. 

Good Luck with it.


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

Robin said:


> Im thinking you dont have to worry about this vest being washed right? So you probably dont have to worry about the ink washing off.


You are right about safety vests not being washed often if at all. But I would think sweat, rain, the abrasion from tossing it in the back of the truck at the end of the day would cause the design to look pretty bad fairly soon if printed with a garment printer.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

F&M Expressions has a new type of plastisol transfers that you can cure at 250 degrees F. It is made for 100% recyclable nonwoven polypropylene. Maybe this type of transfer will work. Here is the link - ecoCOLOR Technology


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## akaratemom (Feb 20, 2007)

we print with a garment printer and they hold up really well. The guys like them because they aren't hot like plastisol!


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## studog79 (Jul 13, 2006)

13damien said:


> hey there! very cool forum, looks like a lot of good information being shared. I have a question about printing on the mesh safety vests - when manually printing on them, who has a tip or trick about the excess ink that goes thru the mesh holes and collects on the pallets? are you cleaning the pallet after each vest, which is what we're looking to avoid. very time consuming for large orders. thanks in advance for your help


Flash the pallet to dry the ink that goes thru the mesh.


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