# heat press faded shirt ?



## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

Did a sublimation today on a 100% poly shirt (gold). While the image sublimated ok (except the blue ended up more of a gray, but i guess that's what you get when you sublimate on a gold shirt) the heat press faded the shirt (see pic). I used 360 degrees for 40 seconds. Is there something i need to change or do to prevent this, and is there away to rescue this shirt ?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I don't think it's faded. It's more of a heated press mark which is common when heat pressing polyester.

Less pressure helps prevent it. Not sure what pressure setting you need for the dye sub. 

Try washing it. sometimes it's the fibers compressing and a wash will fluff it back out.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

We sometimes us a squirt bottle, and spay around the edges. Then wipe with your hand.


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## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

selanac said:


> We sometimes us a squirt bottle, and spay around the edges. Then wipe with your hand.


Is that before or after pressing ?


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

It does look like your pressure could be a little too high and it flattened the texture of the fabric. Try pressing on lighter pressure - you might need to increase dwell time in this case. 

Also, since you are doing a rather small print, I would suggest using a piece of heat-resistant foam or even a mousepad and cut it to a shape a little bigger than your logo. Use this piece to elevate the area of the polo where the print will go. This way only small portion of the shirt will come into contact with the heat platten. Make sure the transfer paper is larger than foam/mousepad to avoid any paper lines. Position the printable area close to the center of the platten to make sure the pressure is even. 

Sometimes a couple of swipes with a lint-roller after pressing will improve the appearance of the fabric and make it less shiny and flat.


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## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

splathead said:


> I don't think it's faded. It's more of a heated press mark which is common when heat pressing polyester.
> 
> Less pressure helps prevent it. Not sure what pressure setting you need for the dye sub.
> 
> Try washing it. sometimes it's the fibers compressing and a wash will fluff it back out.


Ran it thru the washer, didn't help, going to retry with less pressure.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

In all the colored poly shirts I have pressed, red, royal blue, orange, gray and its different variants, yellow, gold, vegas gold, etc you get that shine box. And no matter what you do its not going away.
Wash it, spit on it, set it in the rain, stomp on it. kiss it, pray etc its there for the life of the shirt. 
I have tried lower temps, lower pressure, lower times and nothing seems to stop it from happening.
I tried teflon sheets, paper, kraft paper, butcher paper and even once I tried using a cotton shirt as the protection paper. Nada worked to stop the shine box.
Every ISS show I talk to the poly shirt guys and everyone one tells me to screen print them instead and that the shine box is from the re-gassing of original dye in the shirt. And that is what I believe it is cause when I pull the butcher paper/kraft paper its covered in the color from the shirt all over it.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

different poly shirts prints different. would use a pillow and cut the image as close as you can. less presure, takes time to learn these shirts! why can' everyone use white shirts! good luck uncletee.


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## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

freebird1963 said:


> In all the colored poly shirts I have pressed, red, royal blue, orange, gray and its different variants, yellow, gold, vegas gold, etc you get that shine box. And no matter what you do its not going away.
> Wash it, spit on it, set it in the rain, stomp on it. kiss it, pray etc its there for the life of the shirt.
> I have tried lower temps, lower pressure, lower times and nothing seems to stop it from happening.
> I tried teflon sheets, paper, kraft paper, butcher paper and even once I tried using a cotton shirt as the protection paper. Nada worked to stop the shine box.
> Every ISS show I talk to the poly shirt guys and everyone one tells me to screen print them instead and that the shine box is from the re-gassing of original dye in the shirt. And that is what I believe it is cause when I pull the butcher paper/kraft paper its covered in the color from the shirt all over it.


Ok, so based on this, its a lost cause with this color shirt ?


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## jfisk3475 (Jan 28, 2011)

I found if you cover the shirt the color will not leave the shirt. some makes if you heat the shirt up the color will come out of the shirt. tear the edges of your paper don't cut them and it will come out a nice softer edging

Sent from my SGH-T679 using T-Shirt Forums


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

demj1308 said:


> Ok, so based on this, its a lost cause with this color shirt ?


That is what I have found. I have used Augusta, Denali, VKM and a few others. 
Do this if you want to see for yourself. Get a red poly or use one of your shirts that you got now. Don't worry about any graphic to transfer. Fire up the heat press, lay your shirt down and put your protection paper over it and press. When you remove the paper it will be completely red. WHY ? Cause the dyes in the shirt have been reactivated. The whole shirt will have that shine box. 

If anyone has a 100% , heck even 90% way of not getting the shine box I am all in. 

Only other way I can think of to beat it is get a large press and press the whole shirt so there's no shine box. The entire shirt matches.

If you find a way I am interested and will buy the wings and beer.
I have resigned myself to that fact its not beatable on a small format press/printer setup.


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## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

freebird1963 said:


> That is what I have found. I have used Augusta, Denali, VKM and a few others.
> Do this if you want to see for yourself. Get a red poly or use one of your shirts that you got now. Don't worry about any graphic to transfer. Fire up the heat press, lay your shirt down and put your protection paper over it and press. When you remove the paper it will be completely red. WHY ? Cause the dyes in the shirt have been reactivated. The whole shirt will have that shine box.
> 
> If anyone has a 100% , heck even 90% way of not getting the shine box I am all in.
> ...


With enough wings and beer i wont care anymore...problem will be fixed!!


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

Sorry, Mark, I'd have to disagree. Printing on coloured shirts is more difficult than printing on whites - but not impossible. I haven't printed on brands you mentioned (don't think we have them in AU), but I have printed on coloured poly shirts made of jersey, mech, microfibre, poly/lycra, etc. You have to spend more time and effort getting the time/temp/pressure combo just right, but it is do-able. I usually get an extra garment to experiment with. Lifting pressing area usually helps, as well as using lower temperature and pressure. 
Absolutely true though - some fabrics seem to be batch dyed with less stable dyes and will give a back bleed.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

D.Evo. said:


> Sorry, Mark, I'd have to disagree. Printing on coloured shirts is more difficult than printing on whites - but not impossible. I haven't printed on brands you mentioned (don't think we have them in AU), but I have printed on coloured poly shirts made of jersey, mech, microfibre, poly/lycra, etc. You have to spend more time and effort getting the time/temp/pressure combo just right, but it is do-able. I usually get an extra garment to experiment with. Lifting pressing area usually helps, as well as using lower temperature and pressure.
> Absolutely true though - some fabrics seem to be batch dyed with less stable dyes and will give a back bleed.


D.Evo you definitely have more experience than me that is for sure.
You get any shirts out of the US that you were able to press and not get the back bleed ? I be willing to try cause it would be nice to do the colored shirts and not get the shine box.
I also get an extra shirt or two to experiment with.


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

If I need to print on t-shirts, I mostly print on Vapor (including coloured ones), but often clients bring me sports shirts like Nike, New Balance, Adidas... There are also a few local brands of blanks and sportwear that we use from time to time. If it's something new to me - I pretty much warn the client that there might be issues like shine, flattening of the texture, etc and I'll press one shirt firts to confirm if they are suitable for dye-sub printing. 
I always press on very low pressure; sometimes I drop the temperature as low as 180C, but in this case you may need to press a little longer (i.e. 65 sec); I don't use protection paper or anything on top of the transfer and usually lift the area of the shirt where the transfer goes with a foam insert to minimise the area of contact with the heat platten.


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## demj1308 (Jan 13, 2012)

tried a few variations today, went from 360 down to 250 with very light pressure and everything i tried left a lightened area on the shirt, i also put a small section of mouse pad under the shirt to raise it up. Maybe its a cheap dye job on the shirt ??, its a "paragon by screenmates"


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

demj1308 said:


> tried a few variations today, went from 360 down to 250 with very light pressure and everything i tried left a lightened area on the shirt, i also put a small section of mouse pad under the shirt to raise it up. Maybe its a cheap dye job on the shirt ??, its a "paragon by screenmates"


D.Evo has alot more experience than I do and has alot of good advice and definitely knows her stuff but I just think its not gonna matter on the shirt. Science is science. 
If you press part of a dye sub graphic and then try to press a second part with the first part under the press it loses part of its color or guess its vibrancy, vividity (if such a word) . So there is a regassing going on which suggests regardless of previous dye job something is happening cause I believe the SG inks in the Ricoh are good.
With my foam kit is some vapor apparel colored shirts with it so gonna try and see what them.


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## prairiegal (Jul 29, 2011)

Hi everyone, (read to the end for good news)

I'm new here and new to using a heat press. Found this thread when I had a similar problem. Used the heat press for an American Apparel 50/50 women's tank top. I followed Howard Graphics' instructions on my custom plastisol heat transfer. I ended up with a faded look in the heat pressed area. After reading this thread I tried using a lint roller (no change), misting the shirt with water (no change) and finally washing the shirts in the washing machine (no soap and laid flat to dry). Alas, still no change.  This only happened with certain colors, indigo and orchid. The heathered gray and tri-lemon were fine.

I emailed Howard Graphics and they said it can have to do with the yarns and dye used in certain colors. I ordered lots of theses shirts as I am doing my own designs to sell in an online shop and wanted to get a price break.

I wanted to salvage these shirts if possible! Messing up a $2 Gildan tee is not as big a deal, but 10 $8 American Apparel shirts is another story! I tried using the heat press to even out the faded look. Didn't work so great.

Sooooo, I thought maybe a household iron would work. And it did!! The fading was not hugely noticeable to begin with, but enough to my eye that I would not have wanted to sell them. After using the iron all over the front of the shirt (excluding the design, of course) I cannot tell any difference. Yay!! No idea how hot the iron gets but I had it on the cotton/high setting. It's worth a shot if you think your shirt is already ruined.

Will be experimenting with pressure and temperature and time. In the meantime at least I have a solution to this problem.


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