Impressions - April 2023 - 31

Pillows help even things out
when pressing items with
buttons and zippers.
Photo courtesy of
HIX Corporation
fi tted around a platen), pillows and pads. In
fact, so ubiquitous are these items they can
be found everywhere from the work areas
of casual hobbyists to some
of the largest decorating
companies around.
In practice, craft paCraft
paper (right) has long been
a standby in the industry. Photo
courtesy of Insta Graphic Systems
per can serve multiple purposes.
Th ese include protecting the upper
platen from becoming contaminated with
inks or adhesives, helping hold a transfer in
place while pressing and preventing scorching.
Same thing with Tefl on cover sheets.
However, the two are not entirely the same.
In addition to being cheap and by extension
disposable, for example, craft paper is
better for absorbing inks and the outgassing
of dyes. It also works well when pressing designs
with a matte fi nish. A reusable Tefl on
sheet, on the other hand, works best at ensuring
things separate cleanly when you're
fi nished pressing. It is also, of course, reusable-though
it needs to be cleaned between
jobs so the ink from one job doesn't spoil the
next job in line.
" Sometimes one is better than the other,
like for sublimation Tefl on is a bad cover sheet
because the dyes will gas into the Tefl on, "
Aaron Knight, vice president of Geo Knight
& Co. explains. " Paper is best for that, since
it can be thrown away. "
" Many decorators like the longevity of a
reusable cover sheet since it can be wiped
down when needed, " says Dave Harding of
STAHLS'-Hotronix. " Alternatively, some heat
printers simply get in the habit of using kraft
paper. Once you see residue, just toss it and
grab a new sheet. "
Interestingly, HIX Corporation's Henri
Coëme says on occasions he will actually fi nd
himself using a combination of the two in
Pads (above)
provide another means of heat pressing
around buttons and zippers. Photo
courtesy of STAHLS'
order to get the result he wants.
For example, he says he will sometimes
use a Tefl on cover " in addition to the
craft paper as a fi nal protection for the upper
casting or (as a Tefl on cover) as a protection
for the lower pad. "
As for pillows and pads, while these two
types of accessories may appear similar, they
also serve two very diff erent purposes. Specifi
cally, pads-which consist of a foam core
wrapped in Tefl on-are much softer than padding
and when placed underneath or inserted
into a shirt or bag serve to accommodate
the variations in thickness that result from
things like seams, hems or collars: basically,
by allowing them to sink into the padding,
pillows make possible to still apply the requisite
pressure to the area being decorated.
By contrast, pads are a good deal stiff er and
serve to raise up the area to be pressed while
allowing collars, seams, zippers, buttons and
other irregularities to drop off to the side.
Unlike pillows, pads which are composed of
a simple piece of foam, can also be cut and
shaped to size.
A sampling of the variety
of specialty platens available to decorators.
Photo courtesy of STAHLS'
" Having pillows or pads allows heat printers
to decorate a variety of garments and
placements without having to invest in extra
equipment or attachments for their heat
press, " Harding says. " Whether it's oversized
jerseys or onesies for babies, you can do it
all on the same heat press with just a few
pillows or pads on hand. "
" Generally speaking, a decorator will see the
best results using a platen as close to the size
of the transfer they are placing as possible, "
says Greg Farmer of Insta Graphic Systems.
However, he adds, " When this is not feasible
either due to cost restrictions or availability
of such a platen, then pads and pillows can
be a potential alternative. "
Custom Platens
Of course, the downside to pillows and pads
is the fact they need to be carefully positioned
April 2023
P.31
Impressions - April 2023

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