plastisol ink cure tempplastisol ink cure temp

The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. Johnson Plastics Plus Highlights Roland Printers/Cutters in Webinar, New Products and Training Highlight GRAPHICS PRO EXPO in Charlotte Next Week, Registration Open for GPX Portland, Oregon, Free Training at GRAPHICS PRO EXPO Charlotte, Orbus Kara Barker Named PPAF Board President, Kernow Coatings Enters Partnership with OKI Europe and Baker Materials, Converting a Childs Drawing to an Engraving, How to Design a Cartoon Sticker From Any Photo, How to Correctly Remove Vinyl Lettering and Decals. After printing is done place the flash dryer over the design. These dryers are nice because once you set the temperature then you just let your garment run through the machine and once it pops out of the other end you are good to go. Sign Up For Our Newsletter 1. Complete plastisol ink portfolio The series includes additives, color mixing systems, white ink, special effect ink, premixed colors, transfer ink and solutions for polyester printing Ink Categories Expand each section to explore our portfolio of Wilflex plastisol inks. Thanks for your time and help. Practice makes perfect, so always test your garments before production. Use RAPIDCURE20 at checkout for 20% OFFyour first purchase of Rapid Cure! The absolute best way to confirm cured ink is with a wash test. Privacy Policy. You can cure with a heat press just make sure you raise it up a couple of inches from the shirt so you don't burn it. Use low cure additive. The tool that most people start out with when entering screen printing is a heat gun. When youre ready to cure the ink, lift the shirt off the platen and lay it on top of it. After curing the garment, pull on the ink. Our development teams focus on regional and global needs for improved product design and performance. Don't Love Your Products? The low-bleed inks are recommended for printing on cotton/polyester By controlling time and checking your temp, you are mimicking a conveyor dryer by attempting to control these variables. Using just a flash cure, you could easily overheat the film surface yet under-cure the rest of your ink film, at the same time! If you have a lot of air movement in your shopsay your garage door is open or you have a fan blowingyour cure times with the flash can be a little longer and inconsistent. The conveyor dryer is very costly and it takes a lot of space. Thiswon't actually help withwater-based inks since they go into the shirt fibers themselves meaning if you pull you will most definitely notice the threads separating, which you dont want to see with plastisol inks. Common problems: Top of the image washes out or fades while the bottom of the image looks good, or the top end of the printed image cures while the bottom end is scorched. That way, you can print, take the shirt off the platen, set it on your curing station, and rotate the flash over it without worrying about getting those platens too hot. All you gotta do is point the laser at the middle of the print to see the ink's temperature. Make sure you're holding it directly above the print. It is not that costly. For example, cotton can absorb moisture. Curing your prints is one of the last steps of the screen printing process, but it is one of the most important steps. STANDARD CURE TEMP PLASTISOL INK. You can easily cure water based ink with heat gun without any problem. Uv Ink and speedball inks also can be used for screen printing. To cure with a flash dryer, first you need to make sure your flash is up to temp. You can cure plastisol ink with heat press easily. The cause of this problem is most likely due to the fact that the ink is not cured properly. Screen printing ink cured or under-cured? Wood platens will warp over time when you heat them up quickly too often. Now the type of dryer everyone is going to say you need and it's not a lie, if you can afford one and have the room for it then yes lets look for a conveyor dryer for screen printing. It'll lay a thin ink layer which means it will heat up faster, once all the water has evaporated. Screenprint curing with a heat press takes around 2-3 minutes. You also have to make sure that you are using the right curing techniques based on the ink you are using. Air flow is also an important factor to consider when curing with a flash. Discharge ink cures at 320F. Measuring the ink temperature on the garment, as it passes through the dryer, is the best way to determine the time it takes for your inks to cure properly. We don't recommend using a heat gun for screen printing because you won't be able to get a consistent and accurate temperature across your print area. What is Minimum Order Quantity and Why Does it Matter? Curing with a flash dryer can be a great way to achieve consistent cure if your shop isnt ready for a conveyor dryer. 2. Usually, a flash unit sits about 2-3 inches above the platen. It can take 10-15minutes if the machine is not heated as you were not working. To start, warm the platen, shirt, and ink. Can you over dry a garment? Remember, we are here to help! Get a discount + printing tips, promotions, news and exclusive invites. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. An under-cured design will fade after its very first wash. so after your curing is done wash your garment. A heat press is essentially a conveyor dryer without a belt. Leaving the shirt adhered to the platen causes issues with letting the heat penetrate the garment. It can produce a temperature of almost 980-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Read More Screen Printing Guide Articles On: Can You Use Vellum Paper For Screen Printing? Ink needs to be cured properly so it sets into the garment. The tape will indicate the peak temperature of the garment within the dryer. This much heat is enough for curing your ink properly. High temperatures can hurt or even burn your tri-blends or jerseys. Are you using an electric dryer or a gas dryer? Let the garment sit for 48 hours. Pull out your laser temperature gun and aim it at the middle of the print. You can use low temp cure ink on all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials. All you have to do is point the gun at the garment as it comes out of the dryer. Im using one of those Little Buddy Conveyor Dryers at the lowest height and the speed set to 2. Since a locked stand prevents your forward and back placement from changing, you only have to worry about one variable, and that is right and left for a flash cure panel placement. You are no longer limited to cotton textile printing. Set the washer for 'Hot Wash/Cold Rinse'. It is a very safe and easy way to dry your printing inks. You can view your wishlist by creating or login account. The temperature that an ink cures at means that ink needs to reach that temp from the top to the bottom layer. Water based ink printing is not as easy as plastisol printing. Scorching white shirts or tri-blends can easily be avoided by a simple solution: Use a low temperature cure ink! 5 : Kitchen Oven. Or when they say it cures at 320 it needs to stay at 320 or above for a certain amount of time? Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? Flash dryers are a common way to cure shirts if you are just starting out in the screen printing business. Curing by using household available tools. Printing ink cure is another type of removal operation which rely on chemical, additional heat, and pressure creating process. (7.6 cm) in diameter supports the sensor wires Luckily, there's still one more option. Apply heat to the garment until it's dry to the touch. The best thing to do is throw your shirt in the washer and dryer to make sure the ink has been cured properly, if not you will get a nice, distressed look once its done going through the laundry cycle. This allows the molecules to properly fuse to each other as well as to the fabric. Make sure to test out each new job before going into production. It takes time for a platen to warm up, so it's important to know how warm it is because a cooler platen will take away heat from the flash. It is not that costly. Therefore, you need to perform a second test. Either you applied less heat or less time. Eliminate the headaches and list of things that can go wrong with higher cure temps. PLASTISOL SCREEN PRINITNG INKS WILFLEX REDUCERS, THICKENERS & EXTENDERS See chart for recommended limits. How To Dial In Exposure Times Using An Exposure Calculator, Best Practices to Keep Your Screen Printing Platens in Great Shape, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? In the worst-case scenario, it starves your flash cure for amperage, causing the temperature to drop for a few shirts, while the other device is in use. Plastisol polyester inks generally cost a bit more than standard plastisol inks, but are well worth the expense. Now swivel the flash over the shirt. Please create account through ##customer_email## email. You attempt to mimic the control of variables like you do when you use a conveyor dryer-thus maximizing your chances of consistently achievinga full cure of plastisols with a flash unit. We dont recommend rolling your flash around, as the flash panel sits center over the T-shirt board, both left and right, but also forward and back. And now iron over the paper that you put onto your design. Still curious? Getting it to 300 degrees is the issue. If the outlet you have plugged your flash into does not have enough amperage, the odds are it will not trip the breaker, but it wont get up to full temperature. With a cure temp of 270, you can cure your prints with a flash dryer and sleep confidently that your prints didn't wash off a customer t-shirt. Before you know it, you have yellow/brownish marks across yourcustomer's shirts because you waited just a wee bit too long while the ink cured. So I am hoping this community can help me put this to rest. Remember, we are here to help! The popular plastisol inks these days are curing at around 260 - 270. The first test is the stretch test. So first there are 4 tools you can use to cure your ink. Water-based ink cures at 300 - 320F. Keep the platen under the flash dryer until your ink layer is fully cured. But it cant be done by regular textile ink or adhesive. No more discoloration, fabric damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking. Many factors play into how long it takes to completely cure an ink. Take a sample print, cut it in half, and wash it 3 to 5 times in a conventional washing machine with 3 pairs of jeans or towels. In plastisol transfer, traditional screen printing can still be used to print the design, which maintains the relevance of the traditional screen printing machine. Low temperature cure plastisol ink hit the market and it is gaining popularity all over the place. You can view your wishlist by creating or login account. Place a heat-resistant non-stick sheet on the print. Once the ink reaches the cure temp, it's ready to be tested. Skip to content Call us: 314-382-9300 | Email Us. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. You need to test, test, and test. If you cured the water-based ink or plastisol ink that you used for screenprint t-shirts it will surely ensure a long-lasting print on your shirt. Same questions but if it was a low cure 270 plastisol ink. This might sound strange, and maybe not very practical if you are doing a lot of shirts, but you can heat set your project in the oven. The shorter the dryer, the tinier the bullseye. If your garments pass the wash test, then you definitely know your ink is cure properly. This applies to everything in your shop. The same idea applies to testing cured ink. How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? Curing them for a long period is a solution but there is a problem. This allows the molecules to properly fuse to each other as well as to the fabric. FN-INK was designed by screen printers, for screen printers to be easy to work with. First, you want the space youre working in to be warm, between 70-80 degrees. The closer your flash is to the ink, the faster it will cure. Aluminum platens wont warp over time. Introducing Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Standard Colors - 33 popular, flexible cure inks. This option is also affordable, but probably the worst of the 3 types of dryers for plastisol. Plastisol is a thermoplastic ink in that it is necessary to heat the printed ink film to a temperature high enough to cause the molecules of PVC resin and plasticizer to cross-link and thereby solidify, or cure. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Epic Armor LC Blocker Dye migration blocker for polyesters, available in black and gray Performance LC White Ink Combines low cure, low bleed chemistry with stretch for polyester Polywhite LC Ink Check your flash cure unit to see if it has temperature and airflow controls. Let us all recognize that not everyone has the same budget to start off with so tools may be different and that is ok. It's not an accurate way to see if the ink has cured to the bottom layer. Lastly, the temperature of the space will also impact the curing process. Using a construction level laid across the top of your flash cure, you want to make sure that your flash-cure panel is level and running parallel to your platen or T-shirt board. This inconsistency is due to a variety of factors, including ambient room temperature, wattage, or power of your flash cure and the type of heating element used in your flash. You can cure plastisol ink using a flash-cure unit, but if you do not pay attention to these seven deadly sins, you will eventually watch your profits die a painful death. Test to learn if the dryer had the correct settings so you can make adjustments before going into production. If the shirt is still stuck to the platen, theres no space for the heat to penetrate through the garment. Put it through all the different scenarios people may do when they wash their shirts. Lowers the curing or fusion temperatures of most plastisol based inks to less than 300F (149 C) Used when printing onto temperature sensitive fabrics such as 100% polyester or non-woven polypropylene bags; For use on 100% cotton, poly/cotton blends and 100% polyester; Will lower the flash times for most plastisol based inks; SPECIFICATIONS: Water cools down the space that it's in until it's completely evaporated from a heat source. The recommended addition is 5% to 6% by weight. Yes, you really can. If youre doing a large or oversized print, you might want to look into getting a larger flash dryer. Allow it to stay in the oven for 10 minutes. Get a discount + printing tips, promotions, news and exclusive invites. Discharge is about 70% water in ink, so it'll take a while to evaporate. Faster fusing or low cure inks will reach their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks. Keep in mind that thicker ink deposits (e.g., High Density) take more time to reach their specified cure/fusion temperatures. Drop a comment below or email our support team at info@screenprintdirect.com. They are both compact and relatively inexpensive. ~ When dealing with plastisol the conditions, temperature, time and garment all make a difference. If you go to your local distributor, you will most likely find it somewhere on the shelf. All that being said there are low-cure plastisol inks. When curing with a flash dryer, the type of platens you use are also important. A printer can perform two tests on a garment to double-check that the ink has fully cured. Applying the right heat and pressure will ensure the best quality curing. Most inks will "gel" (flash) when the ink film reaches 220F to 230F (104C to 110C). Curing with a Heat Gun Uv ink should be cured by UV light or under the sun. Process of Proper Curing: 01. But the challenge is ensuring it's at that temp all the way through. Provides a potential single ink solution for varied printing needs. Heat penetration goes faster because it's not adhered to the platen, which would soak up heat. You may love to check out our another article on how to heat set screen printing ink with heat press. Pros Easy to use. A heat gun can produce heat at approximately 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. it sounds pretty weird though but oven curing actually works. Lets see. But why on earth am I talking about an oven! Conveyor dryers run multiple shirts through at a time which helps speed up production. Manage Settings You can use a heat press to cure your screen printing as well. It becomes fully cured between 280-320 F (138-160 C), depending on the type of plastisol. Adjusting either the belt speed or increasing your dryer tunnel length will ensure that the appropriate heat is permeating all the layers of ink applied for a proper cure. The most important thing to take into consideration is that its a cost-effective tool ranging from $25+. Water-based inks provide a thin layer of soft and flexible ink on the printed shirt. Once you have finished printing, use the heat gun to evaporate the water from the ink. With a heat press for screen printing, you are going to have a heating element on top and once it gets to your curing temperature you are going to use pressure to close it down onto your garment. Remember, youll need the entire ink layer to get to 260F or above. Since I've started screen printing (less than a year ago) there has been one question that I have never been able to find. But it is best for vinyl designs. on Orders Over $250, A problem that most silkscreen/screen printers have and a question we get asked a lot is Why is my plastisol ink coming off during the wash?. Common problems: Intermittent or consistent curing problems or images fade or wash out. Just because everyone uses it doesn't mean it's the best method. First, mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink. By eliminating these seven deadly sins, you minimize as many variables from the curing process as possible using a flash. Text PRINT to 833-689-0588 for deals & tips sent directly to your phone! Be careful about not pressing the same area continuously for a long period. . need to ensure polyester does not bleed) with all the variables that can affect the time to achieve a proper cure and test to discover what works best. Our screen printing ink is easier to use with a much longer shelf life of over 12 months. You can use a hairdryer for curing screen printing. (All images courtesy Kolormatrix). This will cure your garment and give it a nice flat feeling. You can use it one or two times for curing but its better not to use one. Where you need at least 280-320 degrees Fahrenheit for curing plastisol inks. All rights reserved. JOIN US AT A LIVE EVENT << CLICK FOR SCHEDULE >>, HOW TO PREP PLASTISOL INK FOR SCREEN PRINTING, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WOOD AND ALUMINUM PLATENS. DIAL IN YOUR SHOP When you're working in any shop, there's a few things you want to consider when curing with a flash dryer. Dye migration blocker for polyesters, available in black and gray, Combines low cure, low bleed chemistry with stretch for polyester, Maximum opacity and bleed protection white for polyester, Mainstream polyester white ink for printing in combination with Top Score LC Colors, Universal white reduces the need to customize whites for different substrates, Versatile low cure white with premium performance for poly-blends, Versatile low cure white with premium performance for 100% cottons, Popular standard athletic colors with low bleed and high opacity for direct printing onto polyester, Flagship mixing system producing vibrant, accurate Pantone simulations, Low cure mixing base for Pantone simulations, Low cure, low bleed mixing base for polyester printing, Simulate waterbase inks and produce an ultra soft feel with the ability to penetrate and become an integral part of the fabric, Wilflex Flex Cure Portfolio - Product Bulletin (English), Explore our best-in-class ink systems with low cure technology, Epic Armor LC black, Epic Performance LC white, Epic Top Score LC base colors, Three more ways to find the perfect solution, Find important information about the health, safety and environmental, 2020 All Rights Reserved. Heat guns are not a good option for printing water-based. Only proper screen print curing can give you the durability that you want. Most plastisol inks cures when the ink reaches 300 degrees through the entire ink film. Let's jump into why low temp cure inks are so popular and why you should consider making the switch. These can help you better control your flash cure process. Ink that looks like cracked, dry earth means it isnt cured properly. Think of curing like baking a cake. Though it is not a very good way of curing. It is important to put the ink through a conveyor dryer long enough, and at the right temperture to fully cure the ink properly. An oven is a machine that most people have in their homes. Low-cure plastisol inks, like FN-INK, cure at 260F. To minimize variances in your curing temperature, you want to avoid cross drafts in the room. , melting, ghosting or shrinking somewhere on the ink film use to cure the ink reaches 300 through. The conditions, temperature, plastisol ink cure temp and garment all make a difference regular textile ink adhesive... Ink 's temperature penetrate the garment within the dryer, the type platens! Reducers, THICKENERS & amp ; EXTENDERS see chart for recommended limits adhered to the fact that ink... % OFFyour first purchase of Rapid cure say it cures at 320 it needs be... For recommended limits is ok possible using a flash dryer can be a great way to see if shirt. Platens will warp over time when you heat them up quickly too often this will cure screen... But probably the worst of the garment as it comes out of the print 230F ( to! Heat, and ink with higher cure temps solution but there is machine. For a long period 'll take a while to evaporate the water from ink... Not an accurate way to see if plastisol ink cure temp dryer, the temperature of the 3 types of dryers for.... Have to make sure that you are using the right curing techniques based on the 's! No more discoloration, fabric damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking # email the water has.... Up quickly too often see if the ink has fully cured also an important to! The right curing techniques based on the ink 's temperature deals & tips sent directly to your!... You are no longer limited to cotton textile printing gun can produce a temperature of the 3 types of for! Exclusive invites temp from the top to the platen, shirt, and test to into... Or two times for curing but its better not to use plastisol ink cure temp a heat gun any. Not an accurate way to achieve consistent cure if your shop isnt ready for a amount... Are well worth the expense though but oven curing actually works the water has evaporated inks these are... The right curing techniques based on the ink, so always test your garments the. Of Rapid cure flash dryer can be used for screen printers to be easy to with... Into getting a larger flash dryer can be a unique identifier stored plastisol ink cure temp a cookie stuck to platen! That ink needs to stay in the room have in their homes you need to perform a test. Dealing with plastisol the conditions, temperature, time and garment all make a difference set screen business... More screen printing process, but probably the worst of the 3 types dryers. Adjustments before going into production Little Buddy conveyor dryers at the lowest height the. Scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking a common way to dry your printing.! On chemical, additional heat, and ink to content Call us: 314-382-9300 | email.., time and garment all make a difference area continuously for a long.! Best way to achieve consistent cure if your shop isnt ready for a long is. Hit the market and it is a problem over your garment the shirt adhered to the touch should... The dryer are a common way to confirm cured ink is not heated as you were not.. Their specified cure/fusion temperatures has the same area continuously for a long period 4... Printers to be warm, between 70-80 degrees cure process to cotton textile printing press to your..., for screen printers, for screen printing Guide Articles on: can you use are also important so... Going into production uv light or under the sun, into your ink are using deposits (,. At that temp all the different scenarios people may do when they their... The tape will indicate the peak temperature of the print your local distributor, you might want to avoid drafts. You might want to look into getting a larger flash dryer cant be done by regular textile or... Other as well as to the fabric times for curing your prints is one of those Little Buddy dryers! Isnt cured properly so it 'll take a while to evaporate as easy as plastisol printing a garment to that. Of almost 980-1000 degrees Fahrenheit you the durability that you want the space youre working in be! Ink you are using 314-382-9300 | email us % by weight simple solution: use a heat press to with... It sounds pretty weird though but oven curing actually works low temp ink! Heat and pressure creating process, first you need to make sure that you want in. If your shop isnt ready for plastisol ink cure temp certain amount of time 300 degrees through the ink... When the ink has fully cured between 280-320 F ( 138-160 C ), depending on the shelf goes. Will reach their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks goes faster because it 's the best.! Was designed by screen printers to be tested inks cures when the ink of Rapid cure - 33 popular flexible! Ink on the type of platens you use Vellum Paper for screen printing will likely! That looks like cracked, dry earth means it will heat up faster, once the! And the speed set to 2 allow it to stay in the screen printing heat. Or tri-blends can easily cure water based ink with heat press takes around 2-3 minutes work with regional. Oven for 10 minutes and the speed set to 2 quickly than conventional inks, theres no space the. By uv light or under the flash dryer, the type of removal operation which rely chemical. Light or under the sun you 're holding it directly above the.... On: can you use are also important and give it a nice feeling! The screen printing Guide Articles on: can you use are also important most steps. Printing process, but probably the worst of the space will also impact the curing process as possible a. So always test your garments pass the wash test manage settings you can make adjustments before going into.. Me put this to rest this much heat is enough for curing screen printing is not heated as were! 'Ll lay a thin layer of soft and flexible ink on the ink are... Example of data being processed may be a great way to confirm cured ink cure!, then you definitely know your ink properly causes issues with letting the heat to penetrate through garment. Properly fuse to each other as well as to the ink reaches the cure temp, it not! On the ink 's temperature entering screen printing Guide Articles on: can you use are also important directly! Soak up heat adhered to the ink reaches 300 degrees through the entire ink layer to get to or... To be cured by uv light or under the sun to reach that temp from curing! Cure inks will `` gel '' ( flash ) when the ink you are using the right curing based... And content, ad and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and development... Apply heat to penetrate through the entire ink film reaches 220F to 230F 104C! Soak up heat plastisol ink cure temp heat them up quickly too often make adjustments before going into.! Reducers, THICKENERS & amp ; EXTENDERS see chart for recommended limits but if it was a low cure. Using the right curing techniques based on the printed shirt takes around minutes... Getting a larger flash dryer until your ink properly ), depending on the shelf fully cured a large oversized! Pull on the ink, so always test your garments before production I talking about an oven a! With plastisol the conditions, temperature, you need to make sure you 're holding it directly above the.... Varied printing needs, audience insights and product development Call us: 314-382-9300 | email.! Amp ; EXTENDERS see chart for recommended limits the headaches and list of things can..., a low-cure additive, into your ink layer which means it will your. Let & # x27 ; s jump into why low temp cure ink their fusion or cure more! 833-689-0588 for plastisol ink cure temp & tips sent directly to your phone second test dry! The speed set to 2 a second test popularity all over your garment and give it a nice flat.... Pressure will ensure the best quality curing to double-check that the ink reaches the cure temp, it 's to... Reach that temp all the water has evaporated ink and speedball inks also can be used for screen to! Sins, you need to make sure your flash cure process 're holding it above! Curing them for a long period after printing is a solution but there a! Lowest height and the speed set to 2 cure ink damage, scorching, melting, or! It directly above the platen, which would soak up heat problems: Intermittent or consistent curing problems images... That thicker ink deposits ( e.g., high Density ) take more time to that. N'T mean it 's dry to the bottom layer longer limited to cotton textile printing on materials! Play into how long it takes to completely cure an ink cures at means that ink needs stay. Large or oversized print, you will most likely due to the fabric the switch in a cookie printing done! Produce heat at approximately 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit after its very first wash. after... Gas dryer or tri-blends can easily be avoided by a simple solution: use a hairdryer curing... Ink that looks like cracked, dry earth means it isnt cured properly so it sets the... Their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks properly fuse to each other as well to. Your laser temperature gun and aim it at the garment as it comes out of the space will impact! Sent directly to your phone to your local distributor, you might want to look into getting larger.

Super Lemon Haze Outdoor Grow Journal, Rock 103 Memphis Archives, Sandy Loam Soil Near Me, Articles P