# Heatpressing onto screen printing?



## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

OK, I had this wacky idea and thought I might run it by here before I end up wasting money trying it!

Is it possible to heat press onto a screen printed area on a t-shirt?

What I have in mind is to expose a screen for my entire design (no colour separation), then print that in white onto say, a black shirt. And then use a light transfer paper to put the actual design (with all of it's colours) onto the shirt, over the top of the white area.

I thought perhaps you could get better hand/durability this way than using an opaque transfer paper, or am I dreaming?


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## shirt-maker (Nov 20, 2006)

I've thought about this too, but think the temp of heat press may cause problems w/ plastisol base - perhaps if you had thin coat it might work. Why don't you try it out a let us know! Ha 

Maybe someone out there has given this a go already!


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

shirt-maker said:


> the temp of heat press may cause problems w/ plastisol base


So don't use a plastisol base


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

I think this is possible. Same principle as making an "underbase" (first step) white ink for dark garments (in screen printing).


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## HeathenPeddler (Nov 30, 2006)

I don't know about doing the full design but one of my daughters tops is screenprinted and has silver vinyl details over the top. Either that or it's DTG base and vinyl, but it looks to be screened.


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

I think you will create a mess if and when you press the design. The plastisol inks may melt...use a coversheet if you try it.


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## HeathenPeddler (Nov 30, 2006)

Meant to say the top my daughter has looks like waterbased ink with vinyl not plastisol


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Just wanted to make clear - it doesn't _have_ to be Plastisol inks. If this will work with some other kind of ink/fabric paint, I'm all ears. I currently do no screen printing and am waiting on my first PhotoEz kit, so I'm very flexible as to what I buy .


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

I seriously doubt it could be made to work with plastisol, but I think it _might_ work with waterbased. I'm thinking the biggest potential problem will be the differing textures looking noticeably odd... or maybe the transfer just can't adhere to the ink (i.e. it needs fabric to bond to).

It seems like one of those things that if it worked well people would already be doing it, but who knows. It would be extremely easy to test, so it's worth a shot.


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

I remember reading somewhere that if you do foil transfers over screenprinting, you have to use water-based inks for the printing.

Wish I could remember _where_ I read it.. sorry.


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## dzine (Aug 14, 2006)

Jasonda said:


> I remember reading somewhere that if you do foil transfers over screenprinting, you have to use water-based inks for the printing.
> 
> Wish I could remember _where_ I read it.. sorry.


I bet this is the article you were thinking of! (click on link in blue below)

 Donna

IMAGES - THE JOURNAL FOR TEXTILE SCREENPRINTING, EMBROIDERY AND GARMENT DECORATION


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

dzine said:


> I bet this is the article you were thinking of! (click on link in blue below)


Actually, I don't think that was it. The one I read didn't have any pictures.

This one is much better, though.


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## Ujudgnme2 (Mar 28, 2006)

About two years ago, I had a screenprinter print a design.

there was a photo - this was done using with heat press

the wording - done with silkscreen

There was no overlapping so the risk of there being a problem was minimal.

So yes, to your question.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Ujudgnme2 said:


> There was no overlapping so the risk of there being a problem was minimal.
> 
> So yes, to your question.


The question was specifically about overlapping.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

funtimesx said:


> Is it possible to heat press onto a screen printed area on a t-shirt?
> 
> What I have in mind is to expose a screen for my entire design (no colour separation), then print that in white onto say, a black shirt.
> 
> ...


Is the key to your question that you are using some class of a DIGITAL transfer, not a screen printed transfer for the colours?

A transfer is absolutely the finest way to print white on a dark garment because it is ALL on the surface. 

If you want to screen print an UNDERBASE, and then transfer on top, why not just screen print the underbase on the full colour and transfer both at the same time. This is the way it has been done for more than 30 years with litho transfers. The combination of heat and pressure are what make successful transfers.

The softest transfers are hot split plastisol where you leave 40% of the transfer on the uncoated paper by peeling as soon as you lift the heat plate of the transfer press. 

The only durable transfer is one that is completely cured with enough pressure to adhere to the shirt.

To apply foil selectively, printers have combined water-base printing with a final print of plastisol that can receive the foil transfer under a heat press.

Recently, printers have learned to print plastisol designs and add a final print of 'gel' that foil will stick to. Don't use a transfer press. Apply the foil as soon as the shirt comes out the oven and the ink is as hot as it can be. Rub the foil on the design using a rag or a chalkboard eraser or something like it to press the foil on the gel. Wait until it is cool to peel.


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Greaves - I'm not doing plastisol printing. I use water based inks (and at this time, plastisol isn't an option).

I also don't have a full on screen printing setup (I'm using the Photo Ez system). So yes, my question was whether or not I could print a white underbase for the whole design with a water based opaque white, and then use an ink jet heat transfer (e.g printed on TJII or IronAll), with all of the colours on it, heat pressed onto the white base.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

I think there's a good chance it will work, but unfortunately a good chance it won't look very good. At any rate, I'll be interested to see the results of the experiment.


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

OK, I decided to give this a go this afternoon (when I really should have been doing a rather boring code analysis...).

It didn't turn out that badly. I had two problems:
- aligning the printed transfer with the image. I'm considering having a go at printing the transfer, then printing the white base over the back of it (in reverse, obviously), then pressing the entire thing and seeing how that goes.
- the transfer was a bit patchy. I think that was more because I forgot to adjust the press pressure (the last thing I had been doing was onesies with a mousemat, which requires a lower pressure setting than adult t-shirts, and I forgot to switch), rather than because of the ink base, but only another test will tell.

Anyway, without further waffle, the white base:









And with the transfer applied:









As I said, probably need some more testing, and will see how well this one holds up to washing, but I'm actually fairly encouraged by it. I'll be really interested to see how it goes when I get my Iron All from New Milford, because the hand on that is meant to almost "wash out" after a few washings.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Thanks for posting the pics, Kath. Looks pretty neat. How does it feel on the shirt?


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Rodney it feels, well...rather like you'd expect a heat pressed transfer to feel, actually!

I'm not quite sure how to describe it better than that - I'm going to assume you're familiar with what lightwear transfer papers feel like. I'm using something akin to the TJII (mine isn't, but the same sort of thing) and it feels just like it would feel on a white t-shirt, although the "window" is a lot less obvious because it's on a dark shirt. It still had that kind of "plasticy" feel that t-shirt transfers do, especially over the part where it bonded with the paint, but IMHO, that's not really any different to a plastisol print (I'm assuming that is what is on most of my kids printed t-shirts that have a noticeable hand. They have a couple of nice Pumpkin Patch ones that I'm assuming are water based because they don't really "feel", it is more like the print was dyed in there).


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## Jimwill (Nov 23, 2006)

Kath,

Thanks for the info. How long did the Photo EZ take for you to print, start to finish? Also, what type of white ink did you use?

If you have a laser, you might try using the Image Clip paper from Neenah. Only the places with toner applied will transfer to the shirt, so no borders.


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Jimwill - to make a screen with the Photo Ez system:

- print image and mount onto exposure frame, approx 5 mins
- Expose - 6 mins (times vary depending on your location, this is what I use)
- Soak in water, 15 mins
- Rinse out screen, approx 5 mins
- "set" screen in the sun, 15 mins

So I figure it takes around 45-50 minutes to create a screen.

Once it's exposed, it doesn't take a heap of time to actually do a print - just line it up on the garment, put paint on your squeegee and off you go.

Um, the white that I used was actually Jo Sonja Titanium White mixed with a textile medium . I'm still picking and choosing from the "proper" screen printing materials.

I'm sad to say, it didn't come through the wash all that well. A lot of the transfer over the letters "ROCK" peeled off completely. As I said in my previous post, I'm not confident it was pressed correctly though, so I am going to try again.

Unfortunately, I don't have a laser printer, so the Image Clip thing is not an option for me.


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

funtimesx said:


> Rodney it feels, well...rather like you'd expect a heat pressed transfer to feel, actually!
> 
> I'm not quite sure how to describe it better than that - I'm going to assume you're familiar with what lightwear transfer papers feel like. I'm using something akin to the TJII (mine isn't, but the same sort of thing) and it feels just like it would feel on a white t-shirt, although the "window" is a lot less obvious because it's on a dark shirt. It still had that kind of "plasticy" feel that t-shirt transfers do, especially over the part where it bonded with the paint, but IMHO, that's not really any different to a plastisol print (I'm assuming that is what is on most of my kids printed t-shirts that have a noticeable hand. They have a couple of nice Pumpkin Patch ones that I'm assuming are water based because they don't really "feel", it is more like the print was dyed in there).


Seems like you are on to something viable. I suggest you try ImageClip transfer paper. That will solve the plastic patch problem on open areas. I tested ImageClip on light color shirts and it lived up to the manufactures claim. If you have a laser printer that would be worth trying. As far as print quality it is by far the best transfer I have run accross. The color is very vibrant and not muted. I would say it is "wysawig" kind of print. No plastic in open areas. It has some hand in the ink area but like other transfers it will soften after washing.

BTW what type of ink did you use? Water base or something else?

Luis


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

funtimesx said:


> Jimwill - to make a screen with the Photo Ez system:
> 
> - print image and mount onto exposure frame, approx 5 mins
> - Expose - 6 mins (times vary depending on your location, this is what I use)
> ...


Oops, did not read all the way to the last post. I spoke too soon about ImageClip. You mentioned in this post you do not have a laser printer, sorry. I have some ImageClip transfer that I can pre-print if you want to to try it in your experiment. Just send the exact image and your mailing address.

my email address is: [email protected]

Luis


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Luis - couldn't you just do two passes with your printer to achieve the same effect? Print a white toner layer, and then on another piece, print the coloured image, then press them one on top of another?

I'm happy to try if you want me to just using that as a base and then using lightwear trasnfer paper on top, it just seems to me that you could probably already do what I am trying to achieve with the set up you have.


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

funtimesx said:


> Luis - couldn't you just do two passes with your printer to achieve the same effect? Print a white toner layer, and then on another piece, print the coloured image, then press them one on top of another?
> 
> I'm happy to try if you want me to just using that as a base and then using lightwear trasnfer paper on top, it just seems to me that you could probably already do what I am trying to achieve with the set up you have.


Sorry, I am not one of those that ventured into laser sublimation that supposedly "will have the capability to use white toner" after investing in the sublimation from the same manufacturer as an added option. Actually I bought my laser printer to do sublimation. I am glad I backed out. There are a few that invested in it and now are selling their printer and toner at a loss. From what I have read in some forum that the white toner is still not ready for fabric. Lots of talk about hardgoods use.

Wish I can do dark shirt transfer. I have tried some opaque transfer. So far the ones I tested cracks, some are thick and others are hard to apply.

Luis


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## Annushka (Jul 26, 2006)

I pressed Hot Split and Goof Proof transfers from Transfer Express over a waterbased screen print last night - came out really great. No issues with the application, transfers stock on the fabric very well. I haven't washed it yet, but I have a feeling it should pass the tests. 
NOTE: My purpose wasn't the same as what this thread is about (creating the underbase...).I did it to mix the two methods to make the designs cross over, to have different hand-feels in the same design and I used two contrasting colors. I love the way it ended up looking.


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## BillFogarty (Mar 8, 2007)

This may be completely crazy to ask, and I don't work with either material, so don't hit me with a stick for wondering...

Would a dye sublimation transfer stick to white plastisol ink?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

BillFogarty said:


> Would a dye sublimation transfer stick to white plastisol ink?


I don't know, but it's kind of eclipsed by the larger issue of what would happen to the plastisol if you tried to re-heat it for dye sublimation.


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## BillFogarty (Mar 8, 2007)

Solmu said:


> I don't know, but it's kind of eclipsed by the larger issue of what would happen to the plastisol if you tried to re-heat it for dye sublimation.


sounds like a great experiment for SOMEONE ELSE to try in THEIR press...


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

BillFogarty said:


> sounds like a great experiment for SOMEONE ELSE to try in THEIR press...


Haha, yes - I think you have the right idea.


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## LaTonya (Sep 1, 2008)

Hello I know that the plastisol ink well work I have dry with a heat press alot of times to dry my shirts at 25 seconds, you will need to lay a cover sheet over the design. The tranfer might work The white ink will be dry,so try it and see.


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## polarbear (Jan 31, 2008)

Quite an old thread but I wanted to throw in my 0.02c.

I have tried this using a system similar to the Photo-EZ (I forgot the name, same company though)
Some Permaset White for a base and Image clip on top.

I couldn't get the transfer to line up initially, but then had a bright spark idea. Oil on paper makes paper see through. Oil cooks things. Therefore I smeared the tiniest amount of oil on 2 spots of the transfer in order to line it up properly. I should have secured it but I had no real way to do so and just pressed it.

I think it moved slightly, that or I hadn't lined it up right.

It came out looking good

Sorry for the bad picture.

Now, it's been about 6 months or so and I have been wearing this shirt quite a lot. Once a week or so at least.

Now I have JUST taken some close ups and it's holding up well. Some cracking but I think that might be from the paint? But I'm not sure why.


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## mrvixx (Jan 13, 2009)

Why not use dark transfer paper instead?


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