Impressions - August/September 2012 - (Page 57)

320°F or higher, the printer can breathe a small sigh of relief. This will allow the use of a greater range of inks when it comes to low bleed or stretch. If the material cannot take the higher heat, but can withstand the 275°F threshold, then the use of lowfusing plastisols is possible. This will limit the printer’s arsenal, as there are a limited number of effective low-fusing plastisols available. Even then, if stretch additives are required, this can interfere with the low-fusing properties of the ink. Great care should be taken when you prepare to print onto performance fabrics. The key word here is “prepare,” because the most effective way to deal with the variables of the stretch and heat sensitivity of the newer synthetic fabrics is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. TESTING IS ESSENTIAL The importance of testing, especially on performancewear, before beginning production cannot be overstressed. Test and retest everything. There are a couple of ways to test a garment to determine if it is likely to bleed. First, for the more common approach, heat a transfer machine to 320°F. Then, add a small amount of viscosity reducer On the left is an example of a print on a polyester/Lycra spandex blend where a stretch additive was not used with the ink. Note that the print is cracking when the fabric is stretched. On the right, the stretch additive was used on the same fabric and results in no cracking of the design. Here is another example of a design created using plastisol ink with the stretch additive. to the performance material being tested. Next, place a piece of white cotton or Pellon material on top of the reducer. Press for 30 seconds, remove the white fabric and check for staining. The bigger the stain on the white cloth, the greater the chances of dye migration or bleeding occurring. The second, less-used test involves printing low-bleed ink onto the fabric being tested. Cure, then cut the piece of material in half. Place one half in a warm/ hot location. For best results, a temperature of 150°F is recommended. The heat will accelerate the dye migration and give you an indication of whether it is likely to occur. Or, ask for extra garments for testing, then print one with a low-bleed or low-fusing ink. Cure the ink then wait several days, preferably over a weekend. If the ink hasn’t bled by then, there’s a good chance that it won’t. A very critical point to remember with bleeding is that there is no 100% efAugust/September 2012 | Impressions impressionsmag.com 57 http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - August/September 2012

Impressions - August/September 2012
Table of Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conference
Warming Trends
Redefining Fleece
Jackets of All Trades
How to Handle the Unhappy Customer
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Technique
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Production
Screen Printing Graphics & Design
Online Directory
Digital Decorating
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - August/September 2012