I wondered if anyone could shed any light on curing/drying ink on a t-shirt. About 3 weeks ago I was at a baseball tournament and saw a guy screen printing t-shirts with the tournament logo (4 colors) on site/outside in a 3 sided tent. He would screen the shirts and then press them on a heat press. Walla, done - Give to the customer...smiling...and gone. Can anyone give me more info on how this is done?
Curing the shirt?
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I have seen that but is not the proper way to cure Plastisol inks, after a few washes it will come off or it will start peeling off like a sticker, but we will never know if he add something to the ink, so it will cure it faster, and the use of any other ink for sure will not cure at all with a heat press machine. black t-shirt printed with a white underlay cure a 350f for about 50sec of exposure to this temperature white t-shirts cure a little bit faster. A professional screen printer will dry a t-shirt on a conventional dryer. 
Conventional dryer meaning a Conveyor Dryer right?
Also, if you use a Heat Press, pull it down to about 1 inch above the t-shirt. Don't clamp it down. It's less messy that way. You'll have to experiment for the proper time.
Also you can use Versatex Fixer to add to your ink. You can than Air Dry, and tell the customer not to wash it for a week.
If he or she says they need it tomorrow, offer them a discount if they buy two shirts, lol.
Also, if you use a Heat Press, pull it down to about 1 inch above the t-shirt. Don't clamp it down. It's less messy that way. You'll have to experiment for the proper time.
Also you can use Versatex Fixer to add to your ink. You can than Air Dry, and tell the customer not to wash it for a week.
If he or she says they need it tomorrow, offer them a discount if they buy two shirts, lol.
LOL I like that Idea of offering a Second T-shirt LOL .
But if we heat press a t-shirt to cure it we will left a square around the shirt from the heat transfer machine And I guess Yeah It could work but It will last??? you will guaranteed a job like that? There's a lot of "if" and "maybes" of this guy in the park selling screen printing t-shirts but for sure he was making a couple bucks out of the people, and if the costumer is happy with it... Go On my Park printer Friend LOL
But if we heat press a t-shirt to cure it we will left a square around the shirt from the heat transfer machine And I guess Yeah It could work but It will last??? you will guaranteed a job like that? There's a lot of "if" and "maybes" of this guy in the park selling screen printing t-shirts but for sure he was making a couple bucks out of the people, and if the costumer is happy with it... Go On my Park printer Friend LOL
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I cure my shirts with a heat press. I have some that I printed two years ago. The shirt is wearing out but the print is just fine. My press will heat up to 450 degrees, plastisol ink needs to be heated up to 320 degrees. I add a low cure additive that lets me cure at 280 degrees. So it can be done. It can be done well. I don't clamp the press down all the way there is a 1/4" gap between the heat platen and the shirt. You can also use a teflon sheet between the shirt and heat platen and close the heat press all the way but that creates a different texture for the print which I don't like but it will properly cure the ink.
Thanks for all the replies. When I was watching the process I was amazed but not paying close attention. I know he used a teflon sheet and I believe he close the press all the way. The guy said he'd been screening this way for 19+ yrs. I wondered about the smudge factor - will the inks smudge and look bad? I tired to email him and ask some questions but he didn't reply. Right now I don't do any screen printing but its in the the works so I do a lot of looking and read. Again, thanks for the the education and info you've provided.
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Using a teflon sheet and pressing the heat press all the way creates a smooth texture. Some glossy or metallic look are achieved this way. Some plastisol effects are achieved if the "teflon" sheet itself has a texture. The texture of the teflon then becomes the texture of the plastisol ink. However, usually, there is a special plastisol ink for a particular effect.
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IC Low Cure Additive QRT
This is the low cure additive that allows the ink to cure at 280 degrees. You don't need to add this to cure the shirts. You just need to heat it to 320 degrees. I like using the low cure additive because cuts the cure time down thus increasing my produtivity. In a few months I won't need to worry because I'll have enough money to get me a good tunnel dryer.
This is the low cure additive that allows the ink to cure at 280 degrees. You don't need to add this to cure the shirts. You just need to heat it to 320 degrees. I like using the low cure additive because cuts the cure time down thus increasing my produtivity. In a few months I won't need to worry because I'll have enough money to get me a good tunnel dryer.
Thanks for the info Wonubee. I will look that additive up. Most people are many steps ahead of me. I have a 6c/4s press that just sits. I don't have any other screen printing equipment. I am a little scared to dump the rest of the money as I really don't know what I am doing.
The guy who was printing in the "park" said he keeps 5 crews busy 50 weeks out of the year. I thought that was pretty good. He only works weekends...I asked him if it was truly profitable...he said, " the t-shirt business has been very good to me". Anyway, I thought it was neat and would consider taking the show on the road like that - my kids play in a ton of tournaments.
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Did you even read the thread.....YOU CAN CURE PLASTISOL INK WITH A HEAT PRESS.....
Wonubee, what's the name of the Cure Additive you use if you don't mind me asking?
Thanks, Paul
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My press has a pressure adjustment and I just back it off until I get the 1/4" gap. I have an old Stahls press it's 20 years old.
Here's what the new one looks like
Hotronix® Hover Press | Stahls' ID
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For the "effects" I mentioned I don't know if any additive is added because they do recommend special inks. For example, for that leather effect, they have a leather colored ink for that particular effect.
As to low cure or fast cure additives, I recently communicated with someone who has tried them. I forgot what his main issues were but their testing yielded unfavorable results. More testing is needed but they, on automatic press, are not impressed with the initial results so they don't use them (for now).
Maybe someone with favorable results can share.
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