# polyester coating for t-shirts ...



## nphektor (Feb 13, 2015)

has anyone had experience with this product? its a liquid 'polyester' coating(?) that you spray onto the blank before sub'ing.


Polyester Coating T Shirts Dye Sublimation Ink Set | eBay


i'm just wondering what the product life is like, how long 'til it washes out etc.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

It is not a good idea. Buy a poly shirt for $3.00 and do it right. Let's start the new year on a solid footing.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

Just curious skdave where you purchase your blanks from. I know you have a very lucrative business, and would know best.


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## nphektor (Feb 13, 2015)

skdave said:


> ... a poly shirt for $3.00 ...


best price i have found (without having to buy wholesale lots) is $4.79 before shipping ... i can't afford to buy a dozen lot for each shirt size & variation my few customers want ...


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

nphektor said:


> best price i have found (without having to buy wholesale lots) is $4.79 before shipping ... i can't afford to buy a dozen lot for each shirt size & variation my few customers want ...


I don't buy in lots either. I know skdave had used a shirt that "feels like cotton" so I was wondering what the price might be on a "per piece" basis, if that's even available. I know there's a Jerzeez shirt that also has a better feel but haven't looked into what the price might be for that through my suppliers... I figure the more experienced members might be able to guide the way. 😊


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

I bought that Dye Sub coating you're asking about and it works good on hard substrates but if you're planning on using it for shirts forget it


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

AngelicEndeavour said:


> Just curious skdave where you purchase your blanks from. I know you have a very lucrative business, and would know best.


Small orders Duotec $3.50 Ask for Eric
SS sells a Gildan for $3.00 feels like cotton.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

skdave said:


> Small orders Duotec $3.50 Ask for Eric
> SS sells a Gildan for $3.00 feels like cotton.


Excellent -- I have an account at SS already. I'll have to check it out! Thank you sooooo much for the info!!


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

I tried this coating, and while it works "as advertised," in the end after typical washing cycles you may not find the results are worth the extra time it takes for you to produce the shirt. I did several tests with the following, all with name brand medium quality 50/50 cotton-poly blend shirts.

1. Direct application, no pre-spray

2. Application with pre-spray

3. JPSS transfer, sub ink

4. JPSS transfer, pigment ink

For each test, I pressed a duplicate shirt that was not washed, for the purposes of comparison.

After 4-5 washings, #'s 1 and 2 showed about the same, indicating the pre-spray didn't last. For #1, it was obvious any color remaining was from the 50% poly content from the shirt, since it was not pre-treated. For #2, the color remaining just wasn't enough to make the spray worthwhile. I made sure I washed in cool, inside-out, and I repeated the tests with multiple shirts.

JPSS (Jet Pro Softstretch) is a polyester film designed for t-shirt transfers using pigment inks. Advantages include a material already tested for CPSIA legal requirements (garments sold for users 12 and under), no need to spray and dry, and more predictable application. Cost is a bit more than the sprays, but can be reduced by buying the sheets in bulk.

Results were far better using either pigment or dye sub inks than for the poly spray. Color retained, even after numerous washes. With correct application, there was virtually no tell-tell sign of the JPSS material on the shirt. It had a smooth, even hand. There is a "trick" to proper JPSS application, but with practice, and using 50/50 shirts, you can get good, predictable results.

I determined there was little qualitative difference between using dye sub ink and pigment ink with JPSS. I had expected that the dye sub ink would bond directly to the poly content of the shirt, separately from bonding to the JPSS material itself. This proved true, but I got about the same color brightness using pigment ink, which was (and still is) cheaper.

Another thing to point out is that for the sprays there is color loss in the first wash. This means if you don't want complaints from users who are surprised to see their shirt faded after even one wash, you have to post-wash the pressed shirt before sending it out. That's more work for you.

I once had a long talk with Rachel at DyePress, and she knows her stuff. There are uses for this spray material, but for making t-shirts, I believe there are alternatives that are better and more reliable. You can certainly use these poly sprays for making shirts, but you owe it to yourself to also investigate and test the alternatives. Consider your time as well as material costs.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

GordonM said:


> I tried this coating, and while it works "as advertised," in the end after typical washing cycles you may not find the results are worth the extra time it takes for you to produce the shirt. I did several tests with the following, all with name brand medium quality 50/50 cotton-poly blend shirts.
> 
> 1. Direct application, no pre-spray
> 
> ...


Wow, what a thorough and excellent analysis, GordonM! Thank you for posting your procedures and results!!


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

Gordon.....I don't understand why you feel it necessary to use sub ink with JPSS


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## iMadeATshirt (Oct 23, 2015)

What is SS? I don't know the company or website


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

ParrotPrinting said:


> Gordon.....I don't understand why you feel it necessary to use sub ink with JPSS


I didn't read it was claimed to be necessary, he was experimenting.

If one wanted to do 50/50 t-shirts vs 100% poly, and wanted to use the same existing sublimation printer, and not have to have 2nd printer filled with pigments .... then this would make sense. 

In other words you are already a sublimator but wanted to also have the capability to do 50/50 t-shirts too.

My read is that he was able to see that "prep" _sheets_ are better than prep _spray_, and less hassle to apply more consistently.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

ParrotPrinting said:


> I bought that Dye Sub coating you're asking about and it works good on hard substrates but if you're planning on using it for shirts forget it


I'm not a fan of coatings except for prototyping or doing small items that are not available coated, but reading the ad there are different coatings for hard goods and different coatings for t-shirts, they are not the same. 

So you are saying you bought t-shirt coating and it worked for hard goods but poorly for t-shirts? Or were you not aware they are different products?


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

I have both of the products


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

ParrotPrinting said:


> I have both of the products


Thanks for clarifying. 

Not being the grammer Nazi but your statement was though you were referring to one thing only.

"I bought *that* Dye Sub coating you're asking about and *it* works good on hard substrates but if you're planning on using* it* for shirts forget it."

The coating being asked about was the t-shirt coating and it appears as though you said you tried* it* _also_ on hard goods.?

Anyway all is clear now.


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

LOL....no problem Mike....I'm getting old and have brain farts from time to time


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## David09 (Oct 2, 2015)

i did not used it before but acoording to me it is not that good idea


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## ParrotPrinting (Feb 23, 2015)

Actually David you're right about this coating not being a good idea. I've experimented with it and for shirts it doesn't work very good however, it does OK on a hard substrate it's just that most of the items that my customers want I just get them already coated. I only use this coating for the odd hard substrate item that I can't get already coated mostly because I find it a pain in the neck.


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

ParrotPrinting said:


> Gordon.....I don't understand why you feel it necessary to use sub ink with JPSS


What Mike said. The idea was to see if using sub dye ink with JPSS could simplify the printing requirements, and *might* even produce a brighter result when applied to a 50/50 shirt. The rationale was that the 50% polyester content would directly accept the sub ink, and as JPSS is itself a polymer, the sub ink might bond with it as well.

In the end, the results were almost the same with pigment ink on 50/50 shirt than with sub ink, though the blacks on the sub print weren't as deep (this might well have been specific to the inks, which were Cobra's previous RZ sub inks). I was interested in seeing if it was a viable process.

I've tried subbing on all sort of things not usually subbed, like directly onto matte printing paper. After pressing against blowout paper in order to "true" the colors, the results were unnatural but very interesting -- sort of like the old Kodak hand-tinted color method of the 40s. I made some "antiqued" prints of John Wayne for my collection that used the technique.

Then there was the time I tested sub printing vinyl contact paper from the dollar store. That was fun!


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## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

Rachel (DyePress) also sells a couple of hard goods coatings, which I've used. They're two-part mixes, as many of the professional poly coatings are. When mixed properly, the coatings accept sub color quite well.

Applying the coating is another matter. Even with a fairly good low pressure sprayer, I never really attained a good, even coat on things like ceramic tile. One problem is perfecting the curing phase after spraying. If the coating is too soft, the transfer paper will stick to the surface when the item is pressed. There might also be some serious orange peel problems, from the texture of the paper impressing into the coating.

I ended up using these coatings for special tasks where an even coating was not really important. One option is a light, unpainted wood. Another (more common for me) was making my own jewelry from shell and glass. Rough tiles are also good candidates.

I consider the hard goods mixtures distinctly separate from the poly coats for fabric, and I wholeheartedly recommend experimenting with them. You can get a small sampler to try out. A disposable foam brush will apply the "goo" quite well. Remember that once mixed, you must promptly apply the coating, or let harden and toss the remainder out.


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## Soumya (Jun 20, 2019)

Thank you sir for sharing your valuable experience with us. Now, I am from India and with this transfer paper costing of 1 sheet stands approximately 80 rupees which is very expensive for our customers i.e. definitely they will not go for this item. So, I am asking you about any coating or other material for printing on 100% cotton fabric with long wash- ability value. I
Thank you.
Presently, I am using EPSON L130 Printer, Sublimination Ink, VMS Tranfer Paper, Light Transfer Paper & Dark Transfer Paper (giving poor results).


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