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You will need the following for Pre-treatment Application:
A well-ventilated room. Good ventilation is essential for worker comfort and health. Application
of Pre- treatment Liquid outdoors is not recommended on windy days as it can cause uneven
application. It is recommended that a room away from the printer be dedicated to the
application of pre-treatment so that the spray will not affect your printer.
Our recommended process for applying the Pre-treatment Liquid is to use a High Volume Low
Pressure (HVLP) spray gun. These spray guns are commonly used for applying paints and are
available from paint supply stores or home improvement stores. The Wagner Control Spray Gun,
available for US customers ONLY (Figure 7.4-1) and Campbell Hausfeld Paint Sprayer, found in
local hardware stores are both good choices.
Image 7.4-1: Wagner Control Spray Gun
Pre- treatment Application Procedure:
Dilute the RIOCH authorized Pretreatment Liquid with a 70:30 ratio amount of distilled water,
70% pretreatment: 30% part water. Fill the sprayer reservoir with the mixture. It is very
important to use distilled water as city water, well water or filtered water may have mineral
content that can affect the performance of the pre-treatment.
Lay down the garment on a flat spray table. Make the garment even and flat.
Apply the pre-treatment mix with the sprayer. Apply an adequate and even amount to where the
material has an even wet sheen. Remember you only need to apply the pre-treatment to the
areas that will be printed on.
Going in only one direction use a plastic squeegee to help spread the pre-treatment evenly after
spraying. This also flattens any fabric fibers that may have risen due to the application of the wet
pre-treatment.
Dry the garment, you can achieve an excellent result by letting the garments air dry or you can
use a heat press in the hover position (This means the heat press is not closed but has a 1 to 1/2
inch gap to allow the steam to escape), blow dryer or a heat tunnel. Do not dry your garments in
a tumble dryer. These dryers are full of lint and since the pre-treatment is wet and somewhat
sticky you will end up with lint stuck to the pre-treatment.
Once the garment is dry to the touch you can print on it. If you plan on storing the garments
for later use, be sure that they are completely dry beforehand to prevent mildew.
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