# Plastisol Transfers cracking after 3 washes



## Basikboy

We offer 100's of stock designs for sale on our retail site that we have been direct screen printing for years but after sitting on so much Inventory we were looking at different approaches. Plastisol Heat Transfers seems to be the best way to go for us in the future so we started with a handful of designs. We test pressed a shirt recently and I brought it home to give it a wash test. It looked great after one wash and dry, then two washes the same thing however after the third was I can now see some cracking. I am going to test another design to see if maybe it is just the one shirt but is this normal for plastisol transfers? Do they crack after a few washes? Also, when printing White Plastisol Inks to be pressed on Black do you still P/F/P ?

We are printing onto Ryonet's Plastisol Heat Transfer sheets then dipping said sheet into Ryonet's Adhesive powder and running through the dryer just enough to gel. We then heat press the design at 350 degrees for 15 seconds with Medium/High pressure and a hot peel.

I am just wondering if there is a big difference between direct print and plastisol heat transfers when concerning cracking and overall longevity of the actual print after washing and drying.


----------



## splathead

It does seem that plastisol transfers crack faster and easier than direct screen print. I think it's because transfers sit on top of the shirt when applied. Direct screen print gets into the fibers and can stretch more without cracking.

Transfers with adhesives tend to be thicker too. If all you're printing is cotton, I would experiment with transfers without the adhesive. You may need a different ink, I'm not sure, and your temperature setting will be higher; more in the range of 375 degrees.


----------



## Basikboy

splathead said:


> It does seem that plastisol transfers crack faster and easier than direct screen print. I think it's because transfers sit on top of the shirt when applied. Direct screen print gets into the fibers and can stretch more without cracking.
> 
> Transfers with adhesives tend to be thicker too. If all you're printing is cotton, I would experiment with transfers without the adhesive. You may need a different ink, I'm not sure, and your temperature setting will be higher; more in the range of 375 degrees.


We use Union Inks.


----------



## royster13

Properly printed, cured, applied, etc. transfers should not crack that quickly......Sometimes it take DIY a long time to dial everything in.....Transfers are much more finicky than direct printing....


----------



## jimcr

royster13 said:


> Properly printed, cured, applied, etc. transfers should not crack that quickly......Sometimes it take DIY a long time to dial everything in.....Transfers are much more finicky than direct printing....


 What do you have to dial in ? I had the same Issue , did a test run looked ok but failed the stretch test . I think because it sits on top it needs a stretch additive , but maybe you can tell us how to Dial it in.


----------



## royster13

jimcr said:


> What do you have to dial in ? I had the same Issue , did a test run looked ok but failed the stretch test . I think because it sits on top it needs a stretch additive , but maybe you can tell us how to Dial it in.


I do not know how to "dial it in" because I only rely on "professional" transfer suppliers for my transfers......I gave up making my own transfers in the early 80s and have outsourced 100s of thousands since....


----------



## Bee Promoted

I have always had trouble, even with transfers purchased from professional transfer companies. All I can recommend is to not use any fine detail in the design and crank up the heat and pressure. Usually goes pretty well. Also, 50/50 shirts adhere better than 100 % cotton, but be careful with bleeding.


----------



## Stefano

Basikboy said:


> We offer 100's of stock designs for sale on our retail site that we have been direct screen printing for years but after sitting on so much Inventory we were looking at different approaches. Plastisol Heat Transfers seems to be the best way to go for us in the future so we started with a handful of designs. We test pressed a shirt recently and I brought it home to give it a wash test. It looked great after one wash and dry, then two washes the same thing however after the third was I can now see some cracking. I am going to test another design to see if maybe it is just the one shirt but is this normal for plastisol transfers? Do they crack after a few washes? Also, when printing White Plastisol Inks to be pressed on Black do you still P/F/P ?
> 
> We are printing onto Ryonet's Plastisol Heat Transfer sheets then dipping said sheet into Ryonet's Adhesive powder and running through the dryer just enough to gel. We then heat press the design at 350 degrees for 15 seconds with Medium/High pressure and a hot peel.
> 
> I am just wondering if there is a big difference between direct print and plastisol heat transfers when concerning cracking and overall longevity of the actual print after washing and drying.


Maybe 75% of the stock plastisol transfers I did for friends and family look and feel great after a year or so. Most of those were hot peel. I don't know if that is relevant, but those also transferred the best, leaving no ink on the paper and seeming to penetrate the fibers of the shirt better. The other 25% have cracked after a few months of casual wear. 

These shirts were all 100% cotton, 6 oz. Gildan 2000 and Hanes Beefy Tees. Lately a few transfers I have applied to 4.3 oz ringspun cotton (Gildan soft style, Next Level 3900) are having a higher failure rate.


----------



## Basikboy

I ran a bunch of test prints with different pressing times and pressure as well as a few without using adhesive powder this weekend and washed and dried them all 3 times. The best results I found for prints using Union Brite Cotton White Maxopake were pressed at 350 degrees for 20 seconds with heavy/medium pressure and NO adhesive powder! The Union Black Ultrasoft Ink used came out perfect pressed at 350 degrees for 15 secs with heavy/medium pressure and NO adhesive powder.


----------



## xfuture

I have not had a vinyl transfer crack on me at all. Maybe give it a shot?


----------



## Basikboy

xfuture said:


> I have not had a vinyl transfer crack on me at all. Maybe give it a shot?


We use Vinyl too but usually for just 1-2 color stuff, the plastisol transfers we use are anywhere from 3-6 colors.


----------



## Basikboy

After reading various forums and postings across the interwebs I have come to the conclusion that no one has seemed to perfect the art of Plastisol Transfers. Even the best printers have problems here and there.


----------



## xfuture

Even screen prints tend to crack because of poor care instructions. IE washing hot , not flipping inside out, drying on high heat. 6 color designs would be better of you did DTG printing I would imagine. Ever looked into it?


----------



## Stefano

Basikboy said:


> After reading various forums and postings across the interwebs I have come to the conclusion that no one has seemed to perfect the art of Plastisol Transfers. Even the best printers have problems here and there.


There are so many posts on this topic and there is no simple solution. It's like trying to solve an algebra equation with too many variables. To name a few:

(1) The manufacturer -inks, additives, paper, curing, selling old stock. These factors are often beyond your control.
(2) The user - poor equipment, finding the right combination of time, temp, pressure, peel, and technique
(3) The garment - material, weight, coating
(4) Product care - washing in hot water, using harsh detergent, drying on high
Sometimes you can beat the odds but it can be maddening.

I recently started using vinyl on some jobs. What a joy - so predictable (so far at least) but it has its drawbacks.


----------



## wormil

The only time I've had transfers crack after a wash or two, the press wasn't up to temp before applying. If the transfers are overcured, they usually just peel. But if you are pressing for 20 seconds at 350f, that is way too long. You should be at about 8 seconds at 350-380f. 

Have you read through this?
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/plastisol-transfers/t176601.html

What kind of press are you using? How are you drying the transfers? Are you testing the print for cure before washing?


----------



## Basikboy

After running MULTIPLE tests a couple weeks ago I found the best results with not using adhesive powder and pressing at 350 degrees for 20 seconds. However, recently made a 2 color Red and White Transfer to press on Dark Shirts and after 1 wash almost 70% of the Red was peeling off. The White held up a little better but was still cracking. I used Union Maxokpakes for both Inks and pressed at 350 degrees for 20 seconds with medium to heavy pressure. I am so confused and really want to figure this out.


----------



## jimcr

Basikboy said:


> After running MULTIPLE tests a couple weeks ago I found the best results with not using adhesive powder and pressing at 350 degrees for 20 seconds. However, recently made a 2 color Red and White Transfer to press on Dark Shirts and after 1 wash almost 70% of the Red was peeling off. The White held up a little better but was still cracking. I used Union Maxokpakes for both Inks and pressed at 350 degrees for 20 seconds with medium to heavy pressure. I am so confused and really want to figure this out.


This is why you need adhesive powder , the adhesive powder acts like a glue to keep the ink on the shirt. 
Because your ink is partially cured it needs something to make it stick to the shirt . Different shirts will act different , 50/50 , 100% cotton, 80/20 . 

The transfer can't stretch like the shirt and is brittle so it cracks. This is why I think it needs a stretch additive .


----------



## Basikboy

Okay everybody, after taking some much needed time away from printing Plastisol Transfers I went back to the drawing board today. After doing more reading here on the boards and watching some Youtube Videos I realized I was doing a couple things wrong. I was NOT using the PFP approach when using Light Inks for Dark shirts. I was only printing once then going to the adhesive powder, running through conveyor and pressing. I don't have any clue why I thought I could get away with only 1 pass of Ink. When concerning multiple color transfers I wasn't using an Underbase as I assumed that If I were using Maxopake Inks I would be fine without it. Problem is the Adhesive powder will only stick to a wet layer of Ink, without a complete underboss of some sort this won't happen. 

Today I printed 4 test Transfers that Included the old way I was printing and the new proper way. I pressed the transfers at 350 Degrees with Medium/Heavy pressure for 15 seconds on some scrap shirts. I took the scrap shirts home and washed and dried them all 3 times. The shirts that were pressed using my old approach to transfers cracked yet again, however the shirts I pressed with the transfers I pressed using PFP and or Underbase on the multi colors washed great! No cracks whatsoever. I am very happy with the outcome, the only thing I wish I could change is the feel of the Transfer on the shirt. It has a slight plastic like, cheap feel to the touch. If anyone knows a way to fix that please let me know. Other than that I am very happy with the finished product.

If there Is one thing I learned from this whole experience It's to not quit when things don't seem to be going right even though you have tried time and time again. I am very happy I stuck it out and finally figured it out! This will help me out a ton with my stock designs I sell as my side business as I won't have to carry so much printed garment Inventory anymore. If anyone has any questions about the transfer printing/pressing please let me know and I will try my very best to help. Thanks again to everyone who chimed on on this thread. Much appreciated!


----------



## wilbur499

We use transfer from Transfer express. They have several different ink formulations and each has its recipe for application. The only real problem I have had with cracking after a few washes were - bad transfers. They cracked and faded badly after a wash or 2. They said their base coat was not properly cured. The replacements worked fine and the customer was happy with the second set.


----------



## Basikboy

wilbur499 said:


> We use transfer from Transfer express. They have several different ink formulations and each has its recipe for application. The only real problem I have had with cracking after a few washes were - bad transfers. They cracked and faded badly after a wash or 2. They said their base coat was not properly cured. The replacements worked fine and the customer was happy with the second set.


I was actually speaking about printing them in house. I finally thought I figured printing transfers out but right when i believed i had it down they started cracking agin and I have had no such luck since and tried a bunch.


----------



## biglsyny

Basikboy said:


> I ran a bunch of test prints with different pressing times and pressure as well as a few without using adhesive powder this weekend and washed and dried them all 3 times. The best results I found for prints using Union Brite Cotton White Maxopake were pressed at 350 degrees for 20 seconds with heavy/medium pressure and NO adhesive powder! The Union Black Ultrasoft Ink used came out perfect pressed at 350 degrees for 15 secs with heavy/medium pressure and NO adhesive powder.


Did you do a stretch test on them? My transfers are coming out great but everytime I do a stretch test on them they are cracking. It is driving me nuts!


----------



## splathead

biglsyny said:


> Did you do a stretch test on them? My transfers are coming out great but everytime I do a stretch test on them they are cracking. It is driving me nuts!


Can you post pictures? How harsh is your stretch? Pull far enough and any plastisol ink will crack. Have you tried just wearing and washing the transfer over time without stretching?


----------



## biglsyny

I will post pictures soon , I am thinking that no matter what , plastisol transfers will never pass a stretch test. Although when I called ryonet (using all their products) they assured me that they should be just like a regular plastisol print on a shirt . I have done everything step by step and the logo is coming off beautifully on the shirt at 350 for 12 seconds. Immediate stretch test is fine but after it sits for a while and goes in the wash it fails. I have tried higher temps up to 400 degrees and longer dwell times and it continues to crack. I am thinking maybe overcuring? But when I lower the temps and run them through the wash the ink peels right off the shirt. It is very frustrating. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## biglsyny

Do you think maybe a stretch additive could be used?


----------

