How to prevent this line?

[push_pull]

Hey guys. Any ideas on this one? I'm getting an unsightly line on my poly shirts. This is coming from the platen edge nearest the clamshell hinge. Minimal pressure, 330F, 8 seconds with Teflon sheet.

[Frog]

First off, I usually don't open and slip my shirts on the platen screen print style, but rather place them right-reading, either with a pillow inside or not depending on the shirt.

That said, it probably wouldn't have changed what you have as it looks to me like a line denoting what was pressed and shrunk a bit, and what wasn't.
How about another pressing, this time catching the bottom of the shirt to even out the effect? Also, do you know that your temp settings are accurate?

[push_pull]

The non-contact thermometer said 330, with the press set to 300 haha. A second pressing on the bottom removes the line, but we can't afford to lose that time. This only happens on one of our units. I'm thinking about beveling the platen edge with a dremel and seeing what happens.

[Mr Tees!!]

...the shirt is being stretched and distorted a bit to fit the platen (mostly smaller sizes I bet?). Then when pressed, makes that stretch mostly permanent. When you pull the garment off after pressing, the shirt tries to draw back in the unpressed areas, making the now-expaned areas gather up at that line you see. Hard to explain, but make sense?

...try to press, if possible, by not threading the shirt around the platen. Instead, lay the whole garment directly over it.

[push_pull]

Makes sense! Though if I remember correctly that is an adult medium Augusta which seem to be pretty generously cut. I'll mess around when I get back in tomorrow to see if laying them on the pallet is the trick.

[Frog]

Makes sense! Though if I remember correctly that is an adult medium Augusta which seem to be pretty generously cut. I'll mess around when I get back in tomorrow to see if laying them on the pallet is the trick.

Now, depending on what you are applying and if seams or buttons get in the way, you may need a teflon covered pillow inside

[push_pull]

Now, depending on what you are applying and if seams or buttons get in the way, you may need a teflon covered pillow inside

I have a fleet of those darn things that I never get to use!

[push_pull]

Tried laying the shirt on the pallet vs. loading it, and no line!  Thanks everyone! 

[Rockers]

Stahls sell a set of pillows. We only use pillows and never load or shirts directly over the platen. Pillows will do the trick. I can ask my wife as she is the real heatpress expert in our company but yeah pillows will sort you out.

[GaryG]

Looks like setting on top did it. This prevented… The actual condition, which came from the material
being stretched, heated and set that way. When taken off, it then shrunk up leaving
if you will, stretch marks.