OUR INSTRUCTIONS ARE BASED ON USING A DK20S, DK3110 AND/OR A COUNTER TOP CONVECTION OVEN. TIMES AND TEMPERATURES WILL VARY DEPENDING ON WHICH EQUIPMENT YOU USE.
| Substrate | MP021, MP022, MP023 |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 400°F (204°C) |
| Prepress | 10 seconds |
| Time (min:sec) | : |
| Pressure | Medium |
| Additional | Pro Spray, Lint Roller |
| Recommended Paper | DyeTrans Multi-Purpose or TexPrint |
| Heat Press Instructions |
Hover transfer under open heat press for 10 seconds to dry excess moisture. Important Note: Allow the substrate to fully cool after the Pre-Press1) Fully zip the substrate if applicable. 2) Sticky lint roll the white imaging area of the substrate. 3) Put a sheet of protective paper on top of bottom of the press. 4) Place the substrate onto the paper. It doesn’t matter if it’s imaging side face-up or facedown during the pre-press, but press it face-up. 5) Put a sheet of protective paper on top of the substrate. 6) Pre-heat for 10 seconds, as noted. 7) Sticky lint roll the white imaging area of the substrate while warm. 8) Apply a light mist of pro spray onto the image to be transferred, except for the lunch tote and cell phone covers, where we recommend a heavier spray. 9) Place the image facedown onto the face-up substrate and put onto the protective paper on the bottom of the press. 10) Cover with protective paper. 11) Press. Note: If you are using MP021/MP022/MP023, neoprene and scuba foam by the sheet, you will have to experiment to find out the best possible instructions for your project. Use 50 seconds for smaller projects up to 90 seconds for 15x15”; test until you are happy with the results. All scuba foam items need very light pressure or they will be badly flattened. Increase dwell time if images are not as vivid as you would prefer. Four Different Ways of Cutting Neoprene & Scuba Foam As with many types of rubber, neoprene is an easy material to work with and can be fabricated into a variety of custom neoprene items that can be imprinted with dye sublimation before or after cutting. The synthetic rubber’s moderate resistance to oils and grease, its tolerance to a wide temperature range, and its excellent physical properties makes it excellent for a wide range of clothing, accessories and decorative items. Four of the more commonly-used neoprene cutting techniques by neoprene suppliers are die cutting, laser cutting, hydro-jet cutting and hand cutting. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages: Hand cutting: This is the least-tolerant method of cutting any rubber material. You may struggle to cut your lines straight and uniform. However, this is a very effective method in cutting parts that are square or rectangular in shape or are too large for die cut machines. You can use sharp scizzors, fabric shears, box cutters or Exacto knives, maybe using a metal ruler to help cut straight lines, however, the cutting can be quite difficult and is not recommended except for small items. Use a cutting pad if using blades. Die cutting: The technique involved in die cutting is elementary. The process begins when the desired shape is made into a metal die, which is essentially a strip of metal bent into the shape. Think of how a cookie-cutter works. This metal die is pressed through the material, stamping out the shape. Of the four cutting techniques mentioned, die cutting is appropriate in less tolerance-critical circumstances. If the tolerances of the product are less than 1/16 inch (.0625”) then other cutting methods must be considered. Die cutting cannot be performed with just any material and thickness. This style is limited to thinner sheets of rubber; generally sheets thicker than 3/8 inch (.375”) cannot be die cut. The overall dimension of the rubber part must also be relatively small and less than 24 inches on any one side. Laser cutting: If you’ve watched any science fiction movies, you probably have a rough notion of how laser cutting works. The preferred shape is put into a computer program that is connected to the laser cutter. Then, a high-powered laser beam maneuvers over the material, cutting extremely precise lines. This technique consumes a large amount of energy and is used only when a neoprene rubber item needs a tighter tolerance. This might be neoprene suppliers’ least favorite procedure and is used with the least frequency. Hydro-jet cutting: This process begins similar to laser cutting since a design is first inputted into a computer. The computer then controls the hydro-jet cutter and sprays a high-pressured jet stream of water through the material. For tougher materials, an abrasive is added into the water and aids in cutting the material off clean. Hydro-jet cutting is regarded as an eco-friendly cutting process since it doesn’t require as much energy as laser cutting and uses water as the cutting tool. Unlike laser cutting, there is no measure of heat that is used to cut the material. |