persistent problems with tri-blend blanks.

[Reluctant_Printer]

I've searched the board, but haven't seen this topic addressed. I apologize if I missed it.

Tri-blends have become an increasingly important part of our business, but our press operators are having a difficult time with these blanks. One of the biggest problems we have is that the shirts stretch, and as a result, the prints are not straight. We also have a problem with the shirts shrinking as they go through the curing oven. One of my clients measures every print sample print and compares it with his art specifications, and then goes ballistic if the length or width are not correct. My options are to learn to print it correctly or modify his art before printing (which I'd prefer not to do).  My Screen Print Manager (who recently quit) said we have the ovens turned down as low as they can be and still have the ink cure properly. My questions are: 1) Are they any tips, tricks, or best practices that increase the likelihood of getting a good, straight print with a light, stretchy fabric like a tri-blend; and 2) Is there a way to decrease the likelihood of a tri-blend shirt shrinking as it goes through the dryer?

Thanks in advance for any help someone might be able to offer. 

[ol man]

i had a client do that last week - with a measurements -- "its a 1/8 an inch off " ----
my response was - "bye bye"

[Frog]

Let me preface my answer with "fortunately, I seem to get very little call for current, trendy, styles or prints, so i see very few tri-blends or rayon, so my answers are somewhat generic.

1. Are they any tips, tricks, or best practices that increase the likelihood of getting a good, straight print with a light, stretchy fabric like a tri-blend

Position the shirt with minimal stretching, and uses as little tack as possible to minimize stretching upon removal (tough with this fabric as adhesion is one of its biggest faults)

2. Is there a way to decrease the likelihood of a tri-blend shirt shrinking as it goes through the dryer?

Pre shrink them with a trip down dryer belt avenue before you ever run them.




Ain't it something that the fussiest (and often most unreasonable) clients are also the ones to add difficulty to the equation?

[Inkworks]

Ain't it something that the fussiest (and often most unreasonable) clients are also the ones to add difficulty to the equation?

Yup, my fussiest contract customer loves Gildan 42000's, triblends and camo....

[tonypep]

Silicone and Acrylic inks usually work well with these however they have other issues. Also expensive. Many tri-blends react badly to flashing ie scorching and shrinking. Some discharge.

[Shanarchy]

I try to avoid them when I can. When I do print them, I usually don't p-f-p my white. It's not as bright an opaque as I usually do, but they go with the feel of the shirt (if that makes sense). I raise the dryer height, and try to get the temp to peak as low as possible. The thinner ink layer will allow me to shave a few degrees off the peak temperature to get to the bottom of the ink.

But like I said, I avoid these as much as I can. They scorch, you can feel the shirt gets crunchy, they shrink. They are a nightmare.

My thought is discharge is more ideal for them, as I feel what I do is a band aid.

Probably a low cure additive should be used. Anyone else doing that?

[cbjamel]

I think the thing to do is ask what type flask, how long type dryer, tunnel length, temp. Type prints - one color or multi and type ink used.
That may help. I know from theis site tri blend burn easily or shrink with quartz flashes. How much shorter?

Shane

[blue moon]

we will not do them on the auto, they go and the manual and are babysat if by accident we get them in. Our standard policy is "we don't do them" (for the exact reasons listed above).

pierre

[sqslabs]

Is everyone having issues with triblends using quartz flashes?  We run these all the time (there are some on press as I type this) with no issues but use IR flashes.  Since I'll be upgrading to quartz in the next month, I'm now getting a bit nervous.  Will definitely be keeping the IR's around.

[ebscreen]

We print a ton of tri-blends, quartz flashes, few problems. Mostly the American Apparel
brand, and the only issue we ever have is if we forget to turn the flash down or speed the dryer
up. Intensity control can be key here.

We have printed the odd NL brand tri blend and that wasn't fun.

For white on dark HSA is the jam. Everything else plastisol and slightly lower meshes than usual.

[tonypep]

Print on left is a tr1-blend with Viscose or Rayon. Why it works is largely due to the fact it is a one screen discharge

[Underbase37]

I think Frog got it with the low tack & preshrink. But it does sound like high dryer temp. But we see this more on %100 poly than with tri's.

What was the temp on the dryer?
How long is the tunnel?
Time in the oven?

You can try low cure inks & bases.

Discharge......if you get really lucky.

I can say that we do tri-blends a lot here & don't see this problem much with them. ( they are a whole different game at times thou ) sometimes we go from %100 cotton all the way across the board to tri- blends in one order. Fun.Fun.     

Murphy37

[blue moon]

We print a ton of tri-blends, quartz flashes, few problems. Mostly the American Apparel
brand, and the only issue we ever have is if we forget to turn the flash down or speed the dryer
up. Intensity control can be key here.

We have printed the odd NL brand tri blend and that wasn't fun.

For white on dark HSA is the jam. Everything else plastisol and slightly lower meshes than usual.

our quartz flashes do not have a power setting, just the time control. We make it work on the manual with the IR's.

pierre

[Underbase37]

Is everyone having issues with triblends using quartz flashes?  We run these all the time (there are some on press as I type this) with no issues but use IR flashes.  Since I'll be upgrading to quartz in the next month, I'm now getting a bit nervous.  Will definitely be keeping the IR's around.

Keep your IR flashes. You will want them. You can use quartz, & M&R has the new Chilli D ( I think its called ) that you can set the bulb intensity to work better with tri's.

But they are bit of a trick to work with on tri-blends.

We don't use them for tri-blends here.

Murphy37

[sqslabs]

Keep your IR flashes. You will want them. You can use quartz, & M&R has the new Chilli D ( I think its called ) that you can set the bulb intensity to work better with tri's.

But they are bit of a trick to work with on tri-blends.

Thanks, will do.  The RPM flashes that I'll have do have an intensity setting so that's a step in the right direction, but I'd much rather have all options open just in case.