Heat Press Question

[Image Embroidery]

For those of you that are doing names & numbers that you cut yourself....I am having a difficult time applying vinyl to the Sport Grey all of sudden. I have put names and numbers on hundreds of sweatshirts and sweatpants, so this is very unusual for this to happen.
I struggled to get an order out last week for 34 sweatshirts. I only use Thermoflex Plus and I have NEVER had any problems!
Has anyone experienced any problems similar to mine?

Thanks...
LuAnn

[signman]

Here's some things to consider...
#1-did you get the sweats through a supplier (Sanmar, Broder, Alpha, etc.) or from the local wally world?
(reason why, you ask?) 'Retail' goods for sale through stores are treated with a 'brightner' to keep the goods looking sharp under the florescent lights of stores. Ink and iron ons will NOT stick to this chemical unless you wash the goods. It repels dirt, etc. while the clothing is in the store but washes out completely easily. Had screened images wash off shirts that a customer supplied more than once until a clothing tech gave me the hint.
#2-the weather has changes-it's getting colder. Your shirt/sweat orders travel across the country in unheated trucks-and as they get cold-they absorb moisture. Unless you PREHEAT the clothing with the press before you apply the image OR screen print-moisture is trapped under the image and turns to steam-and the image won't stick. I hold the platen down for 10 seconds to preheat-and around January-you can SEE the steam coming off the fabric. For screenprinting, I run every shirt around the printer under the 'spot' dryer before printing. When printing sweatshirts, after they get printed-under the flash dryer again, and then TWO trips through the conveyor dryer (shirts only go through once) and that fully dries the sweat so it is ready to print on the second side.
So I'd almost say your problem is one or the other. Start with preheating (pressing) the sweat before you put the decal on, and
add a couple seconds or 25degrees to the heat. When you move the platen head, rub the decal (you are using a teflon sheet over it, right?) and rub vigorously with a 'chalkboard eraser'. Sold by stahls as a 'heat dissapator' or something funky. But its an eraser. It will make sure the decal is securely in place and also does release some of the heat so you can do a hot peel without burning your fingers.
Roland

[Image Embroidery]

Hey Roland,

#1 Yes, the hoodies came from Broder.
I had already done the transfers on the front of the sweatshirts and they came out beautiful, no special care needed.
It is just kind of strange that when I was working with the same vinyl on Blue sweats, no problem. Red sweats, no problem. I am only having issues with the Sport Grey.

I would pass ot off as a fluke, but I have seven different basketball teams orders in here and one of them happens to be for Sport Grey hoodies and sweatpants! I cannot spend hours on one order.
I spoke directly to Specialty Materials and they sent me a replacement roll of Navy Blue. But I am now wondering if the problems lie in the garment and not the vinyl?

LuAnn

[signman]

If they sent you a replacement roll of vinyl with no problem-chances are there IS a problem with the vinyl and they knew about it. Test it when you get it in-if you have a spare sport grey that already is no good. Cut the same image in both, and apply them at the same time, same way. Then peel and see what happens. If they BOTH have a problem-then it's the sweatshirt. IF only one has a problem-then its the vinyl.
I did get a load of forest green shirts in one time where the screened image washed off in blotches on every one of them. I put a 'clamp on' light with a 'bowl shield' around it inside the shirts and looked through the material-and you could SEE the fabric contaminated with oil or something. Called the company-and found out they had a contaminated machine making the material-but you couldn't see it on dark cloth. Good luck!
But try preheating and see if that helps.