These dryers are nice because once you set the temperature then you just let your garment run through the machine and once it pops out of the other end you are good to go. Lowers the curing or fusion temperatures of most plastisol based inks to less than 300F (149 C) Used when printing onto temperature sensitive fabrics such as 100% polyester or non-woven polypropylene bags; For use on 100% cotton, poly/cotton blends and 100% polyester; Will lower the flash times for most plastisol based inks; SPECIFICATIONS: Plastisol ink needs to cure at a minimum temperature of 320 F for at least one minute. In this article, I am describing the curing methods in both conventional and advanced ways. If multiple devices share the same circuit breaker, it can occasionally trip. Shorter tunnel dryers are more difficult to control. At this time we aren't aware of waterbased polyester inks, but hopefully they're on the horizon! Monarch did it again with this line of ink. So you will have an even and easy print. For most jobs, a 16x16 or 18x18 flash will fit the bill. Once it is dry, press onto it for 30-45 seconds. FEATURES 3804 Low Cure Additive lowers the curing or fusion temperatures of most plastisol based inks to less than 300F (149 C). High temperatures can hurt or even burn your tri-blends or jerseys. Don't Love Your Products? Heat gun is a specialized machine that is used for various purposes. Once youve completed the stretch test, do a wash test to make doubly sure everything is done correctly. So first there are 4 tools you can use to cure your ink. A laser temperature gun is a common way to read the temperature. The rise and fall of the ink temperature may be significantly different than that of the garment or the surrounding air. Various garment types will affect the curing process (i.e. 7600 Series inks . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. A variety of different flash dryers exist on the market. You are looking to deliver as much heat with as little room for heat loss as possible. Keeping the distance consistent will also help minimize any cool spots within your flash-cure panel by transferring maximum energy, as well as minimize the impacts of your curing environment. It's easier to achieve a cure, but evaporation is longer. Pull the shirt off of the platen after printing so heat can get underneath the print. Press water-based inks for 3-4 minutes. Thiswon't actually help withwater-based inks since they go into the shirt fibers themselves meaning if you pull you will most definitely notice the threads separating, which you dont want to see with plastisol inks. Same questions but if it was a low cure 270 plastisol ink. The longer the dryer, the bigger the bullseye (the bullseye is achieving optimal cure). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. And you must know you cant avoid a very little amount of fading after washing the garment. There is no right or wrong even if you think you are a know it all. Let us all recognize that not everyone has the same budget to start off with so tools may be different and that is ok. Dont pull it too hard. The length of the tunnel on a conveyor dryer also plays a huge role. Curing discharge ink with a heat gun isnt possible. Let's jump into why low temp cure inks are so popular and why you should consider making the switch. Our screen printing ink is easier to use with a much longer shelf life of over 12 months. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Screen printing and curingthe ink on cloth. REDUCERS CURABLE REDUCER 10070RED: Viscosity reducer that will cure at standard plastisol cure temperatures (320 F/160 C), which ensures that you can lower ink viscosity without fear of cure problems. In colder weather you may need to increasing the dryer temperature, or allowing the ink to pass through a bit longer than one minute. With a cure temp of 270, you can cure your prints with a flash dryer and sleep confidently that your prints didn't wash off a customer t-shirt. For starters, there are two popular types of inks to screen print with. Eliminate the headaches and list of things that can go wrong with higher cure temps. This applies to everything in your shop. https://mclogan.com/shop/thermolabels-5-p-442-c-57_149.html. No matter what device you're using to cure, the goal is to completely cure the ink, from the top all the way to the bottom. During the curing process, the ink reaches a temperature of around 320 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes the PVC resin and plasticizer to fuse together and form a solid, durable layer. There is not a single easy answer. At normal temperatures, Plastisol ink will not dry or cure. Now the type of dryer everyone is going to say you need and it's not a lie, if you can afford one and have the room for it then yes lets look for a conveyor dryer for screen printing. Skip to content Call us: 314-382-9300 | Email Us. Plastisol ink, which is essentially liquid plastic, cures at about the same temperature but typically only will take a minute or so. If you need to take a break, obliterate the design area before leaving. They're much more consistent than a heat gun. Pay attention to the fabric content of the garment you're using because it will also affect your cure timing. Low temperature cure plastisol ink hit the market and it is gaining popularity all over the place. How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? You can use your flash unit to cure your inkbut we do not recommend it. There are several reasons. So the easiest way to test your ink is to get a temperature gun or Thermostrips. Water-based ink like Green Galaxy will cure between 300-320F. it sounds pretty weird though but oven curing actually works. Before purchasing and using ink, learn what it needs to achieve a full cure before implementing it in your shop. When the design gets bigger, it's more difficult to maintain the consistency of heat across the entire print. Tilt downwards towards the T-shirt board creating a hotter environment near the bottom of the platen, which coincides with the bottom of your printed image. A larger flash unit will result in a bigger area of heat on your platen, resulting in a more even cure. It is the new sensation for screen-printed garments as it is eco-friendly. But does that mean that as long as it hits 320 with a temp gun (let's say that it hit 320 right before it came out the dryer) does that mean it's cured? Use an ink or ink additive that's made to combat dye migration, and cure your ink at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Apply the heat gun until the print is dry to the touch. The most important thing to take into consideration is that its a cost-effective tool ranging from $25+. Tripping the breaker stops production. In this article, I will be discussing the curing techniques of screen printing. As a rule, you want to flash the ink film until it is just "dry to the touch". The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. Try not to use an oven for curing prints as cooking in that oven can be health-damaging. Test before going into production. But it is better to have a heat press machine or flash dryer as quickly as possible. Centris Plastisol Inks; Axeon Non-PVC Inks; View All; Info 13929 E 166th St Cerritos, CA 90703 Call us at (800) 423-4103. Were here to help you meet and beat your challenges so your next breakthrough can rock the market. By controlling time and checking your temp, you are mimicking a conveyor dryer by attempting to control these variables. Where you need at least 280-320 degrees Fahrenheit for curing plastisol inks. This is a good place to start off with for curing. But if the design faded heavily after washing it means your curing was not enough. Household iron is a pretty effective tool for curing your print. A platen that can hold heat means it's quicker to achieve full cure since the garment is receiving heat from above and below. Here are ways to test plastisol ink for under-cure and how to stop garment scorching. Screen Printers, Accessories, and Digital Equipment, Registration, Coating, & Drying Equipment, Geo. Curious about the differences? Luckily, there's still one more option. by adding 10% Curable reducer, the adhesion properties of the plastisol increase so that the ink may adhere to the polyester fabric. If you're gung-ho about printing water-based ink, there is a workaround. The temperature that an ink cures at means that ink needs to reach that temp from the top to the bottom layer. Special Plastisol Inks . Properly cured ink on a screen print keeps customers happy and coming back. To start, warm the platen, shirt, and ink. Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? The tape will indicate the peak temperature of the garment within the dryer. Wilflex Transflex inks are transfer inks designed to maximize creativity and productivity for hot split, hot peel and cold peel transfers. Copyright & Legal Disclaimer As you reach the end of the dryer, those temperatures will get closer together. Set the temperature around 350-370 degrees Fahrenheit on your iron. If it is not centered, it will result in uneven curing. The first test is the stretch test. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 4 different budget friendly options that you can use to cure inks and a few tips and tricks you can use to test and see if your inks are cured. Plastisol ink must reach a temperature of 320 degrees to be considered "fully cured." Although it would seem natural to use the term "dried," it would be a misnomer as the ink film on a product may feel "dry" to the touch, but not be fully cured throughout the entire ink deposit. Uv Ink and speedball inks also can be used for screen printing. The temperature produced by a hairdryer is not actually enough for curing screen printing inks, specifically plastisol inks. Use RAPIDCURE20 at checkout for 20% OFFyour first purchase of Rapid Cure! You can cure plastisol ink with heat press easily. A heat press is essentially a conveyor dryer without a belt. (Friendly reminder that the entire ink layer needs to hit cure temp. Does the print have a thick ink deposit? A stretch test shows whether or not the top layer of the ink has cured or not. Get a discount + printing tips, promotions, news and exclusive invites. The temperature at which most plastisol for textile printing cures at is in the range of 149 C to 166 C (300 F to 330F). Properly cured ink on a screen print keeps customers coming back. Now swivel the flash over the shirt. Plastisol inks will not air dry, so printing through a wide range of mesh counts from 24 threads per sq inch to 330 threads per sq inch is common place. Or, that same transition temperature could be achieved a lot slower but still reach the cure point. Knight Heat Press & Transfer Equipment, 1 Day Digital / Sublimation Printing Class, Optimizing Automation Printing With Add-Ons, Automation for Screen Printing Efficiency: Screen Printing Equipment Options, Reasons to Get an Automatic Screen Printing Machine: Going from a Manual to Automatic Press, Best Practices for Starting Up a Garage or Basement Screen Printing Shop. Because you need to cure the entire ink layer, starting with warmer platens is best. For plastisol ink, apply the heat gun to the garment until it's dry to the touch. It'll make flashing and curing easier. Heat guns are great for prints on small areas like the chest. Once you have finished printing, use the heat gun to evaporate the water from the ink. Texopaque Classic OP inks to modify colour strength. If you see cracking of the ink film or ink loss, your inks are likely under-cure. Discharge is water-based ink, so you'll need a forced air conveyor dryer. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. You can cure them without any hassle and can heat transfer them easily at the right temperature. Common problems: Variances or inconsistencies in the time it takes to get a printed image up to full-cure temperature, or intermittent curing problems. You cant put an iron directly on your print as the ink will be ruined by the abrasion. These can help you better control your flash cure process. Starting with warmer platens is best we and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a print! Resulting in a more even cure set the temperature produced by a hairdryer is not centered, 's... Will also affect your cure timing for screen-printed garments as it is dry to the polyester fabric and! Things that can go wrong with higher cure temps of things that can hold heat it. At the right temperature but oven curing actually works but if it was a cure... 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