need some pointers on which ink to use

[ericheartsu]

So we are printing a TON of these polyester/spandex or poly/viscose tees next week, and i feel i really need some improvement on these.

I just did a batch of the Sport Tek st700, which i feel came out ok, but i know we could have done better. This batch had a 3 color front and a seven color back, and had a super rough print. We used the mustang white as a base, and 6 plastisol highlights on the back, and 3 plastisol highlights on the front.

this was an order of 18 shirts, so it was done on the manual press. Bases were done through a 28n 160 screen, and highlights were done on 28n 230 screens.

What can we do to get a softer and more vibrent print? I tried doing Discharge on these this weekend, and that was a no go, and i'm VERY worried about dye migration, as i've had terrible luck in the past.

[ericheartsu]

in the past i've used the gray blocker barrier ink, and that works great when printing on an auto, but like the mustang ink, it's really hard to push or pull through a manual screen!

[Doug B]

  Doing some right now. Mixture of QCM-158 and Union Poly for UB.
Yesterday I tried with straight QCM and in a couple of hours some
migrated. Ones from Tanzania were fine. Some from Madagascar
migrated. The ink blend seems to be working O.K. (PFP white).

[mk162]

silicone ink.  it won't help you right now, they are still formulating colors, but I think white and black are both done.

[ericheartsu]

silicone ink.  it won't help you right now, they are still formulating colors, but I think white and black are both done.

this is what i've found as well, still need to find a solution for the time being!

[mk162]

try smart white from onestroke then.

[ebscreen]

7 color on 18 pieces? Yikes!

We print a lot of the ST350 and 700's. The 350's are less expensive and print easier in our
opinion. We toasted a few of the 700's when they were out of stock before figuring out how thin
that fabric is compared to the 350's.

Wilflex Epic Poly white is what we use. It's a chunk out of the bucket but some vigorous mixing
usually takes care of that. Less bleedy garments/colors we might bump it down with some Streetfighter.

Typically poly garments take plastisol printing nicer than cotton garments. No fuzz.

[mk162]

the smart white dang near pours out of the bucket.  My wilflex white gathers dust now.  I won't go back to it.

[ZooCity]

I would use WFX Epic Performance.  It needs to be thoroughly warmed up and you'll probably want maybe 1% QEC viscosity buster in there.   Clears and prints fine if you do those two things.  Not as friendly as regular plastisol but not a total nightmare either. 

The finish on those inks is decent, probably the best I've seen for plastisol meant for poly.  The only real dislike I have is it smells freaking weird. 

Big time looking forward to silicone inks someday.  Cost + waste is probably doing to be a downer but probalby workable with a pc system and mixing accurate batches. 

Totally off the wall here, but- if you can discharge the dye from cotton and often poly, why can't a method be created to essentially "re-sublimate" fabric like this.  There has to be something that will loose dyestuffs from pure poly, or dyestuff that could be engineered to accomodate such an ink.  Seems like we're due for some tech in this department, "performance" wear is presumably a huge market.

[JBLUE]

I have had great luck with Rutlands Super Poly white. Super smooth print and we have had no bleed issues so far. We also use Wilflex Poly and the Performance when we need a low temp to be safe.

[jsheridan]

Seems like we're due for some tech in this department, "performance" wear is presumably a huge market.

Silicone inks


International Coatings has Paramount White, ploy LB ink with an initial thick body, pull a few strokes and it's clearing a 150/48 screen in a single pass on a manual press

[JBLUE]

Seems like we're due for some tech in this department, "performance" wear is presumably a huge market.

Silicone inks


International Coatings has Paramount White, ploy LB ink with an initial thick body, pull a few strokes and it's clearing a 150/48 screen in a single pass on a manual press

Bring some up when you come up to visit on Friday......

[tonypep]

I'd be interested in that Paramount white as (going out on a limb here) it was most likely developed for Paramount SP in Bourbon Missori which is a ginormous Nike shop