# Shirt Inserts for Sublimation



## chuckd (Jul 9, 2012)

Has anyone made inserts to go in t shirts to help prevent unsightly white marks on the shirts. We have tried almost everythink to prevent this but are having no luck. Tried cardboard, foam (wears out to fast) and other things.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

need more info or a pic of your problem. thanks uncletee.


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## cprvh (Jan 23, 2006)

We build our own Teflon pillows all the time. Just need a roll of Teflon and 1/2" foam. We use the green foam from Joann's or Hobby Lobby...not sure what it is actually called. Generally will last for a couple hundred impressions before you have to replace the foam. You can cut any shape/size you need. Works great.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

cprvh said:


> We build our own Teflon pillows all the time. Just need a roll of Teflon and 1/2" foam. We use the green foam from Joann's or Hobby Lobby...not sure what it is actually called. Generally will last for a couple hundred impressions before you have to replace the foam. You can cut any shape/size you need. Works great.


Some of the foam that is out there from sub vendors there is a "memory" effect on the foam and won't last long, good to know there is something I can cut custom cut and last a while. 

I currently use "Tee-Pad-It which are really just odd cut and large size mousepads, I'll definitly check out the green foam.

Great tip!


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

Sign up for the Joann mailing list to get 40% and 50% coupons (unlike Michaels they have unique codes and cannot be shared). There are a few times a year when the foam is 50% off already, plus a 15/20/25% (usually 15%) entire-purchase-including-sale-items coupon. This is pretty rare though.


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## chuckd (Jul 9, 2012)

Does anyone know a supplier that sells the foam in sheets that is used to do mouse pads?


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## chuckd (Jul 9, 2012)

skdave, we have a GEO Knight Shuttle press 40x64. The shirt does not lay flat to avoid the wrinkles under the arms. You saying that your paper will solve that problem?


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

cprvh said:


> We build our own Teflon pillows all the time. Just need a roll of Teflon and 1/2" foam. We use the green foam from Joann's or Hobby Lobby...not sure what it is actually called. Generally will last for a couple hundred impressions before you have to replace the foam. You can cut any shape/size you need. Works great.


A search of Joanns online only shows two foam types.
THis one which is green but at 1"
Heavy Duty Foam Slab - 1'' X 24'' X 90''*: batting *: fabric*: *Shop | Joann.com

and this white one
Urethane Foam Sheet 1/2'' Thick 24'' Wide - 60' Roll*: batting *: fabric*: *Shop | Joann.com

Either work or just the green or is that the wrong one ?

Thanks
Mark


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## chuckd (Jul 9, 2012)

How much is this stuff?


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## cprvh (Jan 23, 2006)

Here is the foam we use. The others may work as well...just haven't tried them.

Heavy Duty Foam Slab 1/2'' X 24'' X 90''*: batting *: fabric*: *Shop | Joann.com


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

cprvh said:


> Here is the foam we use. The others may work as well...just haven't tried them.
> 
> Heavy Duty Foam Slab 1/2'' X 24'' X 90''*: batting *: fabric*: *Shop | Joann.com


Top link I had looks like the same stuff just thicker.
Curious wouldn't the thicker be better as to absorb more of the press pressure ? Or is my thinking off on that ?

Thanks
Mark


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## cprvh (Jan 23, 2006)

I think the next step up is 1". That should work as well as long as your press can open and close as needed. 1/2" seems to work fine for everything we have done.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

Dang was gonna go up there and see but says online only on all them.
Might just drop in and dbl chk tho.


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## chuckd (Jul 9, 2012)

Thanks for the info. We have to have something that is at least 40 inches wide to make our inserts with. We r doing all over and the 24 inch width is not wide enough to do the larger shirts.


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## noblehaus (Feb 21, 2011)

good luck tried about everything... when you do a fron and back at the same time, you cant have an insert, if your doing small numbers I guess an insert is worth the time


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

noblehaus said:


> good luck tried about everything... when you do a fron and back at the same time, you cant have an insert, if your doing small numbers I guess an insert is worth the time


At same time you mean with a double heated platen ?


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

chuckd said:


> skdave, we have a GEO Knight Shuttle press 40x64. The shirt does not lay flat to avoid the wrinkles under the arms. You saying that your paper will solve that problem?


No the paper does not solve that. It solves paper press lines.
We just finished 900 shirts and we use the correct art to get the eye off of the issue you are tring to solve.It also helps if you use the correct shirt which I have custom made for us to lay flat.


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## noblehaus (Feb 21, 2011)

its a single heat platen, but a double shuttle ( 2 people / one on each side) you put paper on the bottom, shirt in the middle, paper on top "sandwhich" the shirt and press front and back at the same time ... XXL shirts are about 42" wide by 33" tall


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

Hey Ben, you realize this thread is over 6 years old? LoL I was down 6 posts before I noticed the dates


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## Johnnyvibe (Apr 24, 2017)

Hi, I am a small company who has people working in the sun during the summer months in HOT Florida. I have been looking for a white or light colored long sleeve Poly blend that is UV rated or doesn’t have to be but with a soft blend of either nylon, spandex or modal. These blends make the shirts incredibly soft and light weight, like a light weight dry fit. Calvin Klein has short sleeve white Tee’s that are this super soft blend (92 Poly & 8% modal) that I would like to sample on if you can print on them. I have 3 blanks to experiment on. Also Cool 32 sells a white short sleeve Tee and a Polo style that is 92% Poly and Spandex which again is SUPER soft. These are all out of stock for some reason in the medium I prefer to sample on.
Sport Tek has a long sleeve blend but unfortunately it feels just like cotton and its neck is designed high up so it rubs vary bad in the neck area.

Question, Is there someone who can ink dye a 3” left chest logo and a large back logo on the Calvin Klein shirts if I send them to you? Do you know of any long sleeve high quality blends that might meet the description I am looking for?
Paragon offers a soft Poly that is 100% that is the best I have found in a white long sleeve.

Thanks, if anyone can help, you can either call me or e mail me at:
863 632 9100
[email protected]


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## ecp in vt (Nov 23, 2016)

Assuming you mean around the arm pit area.
We have tried it several times with virtually no success. No matter how much time you take and how careful you are, there will still be voids. You may get lucky once in a while but that doesn't help when there's an order to be filled with more than a single shirt.
Design a pattern that has some white areas. Then when they show up you can get away with the issue more easily.


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