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CustomStatic · May 18th, 2009

Hello all,

i have a roland gx-24 vinyl cutter, a dk 16x24 heat press, and i'm using thermoflex plus black and white.

This is what i attempted to do...

I tried to heat press some black vinyl on two shirts.

I followed the directions as instructed per thermoflex.

I had my heat press at 350,
i pre pressed both shirts a few times for around 10 seconds to get the moisture out.

Then i applied the thermoflex to the shirts by doing a 15 second firm press.

When i attempted to peel of the thermoflex, it didn't stick to the t-shirt.

So i figured, why not make the heat press a lil hotter which i did at 375 and i made sure my pressure was a lil more heavier.

Sadly to say, nothing stuck on either of the t-shirts...

Could it be that by making the heat press hotter, it could mess up the vinyl print?

I'm kinda bummed...

It was a long day for me trying to attempt this, now i feel kinda lost...

Who here works with thermoflex on t shirts and what kinda pressure and temp do you use?

pshawny · May 18th, 2009

Sounds like your doing everything right.

Are you cutting the vinyl in reverse/mirror? The sticky side should be on the tshirt when you press.

MotoskinGraphix · May 19th, 2009

Press the vinyl for 25 seconds.

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshawny


	Sounds like your doing everything right. Are you cutting the vinyl in reverse/mirror? The sticky side should be on the tshirt when you press.

Yep!

For some reason it just didn't stick to the shirt...

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotoskinGraphix


	Press the vinyl for 25 seconds.

I will try that, thanks!

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Could it be that I'm using to much heat?

The Thermoflex Plus sheet I have here says I should be between 345 to 350, but after doing so, still nothing...
So bumped it to 375 and again nothing stuck to the shirt...

Could it be by increasing the heat I'm causing the vinyl damage?

Fuzz · May 19th, 2009

I know nothing about heat presses but i think the first thing i would do would be to double check my temperature with a temp gun. Maybe the temp gauge is lying to you. Just a thought.

stuckonminis · May 19th, 2009

Hi,

This is my first post, but I wanted to let you know that I have pressed approx 10 t-shirts using Thermoflex also. My instructions say to set at 345-350 degrees for 20 seconds, but by the time I get the lever up, (Its really hard for me to unlatch it) it ends up to be about 25 seconds. I didn't set the pressure (it was already set when I got it) but it seems like the pressure on mine is pretty high. My transfers have all come out perfect.

Maybe it's just a matter of pressure settings and pressing it for a longer period of time.

Good Luck

pshawny · May 19th, 2009

What brand of heat press is it?

Like Fuzz said, maybe the temp isn't reading right. Get a cheap $20-40 IR heat temp gun and make sure your press is the right temp.

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzz


	I know nothing about heat presses but i think the first thing i would do would be to double check my temperature with a temp gun. Maybe the temp gauge is lying to you. Just a thought.

I'll try that out!

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuckonminis


	Hi, This is my first post, but I wanted to let you know that I have pressed approx 10 t-shirts using Thermoflex also. My instructions say to set at 345-350 degrees for 20 seconds, but by the time I get the lever up, (Its really hard for me to unlatch it) it ends up to be about 25 seconds. I didn't set the pressure (it was already set when I got it) but it seems like the pressure on mine is pretty high. My transfers have all come out perfect. Maybe it's just a matter of pressure settings and pressing it for a longer period of time. Good Luck

I'm gonna try it again and see if I can have it stick to the t.

CustomStatic · May 19th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshawny


	What brand of heat press is it? Like Fuzz said, maybe the temp isn't reading right. Get a cheap $20-40 IR heat temp gun and make sure your press is the right temp.

I have a DK 16x24 digital heat press.

I actually had tech come out from where I purchased the material take a look at the heat press.

He whipped out one of those temp guns yall mentioned and it was up to specs.

Seems like the pressure I had was too light.

I wanna thank everyone who gave me a minute of their time.

Peace n Blessings!

OutlawCustom · May 19th, 2009

Don't forget to make sure you're using the right type of vinyl for the material your pressing. Some (most) t-shirts are 100% cotton. Some are cotton/poly blends. Some are even entirely poly. If you don't have the right vinyl, it won't stick, or won't stick right. Sounds like you're off to a good start though! :-)

CustomStatic · May 20th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutlawCustom


	Don't forget to make sure you're using the right type of vinyl for the material your pressing. Some (most) t-shirts are 100% cotton. Some are cotton/poly blends. Some are even entirely poly. If you don't have the right vinyl, it won't stick, or won't stick right. Sounds like you're off to a good start though! :-)

Thanks for the insight!

Everything is working smooth!

I'd like to thank everyone that gave some advice!

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