[Dynamic J]

Hi there

I've recently starting using Vapor Basic garments for sublimation printing. I've noticed however that when I'm heat pressing the image onto the white T's, I'm noticing blue specks or squiggles appearing on the garment.

I did a few tests to make sure it was actually the garment and not a dirty heat press, and when I was sure it was the garment I phoned our supplier.

They said the blue specks are caused by loose fibres settling on the garments during the manufacturing process over in the states, but said it was rare for the Vapor T-shirts to ever have such a problem.

Has anyone here experienced a similar problem? I was advised to run a lint roller over the garment a few times before pressing, but since we're so busy here I'm not keen on adding another step to the process.

Also, does anyone know what the fibre's that react to the heat of the press actually are?

I'm thinking if I can't find a solution to the fault I may have to look elsewhere - the prices of the T-shirts are too high for us to justify the waste garments.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[BRC]

The blue comes from any lint or fuzz that lands on the shirt. If you are working on a carpeted surface or are doing other types of shirts that may leave lint behind that could be the cause. You really do need to use a lint roller when doing dye sub shirts and even then it's a hit and miss for me. That is why I seldom do subbed shirts even though they look great and last forever my environment just isn't lint free enough.

 

[gtordave]

If you dont have time to use a lint roller than I would think you dont have time to reprint. Using a lint roller is standard practice if you want to print a quality product.

 

[Dynamic J]

It's maybe because they've been sitting upstairs at work then (it's a dusty environment). I'll try running a lint roller over them to see if that helps. I like sublimation because it's so easy, and these t-shirts are way better than the thick ones we were getting before. We've got a new VersaCamm sitting in the warehouse that we're getting installed in a week or so. I'm looking forward to being able to produce our designs using a new technique.

Do you (or anyone else) know if there are any UK distributors that offer credit terms and can supply the Vapor Apparel garments? The company that I've ordered from a couple of times works on a payment before supply basis as company policy, which kind of puts me off a bit.

 

[Dynamic J]

If you dont have time to use a lint roller than I would think you dont have time to reprint. Using a lint roller is standard practice if you want to print a quality product.

Good point, reprinting does take longer for sure! I'm only testing these garments at the moment, before I was using the Xpres T-shirts and I never had to lint roll them. It's all a learning curve, but I think I'll be buying a lint roller asap...

 

[shirek]

i always lint roll any material or soft material i do

 

[D.Evo.]

Lint roller is quite an essential tool if you want to avoid the frustration and unpleasant surprises. It shouldn't take to long to run it over the shirt, but it doesn give you peace of mind. You just never know how the shirts have been handled, where they've been stored and how much dust floating in the air at your workshop. Better to be safe then sorry

It's a problem with a lot of garments, I find it especially persistant if the garment has textured fabric (like pique polo) and contrasting panels/collars/ribbing.