Waterbase Inks?

[3Deep]

Is this were we are headed in screen printing now, funny but when I first started screen printing that's all I used was water base inks didn't think a thing about plastisol, but later found out it was easier to work with plastisol and it lasted a heck of a lot longer.  I know for a newbie plastisol is the ticket, but I see a lot of the bigger shops are getting more and more into waterbase and DC, so will us smaller shops fellow suit hmmm.

darryl

[ebscreen]

Same boat.

When I started with the Speedball kit my mom bought me all I had was a little jar of  black ink.
When I ran out of that and didn't save my allowance to buy more inks I stole my sisters paints and used them.
They were acrylics and performed very similar to the high-solids acrylics we print today.
Gone full circle.

I don't know what regulations may be passed that would ban use of plastisols as we know them, but I do
know that waterbased/discharge/HSA can frequently produce a superior product, and if you aren't at least
messing with them by now, you're missing out on opportunities.

[jamiem]

Nike started the PVC free movement a few years ago.  Other major brands are now mandating.  There seems to be a lot of momentum, everyone should be playing with the stuff.  More and more customers will start asking.  It really does give you a much better finished product.  Hand feel and color are far superior to plastisol.  Our people here would never want to go back.

[mk162]

is it HSA?  or PVC free plasti? 

[3Deep]

But aren't most our dryers geared more for plastisol than waterbase inks?, I know in other countries these inks are king and has been for some time now.

[Prosperi-Tees]

The curing process would be the biggest issue. and also when its 120 degrees in the shop I have to stop every 30-45 minutes for a break which would not work for WB

[jamiem]

Cure time is much longer, but you get used to it.  There are other countries that have very hot temperatures as well, they use these systems.  I'm not saying the change is easy, but we found it was well worth it.

[Colin]

Like with Jamie's company, there are many many shops - like most of southern California - that have gone predominantly if not exclusively waterbased.  Meaning HSA/Polyurethane Waterbase/Standard waterbase etc... 

Those shops that do print a lot of plastisol will typically run a discharge base.  Now this is not every shop, but the good majority.  Remember, these are shops that are serving a lot of retail customers.

If you are not serving retail customers, you will not see much demand for waterbase products.

Our headaches as plastisol printers will always be dryer capabilities (meaning no way for a lot of shops) and the number of available print heads.....