PRINTING ON DARK GARMENTS:

Out of all the Ink options, Plastisol inks have the best OPACITY, meaning that when color is laid down on a dark surface, the color you see is still in tact. However, no ink is 100% opaque, there is still a measure of transparency, and depending on the Ink color, the opacity levels can very.

When printing on dark garments, in order to eliminate the guess work on what colors are more or less opaque, a solution that is commonly used to control color intensity is to first, print a “white base”, then print the desired color on top of the white. Stacking inks like this creates a thicker print, that is why plastisol prints on dark shirts typically feel much thicker and heavier, than on white or light colored garment.

PRINTING ON LIGHT GARMENTS:

Even though Plastisol is dense and presents the potential for a “heavy” hand on dark garments, it can also be reduced down to create a very soft hand, when printed on light or white materials. In fact it can almost get as soft as some water base or discharge prints.

BRANDS WE USE:

As a house standard we use the Union MAX-OPAQUES color mixing system for achieving our custom and PMS color requirements. This system is very accurate in PMS rendering, and has excellent opacity so it is very universal from light to dark garments, it also works well on even blended fabrics. Through experimentation and testing we have found that there is not a one solution source to achieve the full potential Plasitsol is capable of. There are other custom colors that the mixing system cannot achieve, and is only done by the ink manufacturers. Knowing this, we have kept our inventory of brands versatile, using the best brands for the job. One thing we do not do is select the cheapest brands available. We use only the most reliable and top quality brands. Other ink manufacturers we use are Wilflex, Rutland, Matsui, and Nazdar.

DISCLAIMERS:

When Plastisol ink is printed on ring-spun garments or any fabric that has a lot of “fuzz” on the surface, it can appear that the surface of the imprint is rough or even splotchy. This can be minimized by heavier ink coverage, but sometimes unavoidable with very high detail designs. We take all possible measures to maintain consistent ink coverage and texture, however some garment types can make this very challenging. Due to new California State regulations any ink products containing “phthalates” are not to be used on any toys, childcare, or textile products intended for the use of children under the age of three. Standard Plastisol inks do contain these chemicals in question. So far California is the only state to pass this legislation and the law details are still not clearly defined. Regardless, if you are producing a youth or toddler product line, there are safe alternatives such as “non-phthalate” inks that have recently emerged, as well as water based inks. The reasoning for this law is that toddlers and or babies could chew or suck on the products, potentially ingesting he phthalates materials. So as long as you do not intend to eat your garments, there is no potential harm in using plastisol inks. For the best wash result of plastisol prints, use cold water, and flip shirts inside out and hang dry if possible.