What Are The Different Types of Screen Printing Ink

There are many different types of screen printing inks to choose from. I have come across many people asking me what type of ink they should use. Of the many kinds of inks in the market, there is a great chance that you will only be confused. If you are unsure, like many people, of what type of ink to use, then this post is for you.

What Are The Different Types of Screen Printing Ink?  The different types of screen printing ink include water-based, plastisol, and discharge inks. The two main types of screen printing ink are water-based and plastisol. They come in different varieties. Discharge inks, which recently gained increasing popularity, may come in waterbased and plastisol varieties.

Knowing what type of screen printing ink to use on your shirt is very important. Different colors and materials of shirts require different types of screen printing ink.

What Kind Of Ink Do You Use For Screen Printing?

If you have a t-shirt that is light in color or is not cotton, you do not just choose any screen printing ink spontaneously. Choosing the right screen printing ink will determine your success in screen printing.

You sure want to have a great t-shirt as a final product especially if this is your first time but first, you need to know what kind of ink you shall use for your screen printing project.

Water-based Inks For Screen Printing

Water-based inks will work on your t-shirts that are not dark in color. I’ve used water-based and noticed that they are translucent.  Because of its low opacity, water-based inks are preferred on shirts of a lighter color.

I would not suggest you using waterbased on dark colored shirts. What you would want to use with this ink are light colored shirts so that the design becomes accentuated and not hidden.

Waterbased inks are well-received because of its soft feel. If you want a shirt print that is comfortable and breathable, then waterbased is for you.

Waterbased, unlike plastisol, seeps through and wraps around the shirt’s fibers. The ink is well absorbed into the fabric so small features on designs look with great detail.

Also, waterbased remains more eco-friendly than plastisols because you will be using more natural ingredients. You don’t also have to pay so much for electricity because waterbased has the ability to air dry. Unless you’re working at a fast pace, you don’t need to heat cure the ink so you’re using one less piece of equipment.

If you want to achieve the classic or vintage fashion look, waterbased is perfect for you.

Plastisol Inks For Screen Printing

Plastisols are great on all types of fabric. Think of all the fabric types you can think of, plastisols will do it for you. This is the thing I like best with plastisols. Whether you want a dark-colored or light-colored t-shirt does not matter because it has a high opacity.

Because of the relative thickness of the ink, you could use it on fabrics of a dark color, achieve a good coverage, and minimize ink waste. Also, I find it is easier to match colors when using plastisol inks because of its opacity.

The ink, after being heat cured, would appear on your t-shirt very well. It is, however, preferred that you work with a porous material.  If you’re using a nonporous material, a bonding agent is needed for the ink to go through the fabric of your chosen material.

Plastisols are made up of particles of PVC suspended in a plasticizing emulsion. Because it is made of polyvinyl, plastisols require heat to cure as they cannot dry on open-air naturally as waterbased. This composition of plastisols is basically what makes the print durable and flexible but also non-breathable.

If you opt for a more modern solid design, I would recommend you to use plastisols. It is important to note, however, that prints made with plastisols may become cracked after a significant number of washes.

Discharge Inks For Screen Printing

Discharge inks only work on fabrics of cotton material.  Discharge inks allow printing of lighter colors on dark garments even without underbasing.  An underbase is an initial layer of white ink printed on darker garments so the final design will appear brighter.

Discharge inks work by bleaching or removing the original dye from the shirt’s fabric and replacing it with the desired color. They are often water-based so they have the same soft feel characteristic of waterbased. They also come in plastisols varieties, too.

You may have to try the ink on small samples though as some colors like royal blue, forest green, maroon, and purple are not entirely bleached and leave some faint color based on my experience.  

Other Varieties of Screen Printing Ink

In actuality, there are tons of varieties of inks that you could choose from. An example is soft hand plastisol. Soft-hand plastisols are, in essence, plastisols but having the soft-feel characteristic of waterbased.

When you go to an ink supplier, you will find many brand varieties exclusive to that store alone. This may be confusing when you visit another store so it is important that you understand the basic component of the ink and it’s characteristics.

Do not be afraid to ask. It would do you no harm to ask for the right kind of ink for the kind of your shirts. Specify the color and fabric material of your t-shirt as well as the desired ink colors. In this case, they will be able to address your specific needs and help you the best way possible.

The Importance of Underbasing Printed Designs

An underbase is an initial layer of white ink printed on garments so the final design will appear brighter. This happens because the white ink gives the overall design higher opacity which results to an appearance that is more vibrant than it would have been without an underbase.

This is especially needed for inks that are of low opacity. Without an underbase, a low opacity ink when printed would appear as washed out.

While underbasing is helpful, it may also be disadvantageous in that the production duration is extended due to the separate process of printing the underbase alone. For a business, this is costly.

Also, the underbase gives increased thickness to the print so this may decrease the shirt’s breathability. This is why discharge inks which can be printed without an underbase may be very advantageous.  

Burnout T-Shirt Printing

Burnout printing is similar to screen printing differing only in the introduction of acids instead of ink to the t-shirt.  I would only suggest burnout printing if you have had significant experience with screen printing as the chemicals you will be handling can be dangerous without expert know-how.

Burnout printing uses acid to eat-up the cotton in a garment leaving out polyester and rayon. Garments used in burnout printing are a combination of cotton and synthetic materials such as polyester. In burnout printing, what should have been a print on screen printing would be thinned out patches of fiber creating the “burnout” look.

The burnout look is not immediate after treatment with acid. After printing the acid, the chemicals are activated by heat. This heating process causes the acidified area to acquire a brown color as if it was burned, thus the “burnout” look. Laundering the garment removes the cotton from these brown-colored areas and leaves out the polyester and rayon.

Because it removes fibers from the shirt, the printed burnout areas may appear as see-through and therefore you wouldn’t want to burnout print on areas near the private parts.

You can do a blend of burnout printing and screen printing. Because the shirt material intended for burnout prints is a combination of cotton and synthetic materials, a water-based ink will seep through the material easily.

The end result is an appealing subtle toned-down design which could be perfect for a summer look given the light material and breathability of the finished product.

Related Questions

How Many Types Of Screen Printing Ink Are There? 

For simplicity’s sake, there are 3 screen printing ink types: water-based, plastisol, and discharge. For each of this type, there is a multitude of varieties being developed as needs for more variety in the printing industry increase.

What is the most popular screen printing ink?

In the United States, the most popular screen printing ink is plastisol. Outside the United States, however, waterbased remains to be the most popular screen printing ink of choice.

Can you use screen printing ink on paper?

Screen printing inks are designed to be used for fabrics. Using them on paper may not work well, however, you can use screen printing inks as long as you are using heavy paper that can absorb all the ink.