[d is for dru]

I need to know what I'm doing wrong, I feel as if I let the ink cure to long, could this possibly be a factor? Or to much ink? But how much is too much? I feel as if I coat the shirt with alot of layers of ink the image will stand better but s this the best solution or making it harder to cure through all the ink? Should I thin out the paint, please I need help! Thanks!

 

[pixelwhisperer]

no, you don't need to thin out the paint. The most likely cause of the washing out problem is the ink not reaching the required temperature to properly cure. check the website of the ink manufacturer you are using for the minimum curing temp for your particular ink. A conveyor dryer with a thermometer will eliminate this problem. If you are using a flash unit to cure your ink invest in a digital thermometer that reads the surface temp of what you aim it at. This way you can make sure that your entire print is reaching the desired temp.

 

[d is for dru]

I feel as if I over "burned" it it got to a point where the shirt was giving off smoke at which point I stop the heating, is it possible to over cure?

 

[BEARBUBBLES]

Actually smoke is good when curing, if you put more layers of ink the more the heat has to work to get to the right temp and trough the layers of ink, it sounds like it did not cure. dont be afraid of the smoke, and dont burn the shirt. usually two or three passes of ink will be good, or if you want to put more ink think about a higher mesh count.good luck

 

[wormil]

I need to know what I'm doing wrong...

You might start by telling us exactly what you are doing and what equipment you use.

Generally speaking if your ink is falling off, it isn't cured. To test, stretch the fabric and ink, if it cracks, it isn't cured.

I also suggest that if you want to learn screenprinting you get a job or take a class.