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I have a customer who has requested that we print a full front design over the zipper on a full zip hoodie. The design also overprints part of the pocket. I have tried to print on both my automatic and manual presses and continue to have quality problems. Does anyone have any suggestions?
What material would you advise using to build up the platen? I have some small pieces of plastic sign material we used to use but most of it has warped and would not lay flat enough to suit our needs?
Something sturdy but it doesn't have to be as hard as that.
I have used chipboard in the past. Chipboard is the compressed paper that printers use for backing when they print sales books, etc.
You could also use something like a rubber matte cut up. Just make sure that whatever you do use, make it stable, so where it's not going to move on you.
Use some masonite, it cuts easy with a hand saw. It's a quarter inch thick, hard and stands up to repetative flashing. Put a little tack on the back and then tape within a quarter inch of the edge to the platten around all four sides. Make sure the tape holds the lift from shifting, push on it with decent preasure on one of the sides and if it doesn't move at all your ready to print.
This lift can be used over and over, if you make several sets of different sizes you can print within a sixteenth of an inch to any straight seam.
Masonite can be bought at most hardware stores that carry lumber. It costs abou ten bucks for an 8ft by 4ft sheet. thats a lot of risers
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If you want to screen print these, you need to build up your platen and recess the middle line where the zipper is. If it sits down in a groove, then when you align the zippier in your hoodie to it, it should lay down smooth.