coasters speckled

[jennywren]

I did a couple of coasters and the green (colour) I used as the main background turned out with what I can only discribe as snowflake pattens in a lighter green what I need is just the green I picked. Any suggestions, nice ones please.

[bms]

Did you press them for about 30 seconds to remove any moisture in the coaster. Without seeing the image, it might be (a) moisture coming in contact with the inks when pressing and giving a mottle effect or (b) too light pressure/ too low temperature/ too short a press time. Should be around 190/200 degrees for 50-60 seconds for wooden coasters.

[jennywren]

do you mean press them before I print on them , but yes a mottle effect is a good discription

[bms]

Yes, put them in upside down in your press (to avoid any potential damage to the white face) and let the heat get into them to push out the moisture. If you do this with larger items like placemats then you will need to place a heavy object on them to stop warping as they cool down.

[jennywren]

thanks very much I'm sure this will solve the problem. When I try again this weekend will let you know

[jennywren]

how long should I let them cool down before using them, this will be hard on on a large order, can they be done the day before

[bms]

You could leave them for a while. When I've printed them I've pressed them upside down to remove moisture and then pressed straight away. It's important to keep them flat when they are cooling properly after pressing to avoid warping (not applicable really on coasters).

[jennywren]

Does the heat not start the ink to print,

[bms]

No, you need around 170 - 180 degrees for that. Give them a short while to cool so you can handle them and you'll be okay.

[jennywren]

tried that and is was still mottled but not so much shall I try them for longer,