Author Topic: Dye sublimation  (Read 3755 times)

Offline ericheartsu

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Dye sublimation
« on: July 19, 2016, 07:14:36 PM »
hi! i'm hoping anyone can chime in with some tips!

we are very very very new to dye sublimation, and we are using it to print on some custom made goods, called Slipmats. I've talked about them before, we they are 100% polyester felt. They dye sub fantastic!

Anyway we are working on a bigger order for a client, and our dye sub printer just dropped off a stack of transfers for us to start testing.

We are currently using heavy pressure, heating at 405 degrees for 40 seconds. We've gone down to 370 at 25 seconds, and all results are the same.

Our image is very very very yellow tinted. Where white and cream portions are heavily yellowed.

Is this something to do with our heat press settings? Or something to do with the dye sub print?

If it is our heat press settings, what can i do to make them more white, and not so yellow?
Night Owls
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www.nightowlsprint.com 281.741.7285


Offline ffokazak

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2016, 07:22:16 PM »
Sounds a bit too long at 400 degrees...

We do a lot, and I have found shorter time will yellow less.

Also we use as little pressure as possible. Find less marks and issues with less pressure.

Even 450 for a shorter time ( Like 10-15 seconds) may work.

If our presses drop below 400 degrees the image looks weak. I would never take them below that temp.




Offline Ross_S

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2016, 09:05:27 AM »
So would that be considered scorching or maybe migration?  Sorry I don't have answers to help on that end but would like to know the results.

Offline Denis Kolar

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2016, 11:03:03 AM »
Picture would help.
Use lower pressure and make sure you have a few sheets of butchers paper in between the transfer and the press.

My set up for tees, 2-3 sheets of paper on the press platen, shirt, transfer, 1-2 sheets of paper on top of the transfer, press on top.

Offline Frog

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2016, 12:08:35 PM »
Picture would help.
Use lower pressure and make sure you have a few sheets of butchers paper in between the transfer and the press.

My set up for tees, 2-3 sheets of paper on the press platen, shirt, transfer, 1-2 sheets of paper on top of the transfer, press on top.

What does the paper do?
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Offline Denis Kolar

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2016, 02:25:32 PM »
Picture would help.
Use lower pressure and make sure you have a few sheets of butchers paper in between the transfer and the press.

My set up for tees, 2-3 sheets of paper on the press platen, shirt, transfer, 1-2 sheets of paper on top of the transfer, press on top.

What does the paper do?

Not sure. I was told to do it that way, did it a few times without it and it did not look the same.
Sooooo, I use it all the time :)

Offline ericheartsu

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2016, 02:32:49 PM »
update on this:

Tried every combination of ways i could think of, without really a change in result. Doing a lower temp. resulted in a black that was lighter, and didn't really look as good.

We tried FFokazak's suggestion of higher temp, and quicker time, but the results were pretty similiar.

Then we blew the circuit breaker on our heat press :(
Night Owls
Waterbased screen printing and promo products.
www.nightowlsprint.com 281.741.7285

Offline cbjamel

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2016, 03:00:04 PM »
Try 1 on piece of poly t shirt mid to Heavy pressure 400 degrees 30 - 45 sec.
Could be he has problem with printer.
Shane

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Offline lrsbranding

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2016, 03:02:04 PM »
If it's not scorching and the white and cream portions are yellowed I would think the color profiles were off when printed. The true white areas should not have anything printed there. Look at the transfer real close and see if there is a real light print of yellow or magenta there.

Offline ericheartsu

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2016, 03:12:19 PM »
It's incredibly tricky to get a picture of, because it's actually supposed to be an offwhite/bone color.

But the whole image, has a yellow/green tint to it, which is causing the grayish/cream colors to look more yellow then they are.
Night Owls
Waterbased screen printing and promo products.
www.nightowlsprint.com 281.741.7285

Offline lrsbranding

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2016, 03:23:16 PM »
I suspect it's in the color profiles and printing. I have lost a lot of hair trying to get a dye sub to print with the correct colors.

Offline ZooCity

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2016, 03:50:24 PM »
I suspect it's in the color profiles and printing. I have lost a lot of hair trying to get a dye sub to print with the correct colors.

Bringo. 

To confirm, press a blank one with no transfer and see if it yellows.

Offline ericheartsu

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2016, 03:52:42 PM »
I suspect it's in the color profiles and printing. I have lost a lot of hair trying to get a dye sub to print with the correct colors.

Bringo. 

To confirm, press a blank one with no transfer and see if it yellows.

no yellowing.
Night Owls
Waterbased screen printing and promo products.
www.nightowlsprint.com 281.741.7285

Offline TCred

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Re: Dye sublimation
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2016, 04:16:59 PM »
We have experienced yellowing of the exposed white areas of a sublimation print, I presume similar to the OP's problem.

It turned out to be coming from the paper. Not sure exactly why, but the paper was old and probably had absorbed moisture. Changed to a fresh roll, yellowing went away