[e2artprojects]

I'm having an issue where there's a lot of "holes" in my prints, especially on white sections. A related issue is that when I press them, parts of the ink seem to come off the shirt and transfers onto the parchment paper/teflon sheet. This makes the spottiness stand out even more. Based on your own experience how can I fix this?

Any suggestions would be welcome, thank you.

Printer: Ricoh Ri 2000
Print Settings: Fine 600x600dpi 8pass BiDirectional Spray
Pretreat: Image Armor Platinum

1 pass with my pretreat machine setting at 64cc spray pressure. I use a foam roller to roll the solution into the shirt, rolling in one direction, from collar to hem.

Dry Method: After spraying with pretreat my usual method is to hover my press 1" over the shirt for about 30-60 seconds. Then I press @ 330* F (165* C) for 40 seconds on light pressure (20 psi). I lift the parchment paper off to let the steam air out, then press again for another 20 seconds. If the parchment paper slides right off, I take that as a sign the shirt's dry and ready to print.

Cure Method: After printing, I let the shirt hang dry overnight if I can prior to pressing. I hover the press 1" over the shirt for 2-5 minutes. I've tried pressing for 45 secs at 330*F, 340*F, and 350*F temps, with same results. I do a final press for another 45 seconds, making it 90 seconds total.

 

[TABOB]

After printing, I let the shirt hang dry overnight if I can prior to pressing. I hover the press 1" over the shirt for 2-5 minutes.

The overnight drying is unnecessary and pointless. The glycol in the ink will not evaporate without heat.
I would reduce the hover distance. The idea is to cure the top layer of the ink, so it does not stick when pressed.

 

[JohnDeco]

Here are few steps to fix spotty white ink prints:

1. Clean the print head - A clogged print head can cause ink smudges and spotty prints.
2. Use high-quality ink cartridges - Using a low-quality ink can result in poor print quality.
3. Check the paper type - Some types of paper don't absorb ink well and can cause smudging.
4. Calibrate the printer - This can help improve print quality by adjusting the alignment of the print head.
5. Use a Teflon sheet - Placing a Teflon sheet under the parchment paper can help prevent smudging.

If the issue persists, try contacting the printer manufacturer for further assistance.

 

[TABOB]

Check the paper type - Some types of paper don't absorb ink well and can cause smudging.

Paper? He's printing DTG.

 

[splathead]

Paper? He's printing DTG.

This is what happens when folks just grab junk off of Google and posts it here.

Anyone can Google. And no doubt the OP did. Now he is looking for personal knowledge/experiences for answers not cut and paste kings.

 

[e2artprojects]

I took Bob's advice and lowered the heat press distance to be as close as possible without actually touching the garment. I do this for 2-5 mins. Tons more steam vapor comes out than previously, which to me is a good sign.

I watched some videos and read some different threads on here about curing prints, so what I tried differently is pressing to cure at 330* ~ 340* F (165* ~ 171* C), with pressure set to "1", which equates to roughly 10 PSI from what I understand, much lighter pressure. In contrast I increased the temperature when drying the pretreat to 6 (60 psi), heavier pressure than before.

I noticed this did help tons with preventing the ink smudging onto the parchment paper/teflon sheet upon final curing. I'm still having the issue with the black spots, i.e. the fibers of the dark garment I printed on poking through the print:

(Please excuse the horizontal ink banding lines, I did a full maintenance clean since this photo was taken and that cleared up).

This only really happens on lighter colored areas, such as parts of the print that are white or a color like yellow, sky blue, pink, etc.

Would this be a sign that I'm not spraying down enough pretreat? For this print I've adjusted it to spray at 21cc (the lowest setting on my pretreat machine) instead of the usual 40cc - 60cc volume I've been using, but same results after printing.

I've also been using a clean foam roller to "roll" the pretreat into the garment, rolling in one direction from collar to hem so the solution is better absorbed into the shirt. Reading some of the other threads/replies on here I'm going to try a new wide paint brush to gently brush the pretreat onto the shirt instead of the foam roller.