Any tips for printing on shorts?

[Prosperi-Tees]

I have a customer looking for me to print on these shorts. http://www.bodekandrhodes.com/cgi-bin/barlive/site.w?location=olc/cobrand-product.w&category=ot&prb=8&srb=PF56&mill=&shade=&color=&product=4107&frames=no&target=main&sponsor=000001&nocache=6337

I have never printed on 100% poly let alone shorts. Any tips? I dont have a hold down but I dont think a hold down would really work on these or would they? Its gonna be a white print on royal blue short.

[Scobey Peterman]

You will need to use a poly ink. Turn down the dryer and slow it down a bit if you are not used to poly inks.

From the picture I could not tell if the shorts are two ply or not.

If not, a small board might do the trick.

If they are two ply you might need to get an embriodery hoop and cut a board for it.  Attach the round board to your machine then put the hoop over it.  Make sure it fits tightly.  With this you can p/f/p with no problems.

[Frog]

Thanks Scobey, I was hoping that you'd post the pic of your hold-down, but from the description of these shorts on the website, the seem to be just single ply.

I would also suggest a few extras to experiment with temps. Your Poly ink should cure at a slightly lower temp, and you want t to keep it at as close to that as possible. If you have the time, I'd even let one sit a few days to double check delayed dye migration.
Depending on print size and location, a sleeve, pocket, or leg board may be the way to go as well.

When these are small runs,  I use cad-cut myself when appropriate for the design. Less headaches.

[mooseman]

couple of things on the poly shorts...
firstly the poly will not stick to the pallet like a tee hirt. It will take considerably more tac of whatever kind to hold on to the poly. Test test test before you print, include a flash cycle in your testing cycle.
You may find that you will want to use a hold down set up even if the shorts are single layer.

The hoops are easy to get at Jo-Ann fabrics, Michaels or wallyworld here is a link to a super cheap one at Jo-Ann fabrics

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=prd792071

We simply cut out a disc sized to the hoop / job at hand and stick it directly on our pallets with a healthy coating of Tek-Bond water based adhesive we use but any  tac should work.
Add tac to the top side also place the shorts and add the hoop ring pull it snug and print away.

good luck
mooseman

[Scobey Peterman]

Anytime Andy.

[Binkspot]

You will need to use a poly ink. Turn down the dryer and slow it down a bit if you are not used to poly inks.

From the picture I could not tell if the shorts are two ply or not.

If not, a small board might do the trick.

If they are two ply you might need to get an embriodery hoop and cut a board for it.  Attach the round board to your machine then put the hoop over it.  Make sure it fits tightly.  With this you can p/f/p with no problems.

Love the pallet. I will be making a set today in my work shop.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Thanks for the tips, you guys always come thru! Hey Frog when are the bookmarks gonna be up?

[Frog]

Thanks for the tips, you guys always come thru! Hey Frog when are the bookmarks gonna be up?

No specific date, but it's definitely on the list that is presently being worked on.
First served are nuts and bolt things like resolving some error issues.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Ok thanks.

[screenxpress]

My Tip -

Take them off before printing and running thru the dryer 

[Scobey Peterman]

We have 4 short lock downs (aka...donuts)

I set it up on our speed table.

My co-worker loads and prints the first coat of ink. Moves it over to the flash dryer.  Third stations is cool down. The n to for the final coat of ink and on to the belt.

We can print about 100 per hour this way.

[alan802]

I ws wondering if anyone else used an embroidery hoop to hold some garments down.  We have a 5 color job on 2 ply athletic mesh shorts.  The jacket hold down obviously didn't work so we had to find something and my printer said they did this technique for a shop he used to work at.  Thanks for sharing Scobey.

[Scobey Peterman]

Alan,

This should work for what you need.  Another suggestion is to low down the stroke.

These hold down also work good for upper leg locations on sweat pant. Be sure to burn the artwork like it would be facing you.

Good luck

[RICK STEFANICK]

those dont appear to be 2 ply shorts. why would anyone use a holdown? regular spray tack and a good low bleed white should work just fine. scoby i love the holdown though for 2 plys.

[Sbrem]

If they aren't double layered, you don't need the hold down. Tack the plate, stick 'em down and print. Poly ink of course...

Steve

We have a Livingston leg champ, very good pro piece. I love Scobey's homemade one though, I made some that way too...