Printing on Mesh Jersey - No open holes allowed!

[Get Shirts]

Customer has requested the imprint on the Mesh Jersey to be a solid fill, no mesh holes "open" within the print.

We have achieved this but only by accident. What is the secret to achieving this consistently?

We do not want to transfer the image as it's 3 locations and 2k pieces.

Thanks!

[mimosatexas]

Transfers?  I kid, I kid...

Honestly, Unless you use some kind of backing below the garment that will peel away after the cure, I don't see it happening consistently.  That will also cause issues with multicolor printing unless you use a hold down.  Any time someone has asked for something like this I have used vinyl or plastisol transfers and it has been much lower quantities of course.

[Colin]

Really low mesh base screen (110/135 etc)

Lay down lots of ink so it fills in the holes for a solid sheet of plastisol.

Overflash/longer flash so the entire ink layer (yes even the ink that went through/into the holes gets gelled).

Calculate time wasted.

Print the rest of your colors.

Pull off of platen carefully.

Pay attention to your glue/ink residue on the platen.

Realize you still need to scrape ink off of your platens on occasion.... and reglue.

Recalculate production speeds.

Think about putting papers down under the print for easier release from your platen.

Realize at the end of the dryer that the papers will not always come off the inside of the shirt.

Spend hours picking pieces of paper out of the ink.

Think more about doing transfers....

[Chadwick]

Not impossible, but really time consuming and frustrating.
Not to mention, it will not be consistent, no matter what you do.

I used to do it for tens of jerseys...with relative success.
I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than attempt to do thousands.

[Sbrem]

I would just tell them it doesn't work that way. If they want to come show me how, I'll pay them, LOL!

Steve

[RICK STEFANICK]

It's gonna take P/F/P/F/P and it helps if you can flash again before pulling off this will REALLY help with the hole fill..FIRST SCREEN 160 TO SEAL IT UP THEN THE LAST 2 110. 65-70d range squeegies in all heads. don't over flash as they will shrink, melt etc. DO NOT use backing that's what we do to open the holes when pulled hot.  you will need to scrape the pallets on the fly every few rounds. They really are not that bad once you get rolling. scraping on the fly with the pallets hot and ink hot is a breeze. You may need to stop occasionally to let the pallets cool down.

[Stinkhorn Press]

It's gonna take P/F/P/F/P and it helps if you can flash again before pulling off this will REALLY help with the hole fill..FIRST SCREEN 160 TO SEAL IT UP THEN THE LAST 2 110. 65-70d range squeegies in all heads. don't over flash as they will shrink, melt etc. DO NOT use backing that's what we do to open the holes when pulled hot.  you will need to scrape the pallets on the fly every few rounds. They really are not that bad once you get rolling. scraping on the fly with the pallets hot and ink hot is a breeze. You may need to stop occasionally to let the pallets cool down.

really finesse your flash time/power ratios - don't LET the platens get too hot.
but I'm talking out my ass, we would never try to satisfy that request, more power to ya!

[Streetcreep]

Your best strategy may be to steer your customer in to a non-fully perforated jersey.  There are a bunch of options out there that have a "faux" perf, much easier to print on, leaving a nice solid imprint.  A good portion of our athletic contract customers use this style of jersey.

[shaneds]

You can also put down foam on your boards and print direct, same sequence as your normal. We've had good success that way.

[3Deep]

Everything you guys suggested sounds great, but once they are washed a few times that ink will fall out of those holes, maybe not all but some.

[Sbrem]

What the heck is the point of filling in the holes? They're there to ventilate! Man, people are weird...

Steve

[scrubz]

Cad cut thermo film, or premium heat press transfers.  Order them from Stahls.  Even with the longer heat press time, may still be the same time as fussing with the prints.  You will probably need to charge more though....

[Get Shirts]

Great advice everyone. We’re going to quote as a transfer and see if they go for it. I can’t imagine this ever being worth our time otherwise!


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