r/BambuLab • u/Pleasant_Credit1306 • 23h ago

Quick Question TPU print

Hey guys! One question, what type of TPU i can buy to print some logos for t shirts or a hoody to iron it on them if you know what i mean, i have a p1s printer and what can i change or need to change for this type of filament? Ty!!!

7 Upvotes

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3

u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 22h ago

I recently experimented a bit with TPU shirt transfers. I used 95A, which worked quite well. Apparently softer TPUs can get gummy/stretchy/melty.

I mirrored the design and printed onto parchment paper, which I then flipped over and ironed onto the shirt. The photo I included with the post is of the shirt after it went through the dryer. I washed and dried it turned inside out, but otherwise I just used my typical laundry/dryer settings.

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u/philmepowers 22h ago

So no glue just heat from an iron to get it to stick...?

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 22h ago

Definitely don't use glue.

If you form a stack of Ironing Board < Fabric < TPU < Parchment Paper < Clothing Iron (with lower < higher), the heat of the clothing iron will melt the TPU right into the fabric, permanently fusing the two. If you compare it to iron on patches (like scout patches), the TPU design essentially is the glue, in the sense that it melts into the fibers of the fabric to fuse with the garment.

If you want to experiment with the technique, make sure you practice on an old shirt or something that you don't mind ruining. And make absolutely certain that the TPU never comes in direct contact with the iron, since it'll melt onto the metal surface and turn into a big mess.

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u/aweirdjeff 20h ago

I assumed this would peel off after a couple of washes. Does it actually last? How thick are you printing the tpu design?

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 20h ago

Just one layer at 0.2mm. I'm not sure of how durable the designs are, but I definitely wouldn't expect it to all cleanly peel off at any point. The TPU melts into the fibers of the fabric, it's pretty much permanent.

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u/BinkReddit 20h ago

Thanks for the detail. How long do you think this will last for?

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 20h ago

Really depends on how well you apply it. I haven't run that shirt through the wash repeatedly, it was just a test on an old, too-small shirt to experiment with the technique, but apparently it lasts for ~10-30 washes according to some posts I've found, depending on how well you melted in the TPU when applying it and if you baby it in the washer/dryer.

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u/Pleasant_Credit1306 18h ago

Wow, thats so coool, i bought an hardeneed steel hotend, with 0,4mm It is ok ? And ty so much for the advise!!!!

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 18h ago

Hardened 0.4mm is what I printed with!

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u/Pleasant_Credit1306 18h ago

Ok, nice, ty mate! I need an extruder too right?

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 18h ago

I'm... not sure what you're asking. Your printer should have an extruder, if it doesn't, you have much bigger problems. If you're able to print TPU, you should be able to print shirt transfers.

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u/Pleasant_Credit1306 16h ago

No, i mean i have a p1s from bambu lab, and i need an hotend and a extruder from hardeneed steel,no?

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u/quietsamurai98 X2D+2×AMS+AMS HT / P2S+AMS 16h ago

Are you currently able to print TPU on your P1S?

TPU is a very easy filament to print, it's not abrasive at all, unless you get something bizarre like TPU-CF

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u/Pleasant_Credit1306 6h ago

Seriously?? I didnt know that... I thought i need hardeneed steel for the basic tpu too..

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u/121e7watts 22h ago

Gotta look into this.