[metalbone]

I have seen many posts on this and many varying opinions. In my case with my T-Jet2 from EZ i received silicone paper and non treated paper. I quit using the non treated paper because it just did not deal with moisture very well. I started using the silicone paper for curing the ink and just using the teflon covered heat press for curing the pretreat. I wipe the teflon cover down after every lift with a damp cloth.

I have never really used the teflon cover for curing the inks as I am afraid of possible ink transfer. I have noticed recently though the teflon cover will stick to the shirt which it never did before. I am using the same pretreat (IA) and the same pressure. So the below questions I think are relevant.

How long does does a heat press teflon cover last?

How do you tell when its time to replace it?

Can I use the cover for both pretreat cure and ink cure?

As the silicone paper cost what it costs for the precut sheets I was also wondering if there is a place to buy the silicone paper say on a roll. Thus allowing to mount to the wall in a holder/cutter like the butchers use to hold their wrap.

I should mention that I do DTG only incase that changes how the questions are answered.

 

[Smalzstein]

If you have a good quality teflon sheet (the "wooden" looking ones are the best) it will last you for thausand prints or more without a problem, you just have to clean it every couple of prints (esspecially after PT).

But personally I'm against using teflon for curing inks because it gives shiny cheap look to the print.

 

[BandPrints]

A thicker teflon sheet should last a good amount of time (all depends on pressure and so forth). You can buy "lower quality" ones on ebay which are not as thick for a very low cost (usually in 3-10 packs) but you will tend to go through these quicker. Teflon can be used on both ink and pretreat curing. We use silicon sheets for the ink curing since it gives a much nicer look we feel. We also use one heat press for pretreat and one for ink, this way we reduce the possibility of mixing the two. It also allows us to cut down the size of the silicon sheets so the use goes further.

If you take care of your teflon it will last a very long time, we suggest cleaning it every 12 pretreats or so with a rag and water, we also use the same side so that we insure it is clean.

Silicon is usually bought in pre-cut sheets and the easiest to find. Uline actually has pretty fair pricing on silicon sheets per 1,000. And if you cut your sheets down to size 1,000 will actually last about a year or more depending on print volume.