# Solution for 'ghosting' of dye sub transfers on garments?



## IgoHAMnCHZ (Oct 10, 2013)

I have the after-image effect on all my dye sub transfers that I'm trying to correct. 

I have read about paper with adhesive, but I use an Artisan 1430 mainly with 11x17 sized sheets for printing images and haven't found any such papers in that size. 

I've also not been able to find any heat resistant tape or something similar that I felt confident would not leave residue on the garment.


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## Press2Press (Oct 23, 2015)

Tacky paper, as I know it, only exists in rolls. Apparently the "tack" is a problem for desktop sheet fed paper.

There are a number of reason you get ghosting but the number one reason we would get it is typically fabric shrinks when heat pressed. Without tacky paper the fabric will shift immediately upon opening the press and in many cases cause a ghosting effect. I would suggest trying to preshrink the fabric/garment first then go back and apply the image to the preshrunken item. We still have to do this with one product we make even with tacky paper as the tack does not hold to this particular fabric.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

We use dye trans tack spray


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## Press2Press (Oct 23, 2015)

binki said:


> We use dye trans tack spray


Just a suggestion. You can go to Walmart or any hobby store and get repositioning spray for a fraction of Dye Trans tack spray. We even found the actual spray is much more consistent with 3M than the Dye Trans. We do not use this a lot as it is a mess to work with in a shop.


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## tippy (May 27, 2014)

I used 3m tacky spray when I started sublimating, but now I skip that step and SLOWLY open the heat press. For me, ghosting was caused by opening the heat press too fast, causing the paper to hop off the shirt and fall back down on the still hot shirt.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

tippy said:


> I used 3m tacky spray when I started sublimating, but now I skip that step and SLOWLY open the heat press. For me, ghosting was caused by opening the heat press too fast, causing the paper to hop off the shirt and fall back down on the still hot shirt.


Tippy is almost 100 % correct. Two things cause ghosting. Fabric shrinking during pressing and as mentioned paper bouncing during press opening.

Solution is pre press fabric to take moisture out and or snap the paper off the press the second it opens. Over size paper allows one to snap the transfer out without ghosting.


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

I tried the Dye Trans adhesive spray but if you get small bubbles from the spray it will show up on the print and does not work well on the poly shirts. I trimmed out a 12 x 18 design yesterday and printed using heat tape to hold in place and came out great...opening your press very slowly helps tremendously.


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## Press2Press (Oct 23, 2015)

lmcawards said:


> I tried the Dye Trans adhesive spray but if you get small bubbles from the spray it will show up on the print and does not work well on the poly shirts. I trimmed out a 12 x 18 design yesterday and printed using heat tape to hold in place and came out great...opening your press very slowly helps tremendously.


You're so dead on. It always amazed me that Conde would rip off people selling a rebranded adhesive spray at an unreal price and adding injury to insult spayed horribly. We had the same issues years back when we used the Dye Trans spray - the spray never was consistent and as you mentioned had these large particles that ruined the print.


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## Press2Press (Oct 23, 2015)

skdave said:


> Tippy is almost 100 % correct. Two things cause ghosting. Fabric shrinking during pressing and as mentioned paper bouncing during press opening.
> 
> Solution is pre press fabric to take moisture out and or snap the paper off the press the second it opens. Over size paper allows one to snap the transfer out without ghosting.


Dave has great suggestions for desktop people who do not have the ability to use tacky paper. When it comes to production and wide format it is very costly to preshrink. It pains me on the one product we have to preshrink of the money flying out the window. Tacky paper is now gotten to the point it is cheaper than non tacky paper and saves a huge amount of production time.


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## IgoHAMnCHZ (Oct 10, 2013)

Press2Press said:


> Just a suggestion. You can go to Walmart or any hobby store and get repositioning spray for a fraction of Dye Trans tack spray. We even found the actual spray is much more consistent with 3M than the Dye Trans. We do not use this a lot as it is a mess to work with in a shop.


Have you tried heat resistant tape to compare to how this spray works? Would I be able to find this by asking for repositioning spray or is there something more specific I can ask for?


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## IgoHAMnCHZ (Oct 10, 2013)

lmcawards said:


> I tried the Dye Trans adhesive spray but if you get small bubbles from the spray it will show up on the print and does not work well on the poly shirts. I trimmed out a 12 x 18 design yesterday and printed using heat tape to hold in place and came out great...opening your press very slowly helps tremendously.


Did you have any problems with residue from the tape left on the garment? Is there a specific tape you can recommend?


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## IgoHAMnCHZ (Oct 10, 2013)

Press2Press said:


> Just a suggestion. You can go to Walmart or any hobby store and get repositioning spray for a fraction of Dye Trans tack spray. We even found the actual spray is much more consistent with 3M than the Dye Trans. We do not use this a lot as it is a mess to work with in a shop.


This mess is a result from any spray? Im not sure which is the 'actual spray.' Thanks for the responses.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Press2Press said:


> Just a suggestion. You can go to Walmart or any hobby store and get repositioning spray for a fraction of Dye Trans tack spray. We even found the actual spray is much more consistent with 3M than the Dye Trans. We do not use this a lot as it is a mess to work with in a shop.


And if Conde goes broke because nobody buys from there where do I go for support? I don't think a couple of bucks kills me when this is a premium product with a premium price tag. A rising tide raises all ships.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Blue tape leaves blue on the fabric use clear. Sprays are a mess.
Not all , but most fabric needs to be pre press in Missouri Even bandanas this rainy week.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

Time consuming I know but I like to pre-press all over so the shirt is bone dry and shrunk then use an inch of heat tape to hold the paper in position top and bottom or across the corners. I always use butchers paper to protect the platten and it always works out crisp.


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

IgoHAMnCHZ said:


> Did you have any problems with residue from the tape left on the garment? Is there a specific tape you can recommend?


No, none at all. Here are some you can research. Most will work. I have used Coastal Business tape and as well as others. Always try some on a piece of scrap first before using on a real run.

https://www.google.com/search?q=TAP...AYQ_AUoAGoVChMI9YeixNLnyAIVROUmCh1ZAwBL&dpr=1


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## Press2Press (Oct 23, 2015)

IgoHAMnCHZ said:


> This mess is a result from any spray? Im not sure which is the 'actual spray.' Thanks for the responses.


Yes any spray. If you were using it daily you would want to use it outside or build separate small area to spray in. In short there is nothing special about repositioning adhesive spray. Some brands have a finer mist which is great, 3M was the best for us when we used it.

Really you have a bunch of great suggestions and what you can take from this thread is everyone has a different situation and environment that requires certain steps to prevent the ghosting from happening.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

always use conde spray, just turn can upside down and spray when your done with the job. helps keep the spits away! or open press very slow and peel asap. good luck uncletee.


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## chuckh (Mar 22, 2008)

Has anyone tried using spray tack on the backside of the transfer? I'm thinking if you lay a carton on its side, place the transfer face down inside the box and give it a light spray, the residual spray will accumulate in the box. The spray tack will not affect the imprint because it is on the opposite side of the transfer. The spray tack would keep the transfer from shifting when opening the press. A light spray would allow for easy removal from the heat platen.

It has been a long time since we did this, but we use to use heat tape. However, it always left an impression. We had manual clam shell presses, so we stopped using heat tape and started releasing the pressure but still kept the platen in contact w/ the shirt. Then with a quick motion, raised the heat platen. This created a suction that took the paper cleanly from the shirt. You just had to have quick hands to catch the paper.


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## Jason's_Place (Nov 1, 2009)

I use an elmers craft glue, about $4 a can. Most lightly. I take a empty shirt box. line it with blowout paper, stand it up in a corner and make a spray box. Works great for me. If you spray too heavy it will mess up the transfer so I spray light.


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## STPG Press (Jul 6, 2015)

tippy said:


> I used 3m tacky spray when I started sublimating, but now I skip that step and SLOWLY open the heat press. For me, ghosting was caused by opening the heat press too fast, causing the paper to hop off the shirt and fall back down on the still hot shirt.


THIS ^^^^. I do use a little adhesive, but I found that slowing opening the press does wonders. The blue tape always leaves blue marks on my shirts or any substrate soft or hard. I have never experienced the bubbling effect, but I also spray very lightly. Cheers!


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

All spray glue sucks.
If you can't use tack paper here is the easy answer.
Snap out the transfer the second the press opens.
Add an EXTENTION made of ,craft paper, using Hot tape in order to allow you to get the small paper transfer to hang outside your press You may need to tape the transfer in two places to make sure it doesn't come off. Snap the transfer out the second the press opens. Remember many fabrics require pre shrinking.


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

I get my protective paper at the local UPS store....it's shipping paper and it's very cheap but works great


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