Are you in the process of selecting the best screen printing ink for your business? You’ve come to the right place! Sit down and read about all the available options for you out there.
What’s the Best Screen Printing Ink (Plastisol, Water-Based)? Selecting the best screen printing ink will depend on the application. Plastisol ink is user-friendly, doesn’t dry-out easily, has brighter colors, and stays longer while water-based ink has a soft hand, can be air-dried, and more environmentally-friendly.
The best plastisol ink brands are:
- Triangle
- Ecotex
- Ryonet
For water-based inks consider:
- Green Galaxy from Ryonet
- Virus from Atlas
- Permaset Aqua and Super Cover
For white underbase inks, consider:
- Wilflex Ink
- Ecotex
- UnionInk
To help you find the best screen printing ink that will give you high quality and premier prints, make sure you check out your options below:
Best Plastisol Ink for Screen Printing
Looking for plastisol ink that will suit your project might be too overwhelming for you since there are a lot of options available on the market but you might want to consider these brands: Triangle, Ecotex, and Ryonet.
Plastisol ink is made up of two essential ingredients, (1) polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and (2) plasticizer. Unlike water-based inks, this type of ink has plastics for its base.
In contrast to dyes, plastisol inks do not dye the threads of a garment, instead the inks wrap around them, forming a mechanical bond.
Plastisol ink is usually chosen by businesses over all the other inks because it is user-friendly, produces a more vibrant print, and lasts long. If you think that plastisol ink is the best screen printing ink for your business, then the next step is selecting the best plastisol ink for your project
And to help you do that, here are some of the factors you should consider in selecting the best plastisol ink for you:
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The Plastisol Ink Has A Longer Shelf Life
Aside from the risk of the plastisol ink expiring before you even have the chance to use all of your supply, this feature helps you save money.
How you might ask?
Plastisol ink, which has a longer shelf life, can be bought in bulk from your supplier.
And buying them in bulk means more discounts for you!
To prevent your stock of plastisol inks from becoming unusable while they are still in the container, store them at room temperature. Avoid exposing them in temperatures higher than 90 °F/32 °C.
And keep them closed when not in use to prevent dust and other unwanted materials from contaminating your ink.
However, if after opening your new supply of plastisol inks, you noticed a watery-like solution (plasticizer), no need to panic yet. All you have to do, in this case, is stir your container of ink vigorously to make it go back to its original state.
This may take some elbow grease but it is worth it.
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Plastisol Ink Requires Less Stirring Than Those Previous Plastisol Inks
If you consider this factor, you can save time and money.
And who doesn’t want that?
Choosing a ready for use plastisol ink only needs less stirring as compared to other plastisol inks available on the market.
And yes, less stirring means less production time for you as well!
- Plastisol Ink Is Available As Low Cure Ink
Curing is the process wherein prints are instantly dried, forming an elastic film. Usually, plastisol inks cure at 320-330 °F.
In the industry, drying is usually aided by conveyor dryers or a flash-cure unit. Some screen printing businesses use high-intensity ultraviolet light instead of heat.
The kind of drying equipment you are currently using does not matter as long as you know the right temperature and time to produce prints that are properly cured.
When using a conveyor dryer, the shirt is placed on the belt which then carries the shirt towards the oven chamber where it is exposed to the proper curing temperature at the correct length of time.
How do you ensure that you have the proper curing temperature?
Your ink temperature can be controlled by adjusting the belt’s speed or the time when your prints are exposed to the heat.
If your shirt is too hot it may scorch, meaning you should speed up the belt speed. This is true for the reverse as well. If the shirt is not reaching the right temperature to cure, then you can slow the belt down to make it hotter on the shirt’s surface.
When drying, your belt dryer’s temperature should be higher than the ink’s curing temperature.
I know a lot of t-shirt printers who overcured their prints just to ensure that they are properly cured, but “increasing temperature and time just to be sure” technique is just not a good practice.
You have to be accurate when drying since overcuring may give rise to problems such as dye migration while undercuring will give a print that will easily crack or flake.
And mistakes brought about by lack of accuracy will cost you money. And we wouldn’t want that.
How do you know if your print has been properly cured?
Luckily for you, tests such as wash tests, stretch tests, or ethyl acetate test can be performed to help you know if your prints are indeed properly cured.
I think the wash test is a test you can perform if you are doing a test print.
A wash test is done by washing your garment with a detergent in hot water. The wash test can be done at least five times. Flaky prints or cracking can happen if your print is undercured.
The stretch test can be done by stretching your print. If the print cracks and does not go back to its original size, then your print is undercured.
A few drops of ethyl acetate can also be utilized to test if your print is properly cured.
Let the drops of ethyl acetate go on the print located on the inside of the garment. Touch the area dropped with ethyl acetate onto an unprinted area. If a transfer of ink is seen, then further curing must be done.
If you think that the kind of fabric you’re working on can’t withstand high temperatures, then I suggest you use low cure ink.
Low cure ink cures at 270 degrees as compared to other plastisol ink which cures at 320-330 degrees.
I suggest that you choose a low cure ink, since buying one means that you won’t need to buy low-cure additives and other modifiers.
If however, you prefer to work with plastisol inks with additives, I suggest that you take proper care in choosing the right additives, in the right amount since the plastisol inks can easily be affected.
For example, plastisol ink’s opacity can be affected.
To ensure that you are not wasting your supply of plastisol ink, ask your manufacturer. Is the additive or modifier the right one for your plastisol ink? Or better yet read the Technical Data Sheets provided for the ink you bought.
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High-Quality Plastisol Ink Covers Your Garment Better
A lot of printers’ dilemma is how to reduce production time while making high-quality prints. Plastisol inks can be the solution you are looking for.
A high-quality plastisol ink makes it possible for you to produce prints on fabrics faster, especially if you are using a low bleed ink.
What is a low bleed plastisol ink?
A low bleed plastisol ink prevents the color of the pigment in the shirt being printed on to pass through the ink.
So it appears brighter and more vibrant because the shirt’s base color is not showing through.
Therefore, you’re not required to repeat the process of screening the ink onto the shirt and partially drying that layer of ink to the touch.
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Some Plastisol Inks Require Minimal Flashing
What I really like about plastisol inks is that they require minimal flash time.
Flashing is a process wherein the garments are flashed with heat. Without completely curing the ink and after applying a new layer of ink while the said garments are still on the platen.
The required number of times flashed depends on how many different color layers of ink are on the t-shirt.
As much as possible, we want a plastisol ink which requires minimal flash time.
This will not only decrease your production time but will also reduce the possibility of garments from scorching and shrinking from being exposed too much under the flash unit.
You might want to take this factor into account, especially if you are working with heat sensitive materials like polyester, dry-fit, and other athletic garments.
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Plastisol Ink’s Environmental Impact
Most plastisol inks available on the market do not contain solvents (organic solvents) that can cause pollution.
In contrast to some articles written, there are plastisol inks made to be more eco-friendly, and safer for children, due to compliance with many government regulations.
Also, did you know that Dr. Patrick Moore of Greenpeace pointed out that PVC (a component of plastisol) has benefits which include, needs less energy to manufacture, is sustainable, and durable.
The plastic resin (PVC) present on the ink after curing is tightly held by the plasticizer. Meaning, the plasticizer and PVC components will not cause harm because they can’t evaporate.
I believe the huge factor wherein the environment’s directly affected by printing businesses is how they manage their waste. In the United States, a printing business can give their residuals to their manufacturer in exchange for ink systems.
Fun fact! Then, the manufacturer will convert those into usable products. In general, waste from plastisol ink that can’t be converted to reusable and recycled can be cured and be disposed off as plastic.
However, this remains a large issue for those countries which do not have the resources to properly treat waste from the printing industry.
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Plastisol Ink That Produces a Soft Hand Feel
I get clients sometimes who complain about their prints lacking that soft hand feel.
So I search for ways where I can make my prints have that soft hand feel, even if I am using plastisol inks. And I was surprised that it’s actually possible!
High-quality plastisol ink can produce prints with a soft hand feel.
A soft hand feel can also be achieved when using plastisol inks by including one or two of the following in your process:
- Use a screen with a higher mesh count to produce a high detailed print
- Add a reducer
- Add a soft-hand base
- Include half-tones and/or negative space in your design
- Use a mat-down screen
- Utilize the heat press
- Make use of discharge plastisol ink
You might be wondering how to pick the best mesh for your current project. So here’s a rundown of the usual mesh count depending on the type of fabric:
- Glitter Ink-Employ 30 – 38 mesh count
- Athletic Prints – Make use of 60 – 85 mesh count
- Fleece Items – Make use of 60 – 110 mesh count
- Puff Inks – Make use of 60 – 85 mesh count
- Metallic Ink – Make use of 60 – 85 mesh count
- Super Opaque/Bleed Resistant -Make use of 60 – 85 mesh count
- Hot-Split Heat Transfers – Make use of 60 – 85 mesh count
- General Prints – Make use of 110 – 125 mesh count
- Multi-Color, Wet-on-Wet Printing – Make use of 180 – 200 mesh count
- Nylon Jacket Printing: 180 – 230 mesh count
- Simulated & 4-Color Process: 230 – 305 mesh count
The table below shows some of the plastisol ink brands available on the market and some features that you may want to consider:
| Brand Name | Shelf-Life | Flash | Curing Temperature | Formulated for/Best for/Works well for/Application | Other features |
| Ecotex Matte Black Plastisol Ink for Screen Printing | 12 months | 105°C/220°F for 7 – 12 seconds | 160°C /320°F | Cotton | Non-phthalate formula
Bold, creamy, vibrant Soft Hand Highly opaque |
| TRIANGLE
Screen Printing Plastisol Inks 1173 Batman Black |
Not available online | Not available online | 315° F- 330°F depends on the type of fabric, ink deposit, ink color, and efficiency of the dryer. | Athletic and Leisure garments (T-shirts, polos, hoodies, etc) | Formulated for wet on wet printing
Can be used for the manufacture of plastisol transfers |
| BAB’s Creamy Black Plastisol Screen Printing Ink | 12 months | Not available online | Not available online | Cotton, Cotton Blends & Polyester | Super Creamy
Soft Hand Great Coverage Flat Gloss |
| Maxopake Plastisol | Not available online | Not available online | Not available online | Dark Garments – Cotton | Easy to Print
Soft Creamy Consistency Ready to Use |
| Athletic Plastisol
Durable Athletic Ink |
Not available online | Not available online | Not available online | Athletic Uniforms
Nylon Mesh Jerseys Spandex Bicycle Racing Jerseys |
Glossy
Very Opaque |
Take note that you don’t have to be loyal to just one brand. There may be a brand that works well for cotton fabrics, but does not work well with cotton blends. I suggest that you explore your options.
The Best Water-Based Screen Printing Ink
In the industry, printing using water-based ink has a reputation for not being user-friendly (dries out fast on screens). However, nowadays, there seems to be a so-called water-based revolution.
Here are some brands of water-based screen printing inks that you might want to consider: Green Galaxy from Ryonet, Virus from Atlas, and Permaset Aqua and Super Cover.
Before I discuss the factors you should consider in selecting the best water-based screen printing ink out there, let me first define water-based inks for you.
Water-based inks, as the name suggests, have water as the pigment-carrier. There are two categories of water-based inks namely, Ready-For-Use (RFU) inks and High Solid Acrylic (HSA) inks.
- Ready-For-Use (RFU) inks
As the name suggests, these water-based inks are pre-mixed and come in commonly used colors in the industry.
This type of water-based ink is recommended for those first-time users of water-based inks since it’s easier to use.
You have a choice if you are going to print them immediately on light fabrics, or use an underbase before printing on dark garments. An underbase is an ink that is printed on the shirt, before all the other inks are laid onto it.
- High Solid Acrylic (HSA) inks
With the water-based ink revolution, manufacturers are trying so hard to address the issues that come along with using water-based inks. HSA inks are the product of this revolution.
High Solid Acrylic (HSA) inks are formulated in such a way that a thickening agent is incorporated in order to prevent the ink from drying too fast.
HSA inks can easily stretch and stack on each other, just like plastisol inks while also maintaining the soft feel. In short, it’s like water-based and plastisol ink combined.
What else do you need if you choose water-based inks?
- A screen (at least one) with a higher mesh count (produces finer details)
- A forced air dryer (can cure water-based inks or low-cure additives)
- A light squeegee
- A blocker
If you are a beginner in using water-based inks, it will be easier if you start with a single color/multi-color on light fabrics. Practice on old fabrics.
If you think you have mastered printing on light-colored fabrics, then start printing on dark garments.
Below are some factors you might want to consider when choosing the best water-based screen printing ink out there:
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Water-Based Inks Are Now User-Friendly
There are brands of water-based screen printing inks available on the market that develop easy-to-use products.
As a beginner, I suggest you grab the opportunity to utilize said products.
While they are easy to use, the printability and appearance of prints are not being sacrificed.
A lot of printers’ problems with water-based inks is that it easily dries out and long runs are not possible.
Again, due to the so-called water-based revolution, the manufacturers addressed this problem by putting out products that do not easily dry-out.
Go out and try them!
If you accidentally bought a water-based screen printing ink that dries-out faster, then here are some remedies you can do:
- Add a retardant, like glycerine.
- A retarder inhibits water from evaporating too fast. Ask your manufacturer about them.
- Buy a reptile fogger
- Use a reptile fogger to spray a cool mist. This is really helpful if you are currently living in a warm area.
- Consider using a lubricant.
Coat your screen with the manufacturer’s suggested lubricant. This step also inhibits water from evaporating too fast, giving you more time to work with your ink on the screen.
- Employ the proper flooding technique
- Use a plastic bag over the prints when you want to store your prints overnight.
Cleaning up after printing with water-based inks is easier. Since the carrier of the inks is water, clean-up can be done using water as well.
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Water-Based Inks Do Not Require Special Tools to Properly Cure
How does curing work? What do you need to cure water-based inks?
Curing water-based inks literally means evaporating the solvent that carries the pigment onto your fabric.
Curing is usually done using a forced air dryer.
Today, you can incorporate low cure additives that allow you to cure ink at lower temperature, without the complicated equipment.
Some low cure additives allow you to apply water-based inks on athletic and non-cotton fabrics without having to worry about dye migration.
Again, there is absolutely no harm in exploring your options but make sure to buy in bulk after you considered various factors.
- Water-Based Inks Can Now Produce Vibrant Colors
Previous users of water-based screen printing inks encounter problems wherein they can’t get colors that are pure because the inks are too thin and transparent.
One way to solve this is to choose products with a higher-pigment ratio (HSA formulas). When utilized, your prints will come out as vibrant colors with a softer hand feel.
Are you working on delicate garments and you want to try water-based inks?
If your answer is yes, then I have good news for you! Water-based inks that work for delicate garments can also be purchased on the market. Go ahead and ask your manufacturer.
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Water-Based Mixing Systems Allow You to Customize
Since the current t-shirt printing industry leans more and more towards water-based inks, there now exists plenty of options for mixing color and controlling formula which you might want to utilize.
Ink mixing systems gives you full control in choosing your colors, level of opacity, and even the additive you want to use, while considering the effect (metallic, reflective, etc) you want to achieve.
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Water-Based Can Produce High-Quality Prints
Aside from garments printed with finer details, I assure you that your prints will pass the clients’ touch-test with flying colors.
Will the prints last long?
While your clients want high-detailed prints, they also want them to last long. At present, water-based inks have already been modified to address this issue.
In contrast to some articles written, nowadays, water-based prints can last as long as the garments as well just like your clients demand.
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Screens Can Withstand Damage From Using Water-Based Inks
As you might have read, water-based inks can damage your screens. But as they say, prevention is better than cure.
Below is a list of things you can do to prevent your screen from breaking down while doing a long run:
- Re-exposing your screen to UV light helps in hardening your emulsion.
- Degreasing your screen is a very good way to free your screen from grease, oil, and dust.
Aside from the suggestions above, you can also opt to use water-resistant formulations of emulsion instead of the standard ones..
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Water-Based Inks That Do Not Require Flashing
One thing that’s very different from designing with plastisol and water-based inks is that on the latter, flashing will be done less frequently.
Instead of flashing in between colors, you can print wet-on-wet when using water-based inks.
Wet-on-wet screen printing is the type of screen printing where a layer of ink is added to another layer of ink without flashing in between.
Such a time and energy saver!
Utilizing wet-on-wet screen printing depends on the type of artwork you will be doing. If your images/colors don’t overlap or they’re edge to edge and not overlapping, then you can use a wet-on-wet technique.
Here are some guidelines I usually take note of before starting the wet-on-wet technique:
- Set up your design and images for wet-on-wet
- Analyze the order of your colors
- Don’t employ trapping since this will result in mixing where the inks overlap
- Use a squeegee that is lighter
- A software can be used to adjust your underbase’s coverage (for complicated designs)
- Use a blocker when printing on dark fabrics (Stop dye migration)
Because water-based inks are thinner, a higher mesh count should be used. Choosing a screen with a higher mesh count is very important.
This prevents your water-based inks from getting that muddy look. And of course, muddy-looking prints would cause you your business clients, then your profit.
So, choose the right screen’s mesh count carefully. The artwork’s details is usually the basis if you can use a higher or lower mesh count.
In general, you can use a lower mesh count (156 or 200) when your print’s area is larger and the details are less. Whereas a higher mesh count can be chosen when higher detail and smaller areas are involved.
One advantage I can think of with water-based inks having a thinner consistency is that you can move the squeegee (the tool used to control the flow of the ink) faster than when you are working with plastisol inks. Thus, making your printing process faster.
Maybe you are wondering how to set-up your press when using water-based inks? Is it the same as when you are setting up the press for plastisol inks?
When using water-based inks, the off-contact needs to be at the same level across being at ⅛ “ off the surface where you are printing. A cardboard will do the trick.
When you start to register your design, the first step that you have to do is draw a line on the platen. When you are done, make sure that all your platens are at the same distance from the press’ center.
Your platen acts as your guide when you are loading your shirts.
I know that as a beginner you are eager to start your project or accept lots of orders but do a test print first. Test prints should be done before you start your project.
This is to ensure that everything on the design is lined up and printing properly. When you do a test print, use an old shirt.
Best White Ink That Can Be Used As An Underbase
Underbasing is done to make your final print brighter by keeping your fabric’s color from bleeding through the ink.
Usually, the underbase is a white ink but other lighter colored-inks with high-opacity can also be chosen.
Looking for a white underbase that will suit your on-going project might be too overwhelming. There are a lot of brands available on the market, but you might want to consider these brands: Wilflex Ink, Ecotex, and UnionInk.
Here’s a checklist I made for you so that you know if you should put an underbase before laying down your print:
- Use An Underbase on Dark-Colored Fabrics
If the color of the fabric you are working on is dark (not white or pastel color), then use an underbase.
Examples of dark-colored garments include black, navy, charcoal-colored, yellow, green, and others.
The image above obtained from printaura.com is an example of how an underbase can make your prints look vibrant.
- Your Design Does Not Call For An Underbase
Some designs do not require an underbase, because not having an underbase is the effect itself. Laying down an underbase can be skipped when you are looking to get a vintage look.
You can also skip laying down an underbase if you are working on gray fabrics, and want a softer print.
An underbase is a must if you’re making a puff print. Puff is an additive which makes your ink stand-out).
I know it’s frustrating when designs are so complicated that it is hard to put an underbase successfully. But with the right practice and some trials, I know you’ll get it done.
- Other Things That You Might Want To Consider:
- Consider fabric composition (there are fabrics that repel or absorb ink)
- Your designs’ location on the fabric
Bumps in the fabric, like zippers or pockets, will cause distortion of the underbase.
And, if your underbase is not smooth enough and you don’t do something about it, I guarantee you that your prints’ appearance will not be amazing.
After several years of working in the printing business, here are some guidelines I can give that you might want to take note of:
- Use a small amount of ink.
- Use a screen with a lower mesh count. But this will also depend on how much detail you want. A mesh count of 125-150 will do for a less detailed underbase, otherwise use 200+ mesh count if more details are wanted.
- Employ choking.
- Use a high-opacity plastisol.
If you want a thinner consistency (smoother and require less squeegee) to make printing easier, you can add a small amount of curable reducer.
- Set your squeegees at a slight angle and put enough pressure to clear the screen of your ink.
- A smoother underbase will make the print look better. Use a slow-stroke to make sure your underbase is smoothly laid down. When laying down the top print, you can do it in a faster manner and you can also use a screen with a finer mesh count.
- When using a 50/50 fabric, use a low-bleed ink.
- You can flash-cure your underbase to speed up your printing process.
- Do not completely cure your underbase, flash cure would do (the top print would not adhere if the underbase is completely cured).
- After flashing, allow your underbase to cool down. Thus, you need a cool down station especially if you are using an automatic press.
- Your flash unit must be larger than your design.
- Lay down your underbase on your fabric and flash-cure it. You might want to repeat the process (at least once) if you want a more vibrant white.
- You must have a flash unit for you to be able to utilize this technique. If you are using a lot of colors, then you will be needing to flash-cure your print more than once.
- Your flash-curing unit’s location must be above the design so that you can flash-cure in three to five seconds.
- Set the press off-contact
- If you want to make your print softer, then print a halftone white underbase.
Below is a table that will help you in deciding your screen’s mesh count for your underbase and overprint if you are using an automatic press or a manual press:
| UNDERBASE | ||
| Design | Automatic Press | Manual Press |
| Simple Block Areas | 125T | 86T-110T |
| Detailed Images | 140T | 110T |
| Fine Line Halftones | 160T-200T | 125T-140T |
| OVERPRINT | ||
| Simple Block Areas | 260T | 200T |
| Detailed Images | 305T | 230T |
| Fine Line Halftones | 350T | 260T |
Table from unionink
White plastisol inks that are used as an underbase usually flash-cures at approximately 240 °F in a matter of three to five seconds.
At this point, your underbase has reached a sticky state (referred to as an after-flash tack), which will disappear if left for a few seconds. Thus, a cool down station is necessary even if you don’t want to slow down your production time.
After-flash tacks usually happen when your ink is not really appropriate to be flash-cured or not formulated to serve as an underbase. That is why you really should choose an appropriate ink for underbasing.
After-flash tacks are not an issue when you are using a manual press since the rotating time is enough time for the after-flash tack to disappear.
I mentioned the term choking earlier, and you might be wondering what that word means.
Choking is the process wherein you make your design choked or thinner. It is not the same as making your design smaller, instead it makes the outline skinnier. Choking is usually done with Adobe Photoshop or other software.
