Answer
Jul 28, 2022 - 08:09 AM
How well a custom shirt holds up in the washer and dryer is always a tricky question. There are many factors that can help t-shirt last longer when washed and dried. Here are some tips to get the best longevity:
- Be sure your design has negative space - T-shirts will stretch more than transfers. So having areas of the shirt with no toner means it can stretch in those areas as its being pulled around the washer and dryer. If you have no negative space then the stretch and water will eventually wear the design.
- Avoid chemical treatments - Fabric softeners, color boosters and other chemical treatments can damage custom apparel decoration. Just simple detergent is ideal.
- Low temperature is important - The toner and polymer are activated with heat when you apply it, you can reverse the chemical reaction and cause wear in your transfer with heat after application too.
- Use quality shirts - Low quality shirts degrade faster. The fibers fall off as 'lint' in the dryer. This means the shirt itself, and anything on it will degrade faster.
- Hang dry your favorite shirts - In general for ALL apparel, if something is important to you, you shouldn't dry it at all. The dryer slowly damages every piece of apparel from t-shirts to jeans to socks.
