Home › Ask Buckets › Cure plastisol with a heat press
Yes, it's definitely doable. Flash the print until it isn't tacky, then press it under a Teflon sheet for 15 seconds at 280°F. Times and temperatures can change by garment, so always test.
Curing plastisol ink with a heat press is definitely doable. Here's how we recommend doing it.
Flash the print to get rid of the tackiness. The ink should be dry enough that when you put your finger on it, nothing transfers to your finger.
Put the shirt under your heat press with a piece of Teflon on top of the print, and press it for 15 seconds at 280°F. That should cure the ink and bond it to the shirt.
Those temperatures and times might change based on the garment, but as a rule of thumb that will cure it. Always test each garment before it goes out the door, to make sure the way you've done it lives up to your standards for quality and longevity. A stretch test and a wash test tell you a lot.
When you're ready to cure more shirts, faster, look at a flash cure unit or a conveyor dryer.
After flashing the print until it is not tacky, press it under a Teflon sheet for 15 seconds at 280°F. It can change by garment, so test first.
Yes. Flash it until the ink is dry to the touch and nothing transfers to your finger, then press.
It goes on top of the print so the ink does not stick to the heat press platen.
Test each garment before it ships. Make sure the print holds up to your standards for quality and longevity.
Related: Plastisol cure temperature chart · Screen printing vs heat press · Vastex flash cure units · Vastex conveyor dryers
