# How long do you guys store unused plastisol heat transfers?



## Djfist (Nov 11, 2018)

How long can you use stored plastisol trasnfers? I'm wondering if you guys actually throw out your unpressed transfers after the recommended shelf life or do you just store them as best you can and still use them? I use Versatrans mainly but I'm starting to use 613 as well. I also have a ton of F&M prints as well. While F&M claims their stuff can be stored for a couple years. Versatrans says their stuff is only good for 3-6 months. What happens to Plastisol heat transfers after they outlive their shelf life? I have versatrans prints that are over a year old and I'm still pressing them. They look fine on the garment but are they going to fall apart on the customer after a few washes? I honestly would not have started using heat transfers if I would have known they have a "shelf life' like this. Kinda defeats the purpose for me. I reached out to versatrans about this issue and they were honestly kind of vague about what happens to their transfers after they expiration period. They said you can still use them but they don't "guarantee them." I don't want to toss and turn every night worrying that the products I'm providing to the customers are going to prematurely fail. Can you guys give me some insight on this? Any help would be appreciated.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Versatrans recommends no longer than 6 months. We have used them years later without issue but over time they do degrade. We had some that were over 5 year. Versatrans recently (last few years) started making their EPT differently so I don't have a lifespan on those except some prints that are 2 years old. Based on all of that we mark every box of transfers with a month/year we recieve them. We have not had any complaints about prints not lasting.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Realistically 2 to 3 years as binki stated. We throw out our transfers after that time. You can use older transfers by increasing your temperature and pressure. But after a while, results vary.


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## danversatrans (Aug 1, 2017)

Good Morning Djfist

I apologize if our customer service was a little vague on giving you the answer you wanted. Shelf life of Plastisol transfers depends on so many variable's ( how were they stored ? Temp they were stored at, the amount of light and what kind of light were they exposed to? Air tight package or just a box on a shelf? Damp or super dry ?) and the list just go on and on. But most Plastisol Transfers if stored in a decent environment should last for years. How many ? It again depends on a lot of variables as mentioned above. I have some that are over 6 years old and press and wash just find. But we don't recommend you keep them that long and no we won't guarantee that they will work . I know the one's I have tested do but again so many variables. But one of the main reasons most Plastisol companies put a time limit or give a shelf life is what happens when a customer calls and says they are having a problem with transfers they ordered 2 or 3 years ago ? How are we supposed to handle that to the customers satisfaction ? We have no control on how they were stored or handled. It is an impossible situation to address . I wish I could tell you they will last forever, but I can't . I can tell you is that if the transfers are kept in a controlled environment you should be able to press them ( if applied correctly ) after a year or 2 and be able to sleep just fine at night . Please feel free to reach out to me if you need further information or if you have more questions post them here. 

Danny Highfill
President Versatrans


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

danversatrans said:


> Shelf life of Plastisol transfers depends on so many variable's ( how were they stored ? Temp they were stored at, the amount of light and what kind of light were they exposed to? Air tight package or just a box on a shelf? Damp or super dry ?) and the list just go on and on. But most Plastisol Transfers if stored in a decent environment should last for years. How many ? It again depends on a lot of variables as mentioned above.


I was about to write exactly that. 
Plastisol transfers are very similar to rubber products . 
If stored sealed and in a dark cool place, they last for years.


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## Djfist (Nov 11, 2018)

Thank you guys for responding! 
Dan, your company is outstanding. Great product and great support. Please don't think the vague answer comment was a knock. I now understand why she gave the answer she did and I do feel a lot better now about the transfers. I keep mine in a bun rack on aluminum pans. Sealed inside giant zip loc bags. Place is always cool too so I feel better. 

However, since you did offer further assistance, I'll take you up on that...
I'm relatively new to the heat transfer game. (under two years) I have tried all the major players and I naturally, have my favorites. However, once in a while, something happens that I just can't explain. I always have done my best to follow the pressing instructions to a tee. Unfortunately, human error comes in to play and you can't always trust you did something the correct way when you're doing multiple shirts with multiple transfer styles, etc. Anyway, I did a short run of transfers a while back. Pretty fresh out of the box. They all pressed fine and I kept one for myself. After about 6 or 7 washes it just started inexplicably cracking. None of my other transfers from this company every did that. No customer every mentioned anything about these shirts but mine turned out badly. I can't sell something that I would personally be unhappy with. I'm wondering if you could take a look at the pic and tell me what you think the problem could be. Was it a pressure issue, a temp issue, or both? Could they have just been faulty from the jump? Thanks for your input


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## danversatrans (Aug 1, 2017)

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you 

It looks like a heat issue . Like it was not pressed at a high enough temperature . I can not tell from the pictures if it is JUST cracking only or peeling as well. If just cracking then it did not get hot enough. If peeling some as well then it could be both a temp and pressure issue. Try repressing it at 370 and firm pressure covered with a Teflon sheet . See if there is a big difference. Please let me know. Another cause could be the transfer was under cured , what were the pressing applications you used ?


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## Djfist (Nov 11, 2018)

Dan, I pressed that particular shirt at 350 medium pressure. Again, there's a good chance I personally messed it up and accidentally pressed it at the wrong temp or whatever. I was curious to get your take on it. I appreciate it. As far as Versatrans products go, If they are going to be pressed incorrectly, would you say it's better to err on the side of hotter temps and higher pressure? Of all the prints I use, Versa EPT's are the only one that say "Medium pressure" as opposed to most other companies recommending "high pressure" for their prints. I'm wondering why that is.


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## danversatrans (Aug 1, 2017)

Hi Djfist

Our products seem to work just fine at medium pressure. Also we have found that firmer can sometimes lead to less opacity .But if you were to want to err to one side or the other then more pressure is almost always better than not enough pressure. More heat is almost always better than not enough heat. As with any process you should try different settings on your heat press to find the sweet spot for your press and the products you are using.. And do wash and dry tests to where you feel sure that the settings you are using for whichever company you order from give you the best results and lets you sleep at night. The settings for different companies may or may not end up being different. Different fabrics for sure can make a difference. I hope this helps . 

Danny


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