[Amor365]

Hi all.

This might soundlike a really stupid question and I probably have the answer already. When pressing flex, cloth, glitter and so on, how do we do the different colour? Some sights I have been checking out offer a flex press and have 1, 2, 3 or even 4 or more different colours.

I gues that the way to do this is to press one colour, then press the next colour and so on. But how is this done? Do we need to line it up on the garment or do we gather all the colours onto a carrier first then press all in one go. Different colour words are easy to do but different colours in a logo is where I tend to get caught out on.

Also, can we mix them? As in using flex, cloth and glitter?

I have pretty much sussed everything else and doing ok with them. I press flex, flock and so on but only single colours.

Any help or advice would be helpfull and very much appreciated.

Paulo

 

[Amor365]

Anyboby?

I'm sure I;m right but just need confirming.

Thanks

 

[charles95405]

I use several colors and multipress...first press...just long enough to bond..then add each color..care needs to be taken to make sure you are pressing in the right order

 

[joeshaul]

With regular vinyl you can cut a registration mark out of each layer and attach each layer via app tape and the reg mark, but vinyl uses a pressure sensitive adhesive so it sticks to itself.

Since the adhesive in heat press vinyl is heat activated, the different layers won't stick to the carrier sheet well so most people press the layers individually. First the bottom layer will be pressed, usually only for a few seconds, enough to keep the vinyl on the garment, but not a full press, then apply the next layer over top and press the same as you did the first, until you reach the final layer, which is pressed at the fully recommended time and temp. I don't think there's any issue withhaving multiple types, the only thing that can go wrong is if one material doesn't hold up to a higher heat that another material require. If you have something that presses at say 300 degrees and another at 400 degrees, the 400 degree item should be pressed first if at all possible, otherwise I'd contact the manufacturer of the 300 degree temp one to see if it will be ok.

 

[Amor365]

Thanks for the replies,

Just as I thought and its really a matter of practice. I assume that I start with the outer colours first working in i.e. if it were a ciricle of coloured rings I would start with the outer colour and finish with the centre colour.

Paulo

 

[Amor365]

Forgot to ask! Do we cut out the same pattern for each layer and only remove the parts we dont need or do we have to create a new layer as if we were screen printing.

 

[joeshaul]

Forgot to ask! Do we cut out the same pattern for each layer and only remove the parts we dont need or do we have to create a new layer as if we were screen printing.

Normally no, because when the vinyl is heat pressed it will shrink and if you layer it like that, you will see some of the shirt in between the layers. Instead, you will actually place the vinyl on top of the other vinyl (with the outer circle going down first, then the nextmost outer color and so on like you said in your other post).

If you are layering lots of vinyl together and the first finished shirt feels cumbersome, you may want to do as you suggested, but make sure that you make each layer has some overlap/is a bit thicker to account for the shrinkage.

 

[rabbitdog]

There's also some special tape you can pick up (probably from the same supplier you bought your vinyl from) that is heat resistant and made for heat pressing.

It's helpful for positioning the various layers so they don't move when you're adding the carrier sheet/doing the actual press.