Next Level 3600 and Discharge

[ZooCity]

So we queued up about 4 jobs with the NL 3600, Black, for DC printing.  I pushed the 3600 for these clients as it was "guaranteed dischargeable" and based off DC results with NL CVC fabric, sounded like a perfect setup. 

Results in pre-flight for the first two jobs were inconsistent and poor compared to control fabrics.  We had to go to plastisol on both, causing scheduling messes and I feel pretty dumb for suggesting the shirt now.  I wasn't expecting miracles from these Ts but was shocked that they responded so poorly and were inconsistent to boot, seems like the opposite result one would expect from a shirt marketed for this purpose.

NL and our distro have been super responsive and are working on figuring it out with us which is much appreciated.  Just to clarify this thread is not a knock on anyone in any sense.

However, I wanted to see what our fellow DC printers have experienced with the 3600 recently. 

[ericheartsu]

So we queued up about 4 jobs with the NL 3600, Black, for DC printing.  I pushed the 3600 for these clients as it was "guaranteed dischargeable" and based off DC results with NL CVC fabric, sounded like a perfect setup. 

Results in pre-flight for the first two jobs were inconsistent and poor compared to control fabrics.  We had to go to plastisol on both, causing scheduling messes and I feel pretty dumb for suggesting the shirt now.  I wasn't expecting miracles from these Ts but was shocked that they responded so poorly and were inconsistent to boot, seems like the opposite result one would expect from a shirt marketed for this purpose.

NL and our distro have been super responsive and are working on figuring it out with us which is much appreciated.  Just to clarify this thread is not a knock on anyone in any sense.

However, I wanted to see what our fellow DC printers have experienced with the 3600 recently.

we always push the 3600. we NEVER have issues. I know that NL does offer the tees that are supposed to be more discharge friendly. We've never asked for them when ordering through TSF, but we've never had an issue.
 We do have issues constantly with the 3300Ls.

all 4 shirts below are discharge (sericol and cci), on 3600

[ZooCity]

Wow, thanks for that pic Eric, something is big time wrong with the ones we received based off that.  Prints were way dull and we use the same inks as you and, like I said, control testing verified it wasn't the ink/cure.

This is good news to me in a way, I was really hoping to push the 3600 as our DC go-to so perhaps theirs still hope.

I'm shipping out samples to NL today to see what's going on.

[ericheartsu]

Wow, thanks for that pic Eric, something is big time wrong with the ones we received based off that.  Prints were way dull and we use the same inks as you and, like I said, control testing verified it wasn't the ink/cure.

This is good news to me in a way, I was really hoping to push the 3600 as our DC go-to so perhaps theirs still hope.

I'm shipping out samples to NL today to see what's going on.

I know exactly what you are talking about. like i said this happens almost ALWAYS on the 3300L tees. If it's not a dull color, it's a huge color shift. We just printed these tees on the 3600 and the 3300L, and on about 12 of them (it's always a dozen), the redish gray shifted to a columbia blue:
http://store.sideonedummy.com/ajj-Christmas-cd-shirt.html

[ZooCity]

Link's busted. 

If you are getting good results and then a handful with bad, it sounds like mixed stock which I think is why they had to policy that you had to specify for DC.

According to NL, they have consolidated all their stock to being ok for DC so there's no longer a need to specify.  It could be that all the stock hasn't turned completely.  I need to pick out a few at random from two different POs and see if one does well out of the bunch.

[ericheartsu]

that's true. it could just be old stock. I did just put a call into TSF so they can talk to the Next Level Rep.

Here is the shirt that was in that link (AJJ/Axe)

and here is another cool one we just did yesterday, pretty simple.

but end of story, NL 3600s are awesome to discharge, and comfortable to wear.

[tonypep]

Use them all the time and well.......you know.

[ZooCity]

I don't know!

[tonypep]

We use them and Canvass mostly. Never a problem. Discharge on 4 autos daily.

[JBLUE]

Use them all the time and well.......you know.

Same here. Most of the time from some testing we have been doing it is not even the shirt but the ink we are using. I was die hard Sericol for ease of use and that changed once several of the same Sericol colors looked like crap compared to the Rutland colors. The Rutland colors printed very differently.

[ZooCity]

To clarify, it's not an ink/cure issue.  We tested other fabrics with the same inks that were prepped for the 3600 run and they discharged as brilliant as always. 

JBlue, I agree with you on RFU v. PC.  Most of the sericol got us about 80% there on 80% of colors but that's not quite enough.  It's not all about pigment load of course but the PC systems are just so much more versatile not to mention faster to work with and less shelf space/stock.

The guy at Next Level seems to know his stuff and we'll be zipping over samples tomorrow to get it sorted.  I'm going to pull a tester for two different POs just to see if that was the deal.  I'm really thinking old stock got mixed in on this...they just behaved like overdyes or even non-reactives.

[ZooCity]

Here's today's run, clear DC on NL 3600 Black.  The color differences are from size to size, it's mixed stock. Waiting on NL's response, I'm sure we'll get it sorted out but we may have lost the ability to sell this shirt as well as some face with a major client who we were introducing to DC.  I guess we just had some bad luck on these POs with this shirt and there is still stock out there that is mixed. Just wanted to follow up in case it helps anyone. 

Tony, you guys do lots of tonal type prints right?  Never bumped into this?  We do see this on all clear DC runs across most brands but nothing with a range quite this wide, the far left is just barely discharging.

[ericheartsu]

Here's today's run, clear DC on NL 3600 Black.  The color differences are from size to size, it's mixed stock. Waiting on NL's response, I'm sure we'll get it sorted out but we may have lost the ability to sell this shirt as well as some face with a major client who we were introducing to DC.  I guess we just had some bad luck on these POs with this shirt and there is still stock out there that is mixed. Just wanted to follow up in case it helps anyone. 

Tony, you guys do lots of tonal type prints right?  Never bumped into this?  We do see this on all clear DC runs across most brands but nothing with a range quite this wide, the far left is just barely discharging.

pm or email me, i just got another contact. i wanna see if it's the same as yours

[brandon]

Holy smokes, Chris. Wow, I am sorry. That is not cool. Keep us posted please as to what comes of your situation.

[Homer]

this type of activity is what keeps me from going 100% waterbase in here. I want to get rid of this palstisol crap something fierce but inconsistency in goods really puts a damper on that...let us know what they say...

sucks running to the end of the dryer when the catcher goes "uhhh guys, you might want to stop"