Poor iphone cover results (washed out)

[Gelert]

Am tearing my hair out trying to get decent results with the iphone covers.
They always look like the paper does before pressing - washed out. I've tried the recommended times and temperatures, varied them a little in line with what people suggest on other threads (starting a new one as the info not easy to find with the search).
Tried paper down, paper up. Preheating press. Playing with the intent properties with the powerdriver. Greater/lesser pressure. Yes I am using the proper inks and paper and blanks from BMS, peeling the protective coating off, all of that.
Mugs come out brilliantly, but the phones are truly pants - I have a customer waiting and I have a range of metal items ready to launch but I can't for the life of me get decent results. Everything looks washed out.
As a newbie there are too many variables (and expense!) involved in experimenting with temp/time/pressure etc. Can anyone suggest where I might be going wrong or what I could try adjusting?
TIA

[sonywiz]

with mine. i've had to increase exposure of image by about 40% before printing. then 70secs at 185 degrees. medium/hard pressure. Results are superb for me..

[Paul]

I phone covers for my system. Brother. Is 190C for 60 sec. Light medium presure. Look perfect. What time and temp you using??? Is BMS recomended times and temp are for ricoh or epson???

[Gelert]

@Sonywiz - "increase exposure of image by about 40% before printing" - oh man, I could do without that:/
@Paul - Am using Ricoh. Interesting you say light medium pressure where everything I've heard says medium/heavy. My 1st mug was washed out and fine when I increased the pressure. So to my newbie thinking, if the phone cover is washed out now, it'll get worse with less pressure, no?

[Paul]

Metal is diferent. Most of aluminium is.pressed with very little presure.

[bigj2552]

Metal is diferent. Most of aluminium is.pressed with very little presure.

Hmm - i do 180c for 100sec - medium presure (through trail n error ) and the results are bloody great - bright, vivid colours - thankfully!

[Gelert]

No definite formula then:/

[bigj2552]

No definite formula then:/

not everybody has the same press's, inks ect - there WILL be variants - example - when i first got my swing away press & mug press - mug press using standard supplier settings for temp/time ect - great -result first time.
Using the same supplier settings for my swing away press gave me seriously washed out looking colours - using same inks/papers ect as for mug press.
I had to double my times that supplier gave me through a little trail n error - about an hour of testing/cooking to find right temps/times for my swing away flat press - i just presumed it was part of the learning curve of this kind of business !

[JSR]

I had to double my times that supplier gave me through a little trail n error

I've tended to find that my press requires double the times (or even a little more) than the suppliers recommend, too. 0.5mm metal sheets from BMS come out just fine but I tend to do them for 2 mins (12x8) coming down to 90s if smaller. The only ones I do for just 60s are the little diddly keyring pieces of metal.

That said, the more I do, the more I can bring the time down. I think when the press first heats up, the cold base acts like a heat sink but, once you've been pressing for 15-30mins, it's hot enough to help the process rather than hinder it.

On the other side of the coin, if I press a similar item in my plate press, I could be pressing it for several minutes and still not get the same transfer quality as the flatbed. So it is all about the press, and learning through trial and error.

[Gelert]

That's helpful. Will double the time when my next batch arrives later and see what happens. Thx.