One Stroke Whites

[Rockers]

Would love to hear some suggestions for a good cotton or poly-cotton white from One Stroke Inks. Are their products very expensive?

[mimosatexas]

very, very expensive.

They are great inks, but I hate having to wait a week to get ink, and pay shipping, and pay double or more to begin with.  Would use them MUCH more if they distributed locally and had better price points.

[mk162]

We've started using super smooth white.  It's a really nice white.  A 5er of that shipped in runs about $85 per gallon, so it ain't cheap.

357 is our go to poly ink.
EJ Special White is a great cotton/poly ink as well.  I haven't used it in a while, but it was a good ink for a long time for us.

We are only 1-2 days from them.  I think 1.  Makes it easier.  Their prices are higher, but I don't care if the inks perform better.  If I eat a job that bled or I spend time making cheap poly ink work I could have easily lost more money than the difference in ink prices. 

Also, my rule is if 357 doesn't work on it, more than likely nothing will(unless you use the ELT digital black base).

[Prince Art]

ELT-S is our go-to for high-poly blends (tri-blend, cvc) that tend to discolor with heat. I'm a fan of the Aquasilk white, though we don't use it much now as I'm trying to get away from anything that cures above 300. (We do so many blends, I want my main ink stock to cure lower.) I found Aquasilk to be versatile, good coverage, nice flex & stretch even when printed thick; but have also used it as a base print.

One Stroke will sell/give samples, too. You might put together a list of the most likely options, order samples of all of them, and do some testing.

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

[Biverson]

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

Really? I switched from Union LB whites to Wilflex about 6 months ago and like them a lot better. A lot easier to work with IMHO. What are you liking more from the One Stroke versus the Quick? If One Stroke is that much better I might have to give it a go.



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[Prince Art]

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

Really? I switched from Union LB whites to Wilflex about 6 months ago and like them a lot better. A lot easier to work with IMHO. What are you liking more from the One Stroke versus the Quick? If One Stroke is that much better I might have to give it a go.

I'm having trouble with cured Quick breaking apart when stretched. May be related to our short electric dryer, but it isn't because the ink hasn't hit cure temp - last batch hit well above cure temp, & was sent through twice & we still had problems. (It technically passed a 120%-130% stretch, but just barely.) Or it could be due to some other shortcoming in our process. BUT- I haven't had that problem with previous inks. I'm used to inks simply not breaking, unless you're playing Hulk Hogan with the shirt. ELT-S in particular can go on pretty thin, and still stretch like crazy. (Obviously has stretch additive, hence "S". But combined with low cure temp, I don't ever worry whether customers will have washout or cracking probs.)

[Nation03]

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

Really? I switched from Union LB whites to Wilflex about 6 months ago and like them a lot better. A lot easier to work with IMHO. What are you liking more from the One Stroke versus the Quick? If One Stroke is that much better I might have to give it a go.

I'm having trouble with cured Quick breaking apart when stretched. May be related to our short electric dryer, but it isn't because the ink hasn't hit cure temp - last batch hit well above cure temp, & was sent through twice & we still had problems. (It technically passed a 120%-130% stretch, but just barely.) Or it could be due to some other shortcoming in our process. BUT- I haven't had that problem with previous inks. I'm used to inks simply not breaking, unless you're playing Hulk Hogan with the shirt. ELT-S in particular can go on pretty thin, and still stretch like crazy. (Obviously has stretch additive, hence "S". But combined with low cure temp, I don't ever worry whether customers will have washout or cracking probs.)

That's good to know, I'm going to have to pick some of this stuff up. I also have a short electric dryer. I hit well above cure temps and most fabrics are fine, but I just did a job on some stretchy polyester shirts that washed out slightly. The same print was fine on the poly polo shirts, but the stretchier warm up jackets it just didn't hold up on. I was using Wilflex Perfect white.

[rmonks]

I have been using One Stroke White (Hybrid White) for about a year it flashes fast, it covers great, doesn't always work with one stroke, but most of the time. I have been using there water color inks also. They give that soft feel. Their inks do cost a little more than others, but I feel that there is some time saved in flashing, and the ability to get it done in one stoke offsets the cost. Just my 2 cents.

[Biverson]

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

Really? I switched from Union LB whites to Wilflex about 6 months ago and like them a lot better. A lot easier to work with IMHO. What are you liking more from the One Stroke versus the Quick? If One Stroke is that much better I might have to give it a go.

I'm having trouble with cured Quick breaking apart when stretched. May be related to our short electric dryer, but it isn't because the ink hasn't hit cure temp - last batch hit well above cure temp, & was sent through twice & we still had problems. (It technically passed a 120%-130% stretch, but just barely.) Or it could be due to some other shortcoming in our process. BUT- I haven't had that problem with previous inks. I'm used to inks simply not breaking, unless you're playing Hulk Hogan with the shirt. ELT-S in particular can go on pretty thin, and still stretch like crazy. (Obviously has stretch additive, hence "S". But combined with low cure temp, I don't ever worry whether customers will have washout or cracking probs.)

Thanks for the info! Can I ask what dryer you're using? I've got an Econored 2.

Now that you say that there has been times where that's also happen for me. Ink was hitting 350 and in there for around 35 seconds. I just assumed it cracked as I just got an auto and it laying down a thinner layer of ink? I'm not one to cut corners so I'm going to get some OS in and try it out.


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[Robert Clark]

I just wanted to thank everybody for your feedback.

We listen and we do our best to meet your expectations.

Everybody have a great weekend !

[Prince Art]

Working our way through some Wilflex Quick right now, and am less than impressed after using One Stroke's whites.

Really? I switched from Union LB whites to Wilflex about 6 months ago and like them a lot better. A lot easier to work with IMHO. What are you liking more from the One Stroke versus the Quick? If One Stroke is that much better I might have to give it a go.

I'm having trouble with cured Quick breaking apart when stretched. May be related to our short electric dryer, but it isn't because the ink hasn't hit cure temp - last batch hit well above cure temp, & was sent through twice & we still had problems. (It technically passed a 120%-130% stretch, but just barely.) Or it could be due to some other shortcoming in our process. BUT- I haven't had that problem with previous inks. I'm used to inks simply not breaking, unless you're playing Hulk Hogan with the shirt. ELT-S in particular can go on pretty thin, and still stretch like crazy. (Obviously has stretch additive, hence "S". But combined with low cure temp, I don't ever worry whether customers will have washout or cracking probs.)

Thanks for the info! Can I ask what dryer you're using? I've got an Econored 2.

Now that you say that there has been times where that's also happen for me. Ink was hitting 350 and in there for around 35 seconds. I just assumed it cracked as I just got an auto and it laying down a thinner layer of ink? I'm not one to cut corners so I'm going to get some OS in and try it out.

We're using a Lawson Encore. 4' tunnel, 2 heat panels, w/ forced air. I had some of the shirts temping into the 370s and print still pulled apart. We cured them low, we cured them high, we put them through once, we put them through twice, and we still couldn't get them to stretch as far as I think they should without breaking. What we didn't do was "slow & low" i.e., at cure temp for 1+ minutes. If the ink requires that, it will be a no-go for us. Our shop doesn't have room for a dryer that will allow for that with an auto. We have to have a more forgiving ink. And maybe I'll figure out how to make the Quick work, but... I haven't yet.

[Nation03]

I have a 4 foot tunnel, no forced air. I put the temp on 1000 and the surface of the ink reaches around 420-430 before it exits. That's helped improve the stretch on Wilflex Perfect white. 370 on the surface might not be enough to get the bottom layer to 320 in a smaller chamber.

[Prince Art]

I have a 4 foot tunnel, no forced air. I put the temp on 1000 and the surface of the ink reaches around 420-430 before it exits. That's helped improve the stretch on Wilflex Perfect white. 370 on the surface might not be enough to get the bottom layer to 320 in a smaller chamber.

Point taken. However: Much above 380 on our temp gun usually means scorched shirts. And, we don't have to get other inks that hot, even with a thicker ink deposit. With other inks, if temp gun peak reads at about 40 degrees higher than required cure temp, we're good. Also, Quick White is supposed to cure at 300 - so I'd expect a reading of 70-80+ degrees over should be way more than adequate. (It would totally ruin most of the blend fabrics we print on.)

[Biverson]

I have a 4 foot tunnel, no forced air. I put the temp on 1000 and the surface of the ink reaches around 420-430 before it exits. That's helped improve the stretch on Wilflex Perfect white. 370 on the surface might not be enough to get the bottom layer to 320 in a smaller chamber.

Point taken. However: Much above 380 on our temp gun usually means scorched shirts. And, we don't have to get other inks that hot, even with a thicker ink deposit. With other inks, if temp gun peak reads at about 40 degrees higher than required cure temp, we're good. Also, Quick White is supposed to cure at 300 - so I'd expect a reading of 70-80+ degrees over should be way more than adequate. (It would totally ruin most of the blend fabrics we print on.)

If you haven't tried it yet give Unions Cosmic poly a try. It's for 100% poly but I find it to be a great all purpose ink. I had a quart I hadn't used in 2 months and I needed a quick ink for one off on a Badger B Core. I got it out of my shop (garage) that's about 65 degrees, open, and I barely have to stir it as it's still very creamy and easy to work with. Very soft hand too.


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[Nation03]

I have a 4 foot tunnel, no forced air. I put the temp on 1000 and the surface of the ink reaches around 420-430 before it exits. That's helped improve the stretch on Wilflex Perfect white. 370 on the surface might not be enough to get the bottom layer to 320 in a smaller chamber.

Point taken. However: Much above 380 on our temp gun usually means scorched shirts. And, we don't have to get other inks that hot, even with a thicker ink deposit. With other inks, if temp gun peak reads at about 40 degrees higher than required cure temp, we're good. Also, Quick White is supposed to cure at 300 - so I'd expect a reading of 70-80+ degrees over should be way more than adequate. (It would totally ruin most of the blend fabrics we print on.)

Understandable. I do mostly 100% cotton, 100% poly and poly/cotton blends. Rarely do tri-blends which I can see being a problem at that temp. I wonder why that white is so brittle.