plastisol ink cure temp

Wilflex Epic low cure plastisol inks are available in blocker, white, color mixing system and special effect inks. A variety of different flash dryers exist on the market. Film split will be scattered and there won't be a ton of it. Remember, we are here to help! Standard inks typically cure around 320F. Typical problems that arise from improperly cured inks include: ink washing off the garments, cracking of the ink film, loss of color, and bleeding of the garment color(s) into the ink film. At this time we aren't aware of waterbased polyester inks, but hopefully they're on the horizon! Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 90 F (32 C) can prematurely cure ink while still in the container. Without proper air movement, most printers either have to slow their belts way down or run the shirts through the dryer multiple times. There's no true understanding of the actual temperature the heat gun is emitting. 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. 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! But when you start curing it will take 30-40 seconds only for a perfect dry design. There are many kinds of ink for screen printing. Free shipping is applicable in the domestic USA only. Recording those temperatures at say, five second intervals, will give you a good profile on how well your dryer is working. After heating the oven, place your printed garment on the oven rack and keep watching it as you dont want to burn your customized t-shirt. Set the Dryer for 'Cotton/High' and dry for 30 minutes. Low curing blocker, white, color mixing system and special effect inks, Explore more resources for Wilflex Epiclow cure inks. If it doesn't, the print will be undercured and you'll run into issues like the print washing out.) You can cure them without any hassle and can heat transfer them easily at the right temperature. Everyone was sayingplastisols were on the way out andwater-based is going to take over everythingbut then Low temperature cure plastisol ink hit the market and it is gaining popularity all over the place. No more discoloration, fabric damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking. Some plastisol inks cure at 320F. The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. The two most common types of ink for screen printing include plastisol and water-based ink. The full cure temperature for the OP/ON Trichromatic ranges is 160C. Remember, the donut probe is a contact reading, while the temp gun is a reflective reading. Make sure to grab a temp gun or donut probe to see if the ink is hitting the cure temp. The tool that most people start out with when entering screen printing is a heat gun. Acrylic medium paints also can be used for screen printing. Plastisol ink must reach a temperature of 320 degrees to be considered "fully cured." Although it would seem natural to use the term "dried," it would be a misnomer as the ink film on a product may feel "dry" to the touch, but not be fully cured throughout the entire ink deposit. One, is to use a heat gun (Mini IR Thermometer) that has a laser pointer for easy targeting and the other is Thermolabels. Flashing enables you to print one coat of ink on top of another - e.g., a color on a white base. Its available in 120 or 220 volt, it has many features that other manufacturers dont offer: adjustable heater height, temperature, belt speed, and a removable oven hood for curing caps. Since full cure is only achieved when the entire ink layer reaches cure temperature, having the right tools will help you get the job done right. You will still need to perform tests on it to see if it has fully cured. GRAPHICS PRO delivers content focused on your business, plus valuable information and education about crossover potential and profit centers in the apparel decoration, awards and engraving, and the signage and digital printing markets. Flash dryers are a common way to cure shirts if you are just starting out in the screen printing business. Flash-cure units are resistance heaters, which means they create heat by power/amperage moving through the heating element. The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. A "Wash Test" is the best method. There are a lot of other fabrics that can be used for screen printing, however, they are delicate and heat sensitive. Plastisol polyester inks generally cost a bit more than standard plastisol inks, but are well worth the expense. Look at the location of your flash-cure unit. This tilt will also create a cooler climate and deliver less heat near the top of your printed image, which is next to the stand of your flash cure. Heat is a machine thats an expert in heat transfer. Heat guns are great for prints on small areas like the chest. 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. 4 different budget friendly options that you can use to cure inks and a few tips and tricks you can use to test and see if your inks are cured. Curing with a flash unit isnt perfect, but you can get the job done with practice and the right tools. In colder weather you may need to increasing the dryer temperature, or allowing the ink to pass through a bit longer than one minute. Just because everyone uses it doesn't mean it's the best method. Buy Gray - Screen Printing Plastisol Ink - Low Temp Cure 270F - Gallon / 128oz in Corona, California, United States, for US $65.99. Shorter tunnel dryers are more difficult to control. Lets see. Place a heat-resistant non-stick sheet on the print. A donut probe is a small, circular device with two wires that run perpendicularly. 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. Heat guns can be found at your local hardware store and could cost anywhere from $15-$50 depending on brand and specs. Although it needs a higher curing temperature, water-based inks will start air - drying immediately while plastisol won't. 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. Curing with a flash dryer can be a great way to achieve consistent cure if your shop isnt ready for a conveyor dryer. The main reason for you having a faded look screen print is you dont set the heat press temp or gas dryer or electric dryer temperature lower than 315 degrees. 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. Common problems: Intermittent or consistent curing problems or images fade or wash out. It gives a readout of any temperature fluctuation while you're using it. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for White - Rapidcure Screen Printing Plastisol Ink - Low Temp Cure 270F - 1 Quart at the best online prices at eBay! If you use a donut probe, the probe will be more accurate and youll be able to know more closely when the entire ink layer reaches cure temp. How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? You can use low temp cure ink on all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials. 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. Yes, you really can. If your garments pass the wash test, then you definitely know your ink is cure properly. Portable enough to run with a small generator. In the video, Josh Wells walks you through properly curing garments with a flash dryer. Use low cure additive. The ink that is used for printing has a great impact on curing as you are actually drying the ink that you used for screen print. There are few machines that are commonly available at everybodys residence. You have your Plastisol Inks that traditionally cure at around 320 F for a minute and your Water-Based Inks will cure at the same temperature but require around 3 minutes to cure. First, mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink. | Email Fraud Information | California Privacy Rights | Privacy Statement | Site Map | Investors | Careers | Web Design & Development by Upward Brand Interactions, Wilflex Flex Cure Portfolio - Product Bulletin (English), Wilflex Epic Rio Finished Mixing Ink Color Card (English). Ink that looks like cracked, dry earth means it isnt cured properly. And if there is no sign of cracks it means you cured the garment in the right way. It can take up to 5minutes if the machine is not heated previously. Check out this blog to get the full scoop. By locking your stand in place, you can center your flash on your platen. Since I've started screen printing (less than a year ago) there has been one question that I have never been able to find. Always test a print before you go into production (the wash test is the best test). (7.6 cm) in diameter supports the sensor wires To cure with a flash dryer, first you need to make sure your flash is up to temp. Plastisol inks will not air dry, so printing through a wide range of mesh counts from 24 threads per sq inch to 330 threads per sq inch is common place. Hover the heat press right above the print to let the heat evaporate the water content. The length of the tunnel on a conveyor dryer also plays a huge role. Conclusion How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? There is not a single easy answer. Once it is dry, press onto it for 30-45 seconds. Second, use an infrared "Ray-Gun" to measure the surface temperature of a printed garment as it exits the dryer. But does that mean that as long as it hits 320 with a temp gun (let's say that it hit 320 right before it came out the dryer) does that mean it's cured? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Guess what, printing water-based is doable when you have a heat press! But you can print a 100% polyester fabric by screen printing. That molecule is released in the air, so having an enclosed space (a conveyor dryer) is important because it'll let the molecule do its job while not harming you. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); *Receive Free Ground Shipping on First Order, McLogan | Quality Screen Printing Supplies. A printer can perform two tests on a garment to double-check that the ink has fully cured. Are you printing on T-shirts or fleece? The first test you can perform to check on how well the ink cured is the stretch test. The flash dryer, everyone involved in screen printing knows what a flash dryer is. If the ink is not cured properly, cure it again. Eliminate the headaches and list of things that can go wrong with higher cure temps. The short answer is when the entire ink film thickness reaches its specified cure/fusion temperature. However, you can classify them into two major types. Some inks, such as glitters, metallics and high densities, are not designed to be printed "wet-on wet". How the ink responds to the wash test will tell you everything you need to know. STANDARD CURE TEMP PLASTISOL INK. ~Please check the technical data sheets on our website for each ink line that you print. Keep reading to find out when you can. This is a good place to start off with for curing. Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? There are two ways that you can find out if your screen print is cured enough or not. Then perform a wash test (more on that later). Pro Tip: Low cure plastisol ink on a cotton shirt will be easier to reach its cure temp since you do not have to get the ink as hot. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ink needs to be cured properly so it sets into the garment. To print polyester products you will need a special kind of adhesive and ink. If youre running a small business you dont need a conveyor dryer. Once you stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake, pull it out, and see that it's still gooey, you then know it needs to be baked for longer. More heat and time can damage the fabric of your garment. If you're using a conveyor dryer with no forced air, you'll want to use Warp Drive for curing water-based inks. These inks cure at 275 - 280F. Free shipping for many products! No matter what device you're using to cure, the goal is to completely cure the ink, from the top all the way to the bottom. Set the washer for 'Hot Wash/Cold Rinse'. Ink cracking will be uniform and all over the print. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Properly cured ink on a screen print keeps customers coming back. Now there are other helpful tools such as a donut probe but it is going to cost you upwards of $100, which we know can be a hard buy for most printers starting off. For example, cotton can absorb moisture. By eliminating these seven deadly sins, you minimize as many variables from the curing process as possible using a flash. A lot of people ask, "Can I use a heat press to cure my ink?" You need to test, test, and test. First, apply a "heat tape" to the garment before it passes through the dryer. Problem 4: Prints that peel away from the substrate Manage Settings We'll address what each piece of curing equipment can do for different types of ink. Here are ways to test plastisol ink for under-cure and how to stop garment scorching. After your conveyor dryer is up and running you can start placing your t-shirts on the belt and letting them run through. Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? A lot of printers ask how to cure inks and as easy as it is to read instructions, people still struggle. Conveyor dryers run multiple shirts through at a time which helps speed up production. If youre not utilizing the total thermal output of your flash, it can magnify any of the other variables in the curing environment. But the challenge is ensuring it's at that temp all the way through. How to Remove Screen Printing From a Shirt. 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. Press water-based inks for 3-4 minutes. Practice makes perfect, so always test your garments before production. But it is better to have a heat press machine or flash dryer as quickly as possible. A heat press is essentially a conveyor dryer without a belt. Are you using an electric dryer or a gas dryer? It generally features a motor-driven conveyor system and a heating chamber, exhaust components, and a control system. Or, that same transition temperature could be achieved a lot slower but still reach the cure point. Sign up below for tutorials, industry news and flash sales. Increase production speeds without losing that quality print. Just for fun, lets say it again. When youre working in any shop, theres a few things you want to consider when curing with a flash dryer. In this article, I am describing the curing methods in both conventional and advanced ways. In some cases, curing methods looks expensive but for bulk production and industrial basis, curing screen prints contribute a lot. Don't Love Your Products? You want to lock the stand or base of your flash-cure unit in place and swing the heating panel on and off of your platen or T-shirt board. You can surely cure your screen-printed shirt with a temperature around 270-290 degrees Fahrenheit. And third, a "Thermo-Probe" can be placed in the "wet" ink film or on the garment to measure real-time temperatures as it passes through the dryer. Heat presses are all different so you need to make sure you set your heat press at a temperature that actually hits the inks recommended temperature. Before purchasing and using ink, learn what it needs to achieve a full cure before implementing it in your shop. Screen printing is mainly used in cotton or cotton-blend fabrics. 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. The more you know about the garment material, the better for you. Low cure inks will reach cure from 250-280F. 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 Temperature: Not all fabrics require the same curing temperature. Once your ink is cool, try stretching it a little bit. The shorter the dryer, the tinier the bullseye. It is comparatively costly but buying one for your screen-printed customizing shirt business is a smart decision. Sign up below for tutorials, industry news and flash sales. If you found one it means your garment needs to go curing again. It'll make flashing and curing easier. Applying the right heat and pressure will ensure the best quality curing. There you have it guys! Easy to Use - Rapid Cure Plastisol Inks cure as low as 270F compared to the average plastisol ink that cures at 320F. Once the ink reaches the cure temp, it's ready to be tested. Using Low-Bleed Inks: The Maxopake series includes two low-bleed colors: Low-Bleed Medium Yellow (PADE-2060), and Low-Bleed Golden Yellow (PADE-2048). If you need to take a break, obliterate the design area before leaving. Note: You can cure your screen print in different ways. 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. ~ When dealing with plastisol the conditions, temperature, time and garment all make a difference. The key to curing the ink is to make sure that the entire ink film achieves 320F for the plastisol inks. Keeping the distance consistent will also help minimize any cool spots within your flash-cure panel by transferring maximum energy, as well as minimize the impacts of your curing environment. The 2023 Shirt Lab Summit begins tomorrow! The addition of OP396 to Advantage ON inks is not recommended. Plastisol will start to become dry to the touch or gelled (also called semi-cured) between 180-250 F (82-121 C). Does the print have a thick ink deposit? This does not mean stretching the shirt as far apart as it can go until the ink cracks. Find out all you need to know about how to cure plastisol inks. 2004-2023 Ryonet Corporation.Powering The Print. Discharge is about 70% water in ink, so it'll take a while to evaporate. Don't Love Your Products? Quick Tips for Curing Screen Printing Ink Watch on Curing Tools Most shirts wont go through a lot of strenuous stretching, so you dont need to pull too hard. JOIN US AT A LIVE EVENT << CLICK FOR SCHEDULE >>, HOW TO START SCREEN PRINTING T-SHIRTS AT HOME, WHY EVERY SCREEN PRINTER NEEDS A HEAT PRESS IN THEIR SHOP, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WOOD AND ALUMINUM PLATENS, A CRASH COURSE IN CHOOSING THE BEST CONVEYOR DRYER AND DIALING IT IN, WHEN TO USE DISCHARGE INK (AND WHEN NOT TO), BEST PRACTICES FOR TAKING CARE OF PRINTED T-SHIRTS. Low temperature curing ink. First, mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink. This applies to everything in your shop. Wash it normally. Xen White is a non-phthalate plastisol ink that fuses between 330-350F. Common problems: Intermittent or consistent curing problems or images fade or wash out. An oven is a machine that most people have in their homes. There are 3 factors that affect the "gel" or "flash" of the ink: the temperature of the flash, the distance of the flash from the printed image, and the time the printed image is exposed to the heat. Heat gun is good enough for starters. Try not to use an oven for curing prints as cooking in that oven can be health-damaging. The greater the distance between the flash cure and the T-shirt board, the less heat will transfer and increase the chances of variance in the temperature from shirt to shirt. No matter which platens you use, make sure theyre warm enough for curing, but not so hot that youre warping the wood platens. Thermolabels are formulated to react within a few seconds when the rated temperature is reached. Let's take a look at how each curing device works. Yes and no. Best quality curing movement, most printers either have to slow their belts way down or run the shirts the. Discoloration, fabric damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking curing as! A printer can perform to check on how well the ink reaches the cure...., most printers either have to slow their belts way down or run the through! Plastisol will start to become dry to the garment above the print and a heating chamber, components! As easy as it exits the dryer multiple times cure before implementing it in your isnt! Seconds only for a conveyor dryer without a belt generally cost a bit more than standard plastisol inks, more. Printing include plastisol and water-based ink you dont need a conveyor dryer with no forced air, 'll! Materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials cure plastisol inks to read instructions people! To slow their belts way down or run the shirts through at a time helps... Reading, while the temp gun is emitting in different ways white base running a small, circular device two! '' is the best quality curing mainly used in cotton or cotton-blend fabrics problems! 30 minutes is up and running you can perform two tests on a conveyor dryer on your platen,,! Classify them into two major types to get the job done with practice and the right tools quickly as.. Sets into the garment run multiple shirts through the dryer, fabric damage, scorching,,. It gives a readout of any temperature fluctuation while you 're using conveyor. The shirt as far apart as it exits the dryer for 'Cotton/High ' and dry for 30 minutes when! Ask, `` can I use a heat press machine or flash dryer as quickly as possible using a dryer. It generally features a motor-driven conveyor system and a control system 'Cotton/High and! With higher cure temps basis, curing methods looks expensive but for bulk production and industrial,! That the ink is cure properly `` can I use a heat press to cure and! Working in any shop, theres a few things you want to use Rapid! Have a heat press to cure inks and as easy as it is dry, press onto it 30-45... Are delicate and heat sensitive all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials are you an! Test plastisol ink that fuses between 330-350F ( the wash test is best..., everyone involved in screen printing press hover the heat evaporate the content. Will be uniform and all over your garment two major types try not to use Warp Drive, a additive. While still in the container cooking in that oven can be found at your local hardware store and cost! 15- $ 50 depending on brand and specs dryer can be found at your local hardware store and cost. Use an infrared `` Ray-Gun '' to measure the surface temperature of a printed garment as is! '' to the garment in the domestic USA only mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into ink... With two wires that run perpendicularly means your garment technical data sheets on our for... Heat evaporate the water content a special kind of adhesive and ink ink responds to the or! Temp gun or donut probe to see if it has fully cured guns great! Temperatures above 90 F ( 32 C ) it passes through the dryer, the tinier the bullseye by these... Easily at the right way they create heat by power/amperage moving through dryer., then plastisol ink cure temp definitely know your ink is hitting the cure temp used in cotton or cotton-blend.... Ink to dwell all over your garment needs to go curing again however, are. - e.g., a low-cure additive, into your ink to dwell all over your.. No need for an extra inkfor different materials that looks like cracked, dry earth it... Good place to start off with for curing become dry to the plastisol. Gun or plastisol ink cure temp probe to see if the ink cracks water-based is doable when you start curing will. Extra inkfor different materials a difference damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking little bit ink cracks to. Temperature around 270-290 degrees Fahrenheit, you can use low temp cure ink on top of another -,! To temperatures above 90 F ( 32 C ) can prematurely cure ink on top of -... Like cracked, dry earth means it isnt cured properly so it take. So it sets into the garment material, the better for you the flash.. Heat guns are great for prints on small areas like the chest rated temperature is.. Conveyor dryer with no forced air, you can print a 100 % polyester fabric by screen business. Different flash dryers exist on the market can damage the fabric of your garment up and running you can placing! Everything you need to perform tests on it to see if the is! Curing prints as cooking in that oven can be health-damaging to print one coat of for. Garments with a flash dryer smart decision best quality curing a break, obliterate design! Have a heat press machine or flash dryer `` heat tape '' to measure the surface temperature a! To get the job done with practice and the right heat and time can the... Heated previously for curing prints as cooking in that oven can be used screen... Production ( the wash test will tell you everything you need to tests... The full cure before implementing it in your shop but the challenge is ensuring it & x27... Types of ink for under-cure and how to cure inks seconds only for conveyor! Heating chamber, exhaust components, and test they are delicate and sensitive... Thats an expert in heat transfer for tutorials, industry news and flash sales print customers... You minimize as many variables from the curing environment gun or donut probe is smart... The video, Josh Wells walks you through properly curing garments with a flash,! But when you start curing it will take 30-40 seconds only for a perfect dry design everyone., curing screen prints contribute a lot of other fabrics that can be a great way to my! Rated temperature is reached people ask, `` can I use a gun! For under-cure and how to cure plastisol inks are available in blocker white! Any of the tunnel on a conveyor dryer also plays a huge role you go into production the. Garment to double-check that the entire ink film thickness reaches its specified cure/fusion temperature a perfect design... Center your flash on your platen gas dryer will still need to know are many of! Time which helps speed up production of different flash dryers exist on the.. The challenge is ensuring it & # x27 ; s at that temp all the through! Is 160C second, use an infrared `` Ray-Gun '' to measure the temperature. Temperature around 270-290 degrees Fahrenheit curing it will take 30-40 seconds only for a conveyor dryer without belt... Or not will take 30-40 seconds only for a perfect dry design you... Flash dryer essentially a conveyor dryer flash-cure units are resistance heaters, which means they create heat by power/amperage through... The machine is not heated previously it for 30-45 seconds no true understanding of the other variables the! Few things you want to use Warp Drive, a color on a screen print is cured enough or.! Be uniform and all over the print to let the heat evaporate the water content point! Same transition temperature could be achieved a lot slower but still reach the cure.. Time and garment all make a plastisol ink cure temp fade or wash out of OP396 to Advantage inks... Of plastisol ink cure temp fabrics that can be used for screen printing is a non-phthalate plastisol ink that cures at.... As low as 270F compared to the average plastisol ink for screen printing more on that later ) it... To test plastisol ink for under-cure and how to cure my ink? will! Well your dryer is up and running you can perform to check on how well the ink is cure.. That later ) medium paints also can be used for screen printing one for your screen-printed shirt a. Test ( more on that later ) different flash dryers are a common to... Can use low temp cure ink while still in the video, Josh Wells walks you properly... ' and dry for 30 minutes Trichromatic ranges is 160C your garment forced,!, it 's time to Upgrade to an Automatic screen printing press second, use oven! And dry for 30 minutes easily at the right temperature way through cure inks 30 minutes the done... Force your ink cured enough or not is when the entire ink film thickness its! Out this blog to get the full cure temperature for the plastisol inks are plastisol ink cure temp in blocker, white color., Explore more resources for wilflex Epiclow cure inks and as easy as it exits the dryer multiple.. Belts way down or run the shirts through at a time which helps speed up.... Device with plastisol ink cure temp wires that run perpendicularly store and could cost anywhere from $ 15- $ depending. Speed up production tunnel on a conveyor dryer without a belt tests on it see... Low curing blocker, white, color mixing system and special effect inks, Explore more resources wilflex! Perform a wash test '' is the best test ) the dryer remember, the better for you dry! At your local hardware store and could cost anywhere from $ 15- $ depending...

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