Decoration Information
Here are our recommendations for printing our Neon T's to help avoid discoloration of the shirts. We recommend testing (including laundering) on a shirt or two before a full production run. This information is provided only as a courtesy, individual results may vary.
Fabric Temperature:
The neon optical and pigment dyes in these shirts are reactive to heat. The recommended maximum fabric temperature is 320 degrees. Printers will need to use temperature strips in order to measure the temperature of the fabric as it passes through the dryer or heat source.
Dryer Temperature:
Dryer temperature should be adjusted to keep the fabric below the 320 degrees. Check the dryer for proper clearance. When placing garments on the belt, carefully lay them as flat as possible to avoid high spots that may touch the inside of the dryer or come closer to heat elements. Garments touching a hot piece of the dryer will often result in discoloration.
Important to note that dryer temperature gauges are not 100% reliable. To achieve a "near the belt" temperature of 320 degrees, the heat element or burner will likely exceed that temperature. Laying shirts flat is recommended. Stacking them via folding can create high spots that lead to scorch spots. It's safer to print a little slower by not stacking the belt than to scorch the shirts.
Heat Press:
Direct heat contact is the main cause of discoloration. We recommend low temperature and short duration for the setting of transfers. Fabric temperature should be set at the lowest setting recommended by the transfer provider.
The pigments in the dye are often scorched by the heat required to set transfers and rhinestones. The heat required to affix these often exceeds what the dye can withstand.
For direct to garment digital prints, we do not recommend the use of pre-treat. Curing of the ink can be done at low temperatures and low pressure or by hover curing without the garment contacting the upper heat platen.
Dwell Time:
We advise 50 seconds as the maximum dwell time in the dryer. Some have reported success by running the shirts through on 2 shorter passes.
Spot Cleaning:
We do not recommend spot cleaning of these garments. Most of the solvents remove the dye, resulting in light spots.
Discoloration:
Upon exiting the dryer, the garments will often have changed color. This is typically caused by the loss of moisture in the garment. After a few minutes, the color often has returned (just as with red t-shirts). If the color does not return after a few minutes, the garment may have been scorched. If that happens, re-check the temperatures.
Testing:
We will be happy to provide shirts for testing. See samples where you can order samples specifically for testing or ask that we add some with the order.
Disclaimer:
This information is provided solely as a guideline. Each and every application is different and may have a different end result. We offer no specific warranty of merchantability or fitness of these garments for any particular purpose. As such, any claims resulting from the application of inks, gels, transfers, vinyl, rhinestones or any other material will not be covered. Inspect all goods before embellishing. Once decorated, we accept no responsibility for errors in the order.
