# T-shirt Shrinking under flash heater (96% cotton 4% elastane)



## screenprinter345 (Aug 4, 2015)

Doing a run of 500 T-shirts, 5 colour back print, with a white mask. garment is shrinking under the flash heater causing registration issues...

garment is 96% cotton 4% elastane. 

here are some of things i have tried..

lowering/highering height of the flash heater.

reducing time of the flash heater. but when doing this ink does not cure.

tighting all plates

putting garments through tunnel dryer before printing.

all screens are 100% in registration and secure.


I Believe elastane is whats causeing the issues, but cant seem to solve the problem.


Any ideas with this one? really stuck....


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## squeegequeen (Feb 11, 2009)

You said you ran shirts through dryer...did you try flashing them first.
Also make sure you have enough spray adhesive down.
Are your platens heating up to much and causing the adhesive to give way?


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## screenprinter345 (Aug 4, 2015)

Flash then tunnel dry? no have not tried that... will try that straight away...


enough adhesive is being applied everytime
plates are not getting to hot, when taking the garment off after registration slip/shrinking i can feel the garment is still stuck down...


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## Helvis (Jan 26, 2015)

You should flash them on the press so they shrink right before you print the first color. Hopefully they won't shrink any more after you cure the first color.


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## Herbvis (Aug 10, 2015)

Good advice Helvis. I have used this method before when I was having a shrinking issue.


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## Dapeterson (Sep 6, 2016)

Where did you order your 500 cotton/elastane tshirts from? I am currently looking for a wholesaler!


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## alrozac (Dec 20, 2012)

Obviously your shirts are shrinking because of the heat, have you tried going with a poly ink that would cure at a lower temp and would require less heat from your flash and dryer???? Just a thought, I never printed on cotton/elastane shirts, but I would try that.


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