The DTG pretreatment stains often produce when using a DTG printer, your goal needs to be to produce great patterns on a constant basis. Unfortunately, sometimes you may notice stains, condensation or whitening of the pre-finish used on your garments. If you do observe a blemish on your garment and are not sure how you should address the issue, we are always here to help. This blog will cover the viable root causes of DTG pre-finishing spots and provide options to eliminate them from your print so you can get back to printing smooth, perfect layouts without having to worry about acne.
The significance of pre-processing
The purpose of pre-treatment is to act as a bonding representative and it is particularly needed when using white ink on dark coloured garments. Pre-treatment acts as a barrier to ensure that the ink will definitely print onto the garment rather than penetrate the material and produce a high quality layout for your item. Without pre-treatment on dark garments, your design will not be visible, so this operation must be avoided.
Simple steam treatment
A basic option for reducing small DTG pretreatment stains spots on certain garments is to steam the garment manually. This can be very reliable and is a quick fix to help reduce pre-treatment spots that can damage your entire project. Simply plug in your cleaner and use it as you would any other short garment that requires the addition of steam.
Pre-treatment overload
If, after heat pressing your garment, you find that stains are detected in your layout on the fabrics you have most likely used also require extensive pre-treatment. Depending on the colour, the textile and the design you are publishing on the garment, it will be determined how much pretreatment must be applied.
For example, garments containing polyester are most likely to be discoloured rather than those made from cotton. Most importantly, thinner garments usually require less pre-treatment than thicker materials. If you are working with red garments, you will want to use more pre-treatment than white garments and less than black garments.
Mix the pre-treatment with distilled water using a 2:1 ratio and apply an even layer so that the garment is wet but not soaked with liquid. You may be able to use a squeegee in one of the instructions in order to get the insurance coverage as well as flattening the fibres of the garment that can create identification.
High warmth pressure stains
High temperatures can cause whitening and damage to your garments. If bleaching the stain is a problem, then your temperature may be too high during the pre-treatment process, which can trigger product burning. Your temperature level must be ready to reach 320-325.
Another service for this problem is to press the garment during the treatment with light tool pressure in 10 to 15 second cycles instead of 30 seconds. If you see a lot of steam from the start, the interval can be readjusted to reduce the duration. Repeat this interval procedure approximately 2 to 3 times, depending on the type of garment you are printing.
After you have cured your DTG pretreatment stains, you can raise the temperature level again and print the garment for approximately 90 seconds at a much lower pressure than you used when curing the pre-treatment. The benefit of running intermittently and changing the pressure gives the steam a chance to escape from your DTG printer and also minimises bleach and discolouration on the garment.
Although the process takes more time, it allows the pre-treatment to dry completely as well as allowing the ink to cure. This produces top quality items and eliminates the problem of garments becoming so warm that they melt.
Yellowing or burning discolouration
Lightweight garments, especially white ones, are more prone to yellowing or burning spots. Another option is to add an extra layer of parchment or PTFE sheet to provide extra protection for your garment.
Condensation problems
Instead of staining the pre-treated areas, a few salt-like crystals may form on the garment. If this happens, you can lower the press or check that the paper you are using is not of high quality, as lower grade parchment can provide a similar effect.
Lower the press so that it can float on the garment for about 10 seconds. If you see a large amount of steam coming out of your maker, lift the press and allow the large amount of steam to dissipate.
This is the sensation that occurs when moisture enters a hot press. Once it happens, it will certainly be very difficult to undo. Essentially, the crystals you see are the result of the salt on the top of the T-shirt.This could also be because you have also used a lot of pre-treatment. Alternatively, press the T-shirt for 10 seconds, raise the heat press for 5 seconds to expel the excess moisture and then press again until you have reached the healing time recommended by your supplier.
With regard to your heat press, please note the pressure and temperature. If both pressure and temperature levels are expensive, try lowering them. Really high pressure will keep the moisture trapped, while extremely high heat will cause the water to evaporate more quickly.
Finally, when using a heat press, choose thin parchment prep papers rather than thick Teflon papers as they will trap moisture.
If crystallisation still occurs, check the t-shirt you are using. The way the fibres are woven may make them more susceptible to moisture than various other T-shirts.
With any kind of issue you may face using DTG printing, Sublistar offers excellent service and support whether onsite, over the phone or via the web. We offer innovative pre-press solutions that fits the needs of your large or small screen print business and we provide DTG printers that offer beautiful and smooth designs. We have single station A3 DTG direct to garments printer and double station A3 DTG direct to garments printer, the machine equiped Epson I3200 print heads. If you have any needs, contact us, we will reply you as soon as possible.
