# Why does my vinyl wrinkle?



## Foary (Apr 23, 2021)

I use Siser Easyweed vinyl and bought this shirt from Michael’s just for a test as I’m newer to the scene. However, after washing it in cold water and then drying it, the vinyl is wrinkled and doesn’t look proper anymore. It looked perfectly normal when it came off the press. 

How do I correct this?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

The shirt shrank in the process of being washed and dried.

What are the fabric specs on the shirt?

Some shirts shrink more than others. Many blanks are prewashed by the manufacturer to _reduce_ shrinking once decorated, but there will always be _some_ shrinkage with natural fibers. The quality of the cotton and the nature of the knit/weave can also affect the amount of shrinkage. A cotton/polyester blend will shrink less than 100% cotton.

This same thing can happen with Plastisol ink on screen printed shirts, though I've never seen it happen as soon as the first wash.

In short, the fault lies with the shirt blank. Either wash and dry them first, or use different blanks. I've tested EasySubli on a 60% ringspun cotton, 40% polyester shirt from Next Level Apparel (#6210) with no issues (3 washes so far). The only issue I have with EasySubli is the horrible handfeel of thick vinyl ... not suitable for my use case.


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## mfatty500 (Jan 18, 2010)

How long did you wait to wash & dry it? You should wait about 48 hours or so, after pressing


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

This type of wriggling is more likely to be due to incorrect application.
a) Not enough pressure, or
b) not enough heat, or 
c) not pre-pressing the garment before application.


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## Anabela (Jun 26, 2021)

There can be various reasons behind this issues such as mentioned below:
Quality of fabrics used
Time taken to wash 
Improper pressure application


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## Foary (Apr 23, 2021)

mfatty500 said:


> How long did you wait to wash & dry it? You should wait about 48 hours or so, after pressing


This was sitting for about a week before it was washed. It was a Gildan 5000. 



TABOB said:


> This type of wriggling is more likely to be due to incorrect application.
> a) Not enough pressure, or
> b) not enough heat, or
> c) not pre-pressing the garment before application.


I'm using Siser EasyWeed HTV. With 315F and 15s press time. Should I up it? I did pre-press the garment.



NoXid said:


> The shirt shrank in the process of being washed and dried.
> 
> What are the fabric specs on the shirt?
> 
> ...


Sorry to leave this until the end. It's a Gildan 5000. Apparently, they are pre-shrunk but I have a hard time believing that as they tend to shrink on the next wash as well. I'm getting two completely different answers, one being it's the garment, the other being it's due to the incorrect application.

As mentioned above, I used Siser EasyWeed HTV to test this out. Should I switch vinyl? Would Siser Stretch be better?

Thanks for all your speedy replies. I apologize for mine!


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

Foary said:


> I'm using Siser EasyWeed HTV. With 315F and 15s press time. Should I up it? I did pre-press the garment.


315F is more than enough, but you should verifying the displayed temperature is correct by using an infrared thermometer. 
Pressure is also important. You should see the texture of the fabric on the vinyl after pressing.


Foary said:


> It's a Gildan 5000. Apparently, they are pre-shrunk but I have a hard time believing that as they tend to shrink on the next wash as well.


You probably have the shrinkage issue too, but the wrinkles caused by it look different.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

Foary said:


> This was sitting for about a week before it was washed. It was a Gildan 5000.
> 
> 
> I'm using Siser EasyWeed HTV. With 315F and 15s press time. Should I up it? I did pre-press the garment.
> ...


Try what Tabob suggested. If that fixes it, then you've got it sorted. I think his insight into the specific type of wrinkle is likely correct, as it is not exactly what I would expect from just shrinkage of the fabric. If that doesn't fix it, wash and dry a shirt before pressing and see what happens.


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## mfatty500 (Jan 18, 2010)

Forgot to ask, where did the shirt come from? A wholesaler or store, they could have been treated with something, if from the latter.


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## TeedUp (Apr 22, 2020)

mfatty500 said:


> Forgot to ask, where did the shirt come from? A wholesaler or store, they could have been treated with something, if from the latter.


Retailers treating blank tees? That's a new one on me. I don't even understand the logic.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

TeedUp said:


> Retailers treating blank tees? That's a new one on me. I don't even understand the logic.


Some shirts sold into the retail channel (not intended for decoration) are treated with various chemicals to block stains, repel water etc. But, yeah, that is not going to be the case with a G5000.


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## sbremner (Oct 24, 2007)

Pre-shrunk is misleading. If it said "pre-shrunk all the way, won't shrink any further" on the label, then we'd all be alright. The cloth and vinyl are not shrinking at the same rate, so the vinyl buckles. Consider that if you take a shirt out the wash and hang it on a clothesline to dry, it does not shrink at all. So, it's the dryer, right? I'm an old guy now, in this trade since '75, pretty close to retiring, and I've done my own laundry for decades. I dry my personal t's for 10 - 20 minutes on low, then put them on hangers to dry the rest of the way, no discernible shrinkage. I think you're just trying to dry it too hot, at least that's what the evidence looks like to me.


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## Designed Ink (Jun 30, 2021)

100% Cotton anything put in a dryer is going shrink. Edges confirm not enough pressure was applied. Any shirt left in washer wadded up is going to be a wrinkled mess. Press needs to checked for accurate temperature and pressure tested in the corners with a scrap of paper. I always add 5 degrees to any recommended temp using all stalhs equipment. Easyweed will certainly outlast the shirt when properly applied. You don't need to change htv, just dial in your pressing technique. If you don't understand where the problem is coming from, issues will continue no matter what htv you use.

40 years of custom


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## vinyllady (Feb 18, 2019)

I've done tons of shirts using Easyweed and Gildan shirts from Michaels. Tons-lol!! I've never had wrinkling issues. I'm wearing one right now that is probably 6 years old and has been washed and dried (in the dryer) dozens of times and it still looks new. Your time and temp look good (I tend to do 310 for 12 secs) so I'm going to go with pressure. Either too much or not enough. I always suggest using the manufacturers' recommendations first and then adjust. Make sure your press is heating properly (you'll need a heat temperature gun to check); that you are using good, even pressure (use the dollar bill test). Remember to lint roll and pre-press your shirt. Wishing you success on the next one!!


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