Texsource Screen Printing Supply brings you the very best articles on Screen Printing Equipment, Inks, Techniques, Supplies, as well as the latest Tips, Products, and Industry Trends and News
Starting out can be daunting with all the equipment choices available. Texsource helps you break down what is important and when it might be time to upgrade
One of the greatest features of
plastisol ink is the ability to dive into the world of wet on wet printing.
Your shop is filled with orders and you are looking for a way to cut down on
wasted time and get products out faster to your customers. Welcome to wet on
wet printing. Being able to print wet on wet simply means that you can print
successive colors without necessarily having to flash in between colors. Now,
there will always be outlier print jobs (especially with dark colored garments)
that will require you to flash layers, but the general advantage of wet on wet
printing is avoiding the flash cure. Doing so will save you time, money and
ensure that your customers get their products quickly.
The Print Order
A general
rule of thumb for screen printing is to print light layers first and finish
with the dark layers. It is also best practice to print from the smallest
stencil to the largest. This all depends on the amount of detail that you have
in your overall image. Screens with less image detail should print first.
Inversely, screens with the most detail need to be printed last. This ensures
that you are able to print a large design without worrying about excessive ink
build up.
Ink Smears
What you
will notice with wet on wet printing is that your screens will grab ink from
previous layers. This could bring your whole production to a halt if you are
not careful. What happens is that thick ink layers will cause the screen to
stick to the ink and smear the color. It is normal for the screens to pick up
some colors from previous layers, but too much build up will smear the whole
print or block out pars of the screen – ruining the stencil.
There are
a few things you can do to avoid this from happening:
Choose a high mesh count screen (200+)
with high tension
Over the
course of your print job make sure to keep your ink layers thin. This reduces
the chance of ink being picked up by your screens. Using a base can give the
ink a short body that prints well and helps prevent smearing by allowing the
ink to penetrate further into the fabric. If you notice that your screens are
picking up too much ink, it would be best to take a few minutes to clean the
substrate side of your screens to avoid a major headache later on.
Practice Makes Perfect
Best practice will be to print a few
test shirts before going into an actual print job. If you have any questions,
you can always reach out to your screen printing supplier. They can recommend
the right inks for wet on wet printing. If you are having trouble with your
screens picking up ink, your supplier can also recommend a reducer to ensure
you get a thin ink deposit.
Wet on wet screen printing will allow your shop
to work faster and more efficiently, cut down on wasted time and get products
more quickly to your customers. The process takes a little patience in the
beginning, but that patience will help your shop become more efficient.
In the world of screen printing there is an overwhelming amount of inks on the market, and the newer you are to screen printing, the harder it is to decide what inks you should try and which you should avoid - for now at least. Being a more advanced screen printer, although knowledgeable, you still face the challenge of working with multi-color processes and finding the right ink for your next print job.
The variety is what makes the screen printing industry one of the most interesting to work in and be a part of. There is so much growth potential for screen printers. The world of ink is expanding and the demand for specialty inks is out there. We are even starting to see a blend among the print industries. Graphic design has adopted screen printing to develop posters and unique brand packaging. Screen printing has adopted 3D printing to take textiles to the next level. The industry is developing fast especially with people being able to print on the go or at home!
My exposure to screen printing has been limited to a small table top printer that I received one year for Christmas. Being green in the industry, I have had my eyes opened to a million different possibilities when it comes to screen printing - even witnessing an automatic press in action. Today, Texsource-U is teaching a class on how to use specialty inks in screen printing so I thought that it would be appropriate to write a blog article onspecialty inks.
My favorite printed tees (as i’m sure some of you would agree) are the ones with quirky little quips that are decorated in some way such as gold shimmers or mounds of glitter (the kind that you find in your hair days later). The shinier it is, the more it catches my attention. But what I didn’t realize was the process for printing those inks was different from any other process. I had some idea that special screen printing inks would be different, but I wasn’t sure HOW different they would be from each other. Below, we will explore some different specialty inks and how to effectively use them for your next screen printing project!
Types of Special Effect Inks
Phosphorescent Glow Inks
Phosphorescent is a glow-in-the-dark plastisol ink which is ready to use right out of the bucket. This ink is formulated for application to cotton and cotton / polyester garments and novelty items. The glow inks print well on white, but they can also work for colored garments.
When printing on colored garments, it’s best (and recommended) to use a white underbase to really make those colors POP! It is also recommended that you use a 86-110 mesh screen and thick stencil to get the best graphics.
Crystalina
Glitter Plastisols are extremely flexible inks. They provide a glittering texture and metallic-like finish when printed directly on textiles or used in transfers. Glitter inks are available in two variations.
Regular Glitter Plastisols - recommended for direct printing
Super Glitter Plastisols - recommended for heat transfer printing.
Crystalina is used to produce subtle sparkle effects with high gloss and excellent durability. For printing, it is highly recommend using a 25-40 mesh screen. Mesh counts higher than 40 (15 metric) should not be used as this will limit the inks ability to flow onto the garment and will result in a very spotty, irregular finish.
For stencils you can use any direct emulsion or capillary film. And due to the reflective nature of this ink, it requires a longer curing time and more heat to reach the required temperature than a standard plastisol.
Silver Luster
These inks are very versatile and can be used to enhance graphics or create a unique standalone product. Silver Lustre inks are specially formulated to give maximum coverage, and have been incorporated in the clearest, glossiest plastisol available. Not only do these inks create a dramatic effect, they also have excellent wash durability. These inks can be printed using a 60-86 mesh screen.
Pale Gold Glitter
Similar to crystalina, glitter inks are very flexible to work with. When heat cured, that’s when the glittering metallic finish shines through. These inks take on the finish of release papers like you use during heat transfer printing.
You can print these inks directly on textiles. Another great feature of these inks is that they are lead free plastisol and have great opacity when printing. For printing, it is recommended you use a 25-40 mesh screen like the crystalina. Any count higher than 40 will result in a not-so-great finish.
Puff Additive
Puff additives are formulated to be mixed withGeneral Purpose (GEN) Series inks to give designs a raised or elevated effect. Puff Additive allows you to minimize the number of products you have on your shelf and gives you great results. For best results, you should use a screen with a good thick stencil and amedium to soft squeegee for good ink laydown. Puff additive is especially useful in smaller shops that may not want to inventory a complete set of puff colors.
HD Rubber Base
HD Rubber Base can be used as a high density gloss/clear or as a high gloss overprint to any ink. You can also add colors to create special gloss images. These inks are an excellent adhesive carrier for foil, special flakes, caviar beads, and other creative textures. They can be used on most fabric types. The “Super Elongation” 110 mesh with 200 micron cap film is recommended if you are going to print with an HD Rubber Base.
Ultra Reflective Ink
Ultra Reflective inks are exactly what they sound like. These inks are easy to print with and create a unique reflective surface. When a garment printed with Optilux ink is exposed to a focused beam of light such as that from a flashlight or headlight, it reflects or returns light back to the light source. You can use these inks to create a novelty item or create a unique decorative tool to increase nighttime visibility of a printed design. To get the best print it is recommended that you use a 160-230 mesh screen.
Silver Foil
The great thing about foil inks is that they are press ready. They provide a bright, non-tarnishing metallic sparkle to any printed garment. The inks consist of a fine shimmering glitter flake in a low fusion, and easy to print base. This is a real plus for hand and automatic printers when it comes to equipment wear and tear. To get the most out of foil inks it is recommended you use a 86 to 125 mesh screen.
Over Print Clear Gel
Over print clear gel is a super smooth, multi purpose gloss clearthat can be used in both high-density printing techniques and as a flat overprint onto colored inks and textured surfaces. The advantage to using Over Print is that it will create shiny finishes to any design. For this type of ink it is recommend you use a 24-110 mesh screen and 200-600 micron cap film for best results.
Now that you have learned about some of the different inks for screen printing, what inks are you considering trying for your next project?
Defined; Athleisure is a fashion trend in which athletic clothes are worn in settings outside of the gym - work, school, or social occasions for example. There are a couple of theories to why Athleisure has become so popular, but most people describe the style as convenient. Instead of having to change for the gym, change to go to work, change to see your friend for lunch and change again to go to that party later Friday night; now you can be in style for multiple occasions without breaking a sweat (literally).
As with anything in the fashion industry, once a style starts trending, it’s up to everybody to keep up to make sure that their brands stay relevant. Athleisure is no different. So what does this mean for the screen printingindustry? It means that we have to adapt to the style with the inks and techniques that we use.
According to Vogue Magazine, there are a few “golden rules” for the Athleisure trend. These rules must be paid attention to if your business is going to keep up with this newly evolving style. The two biggest ones that are especially important to note for screen printers are this:
Number 1: It has to be Seasonal
Remember when you started working out and you went to look for workout clothes, but the only color that was available was black? Not anymore. The Athleisure trend demands that styles be seasonal. This means that the wilder the pattern, brighter the color and color blocksare the go to for this trend.
Number 2: It has to Combine Function and Fashion
Athleisure combines two must-haves that continue to dominate casual clothing - durability and comfort. With the Athleisure trend, many of the clothes we would consider strictly “gym wear” are now work approved. Materials like spandex, polyester, and blended materials like 50/50 cotton and polyester have risen to the top of the comfort charts.
Athletic Materials
As mentioned above there are a variety of athletic materials; all of which can be tricky to print on. Keith Stevens from International Coatingsshared a couple of tips to help you master athletic prints:
Plastisol inks are usually stretchy by nature, but adding a little bit of stretch additive can greatly improve the stretchability, especially for performance and athletic fabrics, which often contain a high percentage of Lycra spandex. Adding excessive amounts of a stretch additive, however, could reduce the opacity of the ink, so it is important to add only about 1%-5%.
There also are new inks on the market, such as International Coatings’ 7100 Performance Pro, which have been specifically formulated for these next-generation performance fabrics. These inks have great stretchability and allow for lower curing temperatures (275°F). The ability to cure at lower temperatures helps to control any potential dye migration issues.
Athletic Inks
Today's athletic inks far out shine the original “athletic” inks that were dull and difficult to work with. With as many materials there are to print on, there are just as many types of inks to choose from. For example:
High opacity ink. These inks provide good bleed resistance and brilliant colors when printed in a lower mesh range, and used over a low-bleed white. These inks are made to increase the overall opacity and contain a high pigment load over general inks.
Low-bleed plastisols. These inks are press-ready plastisol meant for printing on polyester and poly/cotton blends. These inks stand out on dark garments.
Low-cure additives. Low Cure Additives effectively lower curing temperatures of most plastisol inks to less than 300° F (149° C). You can use this additive when printing heat-sensitive materials such as 100% polyester or non-woven polypropylene bags. It is ideal for printing athletic and synthetic fabrics that are prone to dye migration.
Silicone inks. These inks print well on light and dark cotton, cotton/polyester blends, and 100% polyester. Unlike other types of inks, silicone inks can be ironed without re-melting the ink film. They create a very nice, supple print with the ability to stretch and regain its original shape.
The truth is that there is no perfect ink for all athletic prints, but it is important to have a good understanding of the inks you have at your disposal when printing on athletic materials. It is also important to understand how the inks vary in printability, flashing characteristics, and opacity to name a few.
Some of these materials and material colors may require you to print anunderbase for your athletic graphics. When printing vibrant colors on black or dark garments it is often necessary to print a white underbase first. This is due to the fact that many plastisol inksdo not have the opacity to cover well on dark garments. White is printed first to provide a base for the colored ink to rest on. The under base is flash cured before the remaining colors are printed.
It is kind of like using a primer before adding the new color to your kitchen walls. The primer seals the surface which makes it nicer to paint on. Just as important as the ink itself, you also have to select the right screen. Selecting the right mesh for your screen can be just as tricky, but this article should help clear the air.
Choosing the right Artwork
When printing, remember to make your graphics as printer friendly as possible. This goes for all of your prints, not just athletic! And in addition to ink characteristics, you also need to be aware of the fabric type, required cure temperature, and (as always) your clients’ expectations.
In many cases, you will find athletic prints with excessive ink thicknesses on the garment. This is typically the result of overcompensation in fear of the dreaded dye migration.
When printing athletic graphics (as with any of your screen printing projects), the ultimate goal is to consistently reproduce a quality print.
Now that you know a little more about athletic materials and athletic inks, we hope that you are ready and motivated to get out there and tackle this exciting active wear trend!
Posted by Allen Wesson - webmaster 5/8/17 Screen printers know a lot about color - we deal with ink color all the time. Talk to some of the old timers who have been doing this for ages and they can come pretty close to telling you the Pantone color of most any ink they see; and if they aren't dead-on accurate they will likely be really close. Today I learned something really interesting about color, and it will likely be a surprise to those of you who do quite a bit of screen printing with four color process inks, and that is that the 'color' Magenta does not actually exist. BUT (you say), I have a bucket of Magenta ink right here on my shelf; I can open it up, and I can certainly see it - so what gives? I decided to do something that I have not done here on our screen printing blog before - post the entire transcript of a video that I saw today. No matter how I might try to summarize this, there is just no way I could explain this as well as this man does. This is Steve Mould from the site richannel.org. The video is right here, followed by the complete transcript. Prepare to be amazed!
TRANSCRIPT
Purple is a weird colour. The formal name for purple is magenta, and the weird thing about magenta is that you won't ever see it in a rainbow. And the rainbow is supposed to be the full spectrum of colours. So why doesn't purple, why doesn't magenta appear in the rainbow? And the answer is to do with colour mixing. I've always had a problem with colour mixing, because I know that you can't mix photons together. So you can't take a blue photon and a green photon and mix them together to get some other photon. That just doesn't happen. And yet, you can mix paints together in art. Color mixing is definitely something you can do. So what's the answer? Well actually, you can't mix colors together in physics, but you can do it in biology. It's to do with how your eyes work. For example, if I shine red light and green light into your eyes at the same time, if I cross these over, you will see yellow. So when you mix red and green together, you get yellow. And if you look at the spectrum, yellow is in between red and green. So maybe that's the rule for mixing colours together. You mix two colors together, you get the colour in between on the colour spectrum. And we can test that again, so I'll look at green and blue together. So if I mix green and blue together, I get cyan. And cyan is in between blue and green on the spectrum. That's great, you mix two colours together, you get the colour in between. But why, why is that? Well, your eyes can't measure the wavelength of light directly. So it's not like a photon comes in, and you know, it's 200 nanometers or whatever, and it detects that. Instead, you have these cone cells at the back of your eyes that are sensitive to different parts of the spectrum. So when red light comes into your eyes, there's a set of cones that fire and tell your brain you're looking at something red. So we'd call those the red cones. There's another set of cones that are more sensitive to green, so when there's green light going into your eyes, they fire and they send a message to your brain. And there's blue cones, as well. You've got red cones, green cones, and blue cones. So what about yellow? What about when you're looking at yellow light, like that? Well in that situation, you don't have a yellow cone. So what do you do? Well, yellow is quite close to red, so your red cone fires a bit. And yellow is quite close to green as well, so your green cone fires a bit. Your brain is getting a message from your red cone and your green cone at the same time, and it's deciding, OK well, I must be looking at something in between those two colours, then. And that's brilliant, because your brain is perceiving something about the world that it isn't able to measure directly. It isn't directly sensitive to yellow light. It does mean that you can be tricked. And so if I make red light and green light go into your eyes, but no yellow light, you will see yellow. Anyway. So, go red torch and a green torch, and there's no yellow light, here. But when I combine them, you will see yellow, anyway. And TVs do this all the time. So if you look up close at TV, you'll see the individual pixels. And there are red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels. Those are the only colours being produced by your TV. And yet, they can produce all the other colors with this trick of colour mixing. So what about purple? What about magenta? Well, what should your brain do if your red cone fires at one end of the spectrum and your blue cone fires at the other end of the spectrum, but your green cone doesn't fire? Does it do the same trick? Does it think I must be looking at colour in between red and blue? When the colour between red and blue is green, and you're definitely not looking at something green, because your green cone isn't firing. In that situation, your brain invents a colour. It makes up a color, and that colour, is magenta. And I can show you that with my red and blue torches. So when they're combined together there, you see magenta-- absolutely beautiful. And that's why you don't see magenta in the spectrum. You don't see magenta in the rainbow, because it doesn't have a wavelength. It's just the absence of green, if you like. Just to show you the full palette of colours that you can see on a TV screen-- so you get red and blue mixed together makes magenta. Green and red makes yellow. Green and blue make cyan. When you mix them all together, you get white. So when your red cone, your green cone, and your blue cone are firing together, you get white light.
So there you have it - one of the 'colors' in your four color process prints doesn't - even - exist....
Let that one soak into your brain for a bit - hope you found this as interesting as I did. If you find yourself needing some of this 'ink color that isn't there', hop on over to our selection of Magenta inks and get yourself a bucket of Magenta ink - that you may or may not be able to see.
Posted by: Mary Yaeger 5-5-17 As screen printing enthusiasts, it’s important to stay on top of the trends in the industries that impact us the most. Staying current not only allows your business to produce relevant designs, but it also provides an opportunity to design outside of the box when everyone is looking at the same thing. If there is one thing that people don’t like it’s repetition so it’s important to know what people are looking at, what the fashion industry says is in style and decide how to best apply your own unique touches to the trend.
For screen printing, take in consideration these top 9 trends and how you will be able to use them in your own business. The inks and screen printing methods used to make these styles vary, but with a little know-how and digging into what makes these such popular styles will give your screen printing business the advantage over your competitors.
9 The Whole Wild World
This trend is especially important to the up and coming generations who are trying to get back to the basics of life. More people are starting to realize how important it is to unplug and invest their time in the natural pleasures of life. People are enjoying the outdoors in such ways as hiking and surfing. This trend is all about embracing nature's creations. With naturalism on the rise it is important that your screen printing business explores people's new mindfulness of a care free well being. When searching for inspiration for your next design, be sure to look to the natural environment. It's time to restore the balance. Printed designs such as the ones pictured above are grounded in natural landscapes and takes inspiration from the earth's beauty.
You can achieve this look by experimenting with different kinds of inks and printing methods. When printing, it’s important to use the right kind of ink. Certain ink textures will make natural prints look and feel imbalanced. To get the most natural feel for a flexible shirt, we recommend using discharge inks. Not only will you still see the natural texture of your design, but you will get the natural texture of the shirt which will make the shirt more appealing to the nature seeker.
8 Luminescent Inks
Luminescent inks have become increasingly popular during the last few years, and in 2017 we’re going to witness an explosion of these “holographic” designs. The type of ink that you use can create a new reality and illicit a certain response from the people that wear and view it. Luminescent colors combined with futuristic textures present the idea of exploration, escape and the psychedelic. Inspiration for this trend is a fusion between reality and fantasy. Figures like unicorns and mermaids have been a recurring theme in recent months. Combine mystical creatures with natural phenomena like the aurora borealis, gems and shells makes these prints look digitized and surreal.
7 Bold Typography
Recent generations have a lot to say and not enough time to say it. Typographical prints and with bright and bold lettering bring a feeling of rebellion through slogans, quotes and get out of my way statements. It’s all about having a ‘don’t care attitude’ and saying what you want in written form. The origins of these prints come from contemporary street style. This style is about color, contrast and most importantly; the message written on it. This kind of shirt is screen printed using one color, or for more dynamic prints can even be printed as a 4 color process. Another popular choice is to use vinyl for small print runs, since there are usually just a few solid colors involved in the design.
6 Black and White Prints
Black and white prints are something that everyone is used to seeing. This isn't a really new trend, but it is still one that is relevant. The allure of the high contrast shirts has everything to do with space. It is impossible for the eye not to concentrate on white lettering or shapes when surrounded by black. Likewise, you eye will automatically be drawn to the bold black helvetica that has been strategically placed on your clean white tee. This year we are going to see more of the white ink on black shirts as it really makes screen printed designs stand out. While it does create an interesting print, white inks can be tricky to screen print with. Printing with white ink takes proper artwork preparation as well as choosing the right mesh count. There are also classes that are dedicated to teaching people how to properly set up their next screen printing session using special effect inks and techniques.
5 The Dark Side of the Moon
The "space" trend, as it is often called, pays homage to the infinite discoveries that are yet to be made in the mysterious universe that we live in. Discoveries are made all over the world, everyday, by explorers and scientists, but there is still so much we can explore and learn. This trend tends to focus on the idea of space exploration, alien beings and catchy space related slogans - especially those for people that still can't handle Pluto not being a planet. Screen printing for this trend needs detail and reflective areas to represent constellations, movement and our unquenchable thirst for the unknown.
4 Boho Inspired
"Boho" is an informal version of Bohemian. The term Bohemian came about during a movement of artist and poets in late 19th century France, especially in Paris. Bohemians believed in living outside of the bourgeois mainstream culture. In today's culture, the artsy style "boho" is expressed through thin geometric patterns and even takes on concepts and designs from Native cultures. This graphic print trend explores eclectic directions inspired by a passion for handcrafted and centuries-old techniques. Inspired by free-thinking and an appreciation for craftsmanship, this theme is a curated collection of textured surfaces and mixed patterns.
3 Faded Throwbacks
Everybody loves a new vintage t-shirt that looks 20 years old, so you’ve probably seen this trend quite a bit over the past several years especially with band t-shirts. A good tip, if you're going to screen print faded designs, is to make the typography work together with the colors. Complementary colors are a must for throwback designs. These shirts should also be soft. Remember, you're trying to give the illusion of an old and worn in shirt. So your shirt can't be crisp and brand new looking. The softer the shade of the shirt, the more natural your faded tee will look. White and black shirts take too long to fade and look worn. The screen printing technique will vary depending on the design. This is another great opportunity to play around with discharge inks to get that worn in look.
2 Geometry and Color Blocks
This trend sticks on the basic side of design. With the rise of more simplistic design, your underground electronic band tee is about to hit the mainstream. To get the right fit, it's important that the shirt complements the design. These shirts are usually kept to one color, so it makes an economical and quick screen printing option. When done well, geometric and color block designs can compliment a woman's curves and enhance the chest and arms for guys.
1 Accented Designs
Accented designs are another great example of contrast. Patterned accents bring attention to the elements of a t-shirt that would normally go ignored - pockets for example. By embellishing a t-shirt in this manner, the designer ads value to it without doing an overall design which means that the price of the shirt increases but not as much as one would expect.
What do you think about these trending designs? There is a lot of opportunity to try different screen printing techniques, test specialty inks and get creative with your designs. Are there any screen printing techniques that you would like to implement in your own shop? Let us know in the comment section!
