Transfers am I missing something?

[mr300s 1,272]

I know that I am semi new at this but I continue to have small problems with some transfers.  They are not from one company so I am sure it's user error.

I did a mothers are special womans tee shirt yesterday.  It was the first one of these I tried.  So I press 400 degree at 12 seconds called for a touch under these setting.  Was a hot peel , shirt was 100 % 6.1 cotton.  What happen?  Most of the ink stayed on the transfer (pressure set at 9) and although it came out it was very light on the shirt (for lights only transfer) so light I would say it could not be sold.  So another shirt wasted and another transfer wasted.

Here is my question?  I know its not just me I read it here and on other forums people have trouble with these different transfers.  The bad part is you are not just ruining a few cent vinyl decal that you can cut again but the couple dollar transfer you bought and the price of the tee shirt.

So why cant you follow their directions and get one to work without finding the sweet spot ?  It seems that you have to go through many transfers and sometimes shirts to get it right?

It shouldn't have to be this difficult.  Am I missing something?  Trouble is when you figure out one transfer then you try another new one and it is all different again ?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

300 - I can't remember did you check the platen temp all around when you got the Phenoex??

[Guest fivestar]

One reason why I deal only with Ace Transfer, once I found their "sweet spot" of each different "peel" I can use those settings and never have to worry about it.

[mr300s 1,272]

300 - I can't remember did you check the platen temp all around when you got the Phenoex??

Yes they sent me some heat strips and temp was right on the money along with everything else dollar bill test on pressure etc.  Some come out perfect but it seems there are always others that don't work the way they are suppose to and you end up ruining a shirt and transfer....

[SandyM114 0]

I'm curious...what's the dollar bill test?  Also, the heat test strips? Thanks.Sandy

[RetMOS 0]

Are you pre-pressing the shirt?  Doing so gets the moisture out of the garment.  You will see steam escaping from the press which can cool the platen or prevent the ink from transferring evenly.  Also try cranking up the heat on scrap shirts-sometimes they just have to forced to transfer.

Ken

RetMOS

079/pbbn

[midwaste 4]

Sometimes "hot peel" transfers can actually be too hot to peel when the press is first opened.  Plastisol inks cure at 330, so if you are pressing at 400, the inks are close to 400 when you open the press, which means they are very liquid.  They will stick better to the shirt if you run your hand or a rag over the transfer to get the temp closer to 330 or so before you peel.

Also, don't just peel the transfer completely off and cross your fingers, peel a corner up and if it looks like it didn't transfer well, you can just lay it back down and try it again.

[mr300s 1,272]

Yes I preheat everything and I have also tried to rub a old shirt after the press pops up and then peel.  It worked great on one of my transfers and then when I tried a different design same company no go.  It can be frustrating huh?

You place a dollar bill in the corners of the press and try to pull it out.  If you cant that tells you that there is even pressure in all four corners of the press.  You can buy the heat strips you place them along the press top middle bottom to make sure you have even heat all across the press.  Say you set it for 400 degree press for so many seconds cant remember what it was now then lift and the strip will turn black at the temp it reads and you compare that with the presses temp shown and they should match,  If they don't there is a process where you can adjust the factory settings at least on my press.