Looking to make a print shimmer and shine? Create a print that stands out in a crowd by printing foil transfers. Screen printing expert Ronald Peters gives an overview on how to print foil transfers on a shirt. From mentioning the supplies needed to tips and tricks, Ronald gives you all the information you need to start printing foil transfers today.
NEEDED SUPPLIES
Before we dive in, let's lay out all the equipment and supplies you'll need to get the job done. In the video, Ronald uses the following supplies:
- 156 mesh screen
- 70 durometer squeegee
- Wilflex HD Adhesive
- Foil
- Riley Hopkins 250 Press
- Flash Dryer/Conveyor Dryer
- Heat Press
Got everything? Alright, let's print.
LAYING DOWN THE ADHESIVE
The key to getting a good foil transfer is to lay down the perfect amount of adhesive. You want enough adhesive on the shirt so that the foil will stick on all parts of the design. If you lay down too much adhesive, you'll lose details within the design after it has been heat pressed. In the video, Ronald does a few passes of the adhesive to lay down a good deposit. As with every single process in screen printing, you'll have to test it out to see what works best for you in your environment.
HEAT PRESSING
Once you've cured the adhesive, it's time to slap that foil on it. Place the shirt on the heat press and lay the foil on the shirt with the colored side up. Set the heat press to 360° and set the pressure at five (or in the middle, depending on your unit). Ronald presses the shirt for 15 seconds.
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REMOVING THE FOIL
After you've heat pressed the shirt, the foil needs to cool down before it can be removed from the garment. One way to help speed up the process of cooling the shirt down is to grab another shirt and gently rub the shirt on top of the foil. The shirt will absorb some of the heat.
When the foil has chilled, it's time to remove it. Ronald's biggest tip is to rip off the foil like a bandaid. If you try to take it off slowly, you may run into some issues.
THE END RESULT
A shiny, dazzling print! For the best foil print, you need to use high-quality products. Say you use cheap foil, the print will not look as nice as a print with top-quality foil.
If you're worried about the foil not sticking in all the nooks and crannies, another trick you can do is printing a similar color underneath the foil so if the foil doesn't adhere to part of the print, the ink will complete the design.
You have yourself a shiny, flashy foil print! Next time you print foil transfers, we want to see it. Tag us wherever you post on social media or use #ryonet. We'd love to share it with other printers.
