IA CRYSTALLIZATION on Tshirts

Where are you getting it? All over? I only see this on areas of the shirt that have been over soaked due to the hem or edge of the shirt touching the fluid back up in the trench that drains at that back of my viper one. I also don't even think those areas are getting pressed most of the time so the crystallization only occurs after the shirt sits and that dries on the shirt by air. Are you pressing it with Kraft paper? How long?

I use wagner sprayer and press as instructed for 30 seconds without craft paper.

I have only had this issue on areas of the shirt that didn't get heat pressed. If the IA drys on its own it will crystallize and look bad.

I didn't have it as bad before as I do now. I press the shirt directly after pretreating. It is all over the shirt

Are you shaking up the PT thoroughly?

Can someone clarify what crystallization would look like, maybe post a pic? TIA

Yes I shake it every time before I use it. I use it as instructed on the bottle.

Terry, are you saying you use no paper at all? You just straight up press it with your heat press? If so that is your problem. I pressed one without Kraft paper the other day and it was crystallized all over. Guarentee it.

No I use a teflon sheet

Teflon sheet will cause this. Use craft paper for 15 seconds and then 15 with teflon (quality one not the cheap chinese one) sheet.

OK. I cant remember where or who told me to press it with a Teflon sheet for curing the pre treatment and using craft paper to press after ink is laid down. But I was instructed to Press for 30 seconds with Teflon and 10 second intervals until steam is gone. Just so Everyone knows I am talking about Image Armor Pre treatment.

Thanks for your replies though.

I use Kraft for both pretreat and ink. Teflon would be better for pretreat if it worked since the Kraft paper gets less "life" out of it when using it for pretreat.

Ok. I guess I will be trying craft paper on next print.

Not sure if this helps, but I use silicon curing sheets that OmniPrint sells with their printers (I've got a FreeJet 330). Granted, I'm not using IA pretreat but I have had some crystallization issues in the past. I find if I'm using silicon sheets and I rotate the sheet half way through my pretreatment curing I don't have any issues. For example on a black shirt:
- Heat press set to 345F (Hotronix)
- Press shirt with silicon sheet for 25 seconds (pressure 6)
- Lift heat press, rotate silicon sheet
- Press shirt with silicon sheet for another 15-25 seconds (pressure 6 still)