# DYE sublimating onto 100% performance polyester



## ian nestoyak (Jun 6, 2016)

Alright new here, having a huge issue. ive been dye sublimating on 100% polyester specifically jerzees m21 series tees. if I go any darker than white my heat press is leaving a square mark around my shirts and making them look like crap. ive lowered my temp and used less pressure and it helped some and I'm still having an issue, where is presses on the shirt it makes the fabric feel slightly different in that spot like its been burned or melted. ive used vapor foam and other techniques and still not coming out right. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Steve Fuentes (Mar 30, 2016)

what is your current temp setting? may need to decrease a little and possibly keep pressure longer.


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## ian nestoyak (Jun 6, 2016)

my temp is around 360 medium pressure for 45 seconds, it honestly seems like the shirt gets that square impression at around 10-20 seconds. ive tried shorter time and wasn't long enough for the image to transfer.


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## Steve Fuentes (Mar 30, 2016)

we recommend 400 at 30 seconds with our inks. I'll talk to my coworker later today and see if he suggests anything. good luck


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## ian nestoyak (Jun 6, 2016)

I'm using a sawgrass 400 printer, with the sublihd ink. my paper calls for 400 at 45 sec, tex print r paper. when I press my shirts at 400 it seems like they almost instantly melt and lots of steam comes off the shirts after a 45 sec press.


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## signmike (May 1, 2016)

if steam is coming off the shirt you need to pre-press it.

Are you using foam?

You'll always get the shiny square on poly shirts if not using foam.

I'm running either 375 for 60-80 seconds or 390 for 60 seconds when doing dye sub transfer on poly shirts, with foam. Using the foam the pressure should barely compress the foam by half. practically no pressure at all. The foam will help prevent lines from the transfer paper and not leave a shiny square on the shirt.


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

signmike said:


> if steam is coming off the shirt you need to pre-press it.
> 
> Are you using foam?
> 
> ...


As long as your transfer paper extends beyond the foam, correct? If the paper does not and the edges are pressed they will show up. That's what I've experienced, but interested to hear others solutions.


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## ian nestoyak (Jun 6, 2016)

ive been tearing the paper around the image instead, if using foam on dark fabric it will leave a light spot where the foam makes contact. ive been using lighter pressure and has been coming out a lot better, but still getting that sqaure box on the shirt but has decreased a bit.


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## signmike (May 1, 2016)

what are you able to sublimate on dark fabric?


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

If your using foam and getting the lines then your pressure is too high. Only compress the foam to half its width.
Or get a printer that prints paper wider than your press.

As for non white your gonna get the shine box. Red is terrible for it and so is Royal blue/Columbia Blue. Nothing you can do about it. All the myths and voodoo will not stop it. Basically your repressing the previous dye job and it gets lighter.
Only true way is a press that is bigger than the shirt so that you press the whole shirt.


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## john221us (Nov 29, 2015)

freebird1963 said:


> If your using foam and getting the lines then your pressure is too high. Only compress the foam to half its width.
> Or get a printer that prints paper wider than your press.
> 
> As for non white your gonna get the shine box. Red is terrible for it and so is Royal blue/Columbia Blue. Nothing you can do about it. All the myths and voodoo will not stop it. Basically your repressing the previous dye job and it gets lighter.
> Only true way is a press that is bigger than the shirt so that you press the whole shirt.


Ok, I dye subbed my first poly shirt today on a sky blue (probably not the name of the color) Hanes performance shirt. I did 400 degrees for 50 seconds. Cobra inks/DK20S heat press. I didn't have foam. The print was excellent and the black was very solid and dark, but I got lines where the paper edges were and also the shiny square for the whole 16x20 heat press footprint. I can trim the paper, but what foam do I buy? I saw just foam at one place pretty reasonably priced, but then other places had Tephlon pillows for like $33 and it looked like you still have to replace the foam every few times. That could get expensive. Is there a thread or a link I can find with information about foam?


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

john221us said:


> Ok, I dye subbed my first poly shirt today on a sky blue (probably not the name of the color) Hanes performance shirt. I did 400 degrees for 50 seconds. Cobra inks/DK20S heat press. I didn't have foam. The print was excellent and the black was very solid and dark, but I got lines where the paper edges were and also the shiny square for the whole 16x20 heat press footprint. I can trim the paper, but what foam do I buy? I saw just foam at one place pretty reasonably priced, but then other places had Tephlon pillows for like $33 and it looked like you still have to replace the foam every few times. That could get expensive. Is there a thread or a link I can find with information about foam?


The vapor apparel foam kit or there is some high temp green foam some get form JoAnns Fabric.
The shine box won't go away with the foam just the lines.


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