[PeterTheLion]

Hey everyone, new here.

Just started printing, so far no problems up until now. I've been trying to troubleshoot a problem I have when I'm printing onto black shirts. It seems after I've applied a coat or two of yellow ink (with flash in between), the third coat seems to make the ink lift back up a bit. Pics below:

First image is the first shirt I did, and the second image was a couple of shirts after.

The screen mesh is 156. Ive also cleaned out the ink and tried again only to have the first come out fine then get worse as I go on. question has nothing to do with white ink, that was an accident.

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

[Printavo]

Usually that happens if the ink is still sticky and hasn't flash dried enough. Can you try to hold it under there a bit longer?

 

[Printavo]

I'm also not totally convinced you need a third pull but yeah try that

 

[PeterTheLion]

Trying it out now. Thanks!

 

[PeterTheLion]

So, no success, just a tad better print but the result is more or less the same, It looks like the fibers of the shirt are taking the ink and making it spongy looking. I've done a bunch of other black shirts during the week that came out with a crisp image, but this is the first time this happens.

 

[DNeeld]

You are flashing too long.

 

[PeterTheLion]

I flash no more than 5 seconds.

 

[PeterTheLion]

what frustrates me is that, most of the shirts were coming out perfect, and then this started happening, what if I swapped out the screen for a 110 mesh?

 

[DNeeld]

I flash no more than 5 seconds.

Then flash for less.

 

[DNeeld]

what frustrates me is that, most of the shirts were coming out perfect

Pallets warm up during the course of a run and change the time you need to flash.

 

[PeterTheLion]

Thanks for all the tips, they're coming out smooth again. I ended up flashing less and I mixed the hell out of the ink and added some curable reducer. But the opacity seems to have diminished a bit, is that a side effect of using the reducer?

 

[DigitalInkArts]

That happens to me on occasion. I dont try to fix it. I just heat press the shirt if it does that and it all flattens out nice! Different feel but in a mix of many it is not noticed. Better than ruining it.

 

[DenJohn]

Just out of curiosity is it a 2 color print (yellow and white) if so why wouldn't you under base the yellow with the white probably save you more time... Just asking