# The image wears off after I wash it using dark transfer paper



## Siena Jackson (Apr 13, 2021)

Hi. I have been using Jolee’s Easy Image and also the paper Walmart sells, for inkjet printer and a regular hand-iron for dark t-shirts. After I wash the shirt a time or two, the image seems to fade. How do I prevent that? There’s these little white specks and lines, and I got a special pic in the mail, so I copied it onto a shirt and put glitter paint over the signatures. I will attach a picture for visual aid. How do I seal the ink so it will not fade?

Thank you in advance.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

All inkjet ink will fade. Some types faster than others. The best type to use is pigment ink. Most inkjets come with dye-based ink. Do you know which one you are using?

A better heat source will also help. If you are selling these shirts, you should be using a heat press and not an iron.


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## Siena Jackson (Apr 13, 2021)

Hi, thanks for your reply. It is an HP Officejet 4500 series printer snd the ink cartridge number is 901. I don’t know if that helps. I am not selling these shirts as they’re just for my own personal use.

I set the iron to cotton setting bc on our iron, which it says to use, I’m not sure what the “highest setting” is. You also put the piece of waxed/parchment paper over the transfer and iron that.

I haven’t tried this pic on light fabric paper on a white shirt yet, but another pic I tried with light paper and white shirt seems ok.


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## webtrekker (Jan 28, 2018)

Youll never get good, lasting prints with an inkjet and those papers. If it was that easy everyone would be printing and selling t-shirts!

As splathead has said, a printer that prints with pigment inks will produce better results, and a heat press is way better than an iron.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

Years ago I messed around with similar products for personal use and got the same results as you. You are unlikely to get good results with the papers available at retail big box stores. JPSS for lights is durable, and you should be able to find it online. But if your ink isn't pigment, it probably won't last regardless of the paper used. Most people use Epson printers for this as there is a large aftermarket that supplies specialty inks for them, and _some_ come with pigment inks to start with. Also, a heat press is likely needed to get good results. But all of that starts to get expensive if all you want to do is make yourself a shirt of three ... so might be better off going to the mall and having someone with the equipment do it for you.


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

Siena Jackson said:


> It is an HP Officejet 4500 series printer snd the ink cartridge number is 901.


That printer does use pigment inks, but not all pigment are created equal.
Light transfers are more tolerant because the ink is bellow the transfer film, but some inks do cause adhesion issues.

New people come to this forum all the time with similar issues... bellow is recent example.
He went and bought an Epson Workforce printer... Problem solved.








printable htv bleeding


I bought Epson 7210 and all is good now, not bleeding anymore. Thank you!✌😊 Just like I said... DuraBrite ink does not bleed.




www.t-shirtforums.com


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## ecp in vt (Nov 23, 2016)

It's not an issue with the ink fading. It's the shirt that's fibrillating.


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## blackcat1369 (Jun 16, 2014)

I’ve made shirts with inkjet transfers and a regular iron for 20 plus years and have several that are every bit that old. Other than looking like an old transfer (which I think looks cool), they have no issues... I can recall people talking about how the heat generated by an HP printer causes problems with transfers. I can’t say that’s your problem but it might be. I’ve always used Canon printers. Nothing fancy, and I refill cartridges with whatever ink comes in those kits! I do make sure to iron the crap out of them, and I apply as much pressure as I can. I always wash them cold, inside out and unless I’m at a laundromat, I run a short wash cycle. I’ve also heard air drying is best, but I haven’t really been able to test that because I’m forgetful! When the shirt begins to age and the transfer starts getting cracks thru it I generally re-iron it to melt anything loose back into the shirt. I’ve used a lot of Avery transfers, but I’ll try any of them. To me as long as the transfer has a nice ‘hand’ to it, I’m happy. Avery is about the stiffest brand I’ll use. If you know someone with a different brand of printer, try your luck with theirs and see if it works better for you. Iron it well at high heat and always wash inside out. You should get great results. Not a product you’d go into business with, because people don’t follow directions, but one that will last and get a nice aged look to it over the years.
-bc1369


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

blackcat1369 said:


> Not a product you’d go into business with, because people don’t follow directions, but one that will last and get a nice aged look to it over the years.


That's the thing though... because most people printing shirts want to either sell them, or at least give them to relatives and friends.



blackcat1369 said:


> I’ve made shirts with inkjet transfers and a regular iron for 20 plus years and have several that are every bit that old.


The age doesn't mean much. A 20 year old shirt could have just 10 or 20 washes.



blackcat1369 said:


> I can recall people talking about how the heat generated by an HP printer causes problems with transfers.


That for sublimation inks... not for the transfers.


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## blackcat1369 (Jun 16, 2014)

TABOB said:


> That's the thing though... because most people printing shirts want to either sell them, or at least give them to relatives and friends.
> 
> 
> The age doesn't mean much. A 20 year old shirt could have just 10 or 20 washes.
> ...


Tabob, you may be right, but it seems that what I’m recalling was that the heat was specific to the way an HP applied the ink and it caused a separation between the printed surface and the under layer which is why there is flaking and lines so quickly. 
I’ve given and printed dozens of shirts to/for friends. The ones that weren’t taken care of didn’t fare as well as those that were. For me this is a hobby that I fell into after years of kitchen table screen printing. Putting a design together and getting it print ready was a different kind of challenge for me. Since t shirts are not a business for me (I carve grave markers and monuments), simple transfers work fine for one or two off designs, and if I’m devestated by the wear and tear on a shirt I can just make another one. In fact often an old or unsatisfactory transfer can be completely removed with a sheet of paper and an iron So the new transfer can go right on to the old t shirt. 
I’m not by any means saying that I can make a pro quality t shirt with an Avery transfer, but after making shirts for fun for 40 years, I can damn well make one that nobody is going to say looks like crap. And as far as the age goes, if you’ve got a buttload of tshirts, none of them are getting worn more than 10-20 times! 
-bc1369


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

blackcat1369 said:


> what I’m recalling was that the heat was specific to the way an HP applied the ink and it caused a separation between the printed surface and the under layer which is why there is flaking and lines so quickly.


Not exactly... Ink formulation is the problem. 



blackcat1369 said:


> For me this is a hobby that I fell into after years of kitchen table screen printing.





blackcat1369 said:


> And as far as the age goes, if you’ve got a buttload of tshirts, none of them are getting worn more than 10-20 times!


That's what I thought, but as I said, most people here want to make t-shirts they can sell.


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## Siena Jackson (Apr 13, 2021)

NoXid said:


> Years ago I messed around with similar products for personal use and got the same results as you. You are unlikely to get good results with the papers available at retail big box stores. JPSS for lights is durable, and you should be able to find it online. But if your ink isn't pigment, it probably won't last regardless of the paper used. Most people use Epson printers for this as there is a large aftermarket that supplies specialty inks for them, and _some_ come with pigment inks to start with. Also, a heat press is likely needed to get good results. But all of that starts to get expensive if all you want to do is make yourself a shirt of three ... so might be better off going to the mall and having someone with the equipment do it for you.


That just might be my next try. After all the picture is special to me and I want to show it off..


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