The fabric that causes the most headaches is 100% polyester, though issues can still be found in garments containing a poly/cotton mix. When you heat apply your logos or numbers at temperatures of 160 degrees C or higher, gases from the sublimated fabric can become trapped between the fabric and the transfer you have applied, causing the discoloration of your print as the sublimated gas spreads. One of the most notorious colours is red.

Sometimes the ink migration is not apparent at first and only shows itself when the garment has cooled.

In order to help garment printers overcome this problem, Victory Design offers two products. EasiMARK Premier White can be used for producing your logos or numbers. You can multi layer easiMARK Cotton on top and the easiMARK Premier White will protect the Cotton colours from any possible ink migration.

The second is a new film for solvent printers, such as the VersaCamm, called easiMARK Colourprint Premier. This has provided sportswear printers with an excellent film that they can rely on to produce their logos, eliminating ink migration issues.

The next fabric that is a popular product for sportswear suppliers to print onto is nylon. Care should always be taken with this type of product, and preparation prior to production will prove to be prudent in saving you problems after you have passed the garments to your customer.

With the variety of waterproof coatings used by clothing manufacturers today it can often be difficult for garment printers to identify which will work best with their chosen nylon heatseal film.

The simple answer is, prior to undertaking any work for nylon, always pre-test your garments. If your customers bring their own garments, then it is essential you pre-test prior to undertaking the full order.

The most effective way is to press your transfer onto one garment to see if the carrier releases successfully. Be careful though, because even though it might appear that everything is okay, that may not be the case. To be certain, let the garment stand for 24hrs so the adhesives can set, then conduct your own wash test. After washing, try and pick the logo off the nylon garment to test how well it has adhered. If successful you can then have confidence in the products you are supplying to your customer.

Victory Design Ltd supplies a wide range of equipment, software and materials to the garment personalisation market. Established in 1987, it is one of the largest suppliers in the UK, offering a wealth of experience and expertise.

Victory Design's brand easiMARK offers customers a comprehensive collection of films with a range of finishes and fabric applications, which it says will cover all angles for any garment decorator. In addition to its  range of films, Victory Design offers customers an exclusive trade print service for full colour logo transfer production plus many more marketing and promotional products.

Should you have any further questions, following this article then please call Glynn, Dan or Katy at Victory Design on 01246 570570 or email sales@victorydesign.co.uk.

Full details on the easiMARK range can be found at http://www.victorydesign.co.uk/

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