Dye Sub on Trucker Caps - Unwanted Sublimation and Speckling

[ZooCity]

So we've been dye subbing truckers for awhile and I really like it.  Trouble is, many brands have issues with the heat/time/pressure needed to get a quality sublimation.  They either develop speckles in the white poly front (which we think may be from lint in the factory setting) or the braid, mesh, bill, thread or other trim migrates it's color into the white poly foam. 

With everyone wanting that image as big as can fit on a cap a smaller heat platen upper isn't much of an option and would prob just make paper edge lines. 

What are we doing wrong on some of these caps?  Can we lower heat/temp/pressure and still get a quality or I guess I should say "complete" sublimation that penetrates the fabric?  Or should we just limit clients to what works?

I think the best solution would be to dye sub before construction of the cap but most of these orders don't justify that and I'm in no position to introduce a cap sewing line in our shop.   Any heat press tips greatly appreciated, I still feel like a rookie more or less on the heat press side of things.

[zanegun08]

There are some factories that can do this before it is constructed at as low as 120 pieces.

Checkout both Master Cap http://www.mastercap.cn/ and Topfly Headwear http://www.topflyheadwear.com/

Met both of them at Magic and they both have good shapes (YP / New Era) and low minimums.

Also, we do a lot of screen print transfers on truckers, if you cut the backing bigger than the face of the heat press you can avoid the lines from where the paper cuts off.  Means you waste a lot of material and have to print more, but for picky customers you can virtually get rid of the line.

[ericheartsu]

So we've been dye subbing truckers for awhile and I really like it.  Trouble is, many brands have issues with the heat/time/pressure needed to get a quality sublimation.  They either develop speckles in the white poly front (which we think may be from lint in the factory setting) or the braid, mesh, bill, thread or other trim migrates it's color into the white poly foam. 

With everyone wanting that image as big as can fit on a cap a smaller heat platen upper isn't much of an option and would prob just make paper edge lines. 

What are we doing wrong on some of these caps?  Can we lower heat/temp/pressure and still get a quality or I guess I should say "complete" sublimation that penetrates the fabric?  Or should we just limit clients to what works?

I think the best solution would be to dye sub before construction of the cap but most of these orders don't justify that and I'm in no position to introduce a cap sewing line in our shop.   Any heat press tips greatly appreciated, I still feel like a rookie more or less on the heat press side of things.

Dan Noel gave us some really good pointers, but i'd have to review our notebook. I recall craft paper being used though

[ZooCity]

Zanegun Thanks, I'll look into those two contractors!  I'm not sure overseas turn will work out for our jobs and would like to keep it in house but I know custom construction has it's place.

For dye sub all the paper is bigger than the cap front panel and heat platen to keep lines off.  Screen print we don't see that issue since the pressure/temp/time is all so much lower.  With the pu adhesive crystals it doesn't take much compared to what dye sub needs.

What's the kraft for Eric?

[aauusa]

not sure what caps or exact process but this is what I would look at.

if you are not using any protection sheet(kraft paper) between the colored portion of the hats and the heating element.  Then what I would imagine is that the dye from the colored portions of the hat is somehow sublimating  into the metal of the heating element.  the best way to know for sure is to do a hat and the do just a white piece of material and see if there is a color on the white material.  if so then you know it is from the element.  to get rid of this just press a few times on fresh white material until the ink is burned off.

use a protection sheet which is disposable to protect the element from the portions of the hats which are re sublimating and you will be fine.

hope this make a little sense

[ZooCity]

aa, there's blank transfer paper all over the area where the element contacts. Should we also put kraft over that?

Will definitely clean the platen, thanks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[ffokazak]

Hey Zoo!

Got the Quik Clamp... amazing. thanks for that!

We do a TON of sub truckers. Ill tell you that I train everyone to get a lint roller, and lint roll the white fronts prior to pressing. that is where the speckles come from. Lint from the poly parts of the hat.  If lint rolled properly they come out clean and perfect.

If were doing the full front, some of the guys flip the cord out of the way, so that it is over the foam part, and out of the way. That allows them to put the transfer all the way to the bottom, and when pressed and put back into place, it covers the gap where the transfers die off.

Other than that we do generally press them for less time, only around 10-15 seconds at 400 degrees to avoid yellowing, but that may be the brand of cap we use which is value Cap.

Hope that helps brother!