Author Topic: trying out samples. Messed up.  (Read 2158 times)

Offline Dottonedan

  • Administrator
  • Ludicrous Speed Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5907
  • Email me at art@designsbydottone.com
trying out samples. Messed up.
« on: March 15, 2013, 11:13:55 PM »
Well, so I have a bunch of samples from oh, a few years stacking...and I thought I'd give them a try on the heat press.  No, Frog,  I didn't read any instructions. THere were too many varieties to dig into ( hot peel, cold peel, screen printed, digitals, numbers, photos,) so I just set them.  I have a duplicate sample pack I can look at later for details. Anyways,  most looked pretty good.  The one thing I see is I probably peeled either too fast or too slow...or left the top left design under the heat too long. It picked up as you can see in the picture.


Then, I started adding big glitter and foils.  Badda bing. I think I'm going to like that stuff for the little pop pom girls.


Any hoo,  so whats the top image look like?  Peeled too cold?  too much heat?  Not cured?  Maybe the thing is too old. Whats the shelf life on transfers? Not so much the ink, but the bonding agent might get old maybe.  User error?  LOL.


PS.  That bottom right cancer ribbon is PUFF. That did nicely. POOF!
Artist & high end separator, Owner of The Vinyl Hub, Owner of Dot-Tone-Designs, Past M&R Digital tech installer for I-Image machines. Over 35 yrs in the apparel industry. e-mail art@designsbydottone.com


Offline Prosperi-Tees

  • !!!
  • Gonzo Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4297
  • Common Sense - Get Some
Re: trying out samples. Messed up.
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2013, 12:57:06 AM »
Well id say you got lucky with most of them without reading directions and knowing suggested times and temps.

As far as the top print I have some old ones that I tried that did just that and I chocked it up to being well... Old. Plastisol transfers tend to need pretty high temps, high pressures and long dwell times.

Offline Chadwick

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 463
Re: trying out samples. Messed up.
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2013, 03:14:06 AM »
If you're happy with it, then it was all worth it.

Offline Dottonedan

  • Administrator
  • Ludicrous Speed Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5907
  • Email me at art@designsbydottone.com
Re: trying out samples. Messed up.
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2013, 10:23:34 AM »
I am happy with it. It was just a fun time of playing. Makes me look busy also too. We had an event here last night in our town (on my store street) and people could see me from the window and me doing stuff drew people in to see what I do here. So it was cool.


So this is going to cover many of the people that walk in and want 1-5 shirts for small events. Another way of making some $. I wouldn't do it (my self) if I didn't now have my wife coming on board starting today. Yipee!


I can fail or I can prosper, but I'm doing it. ...and if I fail, I'll be doing it again. ;)  I got a leg up on most people just starting out. I "sort of" know what to look for on the pit falls but I tell ya.


Some do pop up that I can't control. Specially sending stuff out to the service providers like embroidery. That seems to be another thing I'd have to bring in house on a small scale real soon. A single head emb. machine.


One thing I can't see clearly is the Co's that do digitizing. Those Digitizing programs are VERY costly....yet people are doing digitizing for 10.00 from China and 30-60 her in the us. ???  What makes THAT profitable?  Is digitizing a semi fast procedure like does it take  30 min to digitize a complex file?  Just wondering.
Artist & high end separator, Owner of The Vinyl Hub, Owner of Dot-Tone-Designs, Past M&R Digital tech installer for I-Image machines. Over 35 yrs in the apparel industry. e-mail art@designsbydottone.com

Offline Dottonedan

  • Administrator
  • Ludicrous Speed Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5907
  • Email me at art@designsbydottone.com
Re: trying out samples. Messed up.
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2013, 10:31:20 AM »
Well id say you got lucky with most of them without reading directions and knowing suggested times and temps.

As far as the top print I have some old ones that I tried that did just that and I chocked it up to being well... Old. Plastisol transfers tend to need pretty high temps, high pressures and long dwell times.


I was not that far off on times but dang, some of these things only get like 5 seconds under heat. I think I had the time set at 15 seconds and 330 degrees. Mostly the full color transfers. Those looked really good. Very surprised but again, they feel like a rubber transfer. Those probably could have used half the time I did (at most). The clear transfer material curled up and was melting. Not the print, just the carrier sheet so yea. prob. 5-7 seconds.  I'd read up on the instructions of course next time if I were doing an oder of course. This was sort of a play and trial and error (see what happens type deal).  Yea, some were over heated. You can see the edges sort of being melted on the numbers and laying the gold foil over top then re setting that left for rough edges on numbers. Still looked cool tho.
Artist & high end separator, Owner of The Vinyl Hub, Owner of Dot-Tone-Designs, Past M&R Digital tech installer for I-Image machines. Over 35 yrs in the apparel industry. e-mail art@designsbydottone.com