# FM EXPRESSIONS, Costing me my life



## NICKCTA (Mar 13, 2007)

So I order the vintage transfers regularly and after a press and 5-10 washes it is money. I am new to transfers as I used to screen print but find transfers so much easier and only a little more expensive. I also do dtg.

Anyway I talked with FM expressions and they said it has to be user error. Everyone I know who uses them though (I have 2-3 printers in the area who tried them) stopped using them because they want a product that can lost the length of the fabric with out coming off. They recommended stahl's.

Does any one else have this problem?? I followed the instructions to the t, I also tried experimenting with way more pressure then needed (I have a insta graphix press as well as a hotronix), tried for a longer time, higher temp, and they have all failed me.

The transfer eventually turns hard and starts to crack.


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## rastoma (Sep 21, 2014)

NICKCTA said:


> FM EXPRESSIONS, Costing me my life


First of all... this company is costing you your LIFE? Let's reel this in a bit back to reality and reasonableness.



NICKCTA said:


> So I order the vintage transfers regularly


Now, when you say you REGULARLY order these transfers, that means you've been using them for quite some time. To be regularly ordering these mean a LOT more than 1 order. If they are all messing up after 5-10 washes why do you keep regularly ordering them?

Or are you saying that you used to have success with them and now all of a sudden they have started failing?



NICKCTA said:


> Does any one else have this problem?? I followed the instructions to the t, I also tried experimenting with way more pressure than needed


What is the exact temperature, time and pressure setting are you using?



NICKCTA said:


> The transfer eventually turns hard and starts to crack.


That usually means your temp is too high and/or you're pressing too long.

I have used quite a lot of F&M's transfers, though not the vintage type, and have had excellent results with every order I've received.  I have pressed some of the stock vintage transfers they have and they too pressed beautifully. But I have not washed them multiple times though. They are just for display. But their standard transfers have held up great so far so I had no reason to think the vintage ones would not either.


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## NICKCTA (Mar 13, 2007)

I ordered 20+ times. They kept saying that the problem was less pressure, too much, having the teflon sheet on the bottom of my press so followed their guidelines with zero success. 

375 for 7 seconds. I dont have exact pressure with the insta graphics 256 so theres no way to tell. I use a lot though.

They press amazing, can't feel them at all. After a few washes still amazing. After 10+ they harden and start to feel like vinyl then crack.

So why do I keep ordering? I don't know. I used to go with thermaprint but there transfers are way to hard. If you know any transfers that don't crack let me know!


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## rastoma (Sep 21, 2014)

With any type of decorating, except maybe dye sublimation, heat from a dryer will degrade the image faster. Are you drying the shirts in a dryer or hang drying them? Have you tried drying the shirt partially and then hang to dry as an experiment? Are you turning the shirts inside out before washing?


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## NICKCTA (Mar 13, 2007)

Just drying like I would any of my shirts.


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## rastoma (Sep 21, 2014)

I know you want a product that can be washed and dried like your other shirts but as a test maybe do a couple of shirts with the transfers and do some washes with drying on the lowest setting on one and and a second shirt drying on low for about 20 minutes and then take it out to hang dry the rest of the way.

Maybe the vintage feel formulation they are using just can't be dried in a dryer. From what I understand each screen printer has pretty much their own 'secret' formulation for a vintage feel print. While I'm sure there are some parts of the mixture the same across the board, other parts of the mix are not. 

As I mentioned I haven't used their vintage transfers other than pressing samples they sent me but I haven't washed those. But I have been very happy with the quality from their regular plastisol transfers. I know that doesn't help your immediate situation. But do you have to have a vintage feel or just prefer it?

If you using F&M solely due to price then, unfortunately, I don't know of anyone else that is coming close to their 15 cent program.

I wish I had some actual solutions to your issue. I know it's frustrating.


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