# bleaching the shirt where sublimated



## thoffmann (Feb 5, 2016)

I sublimated some royal blue and some gray shirts however the area around the image was left with a bleached like appearance.. I've run down the heat to 375 and am at 40 seconds for the light/medium press. 

has anybody else run into this problem?

If so did you figure it out and if so would you mind sharing?

Shirts are Gildan and Jerzees


----------



## john221us (Nov 29, 2015)

thoffmann said:


> I sublimated some royal blue and some gray shirts however the area around the image was left with a bleached like appearance.. I've run down the heat to 375 and am at 40 seconds for the light/medium press.
> 
> has anybody else run into this problem?
> 
> ...


What percent is polyester? You probably need at least 80% for a good transfer.

Edit: also a little longer time. Maybe closer to a minute.


----------



## thoffmann (Feb 5, 2016)

Shirts are 100% polyester Gildan G4200 and Jerzee 21M . Problem is the area around the image where the platen os is like it is drawing the color out of the shirt and leaving a platen sized box around the image that is lighter than the original color. Will try to get a photo so you can see...


----------



## thoffmann (Feb 5, 2016)

these are 2 examples of the bleaching affect around the edges


----------



## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Are you printing the entire thing as a bitmap? My guess is that is trace color printed on the paper. If you are doing it as a bitmap, make it a png an knock out all the 'white space'.


----------



## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

if the shirts are 100% poly then they have already been subbed (or the colour wont stick) Re-subbing anything does have a tendency to fade the colour because you are re-gassing it. hence the box being lighter.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Those are press marks caused by the high heat needed for dye sublimation. The darker the garment the more noticeable the marks.

The only color where you're pretty much guaranteed not to see them is on white garments.

Try reducing your pressure to almost nothing. Use a teflon pillow on your lower platen and a teflon sheet larger than your press on top of the garment/transfer and see if that helps.


----------



## thoffmann (Feb 5, 2016)

Thank you everyone. I will try the ideas to see if they help. I am looking at getting a pillow and now it seems like I need to get one ASAP. and the pressure I'll reduce it to see if that helps. You all have been fantastic and appreciate all your help...


----------



## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Too much pressure too much heat, edge of paper needs to be off the press.


----------



## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

That box is the "shine" box. You get it on any colored poly shirt. Sometimes you can with white too.
Basically your re-gassing the original dye subbed ink used to make the shirt that color.

Wanna test it out take just butcher paper and lay it over a colored shirt and press. The butcher paper will now be the color of the shirt. 

How much it will shine is dependent on the quality of ink that was used to create the shirt. 

Also reason why when you go to a show and they are dye subbing shirts they use only white and not colored. Harder to sell when your shirts have the shine box.


----------

