# Ghosting during sublimation



## eclough24 (Aug 27, 2009)

I'm having some ghosting issues when transferring shirts through my Practix machine. I'm thinking it might have something to do with the humidity in the room anyone have any experience with this?


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

make sure you use enough pressure, also we use a adhesive spray to keep the paper from moving when you open your press.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

The most common cause of ghosting is the minute shifting of the image when opening the press. This can occur when lifting the press and the transfer will lift up slightly and then fall back to the garment/substrate and the transfer is still hot enough to cause a secondary image


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## viennadog99 (Aug 5, 2009)

When I'm busy at work sometimes, with out thinking I lift the press up like he-man and I get ghosting. There is some suction when you left the press.

Don't lift the press up so fast and see if that helps. Ditto to Charles post.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

I've seen this with fabric that isn't preshrunk, basically the dye transfers as it heats and the fabric shrinks giving a ghost image.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

If you are doing DyeSublimation, you need to use very little pressure, and the most important part is using either tape or adhesive spray to hold the paper to the substrate. Ghosting is almost unavoidable if you do not adhere your paper to the substrate.

Read through some of the posts on here. There are a lot of great writeups on how to DyeSub properly. There's a lot more to it than just closing and opening a heat press, if you want a good quality professional image.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

PositiveDave said:


> I've seen this with fabric that isn't preshrunk, basically the dye transfers as it heats and the fabric shrinks giving a ghost image.


Since DyeSub does not work on natural fibers, preshrinking is not an issue. Shrinking is only a problem with natural fibers such as cotton.

Ghosting is from your paper shifting when you raise the heat press.


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

All of the above is right. To sum it up, to avoid ghosting:

Make sure the transfer doesn't move. Adhesive spray helps, but just weighing down the transfer with a Teflon sheet or butchers' paper will stop it from shifting too.

Pressure should be just right.

Test the fabric for shrinkage first.

Rusty, I found that shrinking occurs a lot with swimsuit Lycra and similar stretchy fabrics. In this case I either pre-press the fabric or, more often, drop down temperature a little and use adhesive spray.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

D.Evo. said:


> Rusty, I found that shrinking occurs a lot with swimsuit Lycra and similar stretchy fabrics. In this case I either pre-press the fabric or, more often, drop down temperature a little and use adhesive spray.


That's good to know. I've never tried to DyeSub lycra or similar fabrics. Thanks. I would imagine it shrinks for different reasons than natural fibers.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

rusty said:


> Since DyeSub does not work on natural fibers, preshrinking is not an issue. Shrinking is only a problem with natural fibers such as cotton.
> 
> Ghosting is from your paper shifting when you raise the heat press.


Polyester shrinks when you get above 67C.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

We are in a fairly high production environment and realy do not have the time to use spray adhesive and found that on our MaxiPress if you do not completely close the top to the point it "locks" down when you lift it does not have that "suction" and we get virtually zero ghosting.


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## Franklin (Mar 27, 2008)

Finally, today I figured out why I couldn't sublimate a shirt without ghosting. I've tried everything but changing the settings my manual suggested to use. They say use 400 degrees but that does not work well. Now I use 335 and press for longer. Was 400 for 35 sec. Now 335 for 1 min & 40 sec. No more ghosting. I also use mist spray adhesive, teflon sheets, and foam. Very little pressure.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Franklin said:


> Finally, today I figured out why I couldn't sublimate a shirt without ghosting. I've tried everything but changing the settings my manual suggested to use. They say use 400 degrees but that does not work well. Now I use 335 and press for longer. Was 400 for 35 sec. Now 335 for 1 min & 40 sec. No more ghosting. I also use mist spray adhesive, teflon sheets, and foam. Very little pressure.


I would guess your heat press gauge is off. DyeSub ink is not supposed to sublimate at 335 degrees. Your press must be a lot hotter than it reads. And pressing it at higher than 400 degrees would make sense that you may get some ghosting.


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## Franklin (Mar 27, 2008)

i don't know if the gauge is off or not. probably not. the press is new and i sublimate a lot of different things. only shirts have been giving me hell and now i'm getting good results. i think it's worth noting that temperature is a big deal. i've tried everything but lowering the temp. and now shirts aren't ghosting. how hot is too hot? and how low can you go?


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## alan802 (Mar 24, 2008)

Rusty, at what temp does the ink begin to react. I work with franklin and we have been fighting this issue for a long time. We had tried everything ever written except lower our operating temp. Funny thing is, our manual tells us exactly what temp to use and for how long so we never thought to change those settings. I guess there is something wrong with our heat press then. The techs on the phone always tried to make it sound like we were the idiots that didn't know how to operate a heat press. It's very irritating when you can't accomplish something, even if it's just a t-shirt. But, I hope we got it figured out.


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## POLITICALTEASE (Jun 9, 2009)

Try putting a back up paper so the ink won't go through..


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

There has to be more to what is wrong as in a production environment if we were to use spray, pillows, blow through paper, etc. we would hard pressed to create 5 jerseys in an hour. We use no spray, no pillows, no blow through paper (top or bottom) press at between 388-398 at 40 seconds and do not ghost. Again the key for us was not completley locking the top lid down when pressing. By closing the lid to the point it stays closed and is firm we have neve sense had a ghosting issue. Good luck -


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

On-line Jerseys said:


> There has to be more to what is wrong as in a production environment if we were to use spray, pillows, blow through paper, etc. we would hard pressed to create 5 jerseys in an hour. We use no spray, no pillows, no blow through paper (top or bottom) press at between 388-398 at 40 seconds and do not ghost. Again the key for us was not completley locking the top lid down when pressing. By closing the lid to the point it stays closed and is firm we have neve sense had a ghosting issue. Good luck -


Mark, do you just do the full dye-sub shirts that you dye and sew? Because if you are doing the large format dyeing bulk material, I can see how the procedure would be considerably different than DyeSubbing a shirt.

By they, your shirts look really cool on your website. I like the fit of the paintball jerseys, even though I don't play paintball. Do you ever sell those paintball jerseys to softball teams?


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

rusty said:


> Mark, do you just do the full dye-sub shirts that you dye and sew? Because if you are doing the large format dyeing bulk material, I can see how the procedure would be considerably different than DyeSubbing a shirt.
> 
> By they, your shirts look really cool on your website. I like the fit of the paintball jerseys, even though I don't play paintball. Do you ever sell those paintball jerseys to softball teams?


Yes we sell a big number of softball jerseys. We make softball jerseys for three different softball jerseys companies. We do not advertise our softball jerseys as 90% of them are sold through other companies. BMX, Softball and yes even professional gamers are all big markets for cut and sew jerseys. We do some light coverage premade shirts as a favor for some of out clients and use the same process as we do on our cut and sew. We NEVER do full coverage double side premade shirt. When you factor in the time it takes to create a doubled side premade shirt it is more expensive to do then a full custom cut and sew shirt. With cut and sews you have no voids, etc.


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## Franklin (Mar 27, 2008)

alright. 380 degrees for 50 seconds is working perfectly. so some how 400 degrees for 30 seconds was causing ghosting. maybe my gauge is off or maybe 400 is just too hot. anyway, if someone has problems with ghosting, you should try lowering the temp. worked for me. FINALLY no f'n ghosts


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## conde tech (Nov 15, 2007)

You should be using Pro Spray. Lightly misting the image will give it a tacky feel and allow the image to stick to the garment when opening the press.


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## Franklin (Mar 27, 2008)

i use a mist spray adhesive by sprayway


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## Vahanvaty (Nov 15, 2009)

I have got my self a phenumatic heat press transfer machine, and am having A NIGHTMARE with the ghosting!!! However, when I lay the paper over the fabric and slighty rub the surface of the paper all over(I think this removes some of the air created between the two) I have found a lot of difference. Anyone else with anything to help?????


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## raygold (Aug 13, 2009)

I had problems with ghosting, the problem was the transfer paper lifting slightly when opening the heat press then dropping back onto the garment two small pieces of heat tape one either side of the transfer stopped it and no more ghosting
Allan


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## conde tech (Nov 15, 2007)

Do you have Pro Spray?


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## Vahanvaty (Nov 15, 2009)

conde tech said:


> Do you have Pro Spray?


 No, unfortunately, the suppliers in India have very limited knowledge regarding the spray!!! would love to get my hand on some.


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

Vahanvaty said:


> No, unfortunately, the suppliers in India have very limited knowledge regarding the spray!!! would love to get my hand on some.


Check your local craft shops - they should have light adhesive sprays for suitable for applique positioning and embroidery (that's what I use from time to time). Make sure, it's odorless and colorless - than it will not stain your garments.


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