Heat press settings Celsius for UK crafters

Troubleshooting

Sublimation ghosting and blur

A ghost is a second, fainter copy of the design. A blur is a soft edge. Both happen while the dye is still moving, which is during the press and in the moment you open it.

Heat Press Nation’s ghosting note describes the usual end-of-press failure. The press opens, the shirt shrinks or the paper shifts, and dye that is still leaving the paper lands in a new place. They see it more on short presses, because the paper has not given up its ink yet. Their suggestions are a longer press (they mention trying 70 seconds and comparing), a pre-press between cover sheets to dry and pre-shrink the shirt, and tacky sublimation paper so the shirt and the sheet move together.

They also say that if you lengthen the time, you should drop the temperature by 20–30 degrees so you do not scorch the fabric. The PDF is written around Fahrenheit charts, so that is about 11–17°C, not 20–30°C. It is a troubleshooting suggestion from that PDF, not a new Sawgrass or Xpres standard. If you are already on the Xpres shirt guide at 190°C for 60–70 seconds, you are near the longer time they describe. Do not add another 30 seconds on top without a spare.

Xpres, in the ordinary successful method, already tell you to tape the paper. Tape the edges, not a sheet of tape across the image. Open the press without a jerk. On a mug, tape the wrap so it cannot spin. On hard blanks, lift the paper straight up.

Sawgrass’s polo walkthrough mentions a different mark: a line where the edge of the paper sat. They suggest tearing the paper edge so it feathers, and using a pressing pillow when collars and buttons stop the shirt lying flat. That line is not always a ghost, but an uneven shirt moves, and movement is how ghosts start.

Moisture makes the soft version. Steam blows dye sideways, so the shadow is fuzzy rather than a crisp offset. Pre-press polyester before you lay the paper on, the same way you pre-press for DTF. Store sublimation paper sealed. A curled, damp sheet will not sit still.

If there is no second image and the colour is simply weak, use the faded sublimation page. More tape will not fix a cotton shirt.

Common questions

What is the difference between a ghost and a scorch?

A ghost repeats the picture, sharp or soft, slightly offset. A scorch is a shiny or brown mark in the shape of the platen or the paper, without a second copy of the design. Scorch is covered on its own page.

Should I press harder to stop ghosting?

Pressure that lets the paper shift is too low, but more pressure does not fix a shirt that shrinks as the press opens. Heat Press Nation’s note says the double image happens at the end of the cycle, when paper or fabric moves while dye is still transferring.

Sources