Here is a breakdown of the essentials you need to know concerning plastisol vs water based ink.
Water based ink vs plastisol screen printing.
Water based ink is a high end ink commonly used in retail printing.
Plastisol served printers well and created some rad designs.
Difference between plastisol vs water based ink.
Which screen printing ink is the best.
2 11 2020 by imri merritt aka m.
There are two main types of ink that get used for textile printing plastisol and water based.
So what is the deal with plastisol versus water based ink.
Picking the right screen printing ink types for your job is all about deciding what factors are most important to you.
Water based inks and plastisol inks are the two most popular inks in the screen printing industry.
But there are two broad categories of inks.
Ink is one of the most used products when you are screen printing.
Water based and discharge ink.
They use water as a solvent base to be able to carry the pigment.
Water based inks are heat set around 250 270 degrees fahrenheit and that can vary specifically on the brand of water based ink you are using.
While plastisol is more widely known and used the desire for a more eco friendly shop has brought water based screen printing into the spotlight.
Water based ink and plastisol ink are the two most popular ink styles in the screen printing industry.
The four important differences between plastisol inks and water based inks are as follows 01.
Comparing water based ink vs plastisol.
The pigments are added to the base to create the necessary colors.
Water based inks are the best option for eco friendly screen printing but don t work as well as plastisol on certain fabrics or if you need an ultra bright print.
Even when the proper emulsion is used screen life tends to be much less with water based printing than it is for plastisol printing water based ink cleanup there is a common misconception that because water can be used for cleaning screens squeegees and tools that the waste water can just be discharged in the sewer.
In the decorated apparel world there are many different techniques to print custom graphics and screen printing continues to be the fan favorite.
For a long time plastisol inks were the most common choice since water based inks were more difficult to use.
A high end ink made for super soft shirts commonly used in retail printing.
Here is a breakdown of the essentials you need to know concerning which style is right for you.
Water based inks for screen printing.
Water base is a system that requires both pigments and base.
Water based and discharge ink.
A minor consideration in printing with water based inks is that they will dissolve emulsions typically used for plastisol screen stencils.
This is easily resolved by using water resistant or dual cure emulsions which are suitable for water based printing.