Transfer Printing

[ericheartsu]

I know this has been covered a ton, but we are still messing around with multi colored transfers.

The big problem we are running into, is our inks bleeding into one another, not on the transfer themselves, but in the actual screen.

So right now we are printing a 2 color print on a transfer sheet, blue and yellow, and the blue keeps running into the yellow ink and vice versa. Super tight registration.

What can we do to stop this. Both prints are on 20n 230 mesh

[mk162]

i would do one of a few things...

1. increase your mesh count

2. put a trap between colors.

3. not print transfers

[ericheartsu]

hahah we are only printing them for shirt tags

[ZooCity]

? You are printing these wow?

[aauusa]

when I do transfers that are multicolor I will flash the fist color for 3-4 secs till just dry.  then print the second color     make sure you run the paper through the dryer first to remove any moisture.

[ericheartsu]

? You are printing these wow?

yah! whenever we flash them the paper curls! are we not supposed to? are we supposed to treat them like flatstock?

[Frog]

? You are printing these wow?

yah! whenever we flash them the paper curls! are we not supposed to? are we supposed to treat them like flatstock?

The standard way, I believe is to treat them as flat stock, curing between colors, and using corner/edge guides for realigning for registering the next colors.
However, many shirt printers, with shirt presses do keep them on press and flash in-between like a shirt.
Vacuum boards would really help, but otherwise, I figure you just need more stickum.

[aauusa]

the way we do them is a regular manual press, normal platen with a 14x17 sheet of embroidery foam on top.  I tack the foam to the platten lightly, the i spay tack the op of the foam lightly.   The paper is ran through the dryer to remove the shrinkage, moisture.  the we print first color flash till not wet or tacky 3-6 seconds depends on color of ink and if it is the beginning of the run or at the end.  platens warm up so time is dropped under the flash.  You know you are flashing to long if the paper curls or if the foam states too.  I had found a video on line from someone who is on the board with a 3 color transfers, I will see if I can find it again.

[ZooCity]

? You are printing these wow?

yah! whenever we flash them the paper curls! are we not supposed to? are we supposed to treat them like flatstock?

Yes, you treat this like flatstock!  No wonder yer having problems it would take a miracle to pull of a WOW multi color transfer print. 

What paper are you using?  T-105 should not curl on lightly tacked shirt platen using an IR flash.  You just need to gel it enough on press to get the next color down without and stick. 

Also keep in mind these are tags/labels and they need not be masterpieces. Most major brands use cold peel labels that crack, flake and even disappear.  We all can do better than that of course but don't get too crazy about it.

[ZooCity]

Grab a cup of coffee and read this thing front to back:

http://www.unionink.com/articles/transfer.html

Boris (I think) mentioned how critical climate control is when doing multi color.  There just isn't a substrate out there that will carry cold peel plastisol transfers and is warp free under the heat required to gel. 

I wonder if all these HSA inks that are launching this Spring will change that game.

[ericheartsu]

Grab a cup of coffee and read this thing front to back:

http://www.unionink.com/articles/transfer.html

Boris (I think) mentioned how critical climate control is when doing multi color.  There just isn't a substrate out there that will carry cold peel plastisol transfers and is warp free under the heat required to gel. 

I wonder if all these HSA inks that are launching this Spring will change that game.

YES! thank you so much!

this is why i love this board. Everyone is so helpful, especially with all my dummy questions.

[royster13]

Get a pad printer.........

[ericheartsu]

Get a pad printer.........

thinking about it!