ImagesMagUK_January_2022

www.images-magazine.com JANUARY 2022 images 27 TIPS & TECHNIQUES a polymer, salt and water. Rather than discolouration, the pretreated area can form small salt-like crystals on the garment. This crystallisation effect happens when the water in the pretreat is trapped due to it being pressed. If this happens, reduce the pressure on your heat press and/or check that the sheet of paper you are using is not of a poor quality. Low- quality parchment paper can result in a similar effect; choose thin parchment pretreatment paper rather than thick Teflon sheets that can trap moisture. Lower the press so it can hover above the garment for approximately 10 seconds. If you notice a large amount of steam coming out of your machine, lift the press and allow the steam to dissipate. If hovering is not an option with your press, you can avoid crystallisation by doing short intervals. This method allows the steam to escape from the press. If crystallisation still occurs, check the T-shirts you are using. It is possible that the way the fibres are woven makes them tend to trap moisture more than other T-shirts. www.exiletech.com gives the steam a chance to come out and minimises bleach and staining on your garments. Even though this process takes up more time, it allows the pretreatment to fully dry. This produces a quality product and eliminates the issue of the garment getting overly hot to the point where it burns. Yellowing/scorching stains Light garments, especially white ones, have a greater chance of acquiring yellow or scorch stains. Similar to heat and pressure stains, you can lower the temperature and extend the time or work in short intervals to prevent issues from occurring. Another option is to add additional layers of parchment paper or Teflon sheets to give extra protection to your garment. If you have been using only one sheet, try adding a second layer and see if this addition helps. Crystallisation issues A less common issue that can happen with DTG printing is crystallisation. In general, pretreatment solutions consist of three main ingredients: may be set too high during the pretreatment process, causing the material to burn. As a guide, your temperature should be set to 160°C. Another solution to this problem is to press the garment in 10 to 15 second intervals with a light-medium pressure during the pretreatment curing process instead of for the full 30 seconds. If you notice a lot of steam from the start, you can then adjust your interval time for shorter durations. Repeat this interval pressing process approximately two to three times depending on the type of garment you are printing on. After curing your pretreatment, you can raise the temperature once again and after you have printed the garment, cure the print for approximately 90 seconds with slightly less pressure than that which you used when curing the pretreatment. One way to confirm that you are using the proper amount of pressure is when you are barely able to pull out the parchment paper covering your garment. Once you reach this point, turn the knob one full turn. The advantage of working in intervals and adjusting the pressure is that it DTFTRANSFER.CO.UK TRADE PRICES GET A QUOTE OR ORDER ONLINE TODAY DELIVERY CHARGE £5.00* TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! FREE SAMPLE BOX *