How to properly cure Pretreatment. A step-by-step guide that will help you use Pretreatment with ease.
The suggested curing conditions of the ink sets and pretreatment solutions that Polyprint offers, are based on the fabric colour and the curing equipment available.
Pretreatment liquids are used to create a bond between the fibres and the ink, by filling in the spaces between the weave of the fabric. When the fabric is cured, an invisible film is created that provides a smooth surface, ideal for the inks to be adhered to and result in high-quality prints.
- Pretreatment Curing Times
- Best Quality Output
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Pretreatment Curing Times
TexJet Inks - Pretreatment for Lights is the precoating solution that is used in light-coloured cotton and synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, or blends. Its application results in elevated print vividness and wash endurance.
Suggested fixation conditions: 30 seconds at 160 degrees Celsius (320 F) in a heat press, protective sheet recommended.TexJet Inks - Pretreatment for Darks is the standard pretreatment solution for dark-coloured cotton fabric applications, where white ink is required. It can also be used on blends, but only for those with up to 50% cotton.
Suggested fixation conditions: 30 seconds at 160 degrees Celsius (320 F) in a heat press, protective sheet recommended.- The amount of fixation time depends heavily on the thickness of the substrate and the quantity of liquid sprayed. For example, for a standard t-shirt that is sprayed with 21ml of Dark Pretreatment, 30 seconds suffice for the drying of the solution. For a hoodie that is sprayed with 40ml, you must increase or almost double the drying time, so you have accurate printing results.
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Best Quality Output
To achieve the best print quality possible when applying Polyprint pretreatment and curing with a heat press, follow the steps below:
- Make sure the workspace is properly ventilated.
- Set the heat press to the right temperature, pressure, and time. These parameters can vary depending on the solution being used, the type and thickness of the fabric that has been chosen to print on.
- Pre-press garments for 10 seconds to remove any excess moisture from the garment whilst also flattening the fibres of the garment, smoothing the surface.
- Coat garment mechanically with an automatic pretreatment machine or manually using a Spray gun, with the required pretreatment based on the colour of the garment.
- Cure pre-treatment for 30 seconds at 160 degrees, laying a sheet of protection paper on top of the fabric so that the sprayed area won't come in direct contact with the hot surface. (Try to avoid touching pretreated area as much as possible once cured)
- If the fabric is still wet, re-press it for a few more seconds until it is dry. This means you have either applied too much pretreatment or your heat press in not properly removing the excess moisture.
- Remove the fabric from the heat press and place it on the desirable printer platen to be printed.