NOT ALL INKS ARE CREATED EQUAL
PLASTISOL
Standard Plastisol inks have been the norm in our industry for years. Plastisol inks have a PVC base and can leave a heavy hand when printing white on dark colored garments. On light colored shirts these inks can be reduced down and additives can be used to give them a softer hand.These inks are a good choice when you want a bright white print on 50/50 ,100% Polyester or Tri-Blend Shirts.
WATERBASE
Looking for the softest hand possible? Then you want water based inks. These inks act more like a dye as they soak into the fabric; virtually creating a no feel or very soft hand to the print. Unlike traditional Plastisol which sits on top of the garment and can have a bulletproof feel. They work best on 100% cotton, light colored fabrics. Waterbased inks will not dye polyester the same way as cotton so they can also create a vintage look on 50/50 garments.
DISCHARGE
Looking for a super soft print on dark colored 100% Cotton garments? Discharge, or Plasti-Charge inks are the answer! These inks act as a bleach as they remove the color from the garment, leavingthe natural fibers remaining or a dye that is mixed into the ink. Many times we can use a discharge or plasti charge as the base of an image and follow up with thinned down plastisol, or water based inks for the final color. This process will give you an extremely bright image on dark colored shirts with a soft feel.
FOIL, GLITTER, PUFF AND SPECIALTY PRINTS
Foil is available in a wide array of colors and will give your design that Bling factor! Please allow added time for production as this method is a two part process.
Shimmers, Glitters and Chrystalina will add sparkle to your design. These inks are not recommended for fine lines or halftones as they need to go through a course mesh to allow the sparkle chips to pass through the screen.
Looking for a three dimensional print? Suede, Puff and High Density Inks will raise the print off of the shirt giving you a raised print, or elements of a print that will add extra interest to your design.
Contact one of our Customer Service reps today to get your project on the move!