# navy shirt printing 3 color - white turning pink after wash



## Kelleyink (Nov 21, 2014)

I've seen this before but not when I have used a 100% cotton shirt. I am printing on a Navy 100% cotton shirt. My design has white, grey, and red laying in that order. I am flashing between layers and then putting in conveyor dryer. Temps are averaging 340 degrees and the chamber time is 30 seconds. After delivering to customer they said that half of them after being washed the first time the white is now pink? What am I doing wrong? I am using union plastisol ink.


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## Kelleyink (Nov 21, 2014)

If it helps anyone else I believe I have found my problem hopefully but out of 88 views I had no response so I am posting what seems to be the problem. I knew I was using quality products with union ink and I knew it had to be something I was doing wrong. I went through every process of curing and have found my cure time in the dryer has to be it. I completed all the cure tests and with this image having a lot of layers my ink was not fully curing. I have slowed belt speed and have made sure there were no drafts going through the tunnel that could be keeping my dryer from being consistent. Sometimes best lessons are ones you figure out yourself although I hope this helps someone else.


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## Kelleyink (Nov 21, 2014)

also a thank you to CATSPITPRODUCTIONS!


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## mmoguls (Mar 9, 2009)

You got it, too short a duration in the dryer.


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

I am sorry but I just saw this post.
Here are IMPORTANT things to consider when curing shirts through your dryer.

1. 100% cotton shirts ABSORB heat. 
2. Dark colors ABSORB more heat
3. Runnning alot of shirts through at the same time ABSORBS heat.

and all these factors LOWERS the temperature in the dryer - causing undercured shirts - you can throw that temp gun out the window under these circumstances - you are getting a false reading.

one more thing - you just get your shirts delivered - they been
in a truck all day - they are COLD - and you print right away - you got it - that causes the temperature in your dryer to drop.

Been there - done that - learned my lessons
sorry to hear about your problem


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Kelleyink said:


> Sometimes best lessons are ones you figure out yourself although I hope this helps someone else.


 Haa-haa! And the lessons that sting a little are REALLY 

effective 

Glad you got it figured out. 

Cure times are critical and great care should be taken with monitoring. Some folk suggest a temp gun or temp strips. The definitive measuring tool is a donut probe. May be a little pricey but well worth the cost. It can measure the temperature throughout the entire ink deposit and should be used often even during the course of the same print run. Lot of factors contribute and they can change. For example, you printed 3 colors and they all have different cure rates (maybe _slight_ but different)
And all the stuff @tman07 mentioned.


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