Using Top Score on 50/50?

[Shanarchy]

Anyone have thoughts on using Top Score white to print hoodies? It printed really nice on poly, so I'm assuming it should print easily and offer better bleed blocking.

I currently am using QCM xolb 158 for blends and a cotton white for 100% cotton. The top score is $25/gallon more than the QCM. But we don't do that many blends here and I really like the idea of only stocking 2 white inks.

Thoughts? Is there a reason this wouldn't be as ideal for 50/50 hoodies and tees?

[Ryan]

should be fine, you can run them through at a lower temp as well which will help also

[whitewater]

Not sure if this is kosher, and we have not had an issue at all. But we have been mixing the Top Score which i like for our polys, and we use the Union 1030 for our cottons. So we have been mixing them 50/50 and it makes the best printing ink! haha! like i said it may not be correct, but we have had zero issues..

[Shanarchy]

Not sure if this is kosher, and we have not had an issue at all. But we have been mixing the Top Score which i like for our polys, and we use the Union 1030 for our cottons. So we have been mixing them 50/50 and it makes the best printing ink! haha! like i said it may not be correct, but we have had zero issues..

I get the theory, but I'd be nervous. A) how well are the two inks mixed together? B) what is the proper ratio to mix to be able to maintain the needed blocking power.  Of course I'm just talking out of my a$$. Where are our ink guys on this?

[Orion]

You may want to check, but I think that Top Score lacks proper fiber mat down on anything other than a smooth poly fabric.

[Shanarchy]

You may want to check, but I think that Top Score lacks proper fiber mat down on anything other than a smooth poly fabric.

Good thought.

[Croft]

we've done it a few times with no problems

[Joe Clarke]

Not sure if this is kosher, and we have not had an issue at all. But we have been mixing the Top Score which i like for our polys, and we use the Union 1030 for our cottons. So we have been mixing them 50/50 and it makes the best printing ink! haha! like i said it may not be correct, but we have had zero issues..

I get the theory, but I'd be nervous. A) how well are the two inks mixed together? B) what is the proper ratio to mix to be able to maintain the needed blocking power.  Of course I'm just talking out of my a$$. Where are our ink guys on this?

I play an ink guy on TV.

A quality bleed resistant ink has at least two aspects to its chemistry. 1) not to trigger bleeding 2) to prevent bleeding. "Bleeding" can occur at the textile / ink interface and or at the surface due to sublimation and / or solubility.

The former is due to the lag between sublimation and fusion. Prevention is required and it occurs when the molecular structure of the color is altered. The latter is due to the lag between printing and fusion. Migration resistant, low fusion inks are required here as they do not tend to trigger bleeding.

Adding an ink which triggers bleeding or which does not prevent bleeding is risky at best and I can't imagine any real life ink guy or girl would recommend such a blending.

It is a classic case of Russian Roulette; just maybe the odds aren't so bad...it's the consequences that'll get ya!

[jsheridan]

Found out the fun way.. use top score for poly fabrics only. Did some cotton before, as the majority of the run was poly shirts, didn't want to mix two complete sep batches of ink for a 7 color job so went with it.. yeah that was a fun day... ughhh..

[jvanick]

I've printed wilflex performance on 100% cotton with no ill effects before...  same with Onestroke Bravo Flex (actually works really well on those tie-dye bleeder shirts)...

other than the cost differential between a regular cotton white, haven't noticed anything bad...

Of course, I haven't ever really liked the Wilflex TopScore inks after we learned (painfully) that they really don't like being printed wet on wet.

[Shanarchy]

Found out the fun way.. use top score for poly fabrics only. Did some cotton before, as the majority of the run was poly shirts, didn't want to mix two complete sep batches of ink for a 7 color job so went with it.. yeah that was a fun day... ughhh..

I kind of figured it wouldn't be that easy. What was the negative of it?

[jsheridan]

Heat was the issue.. score has a lower gel/cure temp and cotton likes to hold onto it vs the thin poly cooled off qucker.
left us with flash gel sticking and back of screen buildup. turned the flash down and then we didnt flash enough and got wet banding. Had a hard time getting the heat just right as we had to stop and start to much and got out of rythum.

once the poly hit the press it magicly worked Perfect!

[Shanarchy]

Heat was the issue.. score has a lower gel/cure temp and cotton likes to hold onto it vs the thin poly cooled off qucker.
left us with flash gel sticking and back of screen buildup. turned the flash down and then we didnt flash enough and got wet banding. Had a hard time getting the heat just right as we had to stop and start to much and got out of rythum.

once the poly hit the press it magicly worked Perfect!

Definitely good to know.