The direct-to-garment printing has made the process of applying an image to a garment quite simple. However, there are many factors that play into why you may not be getting the best results from washing. Here are some main factors to consider when getting the best wash-fast prints.
First, is the heat press process. This is the most popular way to cure an image for the digital process. The curing process is just as important as getting a nice print from your digital press. If you don’t cure properly, you will see a drastic decrease in the list of the print. You must cure the print at the correct temperature and also for the correct amount of time. There are no short cuts allowed here if you want the best wash fast print. Everyone wants their tee shirts to stay bright and colorful as long as possible.
Secondly, is the amount of ink saturation on the garment. When it comes to a lighter weight garment, make sure the fabric is being saturated enough. Most digital printers have an adjustment for the ink drop size or resolution to control the amount of ink you print. With the right amount of ink saturation, the print should look a little darker than what is shown on the monitor.
When it comes to dark garments and using white ink, the image is much more susceptible to fading and washing out. Using less white is not going to be as vibrant, but after the first wash of the tee shirt and many more washes, there won’t be much noticeable fading in the print.
Lastly, one of the biggest learning curves with direct-to-garment is the pre-treatment process for dark garments. It is easy to put on too much or too little and in both cases, this will affect the wash-fastness of the print on the custom printed t-shirt. Give us a call for a free quote request. If you have a very colorful image or photograph, digital direct-to-garment printing may be the answer for you.