Author Topic: Printing Dri-Fit...What Do I need To Know?  (Read 6615 times)

Offline Fresh Baked Printing

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Printing Dri-Fit...What Do I need To Know?
« on: April 30, 2011, 12:49:30 PM »
Any considerations for printing on Dri-Fit?
In addition to printing considerations, can it handle heat press screened transfer (Transfer Express numbers)?
Thanks.
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Offline blue moon

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Re: Printing Dri-Fit...What Do I need To Know?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2011, 01:16:39 PM »
we do those every week, it is not a big deal.

-they are woven very tight and print beautifully. It almost looks like sublimation.
-they bleed like a SOB! If you can control your cure temperatures, you can get away with not printing an underbase even on blacks (might need a thicker screen for that, 160 worked for me).

I am on an electric dryer and all the shirts are coming out pretty hot (370-390) so I have to underbase everything. I also hit the white PFP even though the first hit looks great! One hit was bleeding through.

Make sure you catch them at the end of the dryer. If they fall in and sit the wrinkles will set and the only way to get them out is to run the shirts through the dryer again. That's when the bleeding starts. HAVE SOMEBODY CATCHING THEM and save yourself a lot of headache.

pierre
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Offline Frog

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Re: Printing Dri-Fit...What Do I need To Know?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2011, 01:18:49 PM »
I've never used their screenprinted transfers, only plastic films like vinyl.
Are the shirts dark poly? Are they stretch? If either, do the inks used in the transfers contain the needed properties?

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Offline blue moon

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Re: Printing Dri-Fit...What Do I need To Know?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2011, 01:27:06 PM »
Any considerations for printing on Dri-Fit?
In addition to printing considerations, can it handle heat press screened transfer (Transfer Express numbers)?
Thanks.

sorry, forgot the second part. Yes we press transfer express numbers all the time.

make sure you preheat the shirts and then press about 4 seconds longer than what the instructions call for. We press them at 345 to stay under 350. about 12 seconds with medium pressure.

as a side note, I just fused the print to the numbers on the reversable jersey while pressing the other side. Make sure you use transfer paper or teflon sheet to protect any plastisol that's touching . . .

pierre 
Yes, we've won our share of awards, and yes, I've tested stuff and read the scientific papers, but ultimately take everything I say with more than just a grain of salt! So if you are looking for trouble, just do as I say or even better, do something I said years ago!