white heat transfer on black trucker cap

[ericheartsu]

I have a project coming up for some black foam polyester trucker caps with a white print on the front. I was going to do a heat transfer, but i just did a test, with a white poly ink, and the print is coming out faded. What can i do to make it bold and bright?

[Frog]

I have a project coming up for some black foam polyester trucker caps with a white print on the front. I was going to do a heat transfer, but i just did a test, with a white poly ink, and the print is coming out faded. What can i do to make it bold and bright?

By faded, I assume that you mean not opaque, which, in turn means not enough ink (at least not enough on the surface)
So, you are either not making an opaque enough transfer, or you are driving it into the fabric with too much heat, pressure, or time.

Back when I was doing these regularly, I used a regular low bleed ink, through an 83 screen. This was before I knew anything about EOM, so now would probably do fine with a little higher mesh count, and a lot more stencil! My rule of thumb on opaque plastisol cap transfers was one step coarser mesh than direct print.
btw, white was a cakewalk compared to yellow.

Nowadays, I use cad-cut films whenever practical.

[Sbrem]

I have to ditto what Andy said, except we use a 110S mesh, very easy, no bleeding. And cad-cut is even easier, and looks better, if it's not to bothersome to weed it.

Steve

[ericheartsu]

unfortunatley the design is pretty complicated. We used 156 mesh, made a thick print, and lowered the temp on the heat press, that helped tons!

thanks guys!

[JayzTeez]

i have to agree about the cadcut and ditto the ditto. never screen printed a hat before. always just did cad cut. weeding does suck though.

[ZooCity]

The adhesive crystals are also a good idea. 

I run epic quick white for this, t105 paper, crystals on back, 330 degrees F at 12s, light pressure on the hotronix.

[DannyGruninger]

We make transfers for these style trucker hats all the time. I'll post a pic of a 3 color hat we just did for rockshox a while back. 230/40 s mesh with slightly more eom than normal. Quick white 65%, 30% poly white and a touch of hd clear. Semi hard flood and a really slow squeege stroke on auto. Scary slow about as slow as the press will allow.I also put enough time in the machine so the screen achieves a full release from the transfer paper. Then a good powder and through the dryer. Like the others said test heat press pressure and use as little as possible.