# Input? Heat press Plastisol transfers to Acrylic Beanies (Winter Hats)



## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

Ok, tonight I'll be making a go at heat transferring plastisol transfers to Acrylic Beanies

I've made and applied heat transfers to shirts (100%, 64/40, etc) and also to baseball caps, but never to beanies

I've screen printed on beanies, but wasn't real happy with the results (Kinda rough lookin) but they held up well

I looked at 100% Acrylic beanies at Walmart/Target that appeared to be heat transferred (Seemed to clearly be a heat transfer)

If anyone has some input/pointers, I'd appreciate it ! !

I've got a thick screen prepped for good deposit,
I've got stretch additive (Thinking of going higher than 5%?),
I've got transfer adhesive powder,

I'm thinking 350* for 25-30 sec ???

I haven't seen much in search results, is that cause this doesn't work well ???


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

What color caps? Don't forget about dye migration issues that come with 100% synthetics. You may need to use low bleed inks.

25-30 seconds seems long. Most transfers I use have a dwell time of no more than 12 seconds. Average is 8.


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## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

Red, Black, Grey - 100% Acrylic

I have some ICC Low Bleed White

(I also want to do some in black, I'll have to check my black to see if it's LB)

Time: Cool cool. I'll maybe jump down to 10 or 12 and see how it takes.

Temp: 350 sound about right? Or should I be lower... say 330-340 ? ??

Pressure: I have no way to gauge my pressure with my OLD Insta shirt press, so it's gonna be trial and error

I'm using my shirt press since the design is too large for my hat press.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

TableSyrup said:


> Temp: 350 sound about right? Or should I be lower... say 330-340 ? ??


Check the ICC specs. The lower the temperature you can use, the less chance of migration.


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## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

Cool, thanx - I'm pretty new with transfers - not a whole lot of experience with it - I mostly screen print


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

Test one hat without pressing the transfer just so you know it can handle the heat. I had acrylic material melted when heat pressed. It was compressed and did not spring back to its original state.


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## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

I did press a hat just to test and it was fine.

I've ran into the 'melting' when screen printing em too - accidently applied too much heat and kinda shrank a couple on accident (That was before I had my conveyor, and I was using my flash to cure) - definitely touchy, but tested fine in the heat press

These are also a higher quality beanie than the other ones I've dealt with, not sure if that has anything to do with it

Well, I appreciate the input guys - always sucks killin product in the learning process... I try to learn as much as I can first with anything new now... seems like I usually learn something I hadn't even thought of

Thanx


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

TableSyrup said:


> seems like I usually learn something I hadn't even thought of


Well, let me give you 2 more cents.

Stretch the cap a bit with some kind of insert, cardboard for example. This way the transfer can get into the ribs. Design might looked scrunched a bit when not being worn but will look normal on the head.

I know you're set up for screenprinting, but you don't see too many screen printed beanies. Sublimation, if you're set up for it, is a much, much, better solution.

Good luck! Post pics.


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## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

Yeah, I've got a cardboard cutout I used for stretching when screen printing, and planned to use for pressing too 

The beanies I'm using are nicer than the last ones I did, no ribbing on some, and very little on the others. 

Not set up for sublimation .... but keeping my eyes peeled for a deal on a sublimation printer. I want to add other stuff to my arsenal, and a lot of what I want to add would require sub.

Thanx for the info- I always appreciate anything I can get


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## TableSyrup (Feb 8, 2012)

Meh. Gonna make another screen with a thicker stencil - having a hard time getting proper coverage with my white in one pass (about 5% stretch, heated n stirred like crazy) .... 

I really think I should get some new white anyway... mine is pretty old, and might just be kinda crappy - that or I should stir in some plasticizor maybe (About 2 years old)

Did bandannas and beanies. Bandannas came out ok - beanies came out so so - the red and pink ones are a different material than the black and grey (all acrylic, but different)

Worst transfers I've printed yet, got some (a little) bleed here and there.

Stopped before I got too deep into it, and pressed some pieces just to test temps, times, and pressures. But the stuff I did is acceptable, just not as sharp as I want it eventually. (So, I'll try again later with a thicker stencil. 

The black and grey ones get really 'soft' and stretch a ton when peeling the paper. Weird. They do return to normal after wash/dry. But, I do get some cracking when stretch testing (Can I add more stretch? Like, is 10% or more safe???). Again, I think I need a thicker stencil, as I am 100% confident I am properly cured - ran temps of 330, and 350 at 12 seconds, and 15 seconds, same results.

The Red and Pink ones on the other hand, came out the best, and actually don't crack unless stretched further than a head would cause. Again, the only gripe, is I need more coverage (thicker stencil). The material is also different ... not ribbed ... doesn't stretch as much.

Neither 'melted' ... they do mat down and get a bit of 'sheen', but wash/dry brings them back to normal.

These will suffice for some promotional stuff I'm doing right now - photoshoots - events - etc, but I would not be happy enough with this quality to run a ton and sell em.

As far as a thicker stencil, I'm concerned that I will get undercutting if I try to go any thicker. Murikami BLU, and I had 2 coats on the shirt side, and two on ink side to push back thicker on shirt side - thickest stencil I ever made, and I'm afraid that going thicker will cause my fluoro unit to undercut my film.

I might need to hire out a perfect film (I'm just running a Epson R2200 and using the Matte Black, which it pretty good, but not 100% opaque, though, I haven't had stencil issues from it) - and I may have someone with a Single Point burn my screen. Maybe then I can get a good one hit super thick deposit for my transfers.

Lastly, on a side note, I used Soy-Solve for the first time last night, and gotta say I LOVE IT ! ! Big thanx to the forum for the recommendation - so much better than my other stuff

Pics


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## craftystylez (Apr 1, 2012)

Hi

I am also looking to get some Acrylic beanies, these to be precise: Beechfield Acrylic Knitted Hat Winter Beanie inc. Logo | eBay

How do you think it would work with JPSS?


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## Max Dos (Aug 28, 2010)

As Joe said, sublimation seems like a very good alternativa for doing beanies. Take a look at this and other threads on the sub "show your stuff" section:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/show-your-stuff-dye-sub-print-job-examples/t205302.html


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