Success In A Flash

Feb 1, 2008

Once a garment is flashed using a flash cure unit, such as the Synchroprint S-Type Flash cure from MHM Sales & Service, you should test it to make sure the fabric and ink have fused properly.

When flashing designs created using plastisol ink, it's important to know the ink's characteristics. You can accomplish either a gel (the ink remains a bit tacky) or a cure (fully dried ink) when drying. The ideal temperature range needed for a gel effect is 190º to 230º F, and plastisol fully cures in the 320º F range. (Always refer to your ink manufacturer's guidelines for gel and cure temperatures.)

Overflashing is a common problem and results in ink washout during the laundry cycle. When a print is overflashed, the plastisol changes into a solid, vinyl surface. Plastisol wasn't designed to print on vinyl, so it won't adhere to the cured ink underneath. Reducing flash time is the best way to avoid fully curing a printed ink film during the flashing process.

Once a garment is flashed and has been fully cured, it's important to do a final check in addition to your production floor tests. A printed garment needs the right combination of time, temperature and air movement to ensure the ink and fabric fuse together. If the garment does not have time to reach the correct curing temperature, the ink's garment surface (where it touches the ink film) will not reach that point either.

The floor tests include inspecting a stretched print area for signs of plastisol cracking and rubbing it against a white cloth for signs of ink transfer. Perform the following two additional garment tests to get an absolute picture of the ink cure's quality. First, do a wash test to determine the quality of your ink cure. Laundering and drying samples from your run may seem impractical, but the results confirm the effectiveness of your curing procedure.

For the second test, turn a printed garment inside out and apply two or three drops of ethyl acetate on the underside of the print area. Hold a clean, white fabric swatch firmly against the ethyl acetate for about two minutes. If no ink color appears, the garment should be properly cured through its entire thickness. — From the Impressions archives

8 Tips for Embroidering with Metallics
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May 22, 2008

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It's easy to marvel at the technical sophistication of today's computerized embroidery machines and overlook the more mundane role of thread in the embroidery process.
April 29, 2008

Embroidery Backings: What Goes Where?
When deciding which stabilizer to use, you also need to consider the material to be embroidered.
Previously, we explained the need for backings or stabilizers behind the fabric while it's being embroidered (see "Stabilizers: The Foundation of Embroidery"). Now we want to focus on the what and the where.

Stabilizers can be broken down into two major categories: cutaways and tearaways. While there are many weights and types of each of these, I recommend keeping the decision of which to use as simple as possible.
April 14, 2008

To Patch or Not to Patch
When a customer requests patches, first determine whether you should handle the order yourself or outsource it.
April 01, 2008