Tshirt / Printing method recommendations...??

[Todd-sta]

I have a customer who needs me to print a one-color logo on a 'mesh' half-shirt.... one that only comes down to approximately the belly button.

These are workout shirts for a police dept.

Questions are:

• What type of shirt do I want to print on (mfg, source, etc)
• What screen mesh would I need to use so that the ink doesn't push through the 'holes' of the mesh and get ink all over the platen and bottom of shirt?
• Any other advice for this kind of print?

Thanks good people!!

Toddsta

 

[dj_elite]

I would do a fabric imprintable material if it is just a one color logo. I have used Hotmark 70 or fellers Fibron with good results. Cut in reverse, weed, press on, peel cold, and press again for durability. Hope this helps!

 

[Todd-sta]

Hi DJ -

Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for the suggestion, however I'd really like to print the shirts.

Problem is, most of these 'mesh' type shirts are Polyester - does that require a special kind of ink and heat setting??

Thanks for any advice you fine folks can offer.

 

[txsurfer]

You will need an athletic no bleed poly ink, and you will have to wipe the pallet after every print due to printing through the mesh, much better to iron on!

 

[Accelerated Graphics]

I use bakers parchment paper when printing mesh,
I spray adhesive down, lay the paper down spray a little adh. print and then remove shirt, I've even then flashed the paper and then brush the dryed it off the paper...
its a little more work this why but work out fine, you will always have ink left in the holes..

 

[Twisted Images]

if you are printing a light color garment then use a poly ink but if you are printing on darks you can use a poly base and reg plastisol color.
Mesh count depends on image detail, if its just text probably a 110us if its more detail then a 140-160.

 

[Todd-sta]

Thank you everyone for the advice - sorry it took me a while to check back in. I'll give these tips a try.

 

[Valleysigns]

Just a quick question. How mqny shirts???

 

[Flame]

Been there done that. It's a slow process but it can be done. I just use regular 156 mesh, and after every print use some paper towel and solvent cleaner to wipe the ink off the platen, wait about 10 seconds for it to dry, mist some tack on the platen again and do the next shirt.

 

[Todd-sta]

Probably only 15-20. Hi Flame! Thanks for checking in on this.

 

[Speedsterbeast]

I hope these shirts are not for men.
If so, you should organize an intervention and suggest to the customer that the 80's were over a loooong time ago.

 

[john1]

lol

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Mesh shirts are a real bi%$h to print. When we do them, if memory serves me correctly, we use an appropriate ink for polyester. We print them, then as they cure under the flash dryer, we peel the shirt up off the platen slightly so heat aerates around and under the mesh. Then we just toss 'em on the conveyor. Of course this only works for one color prints, but we've never been asked to do mesh with more than one color so this works for us. You will have ink that bleeds through your mesh onto the platens but the flash dryer should pretty well cure it before the next shirt is loaded onto it and it doesn't cause us a problem really. Warm up the platens and scrape the gunk off with a teflon squeegee when you are done.

 

[Farmboy]

There's a lot of over thinking going on here. You should be using pallet tape (aka transfer tape) which makes clean up easy. At 15 to 20 shirts the amount of ink that goes through the holes and gets on the board isn't enough the be concerned with. Any ink (which will be a small amount) that get's on the inside of the shirt will cure right along with the print side as long as you're curing correctly. If you're printing with just enough pressure to lay the ink on the top of the shirt you won't have much going through the holes any ways.

 

[Tony Q's Kidd]

..

 

[guato]

Is it clear light color if so you can do it by printing with sublimation color and work's fantastic with Polyester.

 

[paulbaguio]

Is it clear light color if so you can do it by printing with sublimation color and work's fantastic with Polyester.

+1 on this. sublimation is the way to go.

 

[Mike_Koval]

15-20 is right in the ball park for heat transfer...

if they are dark color mesh use some cad-cut vinyl, cut it, weed it and heat it.

If on lights...sublimation will work well to avoid the holes. There is also a solvent printable heat transfer that will also clear the holes as well called Solutions Airtech...reverse print, cut, press and peel.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

+1 on this. sublimation is the way to go.

I would agree. As long as the shirt is a light color you should be good to go.

Second course of action would be what dj_elite suggested.