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PriscillaPaintsandMore

HTV Bubbling and Wrinkling on 50/50 blend

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Hey everyone, 

I am new here. I did a search of my topic, but I was unable to find anything on it. I apologize in advance if it's already been answered. 

Attached you will find two sweatshirts I did over the weekend. Both are 50/50 poly/cotton blend. My customer sent me these pictures today. Any idea why this happened? I'm now nervous to take any more orders.

I used Siser EasyWeed Stretch 

 

I used the Cricut Easy press at 305 degrees, firm press, for 15 sec. Area was pre heated for 3 seconds

According to the customer both sweatshirts were washed in cold water and dried normally. I do not know if they are turned inside out. 

 

Thanks!

P

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What comes to mind first is the shirts are not pre-shrunk and washing/drying is causing them to shrink.  The shirt shrinks but the vinyl doesn't, thus wrinkles.  Worse in 100% cotton, but a 50/50 blend can shrink too.  Maybe you could find a supplier offering pre-shrunk ones.  Pre-shrunk shirts aren't necessarily pre-washed.  Some kind of machine is involved in pre-shrinking.  You could try pre-washing yourself, but maybe this isn't optimal.  Second thing that comes to mind is they got the shirt right from your press quickly and washed them quickly,  (the same night.)  HTV does better after it has cured for a day or two, the adhesive hardening and sinking into the fibers.  Lastly, the brands involved come to mind.  What brand of shirt are you using?  Some shirt brands are more shrink prone.  Thicker HTV while being inferior hand tends to not wrinkle as much.  I wonder if normal EZ weed would be better here than EZ weed stretch.  Sweaters are not performance material, (for athletic wear,) which EZ weed stretch is meant for.

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I'd almost guarantee its the hand press. Siser Stretch is ridiculously adherent and I almost never have a failure. The only times I have were when I had a heavy seam that held my press platen up a little on one corner causing it to come loose in a few places in the middle. Should also check the actual heat on the thing with an infrared temp gun. 

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the Cricut Easy press  is a hand press as wildgoose mentions - no way you are going to get an accurate time and temp with one.  not made for items being sold but sold to the hobby market 

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I wasn't aware of what a Cricut Easy Press was.  I found a video.  It's a big hand iron.  I change my opinion, to 1) It's probably the big hand iron not being a conventional press.  2)  It still might be something to do with shrinking, but maybe a little of the shrinking and the lack of consistent pressure/heat on your iron.

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To be fair Siser says you can apply it with a hand iron so a lot of people try this but after doing this for about 7 years I can tell you even the cheapest of clam shell presses will far outperform the hand iron method. 

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I had the same thing happen with Siser Stretch. I used a heat press (the cheap one from USCutter, but a heat press none the less) measured temp with infrared heat gun. Design was 2 X 3 inches. Was it maybe too detailed? I repressed with hand iron and seemed to re-adhere. Shirts were Gildan 50/50. I've made the same or similar design using Siser Easyweed with no lifting issues. Is it something with Stretch? 

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Did you happen to prewash it or anything? Some fabric softeners can cause issues. In all the years I have been doing this (almost 9) I have had one 10 yd roll of Siser Stretch white that was bad and had an entire basket ball team set of uniforms come off. That was embarrassing but it peeled off so nice I just recut and reapplied with a different roll so other than embarrassment it was not too painful. I had a feeling it was an issue when I put it on too because it was not feeling quite right and there was a little lifting when hot peeling the carrier.  I do a LOT of HTV work and have pressed up in the thousands of feet of that stuff so it's really rare to have it be the vinyl but it's possible. More likely something else. The only other I have ever had come off were from a cold spot on my old press and a couple that I had a heavy neck collar or thick sewn seam that held the press up on one side. I have since bought a press pad or two for those type circumstances. 

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