Various problems, my samples are no where near perfect - Please Help!

[liannef]

I don't seem to be having much luck trying to sublimate little teddy t-shirts!

Brown stuff was appearing from somewhere on the tops which I have put down to the teflon sheets. I even tried a new sheet top and bottom. I removed all teflon and used a piece of paper top and bottom and no brown marks. I bought them off ebay and they look much better quality compared to the other sheet off ebay which seemed thin and you could see the weave of the material and didn't seem to be glossy.

I also used some 3M Remount spray adhesive to hold the transfer in place and did use too much on one half and this caused the ink to not come through as much so was lighter on one half of the design. So i tried heat tape and when you remove it you can see where it was as it makes the top all fluffy.

I also used a lint roller on the tops but they were covered in fluff after heat pressing them so don't know where that come from, unless fluff sticks to the teflon sheet.

The heat press seems to crush the fabric and makes it really flat. I have pressure set to zero and is better if the top is lying flat but you get creases. I was using mouse mats inside to raise it up a little
but then the pressure seems to be too much and crushes the fabric even more. They were really nice tops until you heat press them and now they look awful.

Any suggestions? Now starting to think maybe I should have got a smaller heat press where the bottom platen fits inside but doubt you can get one for the mini t-shirts as the print area is only about 8 by
5cm.

I'm using a second hand Insta press 15 x 15" and you can adjust the pressure from 0 to 10.

I've pre-pressed the tops for about 10 seconds on 190 degrees and then a full press for 45 seconds. The colours come out fine, it's just the tops come out so flat and look scorched and the fabric is now shiney.

I don't quite understand how you can heat press thicker items as the top platten comes down until it closes which it is hard to do when I had the one or two mouse mats inside the top and can't see how you would do plaques etc

Thanks
Lianne

[Paul]

You can cut mousemat and insert inside the tee

[Renniwano]

I note that when I do the teddy tees that they are very flat once pressed *I cut up a silicone baking sheet and use that inside each tee* but once they are back on the teddy, you shouldn't even notice it..

[liannef]

thanks, I've tried cutting up a mouse mat and inserting that inside the t-shirt so it stretches it out a little and also tried card and a bit of teflon sheet, is that like silicone baking sheet? I was also going to buy some sheets of chip shop paper to use over the top as I think this is what the Americans call butcher paper?

It's the very squashed fabric I would like to overcome really as they don't look very nice and I wanted to offer a high quality product to match our embroidered bears.

Do you have to lock the heat press in place, can I just hold it in place so the pressure is a lot less? as it is a swing away press.

[pisquee]

If you're using 3M's Scotch Weld 75 spray, you only need to use a very 'light mist' not much at all for it to hold in place. It's expensive stuff, so use sparingly, and you'll be fine.

[liannef]

oh I've got this http://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-ReMount-Spra ... 3m+remount is this ok?

[jennywren]

I know this is no good for you but for anyone with a cap press the teddies t.shirts sit great, I have done 50 teddies shirts today, it was easy peasy and I was using the wow 7.2. It was much easier than a press and easier than sublimation

[liannef]

Thanks for the tip Jenny, I did actually consider using wow but the process seemed more complicated with the transfer sheet etc and I didn't like how the background comes through with the TTC and didn't want to spend time cutting out the designs and also wanted to do photos so thought sublimation would be the best option as the transfer is also not felt on top and is a one step process but the press time is longer. Just need to perfect the pressing and I'll be set!

[pisquee]

The 75 spray is intended for using in heated purposes, so would be the recommended choice for using in a heat press.... it's what we use.

[jennywren]

Thanks for the tip Jenny, I did actually consider using wow but the process seemed more complicated with the transfer sheet etc and I didn't like how the background comes through with the TTC and didn't want to spend time cutting out the designs and also wanted to do photos so thought sublimation would be the best option as the transfer is also not felt on top and is a one step process but the press time is longer. Just need to perfect the pressing and I'll be set!

I have done sublimation with the cap press, if the image is 2.5.by 2.5 it works well on the cap press.