www.images-magazine.com APRIL 2022 images 29 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Printing on previously pretreated garments When it is time to print, it is vital to prepress the garment for five to 10 seconds before printing. This process releases any extra moisture and flattens out the fabric’s fibres. Shelf-life of pretreated fabrics Polyprint pretreatment liquids, when coated on a fabric, can stay active for at least six months. This means that you can pretreat apparel in advance and print them six months later, as long as you have executed the pretreat process correctly. Caution: Do not apply an extra pretreatment layer over a garment that has exceeded the suggested timeline. Although the print may seem okay at first sight, when the garment is washed the print is more likely to crack and peel off. In general, pretreating in bulk works best with an automatic pretreatment machine to ensure smooth production runs. Pretreatment machines, like Polyprint’s PreTreater Pro, offer consistency in repeated jobs and improved washability, while saving on liquids. www.polyprintdtg.com Pretreating in bulk In order to stay on top of things, DTG users may prefer to pretreat popular garments in advance so that they have ready-to-print apparel in stock. Depending on the pretreatment liquid used, the process followed and, most importantly, the garment storage conditions, different printing outcomes can be observed over time. Long-term precoated garments tend to lose their printability as pretreatment solutions lose their effectiveness, causing faded prints that may peel off during wash cycles. Polyprint’s pretreatment solutions are thoroughly tested to ensure their printing properties and to establish the length of their ‘shelf-life’. It is important to ensure that your pretreatment process is on point, otherwise you may end up with wasted garments. To prevent this from happening, consider the following: ■ Ensure that your pretreatment liquids are within their expiration date and will remain active until you use the pretreated fabric. For example, if your pretreatment liquid expires in two months, you should also use the pretreated garment within that timeframe. ■ Shake the pretreatment bottles to get a homogenous liquid for accurate results. ■ Opt for an automatic pretreatment machine that will deliver consistent results, eliminate user errors, and help with productivity, especially when pretreating large orders. For example, Polyprint’s PreTreater Pro has an auto recirculation system to avoid manual shaking of pretreatment bottles, the ability to apply precise quantities of pretreatment, and selections that allow users to choose the exact linear (consecutive) or grid (non-consecutive) areas to be sprayed. ■ High-pressure fixation will deliver a smooth printing surface. Storing pretreated garments Immediately after curing the pretreatment liquid, store the garments in air-tight bags so they won’t be exposed to humidity. Note: If you are working in an extrahumid environment or you have a humidifier, it is better to store your garments in a separate room. If the pretreated fabrics absorb moisture from a humid environment, even after pressing them, you are unlikely to achieve the expected end result.
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