5-34
Basic printing procedures
5-10. Fixation of ink
For fixation of ink, use the heat press or oven.
Heat press
It is useful because you can control its temperature and operating time with ease.
Oven
If the number of articles to be printed is high, it will improve the operational efficiency.
<CAUTION>
Please use the heat press and oven in a well-ventilated area. If your working area is not well ventilated, wear a protective mask.
<TIPS>
If the inks are fixated insufficiently, discoloring may occur due to washing and friction.
Keep the fixation surface of heat press and peel-off sheet clean.
Otherwise, the printing surface may be soiled with stains from the peel-off sheet.
If a printed material is rubbed with vinyl-chloride-based white or light-colored synthetic leather, color transfer may occur.
When a color-printed surface is rubbed strongly against a printed surface with only white ink, color transfer may occur in the
same fashion.
When a color transfer takes place, wipe the color-transferred area and clean off dirt with a soft and clean cloth or a toothbrush
that is moistened with a small amount of mild detergent for home use and/or alcohol.
Component of pretreatment remains on the T-shirt on which the ink was fixated after applying pretreatment. For this reason, it is
advisable to wash such T-shirts with water before wearing them.
Guidelines on fixation conditions of ink
The undermentioned fixation temperature/time serve as guidelines only, and optimum conditions vary with your heat
press or oven. Be sure to perform the fixation after checking on the temperature and fixation results beforehand.
<TIPS>
Because optimum conditions vary depending on the type of your heat press or oven, use the fixation conditions as a reference
guide. Be sure to adjust the conditions while checking on the temperature and ink fixation results beforehand.
Because some print media easily get scorched, please carefully check and see how the surface actually looks like.
In particular, the print media onto which the pretreatment has been applied will easily get scorched.
When using the heat press, adjust the pressure while checking the ink fixation result.
If it is not dry enough after processing for the period of the guideline, extend the time while checking the dried condition of the ink.
Device
Temperature
Time
Heat press
180°C (356°F)
35 seconds
Oven
Surface temperature: 160°C (320°F)
*1
3 min. and 30 sec. to 5 min.
*1
: Because a T-shirt may be discolored if this temperature increases too high, great care should be taken to exercise
temperature control.
