Disappearing Ink.

[Get Shirts]

This is a first!  We had a shirt returned b/c part of the design washed out.  Crazy, no, but what baffles me is that only this one shirt had the issue and only about 1/10 of the design washed out.  It could be under cured, but I doubt it.  The rest of the design (4 Color Front & 1 Color Full Back) weathered just fine.  Thoughts?

[mk162]

strange.  did you use any spot cleaning solution on that section?  it looks like something made the bond breakdown.

[myseps]

looks to me like the shirt got partially folded in the dryer and didn't get cured on that part.

[mk162]

that is a lot to get folded without any ink transfer.  I thought the same thing at first.

[Get Shirts]

The spot cleaning solution, in my opinion, is the only reasonable explanation.  It's been two months since we ran this job so there is no way to know if we had to remove any ink spots before running the back print.  WEIRD!

[Fluid]

What type of dryer do you have? Did you print the fronts, 4-clr, first than print the backs?

Definitely looks like undercuring. Depending on the dryer and how many shirts were in the heat chamber it is possible it folded over or even a draft went through the dryer and effected that one shirt.

If you printed the 4-clr fronts first, they would have gone through the dryer twice thus getting more heat than the backs which would have gone through only once.

[Screened Gear]

that is a lot to get folded without any ink transfer.  I thought the same thing at first.

I would guess the shirt got folded also. Not so much as folded as got caught on the inlet gate. I will also guess that is was printed manually and was flashed after it was printed the last time. (no offsetting of ink when folded.)

I have had that happen on my dryer and did have offset on the shirt. If it was printed manually I would have never known.

[Frog]

that is a lot to get folded without any ink transfer.  I thought the same thing at first.

I would guess the shirt got folded also. Not so much as folded as got caught on the inlet gate. I will also guess that is was printed manually and was flashed after it was printed the last time. (no offsetting of ink when folded.)

I have had that happen on my dryer and did have offset on the shirt. If it was printed manually I would have never known.

Q: Jon, who flashes after the last color before pulling it off the board?


A: Someone who has ruined shirts by snapping them, and offsetting ink when they pull then off

But seriously, that is definitely an extra step.
And why would this unnecessary step, if actually taken by some, be limited to manuals? In practice, one p[robably has more time to carefullr remove a wet shirt on a manual rather than an auto running at production speed.

[Get Shirts]

We have a m&r fusion, printed on an auto with no flash following the final white.  The shirt folding over is a possibility, I guess, however a slim one.  If its possible that residual fluid, or a film, from spot remover could cause this then that has to be it.

[Screened Gear]

that is a lot to get folded without any ink transfer.  I thought the same thing at first.

I would guess the shirt got folded also. Not so much as folded as got caught on the inlet gate. I will also guess that is was printed manually and was flashed after it was printed the last time. (no offsetting of ink when folded.)

I have had that happen on my dryer and did have offset on the shirt. If it was printed manually I would have never known.

Q: Jon, who flashes after the last color before pulling it off the board?


A: Someone who has ruined shirts by snapping them, and offsetting ink when they pull then off

But seriously, that is definitely an extra step.
And why would this unnecessary step, if actually taken by some, be limited to manuals? In practice, one p[robably has more time to carefullr remove a wet shirt on a manual rather than an auto running at production speed.

Frog,

I flash after every color on my manual. Its not an extra step just how I print. My flash is over the board on my right. I print left to right. So after every print the color is flashed. I print all 6 boards then I remove all the shirts one after another. I find it faster this way. I guess the last shirt I print I wouldn't have to flash just take that shirt off first to go in the dryer.

I was guessing manually printed but your right on an auto they could have flashed after the 2nd print also. (pfpf)

3 color screen print on t-shirts

I have done it this way for years and I can get really fast speeds out of it because of repetition.

[Screened Gear]

We have a m&r fusion, printed on an auto with no flash following the final white.  The shirt folding over is a possibility, I guess, however a slim one.  If its possible that residual fluid, or a film, from spot remover could cause this then that has to be it.

Depending on the fluid you use...I have never had a problem. I have even taken an whole white left chest off and reprinted it. I did run it through the dryer a few times (after a few spot treatments) to make sure that the shirt was perfectly clean. You know that one 6X shirt that you need done today. Never had a customer come back.

I just don't buy the spot fluid idea because the washout is too consistent. If it was fluid you should have a spotty looking washout.

Another guess white ink doesn’t offset as much as other colors. If your boards were hot enough the ink would be somewhat set up. Making little to no offset. So it could have made it past your UC and in the box. Then the customer washed it and the offset and the folded over area would have washed off.  Just a guess.

[Get Shirts]

That's a good thought!  The pallets could have been warm enough by that point to set the ink enough not to transfer.

[mk162]

That would have been a huge foldover and should have been noticed.  How big was the front print?  My thinking is the fluid soaked into the shirt with the back print already on it.  The fluid can soak into a print and break the bond of the plasticisers.  Ever put gas in a non-approved container?  It melts.  Much like the plastics in screen ink will

[mooseman]

Really really odd why the loss of ink would be so selective on basically that one area. The next line of text below looks quite good but yet is quite close to the washed out area?
possibly something got on the shirt at the factory?
at any rate you might try printing something again on the washed out area and cure correctly than wash just to see if the condition reeturns. If it does it is definately something in the fabric. And yes i get it that whatever factory caused situation that may have been there originally  could have been washed away by now but what have you got to loose by screwing around you might just get an answer that could settle you mind..
mooseman

[JBLUE]

that is a lot to get folded without any ink transfer.  I thought the same thing at first.

I would guess the shirt got folded also. Not so much as folded as got caught on the inlet gate. I will also guess that is was printed manually and was flashed after it was printed the last time. (no offsetting of ink when folded.)

I have had that happen on my dryer and did have offset on the shirt. If it was printed manually I would have never known.

Q: Jon, who flashes after the last color before pulling it off the board?


A: Someone who has ruined shirts by snapping them, and offsetting ink when they pull then off

But seriously, that is definitely an extra step.
And why would this unnecessary step, if actually taken by some, be limited to manuals? In practice, one p[robably has more time to carefullr remove a wet shirt on a manual rather than an auto running at production speed.

Frog,

I flash after every color on my manual. Its not an extra step just how I print. My flash is over the board on my right. I print left to right. So after every print the color is flashed. I print all 6 boards then I remove all the shirts one after another. I find it faster this way. I guess the last shirt I print I wouldn't have to flash just take that shirt off first to go in the dryer.

I was guessing manually printed but your right on an auto they could have flashed after the 2nd print also. (pfpf)

3 color screen print on t-shirts

I have done it this way for years and I can get really fast speeds out of it because of repetition.

Jon,
We talked about this at the bar! Every time you flash you take an extra step. Every extra step equals more time. More time means less money you make on the job. Wet on wet my friend. Its a good thing.... The other problem you cause is you will not be able to simulate that print on the auto. You are not going to flash every color there are you?

And dont say it........Throw those 10 nm screens away. You will be able to print WOW if you do.......