Am I Doing This Right?

[screenxpress]

I have dabbled some with discharge and while it looks and feels good, I wonder if I'm doing it right when I look at my prints.

Using Discharge White (single color) on Gildan Cotton Blacks

When I stretch the image even just a little, cracks appear showing black from the sides of the non-discharged threads.  In some ways, I could even describe it as a bad plastisol cure job where the ink cracks when stretched. 

Attached are two pics.  One unstretched and one stretched.

Is this to be expected?  Or do I need to somehow drive the discharge even deeper into the fabric risking bleeding onto the pallet for transfer to the next when mounting or possible transfer to the backs of the shirts when making contact in the dryer?

TIA

[Prosperi-Tees]

From my limited experience this is normal. You do definitely want to drive it into the garment. White discharge doesn't finish well right out of the dryer, the magic no feel comes after laundering.

[ZooCity]

Wash it!

You will have some "crust" with a correctly printed DC white, it's left behind sulfur I believe.

But don't let that lull you into thinking the print is good, it does need to have penetration as the white pig really likes to ride on top of the fabric and will try to bridge if you aren't driving it in.  On a ring spun you should be able to see the image somewhat through the inside of the shirt. 

[screenxpress]

Thanks

That was a washed and dried shirt. 

I'll try to drive it even deeper....if my old arms can take the pounding, lol.

[ZooCity]

yeah it's a bear on the manual. 60d blade and body racking pull strokes. 

[screenxpress]

yeah it's a bear on the manual. 60d blade and body racking pull strokes.

You may have hit on another issue.  I have been using 70/90/70 blades and have recently decided to switch back to straight 70.  You think 60 works better on discharge?

[ZooCity]

Yup.

[Frog]

yeah it's a bear on the manual. 60d blade and body racking pull strokes.

So, wouldn't this be a better fit for the "push" stroke that allows more of the body to contribute to the effort?
One of the criticisms  I see pullers make is that pushing puts too much pressure (mostly an issue with loose screens)

[ebscreen]

So, wouldn't this be a better fit for the "push" stroke that allows more of the body to contribute to the effort?
One of the criticisms  I see pullers make is that pushing puts too much pressure (mostly an issue with loose screens)

You would think that pushing would be the way to go, but I could never get it to work.
You need to create a "funnel" (not sure what to call it) that's only available
on the longer side of the blade. Softer squeegees make this easier.

As an example: Drop a couple drops of water on a piece of fabric.
Using a piece of cardboard in place of a squeegee, push or pull the drops to saturate the fabric.
Pulling wins.

[Frog]

So, wouldn't this be a better fit for the "push" stroke that allows more of the body to contribute to the effort?
One of the criticisms  I see pullers make is that pushing puts too much pressure (mostly an issue with loose screens)

You would think that pushing would be the way to go, but I could never get it to work.
You need to create a "funnel" (not sure what to call it) that's only available
on the longer side of the blade. Softer squeegees make this easier.

As an example: Drop a couple drops of water on a piece of fabric.
Using a piece of cardboard in place of a squeegee, push or pull the drops to saturate the fabric.
Pulling wins.

Were you flipping the squeegee around when you pushed? I hold it at the exact same angle and orientation as when I pull, so I'm even using the same edge (just from the opposite direction)

But, some folks just have never warmed up to the push. It took me years to try, then two or so weeks to feel comfortable. And the difference in ease of clearing the screen was like night and day. I credited the increase in pressure for this and that's why I figured it would also be the way to go with water base and discharge needing to be driven in.

[ebscreen]

Were you flipping the squeegee around when you pushed? I hold it at the exact same angle and orientation as when I pull, so I'm even using the same edge (just from the opposite direction)

But, some folks just have never warmed up to the push. It took me years to try, then two or so weeks to feel comfortable. And the difference in ease of clearing the screen was like night and day. I credited the increase in pressure for this and that's why I figured it would also be the way to go with water base and discharge needing to be driven in.

Nope, held the same. In order to get the "funnel" you need you'd have to hold the squeegee almost upright, which makes for a very odd push.

[Frog]

I haven't seen nobrainssd here in a long time, but he was strictly manual, and printed this stuff quite successfully.
Wish we could pick his nobrain.

[ebscreen]

I haven't seen nobrainssd here in a long time, but he was strictly manual, and printed this stuff quite successfully.
Wish we could pick his nobrain.

Hat is off to him. Manually printing wb is  a chore.

[Frog]

I haven't seen nobrainssd here in a long time, but he was strictly manual, and printed this stuff quite successfully.
Wish we could pick his nobrain.

Hat is off to him. Manually printing wb is  a chore.

He'd also be good for domineight who, in another thread, is asking about taking an old Workhouse Mach completely apart, cleaning,  and reassembling. Something that nobrain did with his 8 color.

[screenxpress]

I did want to mention that I am a convert now to the 'push stroke', which does include my discharge printing.