Tees to Hoodies

QAL-76

Now that winter is creeping in, thicker garments such as hoodies will be making more of an appearance on your heat press. A few changes need to take place on how you heat your garment and apply custom transfers. One thing you may notice is how thick a hoodie can be when you lay it on the heat platen. One option is to thread the hoodie upside down on the press so that just the front is on the platen. Make sure there are no bulky areas that can cause the top platen not to close flat. This will cause the transfer not to apply properly. Always remember though if the hoodie is upside down, the transfer needs to be applied upside down.

Another common mistake is not preheating your garment enough. Some hoodies contain more moisture in the fabric than t shirts, especially 100% cotton hoodies. Preheat your garment until no more steam is being released. You can also feel the garment and notice the garment is dry. Any extra moisture in the garment can cause the transfer not to apply correctly. This is where you would see bubbling or cracking of the transfer. Always make sure to prepress!

Adjusting the pressure for hoodies or thicker garments means a more opaque coverage when using screen printed transfers. Since the material is thicker, loosen the pressure slightly so that the ink is not being excessively pressed into the garment. This will result in the shirt color bleeding through the ink.

Once all of these adjustments to your application process are complete you will be able to create a durable and quality product for your customers.

As will any order from Stahls’ Transfer Express, read your application instructions that are sent with every order and test a sample before beginning your application process.