TonyI

Hello. I have a transfer problem that I cannot figure out. Everything I transfer is blotchy and toner remains stuck to the paper in tiny specks. The lack of transfer is evenly distributed across the transfer. I have tested the temperatures using a few different methods. The paper seems to release from the shirt smoothly with just a slight bit of "pull" on the material.

So far, I have tried:
Temperatures from 395 to 405
Medium to maximum pressure (couldn't lock the handle down if I raised the pressure any more)
10 to 20 seconds pressing time
Pressing a second and 3rd time (massive scorching)
Pressing with and without a Teflon sheet

I have:
DuraCotton HT paper
HP LaserJet 2600 (Using the "transparency" setting)
Non-brand-name manual press with digital control
Work area is climate-controlled
100% cotton shirts (Hanes and others)

The shirts are scorching at the higher temperatures, so I will assume the temperature is high enough.

So you can see what's going on, I have put 3 high-resolution photos of the problem on the web at:

http://climbsmart.com/photos/1.jpg (Paper)
http://climbsmart.com/photos/2.jpg (Shirt and paper)
http://climbsmart.com/photos/3.jpg (Shirt)

I am new at this, so if anyone can help, I would really appreciate it.

THANKS!

 

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TonyI

Everyone,

I finally figured out the problems with my printing, so I thought I would share my findings. The technician at heatpress.com was instrumental in helping me figure out my pressure problem, and selling me the padding that I needed.

1. I am now pressing at 380-385 degrees for 20 seconds. I found that 400+ degrees was "burning" my toner.

2. I purchased a 9x12x1/4 piece of silicone padding from heatpress.com for $30.00, that I just place on the center of my machine before pressing (Part # SRM-1/4912).

This raised 9x12 padding increases my pressure (PSI), and puts less force on my handle, as most of my designs don’t require my whole press (15x15) anyway. It also allows me to always press in the center of my press, for more even temperature control, and alleviates any interference from collars, zippers, etc. Another plus, there will be less wear on my machine’s padding.

I hope this helps someone in the future.

 

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