Dye Migration / Call for a Redo

[GraemeDeroux]

Hey, what's going on?

Long time lurker here at TSB. First time post-er.

Today in the shop we got our first poly job. We got some Wiflex 'performance white' inks, and cured them out at 280 degrees. We were left with a strange problem that we're unsure if its a poly problem, or an us problem. These were print, flash printed. Under the flash just enough to be dry to the touch.

Here is a few photos. Would you send these out? Suggestions if we are to re-do them?
Thanks in advance for any help.




Graeme

[ThePrinter]

What shirt did you print on? It doesn't look like a 100% poly shirt from the picture I could be wrong.

[GraemeDeroux]

What shirt did you print on? It doesn't look like a 100% poly shirt from the picture I could be wrong.

Its a Gildan G420. An 100% Poly Jersey.

[ThePrinter]

Others will get on here that know more than I do to help out. But I don't think I see dye migration problem as much as a ruff print/ fibrillation problem. The more detail on how you are printing the better help you will get. mesh counts, inks, manual auto etc.

[GraemeDeroux]

Others will get on here that know more than I do to help out. But I don't think I see dye migration problem as much as a ruff print/ fibrillation problem. The more detail on how you are printing the better help you will get. mesh counts, inks, manual auto etc.

Thanks for the help! We usually have pretty soft feeling white - this has been an issue for us in this poly job. We're using Wiflex performance white, on 156 mesh screentec screens, new platens, and we were doing a pull stroke with two passes and slow enough to clear the entire screen. Using a manual printing press.

[Frog]

I don't see the tell-tale pink of dye migration from a red poly jersey. Just the roughness that ThePrinter mentioned. How many was the run?
Do you have a heat press? If so, a few seconds at medium pressure could fix these up. It's a band-aid, but heck, band aids are just the thing sometimes.

[ThePrinter]

I wonder if these print like the ST700? Worst shirt to print on IMO!!!

I second on the heat press saved me a job or two! You might turn your heat press down in temp a little bit too. I don't know what temp you have it set at.

[BlueMoonMatt]

Like theprinter said it looks more like a fibrillation issue. Gildan performance shirts are notorious for that.. Check your screen tension and off contact. A roller screen in between would also help. You could try to heat press them to get them a little smoother.

[Colin]

The problem is that the fibers have come up into the print.  Thats whats making it look rough and a little pink.

Now the next questions are: 

Are the shirts fibrous?  After you complete your print stroke/strokes for the base white, is it nice and smooth or bumpy/fibrous?

Is your white screen sticking to the shirt when you make your squeegee pull or is the screen snapping off the board right behind your squeegee?

Is the ink cool (below 72 degrees) or warm (around 80 degrees and higher)?

Are you using excessive pressure to get the ink through your screen?

In the meantime, do what frog stated and give them a quick heat press to flatten out the fibers.

[ThePrinter]

Like Colin said what is the temp in your shop? I know when poly ink gets cold it is a beast to print with. I might print it through a 110 mesh on a manual. I feel like I don't have to use the amount of pressure I do through a 156.

[mimosatexas]

this style of gildan is 100% poly but has been brushed or combed to make it feel soft like a cotton or polycotton blend.  I print on them occasionally, and while they are great when you use them for dye sub because you still have a shirt that feels like a tshirt vs a jersey or workout style shirt, they suck for smooth screenprints.  The print is fibrated as a result because most poly inks (in my experience) arent designed to lay down fibers well since most full poly stuff is smooth.  Bad combo... 

Heat pressing will mostly save it as mentioned, and I wouldnt reprint.

[bryanprints]

Toss it under the heat press at 290 and give it a 5 second hit.  Should get rid of most of that.  I'm not a fan of those poly tees.  I'd much rather go a4, unless the customer wanted them to feel more like a ringspun. 

[Homer]

biggest issue is that shirt, those things are terrible. I'd rather print on shag carpet.

[mk162]

Yeah, I'll print on an st700 WAY before i print on these.  These are hands down the WORST shirt ever to be printed.  i think Gildan is trolling the entire industry with these things.

[Steve12Lowry]

Absolute worst shirt I have ever put my hands on. It takes some work to get a smooth print without using the heat press. These shirts need to be hit with a "hot head" smoother before any ink is printed.

Also, we washed a batch of these in black and it turned the water completely black and stained the white print.