[NeoCop]

Shirt Problem

Can anyone diagnose the problem I am having with my NeoFlex print results?
I am doing sub work for a client. They supplied Gildan Ultra Cotton kelly green tees. I pretreated them with Image Armor dark. The initial print looks good but when I heat press them they look like garbage.
Can everyone please look at the attached photo and give me some advise?
Thank you in advance.

 

[treefox2118]

Search here for Fibrillation. That appears to be it.

The Gildan 2000's aren't the greatest shirts for DTG because they have a LOT of hairy fibers. Lay down a fresh shirt with a light behind it and look at it horizontally. You'll see billions of fibers sticking up.

One option on these is to lay down your pretreat and use a Wooster brush to "brush" the fibers in one direction downward. Then, when you cure the pretreat, make sure the paper doesn't stick AT ALL. If it does, lay it back down and press for a short period of time. You want the paper to fall off by itself, practically.

You're better off with a ringspun cotton shirt -- less fibers, so less fibrillation.

 

[NeoCop]

I do use the Wooster brush and have white at 100%. Looks good while printing but falls apart when heat pressing.
Shirts were not my choice. I always recommend Jerzees HiDens or FOL High Dens.

 

[treefox2118]

Dang.

It looks OK before curing the ink? How about hover cure as long as you can, let off to let steam escape, and then do a full cure now that the ink and pretreatment have solidified from their gelatinous form?

We use Gildan 2000s on our CMYK only prints and they're "decent" or "fine", but with WUB, we've had fibers all over the place. I love the color range of the 2000, and I wish they'd carry all the colors over to a ringspun.

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Elliot,
No time no see here. I don't like your title at all. It is not NeoFlex problem.
It's Gulden problem. I have a solution to NeoFamily. Emails will send soon. If you were more pay attention here you probably known Gilden is never our choice.
Please change the title if you can or want. Thx

 

[treefox2118]

Looking forward to seeing that solution, Peter. I saw your post with the white bars and print on the blue Gildan, and am curious as to how you're solving it.

Don't say Quillon or I'll come to training tomorrow with a Quillon bat.

 

[NeoCop]

Peter
Gildan isn't my choice, it is my customer's choice. I had them sign waiver before I printed on them. I was just inquiring to see if I was missing something or doing something wrong.
Hope to see you soon.
Do you need help at Atlantic City Show?

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Elliot,
Please change thread title. It is not right.

 

[NeoCop]

Shirt problem

Elliot,
Please change thread title. It is not right.

Peter
I did change the title.

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Thank you. But I still see same Thread Title. See TOP.
I will be appreciate if you pay attention on Thread title next time. If anyone not read contents and just surf threads they will think NeoFlex = Problem.
Cheers! Inks are on me always.

 

[treefox2118]

TSF doesn't let you change the TOP title, I don't believe, only the one on the first actual post (in bold). It's an annoyance -- I believe only Rodney or a moderator can change the title.

 

[23spiderman]

***this has nothing to do with the NeoFlex; this is a problem with the shirt!***

like Brian said, this is most likely fibrillation. i have some Gildan shirts that are almost 3 years old that look great, but they now treat their shirts with a silicon type chemical that makes the shirts feel softer. this reacts negatively with the pretreat, and therefore spills over into your print. i still use Gildan for cmyk only prints, but they are now HORRIBLE for white ink.

you may need to spray, flatten the fibers, spray a little bit more, flatten again, and then press the shirt until dry so that the paper doesn't lift the fibers back up. it is possible for your print to look good prior to curing, but then those broken fibers come off the print when you pull your paper off. you really need to stress to your clients that you will not print white ink on Gildan for now. this will save you a lot of time, stress, and money. LAT, Keya, Cotton Heritage, Canvas, Bella, Next Level are all brands that work well.

 

[JohnL]

Really heavy pressure when pretreating helps.

 

[WillSOL]

We used to screen print with Gildan 6oz cotton,but DTG just doesn't measure up in quality on them,after some wash tests i'm pretty sure we'll be switching to Port & Company. I'll never allow a customer to pick the shirt i'll print on even with screen printing,just to big of a can of worms to deal with.

 

[23spiderman]

Depending on the style, Port just relabels Fruit of the Loom, and I've found the print results to be similar to Gildan. Just FYI.

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Hope to see you soon.
Do you need help at Atlantic City Show?

Elliot, i am little sensitive when it comes NeoReputation.
Also many NeoFamily too.
Sorry for my rude.
Yes, you are more than welcome to come AC and please help us. We can use every hands. It will be great help. Having beers and catch ups. I will see you AC 3/14-16. Hope you will be full day. Make sure bring your business cards says "printing service""fulfill center""NeoFlex user" "will beat anyone but NeoFamily"lol.
Cheers! Inks are on me always.

 

[NeoFrance]

NEOFLEX never problem, just you lack of training!

The performance of the printing.

 

[WillSOL]

Right now I got samples in of Port & Company PC61,,,it's a 6 oz cotton,,from testing I can't get gildan to work, Gildan Ultra, Our customers want a heavy T. Even while printing you can see the white on the Gildans turning grey,but not so with PC61,the print stays nice and white even through the curing stage. All that is left is the wash tests to decide.

 

[23spiderman]

you could also try the PC150 which is their ring spun option. what i found on the PC61 & PC54 is that one size would print great, but another would print different. it depended on what factory they were made in. last summer, Sanmar said that PC would all be made at the same facility in South America, so maybe they are finally making their own shirts in a more controlled environment instead of just rebranding. the PC61 has been Hanes, and more recently the Fruit of the Loom 3930.

 

[NeoCop]

Gildan Problem

Elliot, i am little sensitive when it comes NeoReputation.
Also many NeoFamily too.
Sorry for my rude.
Yes, you are more than welcome to come AC and please help us. We can use every hands. It will be great help. Having beers and catch ups. I will see you AC 3/14-16. Hope you will be full day. Make sure bring your business cards says "printing service""fulfill center""NeoFlex user" "will beat anyone but NeoFamily"lol.
Cheers! Inks are on me always.

Peter
You know I would never have anything negative to say about NeoFlex or All American.
Best DTG company in the world.