Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
Okay, so I bought the Sofstretch paper and right now I only have an HP photosmart with dye based ink...
I did a print, washed it, and later noticed it was a little runny.
I contacted Coastal and asked them what type of ink is ideal for that paper.. They said "regular ink" I then asked them what "regular ink" was, and they said "whatever you printer comes with"... I then elaborated and asked if I would need the PIGMENT in order to stop the running.. They told me the problem isnt with the paper or the type of ink, but rather the printer itself.
So, I figured I would ask you guys. It's Sofstretch transfer paper, on a 100% cotton Hanes white tshirt, at the suggested 30 seconds @ 375degrees.
I also get some yellowing of the shirt burning slightly. Coastal told me to up the heat and up the amount of press time but I am sure that will only make my burning problem worse.
1. Does Sofstretch need PIGMENT rather than DYE in order to stop running?
2. Is it really my printer that is causing the running rather than the ink type?
3. Wont adding heat and time just make the yellowing/burning worse?
You do NOT want to use dye based inks. You DO want pigment inks. You were told your printer was at fault???? I think you'll find if you go get a C88+ and do the same print with it, you will get a totally different result.
You do NOT want to use dye based inks. You DO want pigment inks. You were told your printer was at fault???? I think you'll find if you go get a C88+ and do the same print with it, you will get a totally different result.
See, that's the thing.. I have been told on thsi forum to use Pigment and NOT dye... I only used the dye ink just because I dont have the Epson yet. I was just playing around.. Then I contacted Coastal to make sure Pigment was ideal for this particular paper [since I couldnt log into this site for a few weeks, had a password issue]... but then they replied with that. They didnt really seem to know half the things I was talking about. Hence, "use regular ink"...
I wish I could use someone else's pigment ink with the same transfer and test it. I know the Epson c88+ is only like 80 bucks but still, I just want to check and make sure it works before I dump money into it!
How easy is it to find the pigment ink for the epson once I buy it? It doesnt COME with pigment right?
The C88 and some other models come with pigment inks. Then you can order a bulk or refill sys. or just use standard in carts from Epson depending on your needs.
Go to your local electronics store with a few sheets of transfer paper, have a sales person do a couple of prints on your paper. Tell them you need to test the print before you buy the printer. They should be more than happy to do that for you, if the salesperson says they can't, ask for the manager, works everytime!
So the C88+ should be at a local electronics store on display? Or do you mean just any printer there that has pigment in it? How will I know if it has pigment? Do the cartridges say "PIGMENT" on them?
Also, as a side note.. Will Pigment & Sofstretch work well on 50/50 shirts?
Tell the sales person you need to do the test on a printer with pigment inks. Go to Epson.com and check the specs on several model #'s before you go, that way you will know which use pigment or dye inks. The paper you have is like the ironall paper so it should not be a problem with 50/50
I use only HP printers with their vivera inks, and have never had a problem with ink running. Even when I've printed directly on cotton. I haven't used the specific paper you're talking about, though.
Check the "print quality" setting in your printer preference settings and make sure you're printing at normal so that the dpi is 300. Using the best setting makes the dpi 600 -- too much ink.
Myprinter settings once got messed up, and normal is no longer set at 300 as it should be (it's stuck at 600). I work around this by going the basics tab in the print preference settings, clicking on advanced, then adjusting the ink volume.
Sofstretch, HP printer, Dye Based, Runny? 
