Backer Paper on Heat Transfer Paper Sometimes Becomes Tinted Yellow

Why is the backer paper on my laser heat transfer tinted yellow?

With some laser printers the yellow toner migrates through the heat transfer coating and leaves the base paper with a yellow image.  This can also occur with magenta as the predominant color that migrates. Which colors will migrate is laser printer/copier specific.  More often all four colors leave a slight tint on the base sheet.  When it is all four colors or isn't too strong it is usually not noticed or commented on.   Although the printer/copier causes this to occur it is because of the heat in the transfer process that the color is driven into the base paper. 

Most of the time the yellow and pink are not a problem in the finished garment.  If the color on the garment is correct ignore any color on the base paper.  If the color is not deep enough, gradually increase the color density.  This is done with adjustments to the color with the printer driver and computer software. Since this condition is specific to each printer/copier it will occur reproducibly and once the corrective conditions are identified they can be duplicated for all prints.

Another possibility is yellow or any other color appearing outside the image area.  This is known as toner scatter and can be any color including black.  This is more likely to affect the appearance of the image on the garment, because white areas will have some color.  This can be addressed with new cartridges if this is a new problem.  Another possibility is to use a product that resists the toner scatter.  TECHNI-PRINT® 4.0 was created to resist toner scatter.

Depending on the type of printer, you must choose the correct type of transfer paper in order to successfully print images on the fabric. Most t-shirt transfer paper is for inkjet printers. However, if you have a laser printer, there is iron on heat transfer paper available specifically for laser printers. It is recommended that you do not use the inkjet transfer papers in your laser printer. For best results, the fabrics must have at least 50% cotton content. Instructions must be followed carefully to achieve optimal results.

Many distributors and manufacturers carry a large selection of heat transfer products and supplies. They carry everything needed for heat transfer including inkjet and laser heat transfer papers for light and dark applications, heat transfer vinyl and foils, laser printer supplies, specialty papers, and heat press supplies.