[anders]

How do you "test" your printed shirts, do you wash them a dozen times to see if you have the right garment and transfer paper ? Do you have a process you go though or is it only when you try new products? I'm mostly talking about heat transfer shirts, but also screen printed shirts.

I'm not sure, this is the place for this thread, so please move it needed.

 

[T-BOT]

How do you "test" your printed shirts, do you wash them a dozen times to see if you have the right garment and transfer paper ? Do you have a process you go though or is it only when you try new products? I'm mostly talking about heat transfer shirts, but also screen printed shirts.

I'm not sure, this is the place for this thread, so please move it needed.

every Transfer Lot or custom transfer job we do is tested before it gets shipped out. This takes an extra day to get the orders out but this is how the boss wants it.

We use a Washer and Dryer in the testing area of the shop. We print the transfers on the proper knit fabrics they will be applied on. With some we test all types of fabrics, linen, denim etc..... Never had 1 customer return the goods due to quality/wash problems in 20-30 years.... according to the boss, i was not even born then.

 

[ZachEllsworth]

There are a few things that I like to do when testing a heat-transfer product:

First, I would apply the product at all of the manufacturer recommended settings from the right garment to the time, temperature and pressure. I would then perform wash tests according to those same manufacturer recommended settings. (Wash in cold water/Do not Dry/etc.)

Then, taking the same application instructions, I would wash and dry in the harshest of environments regardless of the manufacturers recommendation. Unfortunately, that's what your customer will do.

After that, I would apply samples at higher and lower temperatures, times and pressures than recommended and wash according to recommended instructions.

All of that to say, you will probably never get done testing and have time to move on to selling. Industry standard wash tests are 50 cycles + and 9 times out of 10 the manufacturer (if they are at all professional) has already performed these wash tests before offering the product for sale.

If you make sure that your heat press is properly calibrated, understand how to measure your pressure and stick within the recommended applications, you really shouldn't have a problem.

Hope this helps!