Screen-Printing Plastisol Inks - General Information

Plastisol inks are rugged, durable, and support a wide range of garments. They can be printed on 100% cotton, 50/50%, nylon, and some 100% polyester inks. Here is some general information to help you determine what is best for you.

Curing - Most plastisols need at least 300-330 Degrees Fahrenheit to cure. You can cure using a flash unit or conveyor dryer. While hand held heat guns work, they are not the best for consistency or accurate curing. There is an additive that when mixed properly into your ink will LOWER your curing temp (IC 3804).

Standard Plastisols - Wilflex Genesis Series, IC 7600 and 700 Series are considered standard plastisol inks. They are a semi-gloss to glossy finish, and work on 100% cotton and some 50/50%. They are usually in the same consistency, though some colors are creamier than others and are easier to work with. All can be used in manual machines or automatics.

Polyester Inks - Wilflex has developed a product called Polywhite which works with exceptional results when printing on polyester or 50/50% garments.

Nylon Inks – International Coatings 900 Series Ink is designed specifically for nylon garments. Using a two part system, a catalyst is mixed into the ink and then printed onto the garment. This allows for better adhesion to the nylon garments. Note: Testing must be done prior to a job. Some water-treated nylon material has shown more difficult to print even with nylon inks.

Specialty Inks – Both Wilflex and International Coatings have developed a number of specialty inks for special effects printing. The products range from glow-in-the-dark, glitter inks, shimmer inks, suede texture and other texture inks as well. There are also inks that puff up on the shirt, giving a raised feel to the ink.

Plastisol Additives – If the ink is too thick, there are reducers, extenders, and thinners for specific needs. There are products that reduce the thickness and texture on a print to make it softer. There are additives that will simply make the ink easier to pull through the screen if it becomes difficult to pull a squeegee manually.