IColor ICHTPREMA3 (11.7 x 16.5) Premium 2 Step Transfer Paper Instructions
- June 13, 2024
- ICOLOR
Table of Contents
IColor ICHTPREMA3 (11.7 x 16.5) Premium 2 Step Transfer Paper
| Temperature | Time | Paper Setting | Pressure |
|---|
250°F / 120°C
|
30 Seconds
| IColor™ 500/600 – Media Type: Plain / Media Weight: UH1 IColor™ 650 – Media Type: Transparency / Media Weight: UH1 IColor™ 550/540 – Paper Type: Coated Glossy
IColor™ 560 – Paper Type: Thick to 105g IColor™ 800 – Paper Type: Thick to 163g
|
7
INSTRUCTION
The IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper set will allow you to transfer prints from the IColor™ series of printers (including white and fluorescent color prints) and most laser printers, onto a variety of garments, especially dark fabrics. The white adhesive applied as a result of the 2 Step process enhances the color of your print, and increases the adhesion to your garment for maximum durability, opacity and vibrancy on your finished product. Rasterization and breathability integrated into your design, as well as using the garment color as a mask, will enhance the stretch limit and softness of your finished product.
The IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper is considered the best choice of transfer paper when the softest possible hand is required. This paper is also brighter than any other media on the market today and has the best color reproduction, especially when printing red.
- The hand most closely resembles screen printing and is the paper of choice when the highest quality is needed.
- The IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper works at a lower temperature of 250°F / 120°C compared to other papers, which means you can print and press onto cotton as well as many types of synthetic material such as nylon, polyester and poly-cotton blends without the risk of scorching or melting the fabric. Save time, money, and space. No need to purchase a second heat press when using the IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper system. The first and second presses share the same temperature, pressure and press duration so you don’t have to wait for the press to change temperature.
- The IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper is a weed-free system, enabling you to produce detailed, quality images while dramatically reducing your production time.
Finished garments will last up to 100 washes depending on how it’s laundered.
- It is recommended to wash finished garments inside out in cold or warm water and low agitation.
- Avoid fabric softener.
- Tumble dry on low setting – For best results, hang to dry.
- If ironing is necessary, you must place a piece of kraft paper between the pressed image and the hot iron. Failure to do this will result in a melted transfer.
Designed to work with the IColor™ series of specialty printers, the IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper will also work with many popular color laser printers – please check with your printer manufacturer to be certain. White toner enabled printers are suggested for best results.
IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper is used as a set, comprising of an
‘Opaque Transfer Sheet’ and an ‘Adhesive Sheet’. Note that these are sold as a
set and cannot be sold individually.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEST RESULTS:
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Place transfer sheet into the appropriate tray of your printer.
WARNING: The smoothest, coated side is the print side. Note that the front and back of the package is labelled “printing” and “non-printing” side to help you determine which side is the printing side.- IColor™ 650 / 600 / 500 / Most Oki Printers: Print side face up in Multipurpose Tray
- IColor™ 550 / 540 / 800: Print side face down in the Bypass Tray
- IColor™ 560: Print side face down in Bypass tray or print side face up in tray 1 (ProRIP defaults to bypass tray)
To avoid printer jams, stack a few sheets in the tray at once so the printer pulls the media cleanly. Note: NEVER run the adhesive sheet through your printer. This could result in fuser failure.
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Printer Settings:
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In the RIP software settings, choose the paper type according to the printer being used. Make sure you are working within the overprint queue in the ProRIP software or ‘B’ Configuration if using the TransferRIP software.
WARNING: Specific print modes for this media are available when using the IColor™ ProRIP software. -
Listed as ‘UNINET IColor 2 Step Premium’
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The page size should match the size of the media being used (A4 or A3).
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Otherwise, use the following settings based on the printer:
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IColor™ 500 / 600 / Most Oki Printers: Set media type to ‘Plain’; and media weight to ‘Ultra Heavy 1’
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IColor™ 650: Set media type to ‘Transparency’; and media weight to ‘Ultra Heavy 1’
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IColor™ 550 / 540: Set paper type to ‘Coated Glossy’
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IColor™ 560: Set paper type to ‘Thick to 105g’
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IColor™ 800: Set paper type to ‘Thick to 163g’ (Thick to 220g may be needed for extra heavy coverage) If not already done automatically in the RIP, remember to set the job to mirror print, ensuring the correct orientation when transferred to the substrate. 2 – 3 choke or underfilling suggested for best results.
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Print the image.
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Preheat the press to 250°F / 120°C and keep the press closed for at least 5 minutes before proceeding to heat up the lower platen.
- This step is extremely important to ensure a good bond during the marrying process. Do not proceed until you feel the heat radiating from the bottom of the press platen, or you may experience incomplete transfers.
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Once the image is printed, place the adhesive sheet on top of the print, white (adhesive coated) side down – the image and the adhesive should be face-to-face.
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Run the two sheets together through a laminator on a medium-high heat setting prior to pressing – this will ensure all air bubbles are removed and all adhesive is transferred during the pressing process.
WARNING: Do not use a carrier sleeve, run the paper directly through. -
Place the sheets middle of the press with the adhesive side on top.
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TIP: Fold a small corner of the adhesive sheet over, prior to pressing (this will make it easier to peel apart after pressing).
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8. Cover with kraft paper or a PTFE-based sheet and press the two sheets together at 250°F / 120°C for 30 seconds with medium-high pressure.
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9. Open the press and while hot – immediately peel the adhesive sheet away from the transfer sheet diagonally in one smooth, quick, continuous motion.
- This should be done with the sheets on the press to minimize heat loss.
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10. Observe the used adhesive sheet – you will see the adhesive was removed only where toner was present on the transfer sheet.
- If you see any part of your design on the adhesive sheet, you did not get a clean pull.
- Examine your transfer sheet to determine if the transfer is acceptable.
- Discard the used adhesive sheet.
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11. Trim the edges away from the transfer sheet – this will ensure no excess adhesive sticks to the garment and eliminate the chance of a white box around your design.
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12. Place or thread your garment on the press.
- Position the transfer sheet (print side down) onto the garment.
- It is suggested that you use heat resistant tape to secure the sheet to the garment. Otherwise, opening the press can cause the transfer sheet to lift prematurely.
- For more precise placement, lay the garment out on a table, position the transfer sheet appropriately and tape the corners before placement on the press.
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Cover the transfer sheet and garment with kraft paper or a PTFE-based sheet and press the garment using a heat press at 250°F / 120°C for 30 seconds with medium-high pressure.
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Remove the garment from the heat press carefully and immediately lay flat. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes.
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Once the garment is completely cooled, carefully peel away the transfer sheet in one smooth, low, continuous motion.
- Removal while still warm could lead to an incomplete or faulty transfer.
- It is suggested that you start your pull from an area that has the most toner coverage. The image will adhere to the garment. Perform this step within 60 mins or less.
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RePressing (AKA post press or fixing press) the image into the garment is required for wash durability.
- Place the textile back on the heat press.
- Cover with kraft paper or IColor™ T. Seal, for a matte finish.
- Re-press the image for roughly 25 seconds at 250°F / 120°C with kraft paper on top of the image.
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Wait 15 seconds before removing the fixing or kraft paper to avoid any part of the transfer from sticking to the cover sheet.
- Pull slowly in one smooth, continuous motion. It is important to wait before pulling the paper off, otherwise it could pull the design off the garment!
- While the garment is still on the press and still hot; lightly stretch the material to allow the toner to soak into the fabric to prevent cracking.
TECH TIPS
There are many variables that could produce different results. Specific steps may need to be altered based on:
- Type of image: Photos or full-color graphics may require a longer press time than vector images or text.
- Type of garment: Cotton, Polyester, Spandex and Lycra material all respond differently to heat. All instructions are based on cotton garments.
- If your presses are not pulling cleanly, preheat the lower platen of the press in the closed position for several minutes to retain the necessary heat to perform this step.
- Toner Coverage: Halftones in image may cause undesired results. Toner coverage should not be less than 70%otherwise there may be issues with transferring the adhesive to the transfer sheet. The RIP will add the necessary amount of white to the image to avoid this situation. Those printing outside of the RIP software may encounter issues such as incomplete adhesive transfer.
- Type and brand of Heat Press: The temperature and duration varies slightly based on the heat press being used. All instructions are based on using a Hotronix Fusion press (recommended). Clam shell and other types of swing away presses may also yield different results. Always place the transfer paper in the middle of your heat press. Some heat presses do not have uniform heat and pressure distribution, which can affect your final project.
WARNING: Only use kraft paper made for heat press applications! The use
of butcher paper or other kinds not specifically designed for heat transfer
applications can cause the image to stick to the paper.
If you are printing a very densely covered page, it is suggested you choose
“heavy” for the paper type to avoid a paper jam at the fuser.
If you experience a paper jam, shut off the printer, remove the fuser and clear the jam, then print several test pages on regular copy paper to clear the excess toner out of the fuser.
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It is important to make sure the paper isn’t curled when loading into the MPT tray.
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It is also that suggested that your artwork does not exceed the maximum suggested margins of the page type to avoid a paper jam.
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Reduce the size of your artwork so that there is a ¾” blank header at the top of the page as it enters the printer.
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Allow your media to acclimatize – do not use the media if just delivered, especially during periods of extreme temperatures or humidity. Allow it to come to room temperature before using.
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Be sure to use the suggested paper type and media type before printing.
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Always make sure you select the media size which matches the media being used and is appropriate for your printer.
If, during Step 6, your transfer and adhesive sheets are crinkled or buckled after running through the laminator, pull the edges of the paper outward and keep them taught as you feed them into the laminator to prevent any air from getting in between the sheets.- TIP: You can also prepress the sheets with low pressure for 5 seconds in the heat press to remove excess moisture, before running through the laminator.
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During Step 7 of these instructions, it is important that the adhesive sheet is placed on top because:
- The heat platen is on top so heat is transferred directly to the adhesive sheet instead of passing through the transfer sheet
- When pulling them apart, the sheet on top tends to curl. If that was your transfer sheet, it would then be difficult to place on your garment and could be ruined if the image touched itself.
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During Step 9, note that the denser your image, the more difficult it will be to pull the A & B sheets apart.
- Start out with less dense, weeded images to perfect your process.
- Full coverage images take some skill to successful pull cleanly and may require a longer press time and/or higher heat. Full coverage tabloid (A3) graphics are not suggested.
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If, after pulling the transfer sheet off your garment in Step 13 , you may see some polymer remnants.
- Simply use some scotch tape to quickly lift up anything left behind.
- The fragments will also disappear after the first wash. This tends to happen if the transfer paper is pulled before it’s completely cooled.
If some of your image isn’t pulling properly during Step 13 of these instructions, start your pull from an area that has the most toner coverage.
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For example, don’t start your pull from a dot or a small independent portion of your graphic.
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The more toner coverage, the higher the probability that you won’t lose part of your image when getting started.
Humidity Suggestions: If your transfers are incomplete (gaps or holes where the adhesive didn’t transfer over) or if your transfer and adhesive sheets are crinkled or buckled after running through the laminator (even after pulling the edges of the papers outward as you feed them into the laminator), then your adhesive media has been affected by humidity. Follow these steps to remove the humidity:- Place the adhesive sheet(s) face up in the heat press while hot.
- Do not press them, just leave them there for approximately 1 – 2 minutes.
Adhesive sheet storage: To prevent humidity from affecting your media, store in a resealable bag. Adding a silica pack if not already provided, will help to absorb any moisture. Use of a de-humidifier will help as well.
Optimal Humidity Level: 45% – 65%
- Regulated with A/C, a humidifier or de-humidifier, depending on current atmospheric conditions.
Optimal Temperature Range: 50°F / 10°C – 75°F / 24°C
- Transfer sheet storage: If the media is sticking together due to static electricity, store in a resealable bag. Adding a dryer sheet will help reduce the static. Fan out the media before loading into the printer to ensure proper feeding.
- When post-pressing dri-fit or spandex material , use medium press pressure or the paper and toner will be driven into the material too much, causing cracking.
- Halftones can be corrected by printing white on top of color (either running the sheet through the printer a second pass, or using the IColor™ TransferRIP or ProRIP Software to apply a white layer in one pass). This will help with toner coverage and proper adherence to the garment.
There are many types of coatings and finishes applied to textiles and
synthetic fabrics, so make certain adhesion is satisfactory and test for wash
ability or scuff-resistance when applying transfer media to such materials.
It is recommended to wash finished garments inside out in cold or warm water
and low agitation.
- Tumble dry on low setting – For best results, hang to dry.
- If ironing is necessary, you must place a piece of kraft paper between the pressed image and the hot iron. Failure to do this will result in a melted transfer.
To see video instructions for IColor™ Premium 2 Step™ Transfer Paper, visit www.icolorprint.com/video
ALSO AVAILABLE
- IColor™ Premium 2 Step Transfer Paper for light and dark colored garments
- IColor™ Select and Select Ultra Bright 2 Step Transfer Paper for light and dark colored garments
- IColor™ Standard 2 Step Transfer Paper for light and dark colored garments
- IColor™ Glitter Adhesive 2 Step Transfer Paper (for use with IColor™ Standard 2 Step Transfer Paper)
- IColor™ Light 1-Step Transfer Paper for light colored garments
- IColor™ Presto 2 Step Transfer Paper for textiles and hard surfaces
- IColor™ Temporary Tattoo 2 Step and Easy Tattoo Transfer Paper
- IColor™ Premium, Wood and Leather and Ceramic Hard Surface 1-Step Transfer Paper
- IColor™ AquaClear 1-Step Transfer Paper for candles and other substrates not resistant to heat
- IColor™ Label / Sticker Paper (Clear and White) in Letter and Tabloid size
- IColor™ Window Cling Media (Clear and White) in Banner and cut sheet options
- IColor™ Banner Paper
- IColor™ Magnetic Media in Letter and Tabloid size…and more! Contact your dealer for more information.
IColor™ Transfer Paper Comparison Charts
May 2023 Revision – A newer version of this manual may be available at
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