# T-shirt crease after pressing



## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

I followed a video from Conde for subbing a shirt, I put protective paper inside to prevent dye bleeding through, however the protective paper left a rectangle around my image. Should I just forgo that step or did I just use too much pressure?


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## ehas0430 (Dec 24, 2014)

i get it all the time, usually comes out once it is thrown in the dryer or the shirt is worn for awhile


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Only buy shirts that do not require paper inside the shirt. They do not cost more. Never allow the edge of the paper in the heat press.


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

Is there a list for those Dave? I figured all shirts needed a paper inside based on the video.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

vapor. monag. duotec many others
do not need paper inside during pressing dye sublimation.
A4 ,gildan DO


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## ZO6 KLR (Jan 8, 2013)

skdave said:


> vapor. monag. duotec many others
> do not need paper inside during pressing dye sublimation.
> A4 ,gildan DO


I used Monag and Vapor and I can say that this quote is dependent on the amount of ink that is on the paper, especially black. We have tried variations of heat, pressure and dwell time and it comes back to the amount of ink on the paper.

Sure, I could get by without lining the inside of the shirt and use a profile that doesn't lay down much ink. The only problem is, when you compare that shirt to a shirt that was printed with a heavier ink load there is a noticeable difference in quality and richness of color. Maybe some customers don't care about quality but I know I do.

Fo us to eliminate this problem along with other troublesome areas such as creases, folds and voids when allover printing, we are converting everything to cut and sewn. Less cost, less waste and an all-around better product. We do quite a bit of cut and sewn apparel but we just now converting all basic t shirts to that method as well.


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## socceronly (Jul 22, 2012)

What if you are using a threadable heat press?


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## ZO6 KLR (Jan 8, 2013)

socceronly said:


> What if you are using a threadable heat press?


Yes, no liner is needed when threading a platen. I was describing my issues with pre sewn shirts on a large format platen press.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

If you must use a paper liner, don't overlook Dave's last comment; make sure the liner is larger than your platen. Then the edges are outside the press area.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

splathead said:


> If you must use a paper liner, don't overlook Dave's last comment; make sure the liner is larger than your platen. Then the edges are outside the press area.


Doesn't work unless the t-shirt is also larger than the presses platen.


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## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

OK this may be a stupid question but I have never sublimated shirts because I see everyone talking about the rectangle they get from the paper, however I did just have someone ask me about shirts so how is it possible to avoid the paper mark outline on the shirts if you only have a 16x20 press and the paper is 8.5x14? I have heard people say they use foam etc?


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## lvprinting (Sep 23, 2014)

Hattr said:


> I followed a video from Conde for subbing a shirt, I put protective paper inside to prevent dye bleeding through, however the protective paper left a rectangle around my image. Should I just forgo that step or did I just use too much pressure?
> View attachment 144426


Do a search because this topic has been discussed many times. You'll find some suggestions on how to eliminate the impression around the image when pressing.

Sent from my SM-G900T using T-Shirt Forums


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## socceronly (Jul 22, 2012)

Ok, just to clarify. 

Liner is inside the shirt to protect back? So threading it you would not need the liner correct?

The press marks are from the transfer being too small, or the liner inside the shirt?


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## sid (Oct 6, 2007)

We have no problem with the lines. We use the tissue from beaver that we use on our roll press. The best way to ensure no lines from the image sheet (top sheet with dye sub image) is to cut a wavy pattern along the straight edge of the paper.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

Most of these suggestions are urban legend myths. Wavy lines don't stop the press lines, sacrificing a chicken doesn't stop them either.
Washing and drying, stretching them after pressing, repressing, sitting on them with your wife and kids on your lap don't take them out either. Tried them all and till someone shows me in person one fo those things working 100% its B.S.

To really not get them with a pre-made shirt you need your paper to be bigger than your bottom platen. So if your 16*20 then a wide format printer that does 22" is your paper line savior. Or get a smaller heat press to do those shirts like a 12*15 press since many printers are now printing 13*19.


Cut and sew is great for team jerseys but for one offs not cost affordable since most C/S'ers want 25+ a shirt, but if selling for 50 might be worth it. 

Find someone local or nearby that can print your dye sub graphics on larger paper for you and you just press them to the shirts. Can work good once communications and color issues are worked out. hint if you do this tell them NOT to roll the suckers up. Pain in the *** to get them to lay flat when you go to press them. Learned the hard way with a 125 printed logos and numbers. 

Foam can work but it I find it to be a pain. But when setup right it can help defeat the lines. 

You can trim around the graphic as close as you can but that doesn't eliminate the line it just hides it better and makes it harder to notice. Plus for a big order who wants to trim a bunch of graphics. Could try to contour cut them but not always possible.

The insert is a pain too. But when you have to redo shirts because you have that ghost image on the back that is a pain and sucks even more. Always get a couple extra shirts to test with first. 

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful headaches of dye sub shirt pressing. Cry one day ,jump for joy the next. lol


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

I've tried trimming my paper close, well tearing the paper around the image, I guess theory was is supposed to thin the edges so they don't imprint as much, didn't work. Tried lighter pressure and more paper still nothing. I still even get rectangle around it all... Apparently my press is leaving its own lines. So after tearing paper in an ovalish I now have indents from the paper and indent from the press itself....


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## Hattr (Mar 24, 2014)

Only thing I've noticed that helps is getting a fitted t vs a regular one... Apparently the fabric weave makes a huge difference. Both I tried were 100% polyester.


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## sid (Oct 6, 2007)

Freebird1963's comments about a wavy cut line around the image paper not preventing crease lines is wrong! Most inexperienced printers believe everything thing they print requires tons of pressure to get an good imprint. The formula of: (Time + Temperature + Pressure = Quality Print) should be adjusted for every job. Whether is is Fabric, all over printing, spot printing, metal, plastic, aluminum, FRP, etc. Spot printing and all over printing should not be treated the same way. When doing a job take your time during set up, make adjustments in your formula to yield the best results. 20 years in sublimation and we produce quality prints.


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## hybriddesign (Jun 16, 2015)

I think you got some good advice in the replies but strangely no one really covered all of your issues.

-If your fabric is thin and you're getting ink transfer through the fabric to the 2nd layer of fabric then yes you might need to put paper in there. You can also use something like vapor foam (or a generic sublimation foam), a teflon pillow etc. There is no "list" of shirts that do and don't need this as there are a ton of shirts out there and a lot of it depends on the ink coverage, colors your printing, etc. If the ink goes through, put something inside the shirt... if the ink just goes through a little bit you can leave the same something inside over and over (reusing foam over and over for instance) but if the ink goes through, leaves some ink on the thing you're putting inside and then transfers it to the next shirt, you need to change out your liner. Play it by ear and generally thinner shirts with darker prints are more problematic.

-the paper INSIDE the shirt will likely never leave a line

-the edge of your transfer paper itself will likely leave a line on any fabric with shine to it, ie most 100% poly shirts in the sports category. You can feather the paper, tear it, do whatever you want but all that does is make the line wavy, etc. 

-to get rid of the line from the transfer paper the transfer paper either needs to be larger than your platen (so the edge of the paper isn't pressed into your shirt) or larger than the pad that you place in your shirt. Get a piece of vapor foam, make it slightly larger than your image area, and then cut your transfer paper larger than the foam. Say you have a 16x20" press and you're doing a 10x12" back print. Cut your foam 12x14", center the printed area of the shirt over the foam and then make your paper large than 12x14". Your paper will hang off the edge and no press lines.

-to get rid of lines from your platen you need to again, use foam, a pillow etc inside or under the shirt so your platten doesn't crimp/damage the shirt along the edges. 

These steps above should help eliminate your lines. Other issues such as too much pressure (you need JUST enough to get an even color transfer), using a profile with too much ink or a paper that is too high release, can cause problems as well.

People are talking about cut and sew and all over printing which are a completely different field of printing. We do all three and I can't imagine why you'd want to do cut and sew or all over printing to get rid of a press line when you can easily get rid of it with just a few preventative steps. That being said, we did a batch of shirts the other day and they all had press-lines... gotta love the quirks of dye sub. On that bad job we had our transfers cut a bit too small and the foam pads too small as well.

I'd say that the best tools you can get to set yourself up for pain free dye sub (if that exists) are:
-LOTS of sizes of vapor foam or similar
-teflon sheets
-and if you can get tacky heat transfer paper get it (pretty much only available for large format printers)
-and the moment you can ditch your small transfer printer and get a large format machine, do it. Lower ink costs, less clogs, TACKY paper and of course since it's a larger and more complicated machine you'll occasionally have larger more complicated headaches but all in all it'll be a LOT more dependable.


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

Use the Vapor foam. Cut to fit and stick it between your shirt and use VERY LIGHT pressure.

The foam is 1/2" thick. When you close the press, the foam should not be squished more than halfway, which would be about 1/4" of an inch thick when the press is closed.

Also use the 'feathered' option of tearing the paper around the image. It will help.

The idea is to get the press to basically 'hold' the image in place using VERY LIGHT pressure. Remember, you're not pressing a mousepad or ceramic tile. The shirt is really thin material and doesn't need that much pressure to accept the image.

It might be so light of a pressure that it won't register on your heat press, which is fine.


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## Dom67 (Jul 22, 2015)

Another option would be to use a super thin cardboard sheet cut to the size of the shirt and set inside for a large press or cut to the size of the press for a smaller one. It can depend to on what your temp, pressure and timing settings are, but as was mentioned the press lines should come out after a wash/dry.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

Dom67 said:


> Another option would be to use a super thin cardboard sheet cut to the size of the shirt and set inside for a large press or cut to the size of the press for a smaller one. It can depend to on what your temp, pressure and timing settings are, but as was mentioned the press lines should come out after a wash/dry.


Press lines on a poly shirt do NOT come out after a wash or stretching them after/before pressing. They are permanent.


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

freebird1963 said:


> Press lines on a poly shirt do NOT come out after a wash or stretching them after/before pressing. They are permanent.


I concur with freebird1963. @Dom67, please don't confuse the OP with assumptions. This isn't cotton. I will reiterate what freebird said; Press lines do NOT come out after a wash or stretching them after/before pressing. They are permanent.

If you have experienced otherwise, please show us before/after pics or video.

My first attempt over a year ago on my wife's workout shorts left faint press lines and have yet to come out.


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## magpie14 (Feb 3, 2014)

I don't use paper on Stedman or Gildan and get no bleed even on white shirts. Saves lots of messing about.


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## magpie14 (Feb 3, 2014)

I agree with what hybriddesign says, but the way I do things is to put some medium hardness silicone foam (lot cheaper off flea bay than pillows) UNDER the rubber mat I got with my press. I cut a 1/2 ", 45 degree chamfer around the edges first. Anyway, there is then a nice gentle fall off in pressure around the edges and no press marks.Foam needs to be smaller than the paper.


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