# Sublimation Problem



## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

We are doing sublimation on some grey 100% polyester tees and have gotten some splotches on them (see pictures). We have done 45-50 of these shirts with sublimation on the front and back with no issues.

All of a sudden we have 3 shirts that this is happening to. Printing our own sublimation sheets (ricoh ink and 13" x 19" sheets). Called our supplier and they said they had never seen this, but did say it was the gas for the ink causing it. Our settings are 400 degrees for 40 seconds and 40 psi on a air fusion press. Also we are using kraft paper above and below the shirts and changing it out. The platens have been cleaned. I realize this color grey is not the best for sublimation but the client likes the distressed look it provides. These are good quality tees that re not cheap.
Any thought or ideas here?

Thanks
Larry


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

What other colors besides black are you printing?


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

Does the design have orange ink in it? if so there is only one thing that comes to mind.......when you open the press sometimes there is a vacuum created between the platens and this could possibly be grabbing (for lack of a better term) the image sheet while it is still in the gas state and depositing the orange somewhere where it's not supposed to be. IF this is the case then make sure you open the press "slowly".
Is the platen heat accurate? (have you checked it with a temp probe?) My GeoKnight press is actually 15 degrees off so I have to set it accordingly....Also, when I press my shirts (also 100% poly) I leave them in for 55 seconds.

Good Luck


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

One side is all black, the other side has orange in it but it is at the top of the design. As to opening the press they are all air fusion presses so they release automatically. All the presses are checked every couple of months for accuracy with temperature strips and all are good.

In doing more research and talking to the supplier- they now think it is coming from the kraft paper below the shirt. The shirts are dressed on the platen with a sheet of kraft paper in between the platen and the shirt. It was suggested that it might be the kraft paper. We are going to try parchment paper on the bottom and see if this helps. Also going to try 390 degrees as the temperature.

Thanks


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Random thoughts - If you are threading the garment on the heat press, try printing the orange side last.

If you are not threading the garment, place an extra sheet of kraft inside the shirt.

Wonder if sticky transfer paper would help?


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## joeshaul (Mar 1, 2008)

Looks to me like staining/contamination, not really a dye sub problem. My guess is the shirts came into contact with some sort of chemical/bleach at some point and it's just now surfacing with the heating.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

joeshaul said:


> Looks to me like staining/contamination, not really a dye sub problem. My guess is the shirts came into contact with some sort of chemical/bleach at some point and it's just now surfacing with the heating.


Totally agree there! I would say there is some contamination too, I use fresh parchment paper each time just to make sure there's nothing coming off my plate. The spots look like as joeshaul said, and there has been some liquid of some sort splashed on them at some time, If it is happening repeatedly it looks like a quick pre-wash is going to be needed.
(polyester dries in minutes, so it's not that big a deal)


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

Lots of good info here.....BTW instead of craft paper I get mine from the local UPS shipping store, it's really thin (almost like newspaper) and they sell it as shipping paper and it works great and is pretty cheap


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

Update- in visiting with the company whom we buy from they said their garments are not designed for sublimation and cannot stand 400 degrees in temperature, plus the over exposure to heat reacts with the dye that make up the heather color leaving random stain like spots.

I guess I should have checked with them before heading down this road.......... MY bad............

However it still confuses me that we can do 90-100 presses (45-50 shirts front and back) and not have an issue-- yet this suddenly happens on 3 shirts. we have to get 3 more done using sublimation-- hopefully a temperature of 390 will get us out the door.

Thanks for all the information.

Larry


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

Wool and eyes comes to mind there Larry.
The heather colour can only be a type of sublimation. that's the beauty of polyester, nothing sticks to it 'cos it's plastic it has to be scoloured at time of manufacture of the yarn or heated after with dye sub. re-subbing it you will get a small deterioration in the colour if you hold the heat for too long, it doesn't go into splodges. to get yours finished I would recommend washing them first, or at least wiping them over with a semi wet cloth.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Just a long shot guess.
Is it rust from the compressor? 
Do you use a dryer on your air hose?
I has nothing to do with the dye sub . Heather shirts work great with black ink.


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## TheNo1Studda (May 15, 2015)

Try putting the temp down to 385 degrees and on a 3 pressure and press for 40 seconds and use white butcher paper and see if that helps.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

TheNo1Studda said:


> Try putting the temp down to 385 degrees and on a 3 pressure and press for 40 seconds and use white butcher paper and see if that helps.


The trouble with that is that the design might not fully release from the paper and will come out faint. 
If you want to try that IKT put tape on one side of your image so it acts like a hinge. That way you can lift it to see if it's fully taken and if it's not drop it back down and re-press for longer.


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

Dave- I have a filter inline on the compressor-so that should trap any moisture/rust. We are going to reduce temperature to 390 and use parchment paper to try and get the last few done. In asking further questions with the employees, it seems that this was happening after they had done numerous shirts. So my guess is while the press may not have been above 400 degrees, the bottom platen was above that temperature and that caused overexposure and the reaction from the dye in the heather. Just a thought............

Thanks again


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

I doubt if that's the problem Larry, black ink/dye is just that black, If you well over cook a slate or mug then yes you'll burn the ink but it will fade into a chocolate brown and never patches of orange-ish brown. My bets are on it coming in at the dispatch from the manufacturers somehow, I dont have an automatic press, so at what stage is air blown on the the garment which might leave a stain, it would have to be before the press is closed, are the stains appearing randomly anywhere or repeatedly in the same area?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Dekzion said:


> I doubt if that's the problem Larry, black ink/dye is just that black,


He's using orange dye on the other side of the shirt.


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## TheNo1Studda (May 15, 2015)

We do it all the time here at the shop and it turns out fine.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

This one has stumped me.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

splathead said:


> He's using orange dye on the other side of the shirt.


Coincidence? The orange dye isn't loose in liquid form it's being subbed, so that has got to be ruled out because to get through to the front it'll have to be pretty much still wet and the same mark will be on the back too.
It'll take extra time but pre-pressing the shirts for at least 75% of the dwell time with plain paper would probably show up the marks if they are there before wasting another print paper


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## eagleact (Aug 3, 2010)

We had the same issue with the same shirt.
Wash the shirts and it solves the problem. There is some kind of bleach / chemical left from the manufacturing process.
Not ideal for 400 I understand but it fixes it 100%. We have tested it repeatedly and no issues after washing.
Good luck!


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

Brent- we did wash these and the stain did not come out. The more I think about this and why it only happened to 3 shirts is they were done late into the run . Thus the bottom platen was over 400 degrees and caused the reaction in the dye. We all know how just a few degrees in temperature can make funny s**t happen.

Not going to chance it on their next order - going to plastisol transfers..........

Thanks again


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## eagleact (Aug 3, 2010)

Wash before you heat press. It washes out the problem. Then heat press. It for sure does not wash out after.
Good luck!


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

I'm 99% sure that this is not a dye sub problem.


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## eagleact (Aug 3, 2010)

It is something in the shirt. Washing the shirt before heat pressing removes the problem.


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