This list grows monthly…so check back often!
Problems that Occur BEFORE PRESSING
Ink Lines Appear on or throughout Transfer Design
If they are dark and somewhat uniform, it is very likely the rollers on your printer. They have collected sublimation ink and now that ink is transferring to your designs. Use a long swab and a little rubbing alcohol to clean the rollers. Once finished, run a print check to verify your work.
Design Missing Ink in Spots or Missing Ink in Lined Pattern
Try a print head cleaning. This is done in your tab called “printer maintenance” or similar. However, if you own an Epson sublimation printer that doesn’t have a replaceable ink waste tank, just do purge files. You can see a video about that here.
Blemished, Smeared, Saturated Transfer
The paper you are using may not be able to hold all the ink being layed out, thus the smearing. Make sure your paper suits the project. We talk about that here: sublimation paper.
Troubleshooting Sublimation Problems that Occur After Pressing
Faded Designs or Lack of Vibrancy After Pressing
Sublimation Ink is absorbed by Polyester and Polymers ONLY. So the first thing you’ll want to check is the makeup of the material you are using. If it is less than 65% Polyester then it is very likely the reason your design is faded or lacks vibrancy.
If your material is at least 65% polyester/polymers then lack of vibrancy ususally means one of 3 things:
- the temperature was too low
- the amount of time was not enough
- the pressure was not firm enough
Only you know what setting were used, so pick the most likely culprit, make an adjustment, then try again. Remember to document your results so you don’t make the same mistake twice.
Sublimation Design Looks Bubbled or Splotchy
Plastic Film
This is common when sublimating on plastics or MDF and is usually because a protective film was not removed. Many blanks come with a nearly invisible plastic film which does a great job of keeping the black clean and dry. If you sublimated on top of the film, simply peel it off and redo.
Spray Adhesive
If using a spray adhesive to keep your design in place, it could lead to speckles, especially if you were heavy-handed. Try less next time. It could also be your choice of spray adhesive is inferior. If your can sputters and spits, you should consider an upgrade.
Humidity
If none of the above are true, your environment could be too humid, or perhaps you didn’t pre-press the material to remove moisture? Moisture creates steam and can make a sublimated blank look splotchy.
Black Ink Looks Green After Sublimation
The biggest reason for black ink looking green is either Not Hot Enough or Not Enough Time which is called: UNDERBAKED
Black Ink Looks Brown After Sublimation
If your black ink looks brown, it is usually because your press was too hot or you pressed it for too long. This is called: OVERBAKED
Blue Specks After Pressing
99% of the time, these pesky little blue specks are lint! This is why you use a tacky roller before you pre-press and again right before you sublimate your design. You should also take care when storing blanks and paper so that neither one of them is collecting dust. Experienced designers will roll for lint several times and they’ll even roll their transfer paper. You simply cannot see the dust….but it could be there!
Random Ink Line That Was Not Part of Design
Dirty Protective Paper
Usually caused by a compromised piece of Teflon or by using butcher paper or parchment paper more than once. Ink will inevitably transfer to these items and when they do, they could then easily transfer to your blank.
Dirty Platen
Ink can transfer to your heat press if you accidentally forget to use protective paper. If this has happened, clean your heat press and press a blank piece of polyester without a design, until the ink is completely gone.
Pesky Heat Press Lines
The Visually Annoying, Perfect Rectangle
If this is happening on a smooth substrate such as polyester t-shirt, then you can try the following:
- Rip or tear your around your design so that it is NOT a perfect rectangle. You tear so as to create a completely random edge that the human eye cannot detect.
- use a pressing pillow or heat resistant foam. This serves to distribute pressure more evenly and negate design transfer edges.
If this is happening on fluffy or textured substrate such as a polyester plush blanket, try the following:
- use a pressing pillow or heat resistant foam.
- immediately fluff the fibers back with your hand or tacky roller after it is pressed.
If neither works, press the whole substrate and then re fluff with your hands. This will help the piece look more uniform.
The Yellow Hue Press Box
This can happen with materials such as rayon or spandex and other less popular synthetics but it can also happen on polyester. Essentially it’s the beginning of “melting and scorching” and could mean your heat press is too hot. Follow these tips:
- Never sublimate over 400 Fahrenheit
- Make sure you’ve calibrated (verified) your press’s temperature by testing the temperature with a laser thermometer (link to amazon price check)
Sometimes hydrogen peroxide can lessen the yellow hue. Sometimes it doesn’t. If the product is unsellable, you have nothing to lose by trying. Dab the area with a cotton soaked ball of 3% hydrogen peroxide and let it dry before making a decision.
Where to Next? Go to our Home Page or Go To Blank Instructions or See our Free Designs.