Author Topic: Printing on 100% Polyester?  (Read 1993 times)

Offline Logoman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 394
  • Life is what happens while your making other plans
Printing on 100% Polyester?
« on: March 04, 2014, 07:37:33 PM »
I have a customer wanting 150 Black  Polyester Tees and wants a 5-6 color print on them. Would it be better to find someone that does Sublimation or invest in Poly Inks and print them myself? I do very little Polyester Printing.


Offline dirkdiggler

  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1803
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2014, 07:43:18 PM »
all you need is poly ink for the underbase, the other colors can be done with regular plastisol.  Get you a bucket of Wilflex Performance white and then get to work!  That easy!
If he gets up, we'll all get up, IT'LL BE ANARCHY!-John Bender

Offline Logoman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 394
  • Life is what happens while your making other plans
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2014, 08:23:09 PM »
Doesn't  Poly cure at lower temp that regular plastisol?

Offline dirkdiggler

  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1803
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2014, 08:46:47 PM »
Sprint 2000 360 degrees 12ft heat, 28 ft per min.  NO PROBLEMS!
If he gets up, we'll all get up, IT'LL BE ANARCHY!-John Bender

Offline Frog

  • Administrator
  • Ludicrous Speed Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13980
  • Docendo discimus
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2014, 10:19:03 PM »
I have a customer wanting 150 Black  Polyester Tees and wants a 5-6 color print on them. Would it be better to find someone that does Sublimation or invest in Poly Inks and print them myself? I do very little Polyester Printing.

Sublimation is not an option on black shirts.
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Offline blue moon

  • Administrator
  • Ludicrous Speed Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6366
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2014, 10:51:08 AM »
all you need is poly ink for the underbase, the other colors can be done with regular plastisol.  Get you a bucket of Wilflex Performance white and then get to work!  That easy!


ditto!
Yes, we've won our share of awards, and yes, I've tested stuff and read the scientific papers, but ultimately take everything I say with more than just a grain of salt! So if you are looking for trouble, just do as I say or even better, do something I said years ago!

Offline broadway

  • !!!
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 205
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2014, 11:22:47 AM »
I just did a bunch of black polys last month for the first time and it went very well. My underbase was 156 mesh and i hit it 2X then flashed and printed 2 spot plastisol colors on top, purple and white with 195 mesh. I did add a low cure additive to the plastisol ink. I printed on a auto and my falsh dwell was 1 second (IR panel). Some poly shirts will wrinkle if you leave them in the box to long unfolded.

Offline Admiral

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 891
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2014, 11:26:58 AM »
Sprint 2000 360 degrees 12ft heat, 28 ft per min.  NO PROBLEMS!

haha wow...exact same settings we use

we do them all the time, poly white underbase, normal wow inks on top of that

Offline dirkdiggler

  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1803
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2014, 11:34:50 AM »
Sprint 2000 360 degrees 12ft heat, 28 ft per min.  NO PROBLEMS!

haha wow...exact same settings we use

we do them all the time, poly white underbase, normal wow inks on top of that

same here!
If he gets up, we'll all get up, IT'LL BE ANARCHY!-John Bender

Offline Colin

  • !!!
  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1610
  • Ink and Chemical Product Manager
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2014, 01:42:39 PM »
Currently on the last imprint location of a 6k - 5 location run on black poly.  Solid base plate with Sim-Process/Halftones + 100% solid coverage on top for 3 of those locations.  Base plates run on 150 mesh.  Run single stroke base/flash-cool/2 stroke second base for a smoother finish/flash-cool with a fan/3 colors through 270/flash-cool with a fan/2 colors through 270.

Cure at 320 belt speed at 17.  Sprint 2000 HO 12 foot tunnel.  Ink gets just above 320. 

Using all Rutland.  Super Poly White and C3 mixing system.

Prints are looking great so far.  The poly is not the best material.............

I would strongly recommend you get an Excellent poly white from a local supplier.  Someone who you can trust to be there when you have questions.
Been in the industry since 1996.  5+ years with QCM Inks.  Been a part of shops of all sizes and abilities both as a printer and as an Artist/separator.  I am now the Ink and Chemical Product Manager at Ryonet.

Offline GaryG

  • !!!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 750
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2014, 01:53:57 PM »
That's a monstrosity of a project, impressive.
How many do you buy extra and how many go under
w/ 5 locations on 6K?


Offline Colin

  • !!!
  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1610
  • Ink and Chemical Product Manager
Re: Printing on 100% Polyester?
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2014, 03:02:14 PM »
Currently we are well under .5% spoilage (factory defects and miss prints).

Contract work, so we print em all :)

The only time we ever exceed more than .25% spoilage will be because of factory defects.  It's very rare that we have that many misprints.  It does happen on occasion..... but truly rare.
Been in the industry since 1996.  5+ years with QCM Inks.  Been a part of shops of all sizes and abilities both as a printer and as an Artist/separator.  I am now the Ink and Chemical Product Manager at Ryonet.