Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
I've been experimenting and have used different brands of transfer paper. I have coastal and one called Gold Something or other. I think it's Gold Seal maybe?
They all look great but I've noticed one shirt I washed came out with some color running and sometimes (not often) stuff will be stuck to the white space of the transfer. Little amount of lint I guess. Basically it looks terrible when that happens.
I've found when transferring that if I press for around 13 seconds it peels really easy. When I go the 18 that coastal recommends it's harder to peel and comes out rough sometimes. Could the less time cause a bleed problem in the wash?
Thanks.
What kind of inks are you using? Pigment inks shouldn't run in the wash.
It's an epson 1280. I'm still using the original ink. I believe that is pigment. I've ordered replacement ink that I have it used yet that is definately pigment.
Bleeding is almost always an ink issue. I'm not sure of the 1280comes with Durabrite inks or not; should say on the printer or ink somewhere, but I guess you're getting some 3rd party inks anyway.
As far as lint stuck under the transfer - I hate that. You can take some steps to avoid it mostly:
A) After you pre-press your shirt, look briefly to make sure there aren't stray hairs or visible lint that you're about to press on. If there are, use one of those lint roller things to clear it up, then pre-press again.
B) Store your transfers in a ziploc if you print them a while before using them. This will prevent potential problems with humidity and help prevent any tiny foriegn matter from getting on them.
If you do get a hair stuck under the transfer film, you can probably pick it out with a fingernail or some sort of very finely pointed tool, such as an awl or some sort of weeding tool.
I actually meant it was on the shirt after a wash. It's only happened to me twice but I'd wash a shirt and then there is lint or fuzz or whatever only stuck to where the transfer is.
Sometimes increasing the pressure can help a transfer stick better. if you want a softer feel, try peeling it after 2 or 3 seconds after pressing. This has worked for me in the past.
Color runs in wash 
