Printing on hoodies???

[SqueegeeBob]

I'm going to be printing a 3 color design on a black zip up hoodie for the first time on an automatic. Any suggestion how to make this go smooth? Mesh counts, flash time, off contact. Thanks

[Underbase37]

Lowering your mesh count. More off contact. And not over heating, can help a lot. 

Murphy37

[Underbase37]

I think overheating is the biggest challenge overlooked by a lot of people.

Murphy37

[rmonks]

I think overheating is the biggest challenge overlooked by a lot of people.

Murphy37

Can you explain why you think overheating is a big challenge.

[TCT]

Overheating will sometimes cause the hoodie to move slightly.

Best advice I have is use web adhesive a minimum of every other revolution. A roller squeegee is also a huge bonus, but not nearly as important as having good sticky boards.

[Underbase37]

I think overheating is the biggest challenge overlooked by a lot of people.

Murphy37

Can you explain why you think overheating is a big challenge.

Not necessarily a BIG challenge. But overlooked & dismissed as the problem by some. It seems when training new guy's on hoodies they underestimate the problem heat can have on them, combined with the more difficult load of a hoodie & how they absorb heat quicker. Maybe not a big challenge for some, but I feel over looked.

Bringing flash temps down just seems to get overlooked from time to time.

Murphy37

[3Deep]

Grey hoodies will burn quick if flash temps are to high, I hate doing hoodies, I have a few today to print and I'm printing them on the manual.

[tonyt79]

I always think of them moving or not sticking when getting to hot. I had to print 150 five color backs and 4 color front hoodies yesterday. I had to respray every time I put a new one on. I printed manually.

[ScreenFoo]

IMHO, talk your customer into good hoodies. 
Cheap ones are usually a pain to print because of a porous weave, nice ones will tend to print more like a thick T.

Might help to pre-heat platens so you don't have to play with the temp in the middle of the run.
I'd agree flash temps are probably the big thing, know a couple guys who've been printing for decades that still seem to underestimate the importance of it.

The other thing you'll run into with excessive heat is after-flash tack.
Nothing more fun than the first overprint ripping the hood off the platen, and the index turning it 1/4 turn, so the next screen is printing the sleeve.  Not that I've ever done anything like that...   

[Inkworks]

The other thing you'll run into with excessive heat is after-flash tack.
Nothing more fun than the first overprint ripping the hood off the platen, and the index turning it 1/4 turn, so the next screen is printing the sleeve.  Not that I've ever done anything like that...   

Lol, I hate that, not that I've ever done it either,,,,,


We web tack every time around on cotton & cotton/poly fleece.

Preheat the platens and flashes and go with as little heat as you can after that at a steady pace.

[ericheartsu]

Controlling the flash and heat is super important. But i don't see why you'd have to lower your mesh count?

[Underbase37]

Controlling the flash and heat is super important. But i don't see why you'd have to lower your mesh count?

I guess that depends on a few things. Blend of hoodie, ( tri-blends, some 50/50 ). Type of mesh, ( T, HD ). tension of mesh, (depending on type ). Your ability to get a clean slice/deposit of ink & find the weave of the shirt with the least resistance.

Murphy37

[mooseman]

Over heating is an issue on a couple of levels....so is the size of the print, colors , registration .

Remember 50/50 cotton poly is a garment made for 50% synthetic fiber(plastic) that will shrink under enough heat.
Heat will also reduce the grip of your pallet tac.
we print manually wirh an infraredflash
When we print sweatshirts / hoodies this is what we do....
we use WB tekbond
1 clean the pallets, get rid of all the fuzz / lint
2 add a new coating of WB, ours is cut 50/50 with water, we put a heavy coat down
3 flash dry the new stuff
4 test it ...if you can trap rats you are good to go.
5 load your fleece but do not stick it down yet
6 run the shirt under the flash to pre-heat affect it, 50/50 will shrink the material some do that before the see ink
7 set the shirts on the tac and run your hand all over the fleece to insure it is stuck down
8 print your stuff
9 flash again to lighten the grip, pull the shirt immediately after the flash
10 go back to step one.......start over

when you are all done pallets will be too sticky for tees
dust your pallets with some baby powder an brush it off with a stiff brush like a wall paper brush or scrub brush.
This will really reduce the grip of the tac....go back to printing tee shirts all day

mooseman

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Moose! Moose! Moose!....  You have inspired me! 

If you can do this, I can do this.  I have shamelessly copied and pasted your tutorial to my !!Important folder!! for posterity, then printed it off and taped it on the wall.

Every time I see a box of hoodies, I wince just a little.

I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac.

But on longer  hoodie runs, I've used "web spray" with an overspray masking cardboard barrier, all the while kidding myself that it 100% stops overspray.  (It doesn't. It only minimizes it somewhat.)  But no more....

And the talcum powder idea is terrific!

I may not completely stop the whining when the hoodies show up, but from this moment forward, I'ma do me some Moosey!

Thanks!

Stan

P.S.  Do you charge more for printing fleece??

[mooseman]

Moose! Moose! Moose!....  You have inspired me! 

If you can do this, I can do this.  I have shamelessly copied and pasted your tutorial to my !!Important folder!! for posterity, then printed it off and taped it on the wall.

Every time I see a box of hoodies, I wince just a little.

I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac. I HATE spray tac.

But on longer  hoodie runs, I've used "web spray" with an overspray masking cardboard barrier, all the while kidding myself that it 100% stops overspray.  (It doesn't. It only minimizes it somewhat.)  But no more....

And the talcum powder idea is terrific!

I may not completely stop the whining when the hoodies show up, but from this moment forward, I'ma do me some Moosey!

Thanks!

Stan

P.S.  Do you charge more for printing fleece??

no i just bitch and bear it i hate fleece too but it just keeps shoeing up.
mooseman