In summary, the basic ingredients of each ink chemistry vary mainly in the type of resin system used, and the method of drying or curing used. Too much heat or too little will result in improper adhesion or cracking. Commercial Tunnel Dryer - 120C degrees for 6 minutes, 160C degrees for 3 minutes, 180C for 2 minutes. It certainly mirrors the realities of water-based ink chemistry. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. . your article is so helpful and interesting! Unit 272 Why? Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. Postal: PO Box 175, NARRABEEN NSW 2101 Australia. I know how hard you all work on your projects and I wanted you to know if these ways really work or not so your projects dont get ruined. But don't get confused by the evaporation. Thank you so much for any and all of your help. The after shows the same towel after it was washed twice. Its particles form a continuous film as water evaporates during the drying process, and bond to edges within the printed surface, which adds to color stability and longevity. Using water-based inks requires a different mindset vs. plastisol ink. So when asked if the ink was at fault the answer is no. You can cure at the end, no need to cure immediately unless you are printing a second layer. Do you know if there is a time limit on when you have to heat the design? What Im trying to figure out is how to handle pressing multiple shirts and what to do with them as they are air drying, so you can continue using your screen press. I'm currently buying my tee shirts 2 for $6 at Michael's, my local craft store. Both ink types differ in curing temperature and time. It is best to use brown paper over the design to ensure no marks are transferred onto the garment when heat setting [not all irons bases are clean]. UV formulations are liquid monomers and oligomers mixed with a small percentage of photoinitiators which are then exposed to UV energy. Household iron - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. OPAQUE inks for textile printing. As for lamps, I've seen people use a work light with a halogen bulb with the UV safety glass removed. Triotek Thermal Cure, Moisture Cure, Ultraviolet Cure for Conformal Coatings, Potting Compounds and Adhesives. What did I do wrong and how can it keep it from running? 105C [220F] Water begins to leave the ink rapidly - shown as steam coming up from the design The labels are printed with either a UV or water-based flexo ink, and the UV adhesive is applied on the last station. Curing Water Based Inks are cured at 165C ideally for 2-3 minutes. In addition to leading to wasted ink and money, over applying water-based ink can lead to much longer cure times because of the amount of water that will have to be evaporated from the ink. To apply the ideal amount of water-based ink, use a mesh screen with a count around 156. I've been using a green galaxy black, and I've enjoyed working with it. The following is a guide to the heat setting process and explains why prints should be heat set for 2 minutes to ensure permanent bonding. Looking for the right dryer to handle all of your curing requirements? Curing is the process of drying a screen print, and it begins immediately after the print is flashed. Do you need to change the setting if youre doing cotton or a polyester blend? Exceeding the upper temperature recommended by the manufacturer can result in discoloration that is readily apparent on whites and yellows. The temperature used should be the hottest the material can withstand, without scorching or burning the material. Thanks for sharing your talents with us! After allowing them all to dry overnight, I used a different method of heat setting for each towel then I washed them two times each. Add liquid dish soap to the water in the plastic tub until it lathers up and bubbles appear. If I should buy the heat gun, what brand? Here's the good news: Yes, you can bake acrylic paint in the oven. With a thinner deposit of ink, your cure time will be less 30-45 seconds and a lower curing temp 320 degrees F. Darker colored t-shirts will need more ink to create an opaque print. Do not apply the design element where it can be in contact with food or your lips. With convection, the air is heated, transferring energy to the surface of the coating. Heat gun (efficient for smaller prints) Oven. Heat guns are inexpensive and what I use. This might require a lot of space. Thank you in advance! Coatings used on the back of mirrors to protect the reflective properties are often applied using a roll coater or curtain coater, as well. It's knowledge that comes with experience and from knowing your equipment. In addition, UV-cured surfaces are long-life and resistant to . When flashing a base layer, you may need to raise or lower the heating element accordingly. For latexes designed for industrial applications, where oven curing is used, the MFT can be higher. Im a micro batch printer just learning and experimenting with painting with Speedball screen printing inks. 3. Lost your password? Curing practices may vary for systems with urethane and other binders. Very helpful! I reckon Fahrenheit, I dont think that my kitchen oven can go to 400CId rather use 200C. Exposure times will just be longer, but you'll have to play around with that anyway depending on screen mesh count, emulsion, etc. But you'll learn! To my fellow Redditors out there, what do you think I should do? Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), (Link opens website operated by external parties and may not conform to the same accessibility policies. But they can be expensive to buy and run, and they can also dry out your hands when youre moving prints in and out. Make sure you have good ventilation. Cover the design with parchment paper (optional) and iron over the entire design for 3-5 minutes, moving the iron constantly. Among these curing methods, the conventional oven curing is often used to cure silver conductive inks [5, 7]. I bought a DIY one color screen press kit from Ryonet and I love it! When using the cricuit heat press to you place it directly on the design or should you put a paper in between? Since their introduction over 10 years ago, waterborne UV coatings have been quietly revolutionizing the wood and flooring industry. Excellent hardness. Household clothes dryer - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. Water based ink is used for fabric screen printing, screen printing on paper and polyester fabric. You can also use a heating pad or an electric iron for this purpose. Cure them in a clothes dryer! An Important Distinction. Hey Kristina! My friend has a heat press that I would be able to use. When water-based inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the form of steam. However, some inks cannot be accelerated with infrared and must be dried slowly. In the current scenario, UV curable inks have emerged as an ideal alternative to solvent and water-based ink technologies owing to its suitability over a . What temp & how long to heatset on heat press 100% polyester? Are These 4 Issues Holding Your Screen Printing Business Back? While this gives most screen printers a basic guideline time and temperature wise, these guidelines dont always work for every job. The final step to screen printing with craft vinyl using Speedball water-based inks, is to heat set the ink. But, yes, its a pretty big investment to make just to speed up the process! I often heard that you can heat set in the dryer but I hadnt tried it until this experiment. At 150celsius the water will start to evaporate but not totally cure. New hybrid water-based ink formulations are allowing higher than ever adhesive bond strengths with current lamination technologies. Or should I still stick to 320 for 40secs? It slowly starts to wear off with every wash. What could have happened? thanks for your patience :). It could be that the shirt didnt get dry enough. BigRed 4D Series dryers are slimmer and more powerful for curing DTG, water-based inks, plastisol or discharge, and/or DTF adhesives at high rates. A conversion from solvent-based lacquers to powder coatings requires a completely new plant. Is it stuck in the mesh? Your email address will not be published. I usually just use the heat gun to speed up drying between layers of ink or when Im doing multi-color shirts. Cure temperatures will be around 375 degrees F for about 45-60 seconds. Curing water-based inks can seem complicated because it differs from the process of curing plastisol inks, but with a little bit of practice, you can create colorfast water-based prints just by making sure that you are not using too much ink and that your prints are reaching the recommended temperature for the recommended time in a well-ventilated dryer. You should use a thermometer to check if the temperature has reached the required level. Your email address will not be published. This is an intermediate to advanced technique due to the ink drying faster than normal, so normal printing of Opaque Inks should be mastered before moving to. Available with 2 drawers allowing it to be a convenient stand for all brands of desktop DTG printers. To accelerate drying of organic and two-component inks, a ramp/ soak approach is commonly used. STS Inks has everything you need to get started. When curing a water-based print, the ink layer needs to breathe in order to evaporate the moisture. If you miss a spot, that part may fade. Read more: Screen Printing Ink Types You Need To Know. Phone: (02) 9979 9700 Fax: (02) 9979 9201 When this happens, the color will change and become uneven as some areas have lighter pigment coverage than others. Although these factors are still true, water-based and UV energy-curable inks have come a long way in narrowing the gap. With plastisol inks, curing only requires bringing the ink to the manufacturers recommended temperature for a few seconds, which allows the PVC particles and the plasticizer in the ink to bond together and hold tightly to your substrate. Rather than using iron-on vinyl, you can screen print at home! I did a couple hoodies. water-based textile prints. Ceramic inks are the most durable, but their colors are limited. Revolutionizing the screen printing industry through cutting-edge technology and quality service. Im enjoying sharing this craft with fellow creatives! But for business, it's not that efficient as it is comparatively slow. 1). Generally, you'll find the separation from the garment to be 2-3 inches for 6-9 seconds on cotton and 2-3 seconds on 100% polyester/synthetic filaments. Looks like a heat gun might be the way to go. If you use HTV, you know what I mean. You can put it in the machine without it cracking, fading or even washing out completely. These inks and coatings include highly durable ceramic inks that are fired into the glass during a tempering, heat-strengthening or bending process; highly colorful, silicone-based coatings used for obscuration and fallout protection; organic inks for interior wall panels; thermosetting coatings for mirrors; and other specialty protective coatings. While the Mod Podge is still wet, place the design onto the surface and smooth. Again, cannot afford equipment right now. Ensure that the moisture escaping from the ink when cured is properly ventilated. In addition to the equipment being cheap, the maintenance is also inexpensive. Heat presses use pressure and heat to cure the ink on your shirt. However, it does not hurt to put a piece of parchment paper or Teflon sheet between your fabric and press if you prefer. Typical products printed with water-based inks include: There are a few other considerations when it comes to water-based inks: Copyright 2023 Flexographic Technical Association All rights reserved. Can I make some screen prints and then take them to her place and use the heat press when I have a chance? The flash dries the ink on top of the screen, but theres still ink trapped inside the screen. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. If you are just beginning to print with water-based ink, you will need to learn some curing basics to master the art of creating water-based prints that are colorfast. As long as it prints fine it doesn't really matter what it looks like. Great info thank you! Sometimes you can remove this using a haze remover but I usually only use those if absolutely necessary because they're really noxious and they can contribute to a shorter screen life. You cure so your ink doesn't wash out, so as long as you cure before they're given away, you can afford to wait. 6-9 However, low water solubility at neutral pH has restricted the use of chitosan in biomedical . Is this an ok option already? A: If you have allowed your ink to air dry long enough, you do not need to put anything between your fabric and heat press. Im excited to report that you can use a heat press, Easy Press 2, household iron, oven, or heat gun to get good results with your Speedball Fabric ink. Printed garments need to be passed through a quality dryer and the ink film needs to reach the desired temperature and maintained for a fixed time, variables such as garment thickness and colour, ink deposit and operating climate will need to be taken into account when setting . Let me know if there are any questions you have..Im always looking for the next experiment! Curing your water based ink at home is vital to its consistency and quality. RESULT: After washing the towel once, I noticed some fading. Hand held hair drier - To speed touch drying only. Most plastisol inks may be used at home when screen printing tee shirts. Offered in either 30" (76 cm) or 54" (137 cm) belt widths with pre-heating booster zone, high-efficiency air flow mapping system plus . "Moreover, sluggish curing properties and low-resolution images associated with conventional inks have boosted the demand for instantly curable, high quality and eco-friendly UV inks. Keep the gun about 4-5 inches away from the material. Set the heat press at 330 degrees with light to medium pressure. When discussing drying systems with your paint, ink or coating manufacturer, ask them if their drying recommendations are based on a convection system, infrared system, a combination infrared/convection system, or ultraviolet method. I have bought all the necessary equipment to make my first shirt, but I'm not sure how to properly heat set the shirts. This could be prevented by keeping the heat gun a little further away from the material and moving it around constantly (like a hair dryer). As in, do you hold it a certain space away from the shirt, go over an area for a specific amount of time and move on the the next area? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can also try pressing the shirt twice (lift it up in between so it releases the heat) just to be sure its getting heated long enough. Q: Do you know if there is a time limit on when you have to heat the design? There are many types of ink on the market today and not all of them will work with the printers you are using. Equipment. Ive found 320 is the sweet spot for me, but definitely adjust if you find something that works better for you! Your email address will not be published. For the heat press, is that 320 degrees celcius or Fahrenheit? A $9 heat gun from Harbor Freight will do it. 2018-2023 Anatol Equipment Manufacturing Co. All Rights Reserved. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The volatile components evaporate slower, so water-based inks require less maintenance when running. When I print a bunch of shirts, I lay them all over the room backs of chairs, table, floor to let them dry. Open and use a soft bristle brush to apply the finish to the surface and the back of the design element. I know youve said in other comments to let the garment air day and then use the EasyPress. 150C [300F] Most of the water is gone and the binder-pigment combination is partially cured In the same boat doing small batches! Water-based inks are not as durable as solvent-based or UV light energy-curable varieties. There are only a few ways to cure your t-shirt printing: If youre in a rush, conveyor dryers are great for quickly curing prints. Thanks so much! I can post pictures if needed. A: When I have used the oven method, I have always spread the design out flat. Press water-based inks for 3-4 minutes. The hand is so soft on some water-based prints that it appears to be just dyed fabric. Sun or outside clothes line - Can not be used as temperature is not hot enough. Q: When using the Cricut heat press do you place it directly on the design or should you put a paper or scrap fabric in between? Allow it to stay in the oven for 10 minutes. In water-based inks, water is used as the vehicle used to distribute the color pigments. Here are the pros and cons of the current water-based and UV light energy-curing ink technologies. Thank you! The scope of the review covers both approaches, though the focus is on the printed mold approach . Ceramic inks consist of three parts: the colored frit that melts into the glass, a resin that holds the frit in place prior to the firing process, and a liquid medium that allows the ink to be applied. Most of the damage that inkjet printers do is when they clog and smear the ink, so keeping your printer clean is the first and most important step towards curing water based ink perfectly. UV radiation efficiently cures coatings such as paints, inks and adhesives within seconds. With a few simple household items, you can cure water based ink at home. The UV curing fluorescent ink range is suitable for use in general label printing and has recently undergone full beta testing. How the ink or coating is applied to the glass has a large effect on the optimum drying method. Your tutorials and blog have been a valuable tool for this newbie to screen printing! They are non-flammable, with no special handling or storage requirements. All water-based inks sold at Mclogans have been approved by our company and these inks have gone through many strict tests to ensure that we are selling you the best products. Website upgrade in progress . A dryer designed for one type of ink might not work for another. Again, thank you! To prevent this, you should set your dryer as close to the recommended temperature as possible and run your shirts through at slow speeds. One of the reasons I love screen printing over HTV, is how the garments hold up in the wash. Flash Exposure Unit - Not Suitable as this is a U.V. Please enter your username or email address. Im wanting to try my hand at screen printing tea towels too thanks! Table 1 shows the identity of the different components of the ink formulations. Household iron. Once you find the correct temperature and curing time for your test print, use temperature strips to keep your printing productions all uniform. Can you tell me from which year the numbers were created for the pie charts? Household iron - Use highest setting fabric allows, Ink Setting Heat Press - Usually heat set at 180C for at least 30 seconds. The PTM HOTBOX is an all-electric curing oven designed specifically for curing direct-to-garment water-based pigmented inks.. Required fields are marked *. A fan can help with that! By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Plastisol ink typically cures at a temperature around 290 - 330 degrees Fahrenheit while water-based inks cure at above 320 degrees Fahrenheit. What Is UV Curing? I tried the infused ink sheets and they faded after the first wash. I have been using the Cricut Easy Press..but I think I want something bigger and faster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); *Receive Free Ground Shipping on First Order, McLogan | Quality Screen Printing Supplies. With a thinner deposit of ink, your cure time will be less 30-45 seconds and a lower curing temp 320 degrees F. Darker colored t-shirts will need more ink to create an opaque print. Plastisol inks will never dry even when exposed to air until they are cured with heat. This method is pretty straightforward all you have to do is put the shirt into the dryer and turn it on. This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. Now I know to use a thinner deposit of ink for lighter colored garments, more ink for darker colored garments, and to set the temperature at 375 degrees in a well ventilated dryer. Over the years, the mediums have evolved from fast-drying pine oil to more environmentally friendly watermiscible materials. In the textile world, curing is an essential part of the process to ensure that the print sticks and stays on. As the mediums changed, the temperature required to dry the inks increased from about 225 degrees Fahrenheit to 325F-350F to achieve the green strength necessary to allow for further processing such as multiple printing and handling. TrioTek 3 in 1 (Three curing methods in one oven) inline heat curing ovens from ETS are ideal for medium to high-volume curing, baking or drying of conductive inks, conformal coatings, adhesives, encapsulants and potting compounds. No problem, you can still use your basic household iron to heat set your ink. and our Due to technological advancements, press speeds have also dramatically increased. Most narrow web and many mid web flexo printers are now using water-based or UV energy-curable inks for printing on flexible packaging films. A: It could be that the shirt didnt get dry enough before setting the ink. Thank you!!! Out of habit, I tend to put a piece of parchment paper or teflon down. For the oven, have you found that all the design has to be visible, or could you roll a tea towel up and assume the heat gets into the middle layers? 66C [150F] Water begins to leave the ink Curing water-based inks is what dries them properly, leaving you with a perfect screen printed image with a soft feel and a garment that will last. * *Advice in this article is intended for those printing textile using water-based ink formulated with acrylic binder systems. There are a number of ways to dry water-based ink. Water-based ink - Known for a soft hand and color, these inks use water as a solvent to carry the pigment. For plastisol ink, the curing has to be done at 320 F, some as low as 280 F. Plastisol is the industry standard for creating opaque and durable prints. If the application requires a print that is both solvent resistant and durable outdoors, air-dried and epoxy-based solvent inks are not suitable, but other conventional heat- or UV-curable inks could be. The first step in curing water-based inks is to set them at a high temperature. Ensure that the moisture escaping from the ink when . A: No time limit.. in fact, the longer you let the shirts air dry before heat setting, the better! I have 2 sizes, the bigger 1210 works great for large designs while the 99 size is great for smaller designs or onesies. If you are using the heat gun to dry the ink too, it will take a bit longer. PROCEDURE: Set Easy Press 2 to 320 degrees F and press for 40 seconds. Thank you! . Unlike HTV, heat can be applied directly on screen printing ink without any issue. One of my friends makes awesome screen prints that I really want to learn how to make. Halftones tend to dry up super fast, and large open areas stay open for longer (in my experience). Curing is an essential step of preparing the transfer so that it can be stacked, shipped, and prepared for proper heat application. Commercial Dryer (Laundromat) - Not a recommended method as temperature is not accurate and time limit can vary greatly on garment type. This is followed by attachment of the film, and the film laminate is exposed to UV light for curing. Another method of drying water-based inks is by using ultraviolet (UV) light exposure for immediate polymerization and fast curing. Decorative ceramic inks that are either overprinted to achieve greater thickness or changes in color require drying and cooling between prints. Yes! As for the ink remaining on the screen, sometimes the ink dyes the screen, adn even if it's clean you'll still have a ghost image on there after you reclaim your screen. You can find a great selection of colors at any craft store. I use Green Galaxy, but the cure time kinda sucks. Learn More. For example, water-miscible ceramic enamels dont require convection to cure perfectly well. Jul 10, 2019 | Cricut Projects, Heat Setting, Screen Printing, Tutorials. Print trials to date have shown increased colour strength, allowing lighter aniloxes to be used whilst achieving the same density, as well as showing a smoother lay, resulting in a higher quality label. ( Im using speedball fabric ink). You should always check with the manufacturer before purchasing any type of ink. Cookie Notice Lighter colored garments require a higher mesh count, since you will need less ink. Infrared radiation is a must for thermosetting crosslinking mirror backing paints, explains Dino Fenzi, president of Fenzi S.P.A., a manufacturer of mirror backing paint, decorative inks/coatings and specialty sealants. Platinum-based curing systems are sometimes called addition cure systems, because there is a silicone hydride . Cure temperatures will be around 375 degrees F for about 45-60 seconds. Ceramic inks are also available with a UV medium that dries the coating in a matter of seconds, using ultraviolet energy. Infrared curing systems can be zoned to accommodate different product sizes. Ive been letting it dry for a few days. Most wide web flexographic printers in North America predominantly use solvent-based inks for printing on flexible packaging materials. Your videos are incredibly helpful and your work is motivating!! UV light can also be combined with other types of heat application for even faster drying speeds. This one is a bit more of an investment but very worthwhile if you are starting a screen printing business. They have air dried for over 24 hours in front of fan on hangers. Ideal Weight. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Here, you have to check the datasheet from the manufacturer of each plastisol ink you use. I have a Ryonet kit as well and print with waterbase inks. Applying heat to your shirt makes the ink permanent. Leave us a comment. This will ensure your entire design was dried so that it can cure properly. Make your own DIY t-shirts, bags, and more with your Cricut or Silhouette. Also, water-based inks have a higher surface tension than solvent-based, so wetting and adhesion on some substrates can be challenging. Now I just leave my shirts out to air dry overnight so ink won't transfer from shirt to shirt. PROCEDURE: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the towel in the oven and immediately turn off the heat. Note most times printed on sides of containers are for wet prints.