# Hat Sublimation Problems need help!



## 13irregular (Sep 21, 2016)

*EDIT*

Ok I backed it down to 385 degrees at about 35 seconds and it seems the yellowing as gone away. So it was yellowing because of heat and not the foam. 

My problem now is the transfer lines. I really want to continue cutting the image so i can get good placement but there is always transfer lines. I have backed away the pressure again but now some of the image is not pressing all the way. So if I tighten up the pressure then the transfer lines are even more visible. Any suggestions?

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Hey burning through a ton of hats already (luckily they are inexpensive). Trying to get perfection and keep adjusting things but I just cant get it. Here is what is going on.

Using just the pressure knob and no extra foam on the platen I can get the image on that hat but there is some areas that are a bit off (not enough pressure). I have adjusted it a wide variety and I am back enough it is not leaving dent lines in the hat.

Afterwards I taped foam around the platen and adjusted the pressure again. The image now is coming out even and looks great but there is a problem. It seems to be yellowing a drop where the foam is under the hat. I tried backing away the pressure and even using some parchment paper and same thing. 

On top of that if I cut the image out instead of using it on a non cut piece of paper I am still getting the lines from the cut out and the tape.

My guess is to continue with the non cut image so there is no lines but I cannot figure out how to stop the yellowing (which I assume is from the foam?) I would prefer to use a cut out image since its easier to line up but the lines seem to always exist.

Anyone have any suggestions I am more than willing to keep trying and wasting hats till i get it right (i am going to leave this press set for these trucker hats and only do these style hats so once its correct it is staying that way).

I am pressing at 400 degrees for 60 seconds with maybe light/medium pressure (manual knob so not sure exactly)


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## Amw (Jul 2, 2012)

Might sound odd...try ripping the paper...so there are no "hard" edges. This has worked for us for years.
Also you want the lightest pressure you can use while still getting the full transfer (sometimes a little extra time can make the transfer work with less pressure)
Hope that made sense to you.


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## 13irregular (Sep 21, 2016)

Hey Amw thanks for the response. Actually after posting that yesterday I did start tearing the paper around the edges to give it an uneven look. I pressed about 20 hats today doing that and while it is better it is still not perfect. I can still see a faint uneven line around the image. I backed the pressure away as far as I can go on the machine (the foam has built the platen up pretty high). At its max distance its not enough pressure to push the image on.

Thinking maybe I should take off the foam and start from scratch again?

I also did notice I have more luck on wider images than on taller images. Taller images seem to not transfer the whole image even though its sized correctly and I have it padded with foam. Do most people only really do wide across or people have had success with height along with width?

Lastly I did try to use a steamer on the lines but that didnt do anything. Anything else I should be trying I am out of ideas and just about out of hats atm (need to order more).


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## SublimatorToo (Jan 15, 2009)

It is very easy to get an image with no transfer line whatsoever.

Perfected that many years ago when I was told that it could not be done. 

Wherever there is hard contact, you'll get a line. So the answer is to not have any hard contact, such as an edge. Overlap.

If you are getting color from your sponge, put something white on top of it to block that transfer.

And toss your tape - hard edges = transfer lines. Stick on the transfer with something like the spray adhesive used in embroidery shops. Condé has now discovered this stuff, having come very late to the party, and sells it as Condé spray.


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## 13irregular (Sep 21, 2016)

Hi what do you mean overlap? Very curious abou this...


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