There are three main reasons for dull or muted prints.
- Your printer is not producing an acceptable nozzle check. A nozzle check and proper head cleaning are mandatory every time you start your printer. If you are unfamiliar with how to do a nozzle check and head cleaning, be sure to review the user guide.
- You have not adequately pretreated your shirt. Pretreating your garment is a simple process, but it must be done correctly to ensure the white ink bonds well with the fabric. The key to pretreat is to provide complete coverage of the area you intend to print. There can be no gaps or dry areas, and the garment must be 100 percent dry before you print. You must have consistent, complete coverage, and be sure to isolate the single layer of fabric where you intend to print.
- You are using a blank that does not accept white ink well. The wrong blank is often the main culprit for a dull white. People always ask why they don’t receive good results on certain kinds of inexpensive blanks. Budget-quality blanks will yield poor-quality results. Budget blanks generally use thick, open yarn and ink does not stick well to this type of yarn. They are also dyed with lower quality dyes that once cured under the heat press, will migrate through the print, dulling and muting the colors. The solution is to use ring-spun or 30-singles materials. Look for 100 percent cotton or blends of higher quality materials. High-quality blanks have better yarn, better dye, and thus, yield better results.
—Melco
