If Thermoflex Plus is giving you troubles, this article can help you work through some basic troubleshooting techniques. Listed below are 8 different areas for troubleshooting Thermoflex. Experts or beginners can run into some hiccups. We will cover both for cutting and pressing tips.
Cutting
Double Check
- Cut Direction – mirror image
- You need to cut on the dull side of the material
Test Cuts
TEST CUT, TEST CUT, TEST CUT!! With any product, you need to do TEST CUTS before cutting the final pieces you will be using. Make sure the force is at the correct amount. When the material you are cutting is cut properly it weeds much better. Test Cuts should be made for each color, and each product as they are all different . Even if you have cut Thermoflex before, different batches from the manufacturer can have a little variation from batch to batch. No batch, even if from the same manufacturer is the exact same.
Invisible Cut Lines
Cut lines can be a little harder to see when cutting on colors such as white or yellow. Try holding the freshly cut sheet up to the light or place it on a light table to see if you can see any cut lines. If you still don’t see anything, you could try adjusting the pressure to cut a little deeper into the material.
Difficult Weeding
If the weeding is sticking and pulling up the images it means they have not cut deep enough on the material which you will then increase your cutting pressure.
Pressing
Double Check
Materials – Cotton, linen, wool, lycra, polyester blends
Heat Press Temperature – 330 degrees Fahrenheit
Pressing Time – 15 seconds
Pressing Pressure – Medium & Even
Peel – Warm or Cold
Can I Layer?
You can layer most colors of Thermoflex, the colors and variations marked with the * next to the product number on our website are the ones you cannot layer. When layering, you do not need to press first layer for quite as long as you normally would. When pressing the final layer, do it for the full recommended time.
Transfer Not Sticking to the Garment
If Thermoflex is heat pressed too long or at too high of heat it will not stick to the garment. When this happens it is almost as if the adhesive got completely burned off. On the other hand, if Thermoflex is not pressed long enough or at too low of heat, it also will not stick to the garment because the adhesive backing didn’t fully integrate with the garment.
If all pressing instructions are followed and the Thermoflex still doesn’t adhere to the garment, the material may need to be peeled cold. Peeling cold can help let the adhering layer to fully set up and grip the garment.
Tips to Help Stick:
Some garments come with a slight coating protecting it from spills. Because of this thin layer, it also makes it difficult for adhesives from any transfers to penetrate the vinyl. To help weaken this thin protective coating on the garment, you can try a couple things.
- Dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), then gently apply it to the area on the garment you want to apply your design. Allow it to dry and apply your material.
- We highly recommend that you wash and dry your garments prior to pressing your design.
Is pre-pressing necessary?
Pre-pressing a garment when applying Thermoflex isn’t super important. But, if you pre-press a garment, it can help get out wrinkles and smooth the application surface to help get an evenly pressed transfer. Pre-pressing also warms up the lower platen to give you an all around heat when applying your graphic.
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