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screen printing => Waterbase and Discharge => Topic started by: dirkdiggler on October 30, 2012, 06:53:01 PM
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My rep says if I print with ZFS activator I have to label each shirt (wash before wearing) before giving to the customer or I have to wash all of them first. What do you guys recommend?
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My rep says if I print with ZFS activator I have to label each shirt (wash before wearing) before giving to the customer or I have to wash all of them first. What do you guys recommend?
That's a good question. Hate to say this but all garments should be washed before worn. We screen printers have nothing on the nastiness of dye houses!
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Yeah I don't even want to think of the conditions in some factories in 3rd world countries. I always wonder if we will ever find some crazy bug in one of the boxes.
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I probably go for a NF activator. No need for washing or labeling and my wife will be a happy bunny in the office. But if I go for ZSF I would just label them. I was told it`s only really important to label or wash them if it`s kids garments. But then I`m in a different part of the world with different regulations.
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Sorry folks but NF discharge is not any more "friendly" at least by what my chemist friends tell me. Serious formaldehyde odors. I honestly forget what the active ingredient in the activator is but I can find out if anyone cares. Also BTW the NF inks are less vibrant.
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I have seen lots of samples on this board, so how are you guys handling it? Want to make sure I do the right thing.
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I am just dabbling in discharge and trying to get a handle on any additional time that may be involved. We are looking at offering a washing service before we deliver. I have a coin laundry right down the street that offers washing by the pound. I can deliver 100 shirts and have them washed dried and folded for $50.00. I am thinking $.55 a shirt should cover all my time involved. We will also have a $25.00 minimum charge. So if I have only 12 shirts going I am not loosing any money by sending someone out.
Matt
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We have in house industrial laundering service to support our distressed applique biz. Its available for post laundering discharge but the additional expense is usually cost prohibitive. For our Resort line it is never been an issue as the typical end user will not wear the shirt until they return home and launder the garment(s). As is the case with most end users in general. That said I produced a huge order for a major tennis shoe co for a Boston Marathon event. I was a bit concerned that they would pass these out and wear them during the event. Perspiration combined with an unlaundered discharge garment is often prone to reactivating a sulphuour odor and, in some cases, can cause a rash. I advised them accordingly.
In the end I would never advise anyone not to post launder or stamp a "Wash before Wearing" sticker on a garment; it's just that we have rarely found it necessary. Lastly and perhaps most importantly I would be far more attentive to the issue when decorating childrens apparel.
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Yup, we have a service available to wash any garments if needed and also an enzyme wash that actually makes the shirts softer as well. But not one single client has taken it up due to cost. And it is really not that much more, but when you are doing several hundred or thousands the price does add up. But I always tell people look at all those Ed Hardy shirts. There is a reason they are spendy but people still buy them. We just advise all of our clients about discharge whether they are new to the game or already know whats going on.
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I have ALWAYS washed my shirts before wearing them (something my mother instilled in me as just the way it goes). That said, I have been amazed by how many don't. I would actually say a LOT of t-shirt wearers don't (read that how you want).
At disc golf tournaments there are anywhere from 75-150 shirts given out to participants and it never fails about half of these people put on the shirt for the tournament. Doesn't make sense to me... we KNOW you were at this tournament because it's STILL going on AND now you have to play in a gross itch shirt... never made sense.
I did the shirts for a big regional team event and I was on the team for my city and I took our teams shirt and washed them for everyone so we would have nice clean soft shirts... I told the guys and one of them said "why were they dirty?"
*shrug*