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Plastisol vs Water-Based inks

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  Plastisol vs. Water-Based Inks: Which Ink Is Right for Your Shop? Screen Printing 101    |    Inks & Materials    |    Beginner Friendly When you're just getting started in screen-printing one of the first decisions you'll face is choosing your ink. And when it comes down to it, there are two major players: plastisol and water-based. Both have a place in a well-run shop, but they behave very differently on press, on the garment, and in your workflow. In this post we're breaking both down, the pros, the cons, what to watch out for, and helping you figure out which one makes sense for the work you're doing. Plastisol Inks - The workhorse of Screen Printing Plastisol is the go-to ink for the majority of screen printers, and for good reason. It's reliable, forgiving, and incredibly easy to work with. Unlike water-based inks, plastisol doesn't dry on the screen, which means you can take your time on press without stressing about your mesh cl...
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Plastisol transfers vs Screen Printing

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  Screen printing is the most basic form of transferring an image to a garment. It’s been around for well… a long time! Approximately 221 AD (we’ll feed your curiosity). Besides the creative side of screen printing, another reason screen printing is a popular business is because it’s relatively cheap to start. As screen printing has evolved many printing techniques and styles have emerged. There isn’t a right or wrong way to print. Printers choose their printing approach based on the job at hand. As business owners, screen printers are always striving for a more profitable bottom line. Today we compare two methods, plastisol transfers vs screen printing (traditional form) First, we will briefly break down the screen-printing process. This is necessary to understand plastisol heat transfers. Traditional screen printing can be a lengthy process. It starts with a stencil being burned into a screen using emulsion, light and a film positive. Once the stencil is created, ink is passed th...
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Ink Curing 101 - How to Cure Screen Printing Inks

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Curing screen printing ink is a crucial step in the screen-printing process. To create a durable and permanent print, the ink must dry completely at the correct temperature. Curing ensures that the ink solidifies and adheres to the substrate. Incomplete curing can lead to poor adhesion, resulting in the ink peeling or flaking off the substrate. For textiles like T-shirts and other garments, curing is essential to make the print withstand multiple wash cycles without fading or deteriorating. It also prevents the ink from bleeding or transferring onto other fabrics. Screen Printing Inks Water-based and Plastisol screen printing inks must both be cured when printed onto textiles. Water-based ink should not be cured when printed onto paper. Ink curing temperature times vary depending on the ink manufacturer. While different manufactures may have different temperatures, a few things are pretty constant with screen printing ink. Most ink must be cured for at least one minute at the manufactu...
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