Images_December_2019_Digital Edition

www.images-magazine.com DECEMBER 2019 images 29 TIPS & TECHNIQUES How to do a wash test To prepare for the wash test, print your T-shirts and cure them appropriately, guided by the ink and machinery manufacturers’ recommendations, making sure that you document all the settings used during the entire process. Next, sort your garments by colour and temperature, turn them inside out and wash them separately. Try to fill each load with at least 10 T-shirts to simulate a more realistic washing process. In a standardised wash test, you would be required to use special laundry detergent. You don’t need to do that for our test, but you should choose a detergent that doesn’t include any additives that could influence the outcome, such as bleach or optical brighteners. After the first wash, turn your T-shirt the right way round and have a closer look at the print. It’s a good idea to take pictures of all the samples next to the corresponding control sample between each laundry cycle, and take notes on your control sheet (for example, sample failed after the first wash). If you have a spectrophotometer, you can calculate the colour changes that occur in the solid colour blocks. When all the data is collected, repeat the steps. We recommend doing at least 10 washing cycles to get the most reliable results. After the wash test When you’ve finished the wash test, take a close look at the results. Check for flaking inks, faded colours or other imperfections. If everything went well and you have no visible or measured colour differences or imperfections, congratulations! Make sure to establish clear washing instructions and deliver them to your customers with the final product. You should also establish clear process instructions and make sure your team understands and follows them at all times, so you get consistent results. If the test failed, repeat the process and use different settings during the printing process (pre-treatment, printing, and curing). Try to find the best combination of all settings that gives you the most durable output. Also, keep in mind that the settings may change depending on the garment you are using. Quality control The last thing any DTG printer wants is for a customer to return an order of T-shirts that washed out. The cost and time involved in reprinting an average size job will far exceed the effort you need to put into doing a wash test. Quality control is vital to your company’s reputation and a simple wash test can help you get the best results every time you print. For more information, download our free ebook, ‘Quality Control for DTG Printing: Wash Tests’. www.dtgmerch.com ... after the wash test Check for flaking inks, faded colours and other imperfections Before the wash test...