October 12, 2023

Hot Peel Film - good, bad, or depends on application.

Everyone thinks they want Hot Peel film when they get into DTF printing. However using Hot Peel means you have to have a better grip on your settings all the way through the process to find traction.

I have worked with hot peel for over a year now and feel like I have it printing well on my Velox DTF System, but I feel it is important to read through my notes below:

I print with no heat on the Velox; 6 pass, white set to 90% proportionate to other colors
No heat on the guide plate
Dryer temp set to 105C, this is going to vary from dryer to dryer and needs to be tested. You want to lower the dryer temp to just melt the powder into a gloss orange peel texture. If you lower it too much the powder will feel grainy. At this point your heat is too low.
Heat press at 285F for 10 seconds with 30# pressure, peel 3 seconds after the press comes up.
It helps to wipe the film down after the press comes up. I focus on the corner I peel from.
I hold the shirt down with my left hand then peel with the other
Peel low and tight across the shirt, don't allow the garment to lift while peeling
I also peel the film off like a Band-Aid, fast and consistent. Don't hesitate...

If this doesn't work out of the gate don't get disappointed. This whole process is new to you and you are trying to achieve instant hot peel. The film works if you treat it correctly. You're going to read multiple opinions, get "expert" advice, but at the end of the day, if you put some time on the R & D on your particular prints and printer, you'll end up with the better prints, become more knowledgable on your machine, and speed up production in the meantime.

Article written by
Scott Hopper, VELOX Project Manager & Digital Consultant.

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