[matesdesign]

I am printing my own designs and transferring those designs onto babies bibs.

Please find attached pictures of some that I made yesterday. I am overall pretty happy but have a few questions.

I made the image myself in Illustrator.

I printed onto JPSS paper using an Epson WF-2010 printer with pigment ink.

The bibs you see are 100% cotton, I have found that printing on a high quality print mode with plain paper selected as the media has given me the best results so far. I've tried playing around with other settings, and have tried printing onto 100% poly bibs as well but the quality on this bib was the poorest of all. I am till waiting for some 50/50 bibs to arrive so I can test on those.

Ok here's my first problem. Maybe it isn't a problem who knows... I don't own a heat press (yet).

I am not sure if I need one but already I have seen it's hard trying to re-create the same finish each time by using just a home iron. It's impossible to tell how much pressure I am putting on each part of the design, and indeed it's impossible to tell if the iron is hot enough or even too hot!

My results have been good though, which leads me to believe possibly with more practice I could make this work with just an iron. I've made sure I have this set to cotton and press with heavy pressure for 30 seconds.

I pre-iron the bib to remove moisture and to make sure there are no wrinkles, I then use a Lint roll to remove any unwanted fibres/dirt. Once I peeled the backing off the transfer I stretch the bib in a few directions. I haven't yet tried placing some kraft paper over the image once the backing has been removed and then ironing again, but I will try this as I have heard it helps the transfer set into the fabric.

No matter how long I press the transfer for, whether I apply lots or little pressure. Whether I have set the image to print in high or normal mode. When I remove the backing from the transfer there it always some of the image/ink left on the backing???

I just want to know if this is normal? I mean the transfer looks great on the bib, but why so much residue left on the backing of the transfer?

Every video I've seen there is never anything left on the backing paper once removed?

Any feedback welcome?

Cheers.

 

[RobertTSS]

These papers soak up a lot of ink thus you will have some residue. The transfers looks great thus it appears to be working as intended. What setting are you printing on? Card stock, photograph etc?

I am printing my own designs and transferring those designs onto babies bibs.

Please find attached pictures of some that I made yesterday. I am overall pretty happy but have a few questions.

I made the image myself in Illustrator.

I printed onto JPSS paper using an Epson WF-2010 printer with pigment ink.

The bibs you see are 100% cotton, I have found that printing on a high quality print mode with plain paper selected as the media has given me the best results so far. I've tried playing around with other settings, and have tried printing onto 100% poly bibs as well but the quality on this bib was the poorest of all. I am till waiting for some 50/50 bibs to arrive so I can test on those.

Ok here's my first problem. Maybe it isn't a problem who knows... I don't own a heat press (yet).

I am not sure if I need one but already I have seen it's hard trying to re-create the same finish each time by using just a home iron. It's impossible to tell how much pressure I am putting on each part of the design, and indeed it's impossible to tell if the iron is hot enough or even too hot!

My results have been good though, which leads me to believe possibly with more practice I could make this work with just an iron. I've made sure I have this set to cotton and press with heavy pressure for 30 seconds.

I pre-iron the bib to remove moisture and to make sure there are no wrinkles, I then use a Lint roll to remove any unwanted fibres/dirt. Once I peeled the backing off the transfer I stretch the bib in a few directions. I haven't yet tried placing some kraft paper over the image once the backing has been removed and then ironing again, but I will try this as I have heard it helps the transfer set into the fabric.

No matter how long I press the transfer for, whether I apply lots or little pressure. Whether I have set the image to print in high or normal mode. When I remove the backing from the transfer there it always some of the image/ink left on the backing???

I just want to know if this is normal? I mean the transfer looks great on the bib, but why so much residue left on the backing of the transfer?

Every video I've seen there is never anything left on the backing paper once removed?

Any feedback welcome?

Cheers.

 

[matesdesign]

These papers soak up a lot of ink thus you will have some residue. The transfers looks great thus it appears to be working as intended. What setting are you printing on? Card stock, photograph etc?

Ok thanks that's very helpful to know that these papers soak up some of the ink. Just wanted someone in the know to tell me if it was to be expected or not.

In regards to what settings I am printing on.

I've been playing around with all sorts to be honest. From high quality and photo paper to normal quality and plain paper. Plus a mix of both.

I think so far the ones that have come out best have been by setting the printer to high quality but selecting plain paper as the media. I'm sure I'll learn/find out more as I go along.

 

[diveuk]

If you are only doing babies bibs have you thought about trying sublimation, the images may be more durable and production costs may be less.

 

[diveuk]

Also with a heat press you may be able to produce 3-4 bibs at a time(depending on platen size) and you will be able to reproduce the same results for each bib.

 

[matesdesign]

If you are only doing babies bibs have you thought about trying sublimation, the images may be more durable and production costs may be less.

I haven't thought about sublimation no. I don't even have any reasons why I haven't either.. I think I just came across heat transfers/pigment inks etc and decided that sounded like it would work for what I wanted to do. I did spend a lot of time however researching how much this would cost me to produce each bib. I think I've got it pretty cheap already, considering the smaller quantities I'm working with (about £1 per bib) so I would be surprised if I could get it much cheaper. Plus I can obviously fit multiple designs on a single sheet of JPSS paper.

I think I'll stick with my current method for now as I would like to see how that goes but thank you for giving me food for thought

 

[matesdesign]

Also with a heat press you may be able to produce 3-4 bibs at a time(depending on platen size) and you will be able to reproduce the same results for each bib.

Yes this is what really attracts me. Being able to produce the same result each time is really important to me and I know I'm not going to be able to get that using just a home iron.

 

[elcielo]

You're doing all right, Sean, and I like your designs. Keep on keepin' on.

 

[matesdesign]

You're doing all right, Sean, and I like your designs. Keep on keepin' on.

Thank you. Just trying to knuckle down now and work on a handful of designs

 

[matesdesign]

Made another design which I'm pretty happy with, melted chocolate Tried one with a yellow gradient background but preferred the dripping chocolate text on it's own. Worth noting that I'm now getting a much fuller looking transfer now that I've changed the print settings, I have now set the paper to EPSON MATTE and the print quality to HIGH.

Really starting to encounter problems using just a home iron. I had been just pressing for 30 or so seconds but I recently noticed that JPSS say to press for 90 seconds if using a home iron? Seems quite a big jump..

I have ruined so many bibs though by using an iron as the image sometimes won't stay in place as I move the iron over the transfer, plus as the garment is so small it's hard to move the iron about without it hitting the edges of the bib. I've stepped up my search for a suitable heat press.

 

[matesdesign]

OK so I picked up some Kraft paper from the Royal Mail online shop.

Look what happened below???

I'm sure I must of done something wrong as the transfer has burnt onto the kraft paper and then peeled it off from the bib?

I ironed the garment to remove moisture etc. Placed the transfer face down and using heavy pressure heated with an iron for a good 30 odd seconds. I then peeled the backing off the transfer and stretched the garment a little (all good at this point). I then placed a bit of the kraft paper back over the image and pressed for a further 7 seconds or so, then as I took the kraft paper off I could tell it had burnt a bit and then it tore a lot of the transfer off from the bib?

This isn't quite the matte finish I was hoping to achieve by using this kraft paper to help set the image into the garment?

 

[diveuk]

Kraft paper is OK if you are just knocking up a couple of images for yourself, if you are selling the products stick with branded papers, more expensive but by far superior results.

I think that a decent heat press and transfer paper will solve any problems.

A word of caution, try and steer clear of the cheap heat presses on ebay, try to find a decent branded s/h one rather than a new cheapie one.

 

[matesdesign]

Kraft paper is OK if you are just knocking up a couple of images for yourself, if you are selling the products stick with branded papers, more expensive but by far superior results.

I think that a decent heat press and transfer paper will solve any problems.

A word of caution, try and steer clear of the cheap heat presses on ebay, try to find a decent branded s/h one rather than a new cheapie one.

I've been using Jet Pro Soft Stretch paper. I thought that was generally considered to be one of the best transfer papers?

I was using the kraft paper to help set the image into the garment after it had been pressed. I heard it leaves the image with a matte finish? If not, can you recommend what I should be re-pressing with?

Thanks for the heads up on the heat presses, I've been looking on ebay and almost jumped in and bought one... Going to hold out for a second hand branded one I think whether it's on ebay or elsewhere.

 

[Lnfortun]

I've been using Jet Pro Soft Stretch paper. I thought that was generally considered to be one of the best transfer papers?

I was using the kraft paper to help set the image into the garment after it had been pressed. I heard it leaves the image with a matte finish? If not, can you recommend what I should be re-pressing with?

Thanks for the heads up on the heat presses, I've been looking on ebay and almost jumped in and bought one... Going to hold out for a second hand branded one I think whether it's on ebay or elsewhere.

Use parchment paper. Get it from grocery store.

 

[matesdesign]

Use parchment paper. Get it from grocery store.

Thanks I'll pick some up.

Just to check. Should I put the parchment paper over the transfer during my main press? Or do I just put it over the transfer once the backing has been peeled off??

Or should I do both?

I'm off to check out a second hand (although advertised as brand new) PixMax heat press tonight

 

[diveuk]

Use a teflon sheet, it will last for years.

 

[matesdesign]

Use a teflon sheet, it will last for years.

Thank you. Teflon sheet leaves a shiny finish right? Ok so if I were to use a teflon sheet do I use this for the whole pressing process or just the re-press part??

 

[diveuk]

Thank you. Teflon sheet leaves a shiny finish right? Ok so if I were to use a teflon sheet do I use this for the whole pressing process or just the re-press part??

I use for both, [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57olbvZSUzU[/media]

 

[matesdesign]

I use for both, [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57olbvZSUzU[/media]

Thank you.

 

[Lnfortun]

Thanks I'll pick some up.

Just to check. Should I put the parchment paper over the transfer during my main press? Or do I just put it over the transfer once the backing has been peeled off??

Or should I do both?

I'm off to check out a second hand (although advertised as brand new) PixMax heat press tonight

Word of caution. Teflon will pickup faint of ink/polymer. It will transfer on the next shirt and ruin it. I had that problem so I quit using Teflon for repressing the image. You can use it for pressing to removing moisture and wrinkle or over the parchment when pressing the transfer or repressing the image covered with parchment. However it will reduce some of the heat applied to the transfer. I use parchment paper until it starts to scorch or picks up some ink/polymer.