[azums]

Lines in print and spots

I am new to sublimation and I recently purchased the following

Richo 3110DN Printer
Sublijet R Inks
GeoKnight Heat Press

And I am trying to print on iPhone cases and the images are not transferring correctly it looks almost distorted and blurry

[media]http://imageshack.com/a/img855/1994/d36k.jpg[/media]

I printed this at 400 F and for 45 secs with medium to high pressure( I also tried reducing the pressure which made it worse) I tried leaving it in for longer for about 1 min but still came out blurry

I made sure I printed on the right side of the paper and I also removed the film

I tried pressing with the aluminium facing up and tried with the aluminum facing down, if anyone has any tips and tricks please help me out here

I adjusted the pressure and am getting my images with lines and some spots, does anyone have any tips? I am also using one sheet of sub paper on the bottom and two on the top

http://imageshack.com/a/img34/7160/inqy.jpg

 

[skdave]

Are you quickly removing the paper after you open the press?

 

[azums]

I did take it off in that pic so I adjust my pressure I reduced it a bit and now I got it too look a lot better but still seeing some dots and lines

So this was at 1 minute and 400 F

[media]http://imageshack.com/a/img34/7160/inqy.jpg[/media]

should I lower the pressure some more or increase it?

 

[vladislav]

Decrease the temperature to somewhere between 375 and 385 and decrease the pressure a tad also. I get this same problem with the thinner aluminum substrates.

 

[DKgrafix]

400 degrees, 40 seconds, very light pressure.

Perfect each time. Pretty much the same set-up except that I have Ricoh 7100.

 

[WalkingZombie]

400 degrees, 40 seconds, very light pressure.

Perfect each time. Pretty much the same set-up except that I have Ricoh 7100.

Agreed.

Some inserts, like dynasub, are light [email protected] degrees (f)-40/45 seconds and some inserts, like chromaluxe, are medium [email protected] degrees (f)-40/45 seconds.

So basically, lighten up the pressure.

 

[skdave]

Could be a profile issue.

 

[azums]

I've tried light pressure but it doesn't transfer the image very well I've tried lowering the temps and increasing the heat press time and still nothing. It seems as though the image transfers better with medium to high pressure at 400F for a min, this is what I'm getting now on blacks

[media]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/azokaei/615E0792-0A4D-433D-96DC-CE46D45A07E5.jpg[/media]

Somone please help me figure this out lol I've already burned through 70 cases trying to dial this in

my vendor also recommended 330F and 3 mins, which i've tried as well with little luck

 

[WalkingZombie]

Where are you getting your inserts from?... Are they Unisub?
Are you removing the protective plastic from the insert?
Have you tried Chromaluxe inserts?

Unisub and cheaper (china) type inserts usually leave some sort of light spoting. Kind of looks like water spots. Very light but still visible at an angle.

Chromaluxe inserts have a thicker coating and look a lot more professional and leave a clean and clear surface after pressing. [Not available for all phone cases though.]

And you know you can buy extra inserts for testing, right? I usually buy triple the extra inserts in case something goes wrong or just for testing. That way you don't use the inserts that usually come with the case. I just say this because you mentioned you've burned through 70 cases.

Can you post better pictures of your issue so we can see a bit better?

 

[azums]

They are from China they aren't Unisub cases, I am removing the plastic and yeah I am trying to take a picture of the cases so right now I got the color to transfer better just getting orange peel at 400F and 50 seconds

Should I lower the temperature?

 

[binki]

Re: Lines in print and spots

Lower to 390 but the coating may be bad.

 

[azums]

Re: Lines in print and spots

It's weird because when I lower the pressure the orange peel isn't as bad but I get spots and the image doesn't come out good

Could it be due to the pressure of the heat press

 

[WalkingZombie]

Re: Lines in print and spots

It's weird because when I lower the pressure the orange peel isn't as bad but I get spots and the image doesn't come out good

Could it be due to the pressure of the heat press

Like previously posted, you shouldn't need much pressure because the aluminum itself gets extremely hot. So light to medium pressure should suffice.

Not sure how you're going about your pressure. If your press has a digital screen that shows your pressure (like 1, 2, 3, etc.)... DON'T GO BY THAT. Not unless you've calibrated it already. For starters, light pressure is being able to close the press with one hand. Medium pressure is being able to close the press with two hands. If you have to use a lot of force, like putting your upper weight on it, then you are putting way too much pressure.

Waiting on better images from you.....

 

[skdave]

You just have crap from china . Inserts are cheap in the USA. Try them and report back.

 

[lben]

When I'm doing aluminum as soon as I open the press I toss them print and all into a bowl of tepid water. It stops the printing right away and keeps the dye from migrating. You might want to lessen the time too.

One other thing, instead of going through all your samples, you can reprint them. You'll end up with 2 images instead of one but you'll save samples and you can still see if the print comes out right or not.

 

[jpkyle]

The spotting is typically caused by moisture that is trapped in metals that have a softer coating (non-Unisub metals). Try sandwiching it between two paper towels (good quality and smooth, not cheap ones with rigid patterns) and pressing it face down. The paper towels absorb the moisture that steams out while pressing and prevents the spotting or hazy look. We recommend this on the Dynasub and Supermetals and it works very well. Try 390 for 45-50 seconds. This moisture could also be causing your dyes to migrate which could be the root cause of the blurriness.

 

[azums]

Re: Lines in print and spots

The main problem I'm having is the spotty transfer when I loose the pressure once i increase it it will get an orange peel effect

 

[jpkyle]

I would typically recommend a light to medium pressure for the softer coated metals. Have you tried another metal to verify that it's not the quality of the coating?

 

[azums]

Re: Lines in print and spots

I have not I will be ordering some metals today what brand do you guys recommend?

 

[jpkyle]

The Unisub is the highest quality but also the most expensive. The Dynasub is more cost effective but you can still get really nice results with it.