how would you print this order?

[ericheartsu]

We print an item at the shop called a slipmat. it's made out of 100% polyester felt. We get them custom made to our specs at a felt manufacturing company in MI.

Typically we print these with screen printed transfers. So no problem there, all that works out great!

Call comes in today from an old client, needing 20,000 of these, double sided, delivered in DC by the end of the month!

Transfers are out the window, it takes to long. So i'm trying to figure out how to direct print on them.

We've used an underbase on these before, and they never turn out that great, as the material is course, and not smooth like a tshirt. It's about as thick as a sweatshirt. Any ideas on best way to do these?

Are there contract heat pressing companies that could handle something like this?

Is silicone ink still something attainable, and would it work on something like this?

[kingscreen]

I'm assuming you mean a turntable slipmat? I used to direct print those years ago (also had them custom die cut) using Maxopake Union, no UB, through a 155 mesh. I never had an opacity issue. 40k prints by the end of the month though...

[blue moon]

how big is the mat, how many colors?

can you post the images of the art and the article? If not, can you send me the pictures through hightail?
https://www.hightail.com/u/bluemoon

pierre

[ericheartsu]

I don't have the art yet, but it's supposed to be white print on each side, which shouldn't be to big of a problem. The slipmats (yes turntable slipmats) are roughly 12" round!

Opacity isn't the big problem, but the roughness is. I'm trying to see if we can do silicone ink, if that would help.

[sqslabs]

Opacity isn't the big problem, but the roughness is. I'm trying to see if we can do silicone ink, if that would help.

Have you considered print/flash/roller squeegee? 

[ebscreen]

HSA white with the quick cure additive might be an option. Beats the snot out of plastisol on fuzzy tri-blends.

[ericheartsu]

Opacity isn't the big problem, but the roughness is. I'm trying to see if we can do silicone ink, if that would help.

Have you considered print/flash/roller squeegee?

We've done it in the past, still lays a think layer of ink down, that causes friction with the record when on it

[ericheartsu]

HSA white with the quick cure additive might be an option. Beats the snot out of plastisol on fuzzy tri-blends.

This is something we have not thought of.

Would it be White HSA, Flash, White HSA?

I have a sample of Matsui coming, who else makes an HSA? Rutland?

[ebscreen]

Yes, though depending on required opacity/art, maybe just print done. It does flash super
quick though.

CCI's Pure White is what we're using.

[ZooCity]

I would be more concerned with getting the mats in on that timeline and still having time to print. If HSA the CCI pure white is most cost effective but Rutland's soft white might cover in one screen. What color mats?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[ericheartsu]

black of course.

not only are we worried about the mats being done on time, but our new press comes in during that week, and our rep, which is a record disributor, is trying to figure out how to handle that many pieces at once too!

[TCT]

How many seconds do you heat press them for? It would suck to heat press that many, but if you printed them would it tie up your press from printing other orders?

I have a double station pneumatic semi automatic heat press I keep meaning to put up for sale...

[ericheartsu]

How many seconds do you heat press them for? It would suck to heat press that many, but if you printed them would it tie up your press from printing other orders?

I have a double station pneumatic semi automatic heat press I keep meaning to put up for sale...

we have two different mats, one is a little thicker than the other, i believe it's between 25-30 seconds. depending on which mat we use!

and I agree, heat pressing would suckkkkkkkk

[TCT]

Ok, that is waaaay longer than I was thinking! Pretty sure you can still get the silicone ink from Nazdar though.

[mk162]

silicone probably won't help with the fibers, it prints pretty similarly to plastisol in that aspect.

I would give HSA a shot.