Ryonet, Vancouver, Wash., offers a new video that includes practical tips for saving the day — and the print — to make a decorator a “Heat Press Hero.”
This hands-on tutorial, “Heat Press Hero: How to Make a Bad Screen Print Good,” focuses on the common problem created by fibrillation in plastisol prints. Whether this is caused by improper off-contact, pressure, tension or mesh, the result is insufficient ink transfer to the top of the garment and a rough, unsatisfactory print. The video demonstrates an on- and off-press rescue.
Viewers also will learn how heat and pressure can be used to press down fibers to smooth an uneven print for a second pass or overprinting. Additionally, they will discover how tools such as a standard iron or heat press, used with a non-stick cover sheet, can provide a manual alternative to special accessories.
There are also tips for addressing curing issues and avoiding excessive gloss.
Check out the video, shown above. — J.L.