Ink types..
Let’s talk about ink, what kinds of inks do we use in particular. Once you know a little bit about the types of inks, you will have a pretty good idea of what kind of ink you would want to be used on your particular project. We love water based inks for many reasons, but offer a few options of types of inks and methods of printing. There are also what we call “Specialty Inks” that come in both types of inks (such as Metallics, Sueded, Glow, and Puffy inks), but we won’t get into those today. Let’s just cover the 3 basic inks, and the differences between them.
Water Based Inks, Discharge Water Based Inks, and Plastisol Inks are the three types we use to print here at Nifty. To keep this as simple as possible, here are the major differences between the three.
Water based inks are just like you would think, a water based pigment, that when printed onto the garment, absorbs into the fabric.
Discharge inks are also water based pigments, however they have an ingredient added to them that acts like a bleaching agent, that under heat bleaches the original color of the garment, leaving the pigment color in its place.
Plastisol inks are not water-soluble and unlike water based inks, they do not absorb into the fabric like the other two types. Therefore Plastisol inks are a bit thicker to the touch, and also unlike the water based matte finish, they have a more shiny appearance.
Now that we know the major differences, let’s compare them to each other in a way that we can really see what would be the best option for your project.
Durability
Water based ink will win in this category since the inks are absorbed into the garment.
Discharge inks, because they are dyed just like the shirt, will fade with the garments dyes.
Plastisol over time, will eventually start to crack as the fabric stretches and expands underneath the layers of ink.
Breathability
Discharge inks take the number one spot on Breathability. As I mentioned, because they are basically “one with the shirt” are just about as porous as the shirt itself.
Water based comes in second, allowing water (and sweat) to pass through the print.
Plastisol inks as mentioned before, sit on top of the fabric, leaving no gaps in the fabric to allow any moisture to escape through the printed design.
Eco Friendliness
Water based ink comes in as the leader in when it comes to eco friendliness. Understand that we are taking into consideration the user end of these inks when printing with them.
Discharge inks are just barely ahead of Plastisol inks, and some would say that we should use a “photo finish or virtual assistant referee” when making the official call on these two.
Opacity
Discharge inks hold the trophy when it comes to opacity. Because they basically re-dye the color of the garment, there is no color or dye to print over like Plastisol or Water based inks.
Plastisol ink will definitely take second place in the Opacity contest, as they (as mentioned) sit on top of the fabric.
Water based inks are fairly transparent inks, and would be last in line when it comes to being opaque. As a matter of fact, it is quite difficult to produce an opaque design print with water based ink alone. On dark garments, an under print is a must have to create an opaque look to the ink.
Vibrancy
Plastisol inks have been waiting to pounce on a win, and this is where they take the number one spot. The ability to mix these inks to match exact Pantone colors, and the vibrancy are one reason Plastisol inks have been the most popular type of ink used for apparel printing. For those fluorescent eye popping colors, Plastisol takes the late comeback win.
Discharge inks can also be very vibrant, but you have to use these inks on 100% cotton fabrics in order for them to live up to their true potential. There are also some colors of fabric dyes that will not allow these inks to do their magic. Reds, Blues, and Greens tend to fight the Discharge inks, not allowing them to fully bleach out the intense pigments of these colored garments.
Water based inks are in a lonely third place when it comes to vibrancy. Because they are a transparent ink, they are influenced by the textures and colors of the fabrics they are printing on.
Softness
Discharge inks, once washed feel soo soft to the touch, you can hardly feel the printed design on the fabric. As mentioned, they are just like the dyes in the garment’s fabric.
Water based inks are also very soft to the touch, however they do have somewhat of a body to them, so you can tell the difference between the fabric and the printed ink.
Plastisol inks, as mentioned are sitting on top of the garment, so you can definitely feel the ink on the garment fabric.
Well, there we have it. The guide to screen printing inks (simplified version) is a wrap. I hope this article was helpful, and you can make a decision on what you would like to have on your custom printed apparel. I often say that one of the best decisions you can make, is to leave it up to the pro’s. Just let us know what is important to you as far as fabric and design, and we will figure out the best inks, and method to print your project to get the very best final product.