Water Based Ink Printing

Description:

Outside of the United States it could be argued that water-based inks are the most popular garment inks in the world. Water based ink is popular because it saturates the fibres of the garment and in essence dyes the garment rather than resting on top of the fibres like plastisol. Because of this, the print is usually softer and more solid than with plastisol. While there are some distinct advantages to water-based inks there are also some serious pitfalls that one should be prepared for.

Features:

• Low opacity - Because they are thinner and do not retain their base when cured, water-based inks can often have issues achieving high opacity. Some water-based ink manufactures will claim high-opacity but will often forgo softness to achieve it. When this is done you may find that you can achieve the same or perhaps a better look and feel with a thinned plastisol.
• Drying - Because water-based inks cure via simple evaporation, they can often be problematic if used in very arid environments. Conversely, if water-based inks are used in very humid environments you may never get them dry without a proper heat source.
• Custom Colour Matching - While custom colours can absolutely be made with water based inks, it is important to remember that they are semi-transparent and may not appear the same when printed.

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