# How do I erase the paper outline?



## ginnocenti (Apr 24, 2014)

Hiya,

Im starting my sublimation learning phase and would like to know how to erase the paper outline after I print the T-shirt.

I have read many threads on how to avoid it, but cant find a thread with a "no you cant erase it, once its done its done" or an advice on how to erase them once you make the mistake.

As a side note, like it is said on other threads, tearing the paper does work wonders, just remember that it should be teared without precision, the clumsier the better.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Depending on the coarseness of the fabric, they may go away after a wash.

Otherwise, I know of no way to get rid of them.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

Do you mean the impression the paper leaves? If so, use a large Teflon Sheet over the Sublimation Paper. 

One that fits the size of your lower Platen.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

selanac said:


> Do you mean the impression the paper leaves? If so, use a large Teflon Sheet over the Sublimation Paper.
> 
> One that fits the size of your lower Platen.


But the paper must also be oversized too, exceeding the platen. The paper edges will still be onto the fabric if not.

Also, while Teflon will work ... over time it picks up color from light color garments and the dye, and will start eventually causing ghosting onto new items that are pressed. Kraft paper or parchment would be better.

Where covering the transfer really helps is from the discoloring of the fabric from the heat press or scorching, crease lines cannot be resolved just by covering.

Best practice is to either have the transfer hanging over the platen with the printed design inside the platen of course (if possible) or to elevate the printed area then have the transfer paper hang outside the boundary of the raised area. For example a pad or Teflon pillow.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

ginnocenti said:


> Hiya,
> 
> Im starting my sublimation learning phase and would like to know how to erase the paper outline after I print the T-shirt.
> 
> ...


 100% Polyester material is not forgiving as 100% cotton or 50/50 when it comes to press marks. Best practice is to avoid the lines in the first place. See my previous post in this thread.


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

I haven't had press lines on anything since I switched to the 1/2" green foam from JoAnn fabrics...I cut the foam 1/2" smaller then the paper I'm using and place it on the bottom plate, cover it with teflon sheet and use it as a centering guide, placing the shirts the same way everytime and overhang the paper 1/4" on all sides...

I do 100+ sublimated shirts a day for softball teams and not one press line...


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## Red Leaf (Feb 2, 2011)

Jimmy, 
Do you have a link or photo of the green foam from Joann's? Thanks


Red Leaf Screen Printing & Embroidery


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## joey1320 (Feb 21, 2012)

I believe Conde did a video on this, their solution was to rip/tear the paper at an angle around the design. So there's a slight "edging" to it. 

This will also make it a less noticeable because its not a hard straight box around the image. 

I don't do sublimation but plastisol transfers, but what I did with mine was to trim the edges of my lower pad and "round" them. This made a big improvement on my marks, to the point that they are almost not visible right after pressing.

Sent from my HTC One X using T-Shirt Forums


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

Red Leaf said:


> Jimmy,
> Do you have a link or photo of the green foam from Joann's? Thanks
> 
> 
> Red Leaf Screen Printing & Embroidery


It's the heavy duty foam slab, 1/2" and it's green...

It's cheaper than Vapor foam kit and is 100% fine with heat...it also lasts a little longer than the Vapor foam....

Heavy Duty Foam Slab 1/2'' X 24'' X 90'' at Joann.com


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Green foam 1" thick cost $20.00 per yard at Jo anns. Craft paper cost .10 to solve this issue. Do the math. 
Craft Paper and transfer must be larger than your press.
Contact me if you need more instructions 
[email protected]


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

skdave said:


> Green foam 1" thick cost $20.00 per yard at Jo anns. Craft paper cost .10 to solve this issue. Do the math.
> Craft Paper and transfer must be larger than your press.
> Contact me if you need more instructions
> [email protected]


Do the math also David, most people starting out in this business have 15x15 or 16x20 presses...your transfers might be economical but most people have their own sublimation printers set up with their colors set up...so they are most likely using 13x19 or smaller paper...changing their artwork and color swatches and getting the transfers from you changes color pallets...

The link I put up makes the 1/2" green foam a very good alternative...especially since craft paper isn't needed...foam, teflon sheet, shirt and I press directly on that, no second sheet needed...

One side I do like that and then for back of shirt I have a 12" wide by 16" piece of foam I wrap in a sheet of teflon and put that between the front and back of shirt, in between so to say, and I never get paper lines...like I said, I do 100+ shirts a day for the sports industry and have had great success...

getthatwax.com
[email protected]


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

JIMMY34 said:


> Do the math also David, most people starting out in this business have 15x15 or 16x20 presses...your transfers might be economical but most people have their own sublimation printers set up with their colors set up...so they are most likely using 13x19 or smaller paper...changing their artwork and color swatches and getting the transfers from you changes color pallets...
> 
> The link I put up makes the 1/2" green foam a very good alternative...especially since craft paper isn't needed...foam, teflon sheet, shirt and I press directly on that, no second sheet needed...
> 
> One side I do like that and then for back of shirt I have a 12" wide by 16" piece of foam I wrap in a sheet of teflon and put that between the front and back of shirt, in between so to say, and I never get paper lines...like I said, I do 100+ shirts a day for the sports industry and have had great success...


Jimmy.
Please share the cost of your paper and ink cost so we can all do the math.
I don't care how to get the larger transfers.
In your case if you do the math transferring 100 per day the math says you would buy a wide format printer and at 100 a day, times 365 days a year.
My math tells be you would save over $30,000 a year just on ink and paper cost, not to mention the wasted time EVERY day screwing around with you overpriced green foam. 
Using Teflon around Dye sub pressing is a bad idea. Teflon reflects outgassing and as you know, IF you are doing 100 a day the outgassing will bounce onto the shirt. 
Anybody doing 100 a day would buy the correct equipment. Some good presses allow you to slide the shirt onto the platen if you are using real cheap shirts that press thought the fabric. This is 10 times easier than your approach. This still requires craft paper under the shirt and over the transfer.
Color matching is always hard work but not that hard when it comes to making a good living in this biz.


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

David, like I said, for some who have the printer and presses already my way is a good alternative...I never have gassing issues unless my pressure is too light...

IF, I didnt already have a set color palette, wide format printer set up with Cobra inks and CIS system than you would be the ONLY person I would use...I did get that sample page from you before I started using the foam technique and it's definitely worth it for someone to purchase transfers from you...the cost per sheet alone still has me second guessing myself, unfortunately, or fortunately, I'm busy enough that I print usually right before I press so the transit time from you to me makes it difficult...

I have 3 presses running daily and I'm still small time but I have been having good success with my method and tried to answer a question as helpful as I could...taking into account a startup sublimation business probably already has a sublimation printer setup, color palettes and small 15x15 or 16x20 press...

I do about 450-500 shirts weekly and use BAW for my shirts and never get bleed through to the other side and have incredible cutomer feedback with them...and I've probably tried every brand of shirt out there...

I just prefer my method as an alternative because I've used one roll of 24x90 1/2" foam from Joanne in the last 3 months and still have plenty left...12"x 16" pieces of foam for full sheet prints and some smaller for 1/2 sheet and left chest areas...

Is my way better, nope, is it good, yes and it 100% eliminates ANY paper lines and helps center shirts incredibly...

Just a side note, sometimes if you press straight onto the bottom plate directly the edges of the heat platen can leave marks, with the foam, the only thing the heat platen makes contact with is the area of the foam which is raised so you dont need a top piece of craft paper because the heat platen only touches the transfer paper...


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Ok Jimmy, all good. You have a nice web page.
What size are your presses?


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

I agree about the need for a foam, Dave you would never see the crease from the platen edges (not the transfer edges) with your Monster presses since your platen is also exceeding the boundary of your shirts.

I disagree about the use of Teflon.

1. Teflon is a heat insulator, while it will still heat transfer thru it, it is a poor heat conductor, that is what Teflon was designed for, to resist heat.

2. The ghosting problem depends on a couple of factors ...

The transfer papers ability to contain the dyes on the print side only. Some papers are better than others in this respect. 

AND

If you use light color shirts then over time the dyes will be ghosted onto the teflon, that along with any ghosting from the transfer paper.

So Jimmy might not see this much if mostly doing white tshirts and using paper that does have any "blow thru" on the back side.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Mike , we also use 4 16x20" presses daily. We have firm high temp rubber on the platens and never have had an issue with the press edge causing a mark on the poly. Maybe the paper over the 4 edges help. Just thinking, no big deal.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

skdave said:


> Mike , we also use 4 16x20" presses daily. We have firm high temp rubber on the platens and never have had an issue with the press edge causing a mark on the poly. Maybe the paper over the 4 edges help. Just thinking, no big deal.


The "blow paper" exceeding the platen boundaries would help, but that is a very wide sheet needs to be >16 x 20 inches. Sam's Club has "butcher" paper in long rolls cheap. 

My presses unless I use light pressure I can get those marks even with wide paper so my pressure has to be dialed in precise. My (2) 16 x 20 presses have different pad hardness so one is harder than the other. That is a factor as well. Some polys crease easier than others too, but most all crease easily permanently.

The foam from the craft stores can be pricey, to varying degrees the stuff can be re-used, but most will eventually get compressed and recompressed again enough to have "memory effect".

I get by better with special cut mousepad material. I have to have several sizes but it's softer than a heat press lower platen pad yet harder than the foam stuff. And it is always re-useable and I haven't compression problems with it.


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

mgparrish said:


> The "blow paper" exceeding the platen boundaries would help, but that is a very wide sheet needs to be >16 x 20 inches. Sam's Club has "butcher" paper in long rolls cheap.
> 
> My presses unless I use light pressure I can get those marks even with wide paper so my pressure has to be dialed in precise. My (2) 16 x 20 presses have different pad hardness so one is harder than the other. That is a factor as well. Some polys crease easier than others too, but most all crease easily permanently.
> 
> ...


David, I have a 15x15, 16x20 portrait and 16x20 landscape press so if pressing directly over paper without using the foam you get lines from the edges of the heat platen on most shirts, even if the paper is overhanging the edges, and I use a very light pressure...

I do every color you can imagine, lime green, blues, reds yellows etc but when I use colored shirts other than white or silver I use a teflon top sheet to accomplish two things, one being I don't get any color on my heat platen and it also lowers the temp enough to reduce the shirt color pull onto to the paper which can leave a slight color variation on the shirts, happens mostly with the A4 N3142, not really ever with the BAW shirts...

I'm super OCD about my presses, I clean them daily for dust and check and wipe down the heat platen daily...

If I had a big enough press to put an entire shirt on and use your transfers your art department would hate us both, my artwork always seems to get my full sublimation guy all worked up, lol

Mark, I use the mouse pad/placemat application also which I like but I used a dremel to soften the sides a little to eliminate that little bit of a line that happens sometimes...I just haven't found a big enough one to make a 12.5 x 16 piece...for arm sleeves and left chest I alternate foam and mouse pad method...I've found the Joanne green foam to last a long time because I use light pressure, I use only enough pressure to barely press the foam about 25%...I think the last pillow I made gave me well over 300 shirts, probably more...it does start getting compressed after a while losing some memory but I adjust my pressure accordingly...


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## irish (Dec 13, 2008)

One trick that works is to use spray sizing on the edge marks after pressing. It also works on hoop burn from embroidery.


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