TROUBLE STRUCK: HELP NEEDED

[kainth.c.s 53]

TROUBLE STRUCK: HELP NEEDED

Hi Everyone

I am facing the issue of black vinyl peeling off in the adjoining picture.

It has been happening only with the black vinyl, rest of the colors are fine.

This has been happening after a few days of the first wear. I have applied Heat transfer vinyl (other colors of vinyl on to the colored fabric) sometimes using household iron and sometimes using heat press but have never experienced this before. Here are the details:

HTV Brand: BFlex

Preheat temperature: 150 deg celcius

Pressing time: 15-20 seconds

Shirt material: Pure Cotton (Brand Anko available at Kmart)

Heat press used: Vevor

I tried pressing the vinyl again using heat press but on one or two shirts it started to peel off again after I test washed it. I am giving it a normal wash with maximum temperature of 80 degree celcius (in accordance with the data sheet of the vinyl).

I had a word with someone else in the company and was told that the white fabrics and garments are coated with some sort of stain resistant coating so they don't get stained while passing through many hands. This may interfere with the sticking of the vinyl.

What am I doing wrong guys?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

2 thoughts - are you pre pressing to get the moisture out of the garment before applying your graphics?     are you buying the shirts from a wholesaler or a retail store - in the past we have had members report that shirts that are displayed in a retail setting are sometimes coated with a substance like starch to make them present better on the shelf.  just thoughts and far from the expert on this one

[kainth.c.s 53]

56 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

2 thoughts - are you pre pressing to get the moisture out of the garment before applying your graphics?     are you buying the shirts from a wholesaler or a retail store - in the past we have had members report that shirts that are displayed in a retail setting are sometimes coated with a substance like starch to make them present better on the shelf.  just thoughts and far from the expert on this one

I was also thinking on the same line that there might be a coating on the shirts available at retail stores. I ordered them online but I am sure they were picked up from a couple of retail stores at different locations and dispatched. I am preheating the shirts before pressing them on with the graphics but the letters have been falling off. The coating might be just to enhance heir look or may be a stain resistant one particularly done on white fabrics so as to avoid them getting stained because of being touched by so many hands.

What do you thin?

[darcshadow 1,626]

Could try prewashing the shirts and see if that makes any difference. The fact that it's only the black though is a bit strange. If it was a coating on the shirt I'd expect all colors would peel. Other things to try would be to up the pressure a little.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

have your checked the temp on your press with a ir thermometer to make sure it is accurate - maybe the black is more sensitive to temp than the other colors or could you have a bad batch of black HTV?

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I do a lot of shirt work. Rarely have I ever had anything like a stain guard on regular tee's but there is always that posibility. The 150C is a bit on the low side by most standards. Siser regular easyweed is about that but most HTV is higher by another 15 degrees. I would try more heat and do exactly what Dakota suggested, verify your press temp with IR thermo gun to be sure it's actually giving what it's supposed to. Even my $2500 Fusion was way off when I first got it. (It was actualy high and cause scorches but still off). The techs at hotronix had me buy an IR gun and check so that's the correct proceedure and important. 

Pressure on the shirt is also important. I usually error a bit on the high side just to be safe. Typically if you overdo it you can see some adhesive ooze out at the edges of the vinyl (hard to see on anything except double layers thgouh). I have never had a failure from too much pressure either. The HTV techs get touchy with it, worrying that you can squish it all out the sides but like I said, never had a failure and I have occasionally over pressured significantly on accident. The only failures I have had were 1 roll of bad HTV (very very very unlikely but is possble) but that would only happen on one of the colors. And lack of either heat time or temp. Most often due to temp or something like a thick neck collar holding part of the platen up causing eneven pressure (baby onsies are the worst!) Heat most likely in your case. EDIT: Just saw that only the black is lifting. If you are putting the black on last and the others are getting more swell time it could do what you say. 

[kainth.c.s 53]

Hi Everyone

 

All good. So I have refixed it with the following:

I tried the following on two shirts each

1. On 2 shirts, Temperature about 325 deg F with the pressure on the higher side with pressing time about 25-30 seconds

2. On 2 shirts, exactly the same but with the shirts wet

3. On 2 shirts, another press by turning the shirts inside out

 

At the moment, the sticker looks like it has clended on to the shirt which is what I was after. I tried to remove on small black letter and it almost pulled the fabric.

Fingers crossed, I have handed over the shirts to the owner. Let's see what he comes up with

 

Many thanks for your help folks