Can You Heat Press Polyester Without Burning?

Polyester is the best known for its dye affinity, durability, soft feel, versatility, colorfastness and moisture wicking properties. These properties are needed for achieving high quality prints in the sublimation process. 

However, there are chances that the material gets burnt while heat pressing due to which you will not get desired results. So, how can you get the right outcome without burning your polyester substrate?

Well, the only way is to master heat press settings. If you are using the right temperature and pressure on your polyester substrate then you can print quality output.

If you want to know more about the right method to heat press polyester without burning, then continue reading.

Can you use a heat press on a polyester?

Yes, you can easily heat press polyester fabric with temperature below 400 degree Fahrenheit as high temperature will damage the material causing scorching or glossing. With right temperature settings and carefully timed pressing you can transfer designs on polyester.

Why should you use polyester?

Heat transfer printing on polyester needs more finesse than printing other material. Despite that polyester is preferred as it is affordable and the best fabric for printing and It is also comfortable to wear. 

Polyester and various poly blends provide great comfort which other fabrics do not offer. Polyester also offers a light and stretchy quality.

Recommended heat press temperature for polyester

You should always follow instructions given in the user manual; however , I recommend using a temperature of 270 degrees Fahrenheit while printing on polyester.

The duration of time you leave the item inside the heat press also impacts the quality of designs. I recommend using below chart to understand for how much time you should leave your fabric in heat press.

Heat press time and temperature chart

The type of material you use determines the heat press settings you should use. Here is a quick table for your reference. But I will suggest doing your own hit and trial as there are various other factors which are responsible to get a vibrant design.

How can you heat press polyester material?

Here are the steps to be followed to use a heat press on polyester material.

1. Whatever item you are printing, you should take a moment to read the label inside as it will give you information about composition of material. It is important because you should understand the fabric you are dealing with so that you can choose the right heat press settings.
2. Now select the transfer paper which works best with the substrate. 
3. Set the heat press to the optimum temperature. Make sure to do a test before printing the actual substrate. If you cannot do a test run due to limitation of substrate, then you can use a thin protective sheet between heat pad and material. Or you can also use a heat press which has teflon padding. 
4. Now before setting up the actual print you should always preheat the fabric by quickly pre pressing it for 5 seconds and then placing the sublimation paper on top of it. It will help to prevent any dye migration or fabric shrinkage during printing. 
5. Now using a heat press machine, you need to print the design on the fabric and after pressing peel away the transfer paper when it is still warm.

How can you avoid heat press marks on polyester fabric?

Once in a while you must have struggles with the challenge of avoiding burn marks on your polyester fabric. These marks generally appear as the shiny outlines around the edge of design, caused by the heat press melting the synthetic fibers of the substrate.

Most of the time high temperature can also cause misshaping or skewing of the substrate. It can also result in plastic – bag-like crinkle for partially melted textile. At its worst, very high temperatures can aslo melt entire substrates.

So, if you want to avoid these issues, you should master the right temperature for your heat press. To know the right temperature you should read the owner’s manual and check the label inside the item to find out the fabric composition. You can also do a test run to achieve optimum temperature.

You should also leave the material in the heat press for as little time as possible. While time and temperature can vary according to the characteristics of the heat press and the type of item you are sublimating.  

How to prevent scorching a polyester?

Scorching happens when the heat press machine is very hot or when it is pressed for too long. To prevent it follow the below steps.

1. You should always set the heat press temperature to the lowest possible settings which is best for your substrate.
2. Always preheat the material for 5 seconds before beginning the sublimation process.
3. You should use a thin fabric sheet or teflon sheet over the transfer paper for preventing any direct contact with the heating plate.
4. Never press material too hard and for too long.
5. Make sure to peel the paper when it is still warm.

How to deal with ink migration?

It is another common issue which can occur when you are heat pressing a polyester. This happens when ink in the substrate migrates in the transfer paper and results in a discolored or faded design. Here are the steps to prevent it.

1. Always select transfer paper which is specially designed for polyester.
2. Use low bleed ink which is suitable for polyester material.
3. Preheat the garment before actual printing.
4. Use a thin fabric or teflon sheet over transfer paper for preventing any direct contact with heat press platen.
5. Always follow optimum time and medium pressure while printing.
6. Peel the paper when it is still hot.

Conclusion

Now you must have understood that you should watch out for temperature to avoid scorch marks on polyester and how efficiently you can transfer amazing designs on it. For any query please comment or you can email me.

Faqs

Q – Will polyester material melt in a heat press machine?

No, polyester will not melt in a heat press machine as this fabric can withstand high temperatures. Due to which it is suitable for heat press printing. However, I recommend checking the percentage of polyester used in making of the substrate as it will help to use right heat press settings.

Q – What is the best temperature for polyester?

It is best to use 270-300°F for 10-15 seconds on polyester fabric. But it depends on the fabric composition. If the substrate is made of less polyester content, then temperature may vary and if it is made of high polyester then you may have to use different heat press settings. I recommend starting with minimum temperature of 270-300°F and then slowly increasing it to get the desired results.

Q – How to avoid heat press marks on polyester?

You should use a thin cover sheet instead of thick one as thicker sheet will absorb lots of heat and may ruin the polyester. However, thin sheets will let you transfer the design without the marks of heat press.

Q – How can you prevent scorch marks on polyester?

Polyester material is sensitive to high heat and its fiber melts when exposed to high temperatures. While sublimating, if you want to prevent scorch marks on polyester, always start with low temperature and pressure setting on your heat press and then gradually increase both components to get right outcome. You can also follow manufacturer’s guidelines for knowing optimum heat press settings to prevent scorch marks. I also recommend testing a sample before printing the actual material as it will let you know right temperature, pressure and time to heat press the substrate.