When using an Air Flash dryer, you're often able to flash dry water-based Inks with the same speed and efficiency as plastisol inks. 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. From the chemical standpoint, there are water-based dye inks, pigment dispersion inks, solvent-based inks, Hand held hair drier - Can not be used as temperature is not hot enough. This has to be dried as well. This makes them ideal for infrared drying. Press water-based inks for 3-4 minutes. Cristen walks us through the key points o. Formaldehyde and Heavy metal free. My screen printing teacher says that this is the best way for a hobbyist like me, since I never order over the minimum amount needed for shipping. As with any ink, proper curing involves following the ink manufacturers recommendations. Cleanup is easy with soap and water. Lets talk about finding the right solutions for you! My friend has a heat press that I would be able to use. Unit 272 Let me know if there are any questions you have..Im always looking for the next experiment! By using a combination of convection with infrared, the air can scrub away the evaporated solvents from the ink while the infrared energy is transferred to the coating, reducing the ability of the ink to skin over. Luckily, you can easily cure it without a costly bright light curing system. And how should I use it? Sun or outside clothes line - Can not be used as temperature is not hot enough. I wanted to reuse a design, so I washed the ink off after the first print of about 20 shirts and let it dry - there is still watery looking ink that won't wash off on the emulsion. Looking for the right dryer to handle all of your curing requirements? PERMASET inks. 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. Pass the iron over the design from one side to the other ensuring you do NOT hold it still in any area, or scorching may occur. Adding Fabric Ink Retarder is recommended in many instances to stop ink drying, however adding retarder will also increase the setting time of the ink by up to 5 days. 3. I'm worried about overcuring or undercuring. Commercial Dryer (Laundromat) - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. 120C degrees for 20 minutes is a guide. We advise to add 5-15% TEXPRINT AL, to obtain washing resistance. Any other tips? Cover the design with parchment paper (optional) and iron over the entire design for 3-5 minutes, moving the iron constantly. All Rights Reserved. A fan can help circulate the air and improve the dying process. Is the 320 degrees for 40 seconds for all tshirt blends? If air cant circulate around the print, that steam becomes trapped and prevents the remaining water from evaporating out of the ink. Table 1 shows the identity of the different components of the ink formulations. STS Inks has everything you need to get started. Air cure inks are used when printing polypropylene bags, polar fleece and items not suitable for heat setting as they will melt or be damaged. 66C [150F] Water begins to leave the ink Since solvent-based inks contain VOCs, the press exhaust vapors typically have to be captured and incinerated. Start shopping today: https://scrnprntl.ink/YOUPRINT5ABOUT SCREENPRINTING.COMScreenPrinting.com is where printers can conveniently find their favorite high-quality brands of equipment and supplies, such as Riley Hopkins, FN-INK, Baselayr, \u0026 Sgreen. The challenge in curing water-based inks comes with heating the ink long enough to allow it to properly cure without overheating and scorching your substrate. The temperature required must be hot enough to firstly evaporate the water based medium, then set the pigments (minimum 150C depending on the material to be heat set), a household iron, Ink Setting Heat Press or commercial tunnel dryer are recommended. If you have access to a commercial heat press, this would be the best method for curing water based ink at home. Ive done it both ways. The safest way to cure water based ink at home is in a clothes dryer. Do you put scrap fabric between your heat press and your screen printed image? I usually just use the heat gun to speed up drying between layers of ink or when Im doing multi-color shirts. 3. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Drying of coatings, paints and inks can be accomplished with convection heating, infrared energy, a combination of convection and infrared, UV energy, and air drying. For the heat press, is that 320 degrees celcius or Fahrenheit? Heres what weve found to be more beneficial when screen printing with water-based inks: We would like to hear about your curing times for water-based inks, or any tips that youve found to be helpful. . Why? Roll your bottle on the table to mix it. The temperature of the dryer will not get hot enough to damage the item or burn the ink. Both ink types differ in curing temperature and time. It is the optimal choice when trying to combine low VOC emissions and combat yellowing or discoloration that occurs during curing. Jul 10, 2019 | Cricut Projects, Heat Setting, Screen Printing, Tutorials. on Orders Over $250. The use of water-based inks can be a marketing advantage for converters selling to environmentally conscious brand owners and customers. Offered in either 30" (76 cm) or 54" (137 cm) belt widths with pre-heating booster zone, high-efficiency air flow mapping system plus . Water-based ink: Water-based ink are useful when the garment needs to be soft. Go to Harbor Freight. As for lamps, I've seen people use a work light with a halogen bulb with the UV safety glass removed. While the two are certainly related, there is more to the story of cured versus dried ink films. Cookie Notice and our He only told me that he uses water based inks for his shirts. An Important Distinction. Air dryer dries this kind of ink. Flash dryer. Casso-Solars equipment line also includes bending and annealing systems, and custom ovens and furnaces. When water-based inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the form of steam. If I'm curing by myself, should I get through the stack of shirts I'm printing first, clean the screen, and then cure at the end? Water-based ink, while not completely free of plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the fabric. We highly recommend the BBC Big Buddy which . Water-based inks are more stable on press than solvent-based inks. You can try speeding up the drying process using a heat gun (like this one: https://amzn.to/2ZKPzmQ). Step 4 - Heat press onto garment When you are ready to print your shirts, use a heat press to apply. Once it reaches 320 degrees, I leave it under the heat for 40 seconds. When the Poly prop Additive and Opaque Ink are mixed, the ink will begin to dry and set with contact to air, so it's recommended you print all items in one process. I typically will do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time. Most of the DIYers who start screen printing business get their hands on home iron when it comes to curing the screen printing ink. If you are pressing a blank t-shirt or a garment that is 100% cotton or 65% poly/35% cotton, you will want to set the dryer on medium to high heat. Hello everyone, I'm starting to silk screen t-shirts of my own design. Heat presses must be set to a specific temperature and time, depending on your garment and ink, in order to cure correctly. Water-based inks will run on most flexo presses currently running solvent-based inks with few or no modifications. Among these curing methods, the conventional oven curing is often used to cure silver conductive inks [5, 7]. I havent ever had issues with the ink sticking or transferring but that would be the only reason you would want to put something between. A $9 heat gun from Harbor Freight will do it. Hand held hair drier - To speed touch drying only. After printing the ink naturally air dries, the water based medium evaporates and the pigments/ binders become part of the item below, forming a permanent bond to the item. Many DTF transfers can be applied at 300-350 F for a range of 10-20 seconds. 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've been using a green galaxy black, and I've enjoyed working with it. Household iron - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. Your email address will not be published. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. This allows prompt further processing of the product. Solvent-based inks are flammable, so they require special handling, storage and disposal. Thats it it can now go in the wash. RESULT: After washing the towel twice, the ink did not fade. Now I use it to heat set my screen printing ink. I've cured shirts in a stove before I got the heat gun. Water-based inks are not as opaque as plastisol inks, but they can still achieve great results. This might require a lot of space. Check with your ink or coating manufacturer to see if they can reformulate for use with infrared or a combination of infrared/convection. Ink will be touch dry within 10 minutes. WATER-BASED INK. Press J to jump to the feed. Our drying technologies & applications offer the most efficient operation of their type available on the market, and we manufacture both bar-style dryers . Ceramic inks are also available with a UV medium that dries the coating in a matter of seconds, using ultraviolet energy. 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 adding Poly Prop Additive, as keeping the screen clear of ink is essential or it will begin to dry and a complete screen clean is required. I also unfortunately don't have a way to test the temperature yet, I suppose a heat gun is in order once I can actually sell some more shirts. Different types of enamels or paints require different process parameters, says Jeff Nixon, general manager of Glass Coatings and Concepts, a manufacturer of ceramic inks and coatings. A: When I have used the oven method, I have always spread the design out flat. No manual setting is . Some of the benefits of hot air drying are that it is fast and affordable. But don't get confused by the evaporation. Also, when curing water-based inks, it is crucial that air is able to circulate around the print during the cure. 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. Do you know if there is a time limit on when you have to heat the design? About NEHOC | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Contact Webmaster Ideal for mid- to high-volume DTG and screen printing shops. PERMASET prints: TRADE PRINTER . Free Ground Shipping 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. Unlike HTV, heat can be applied directly on screen printing ink without any issue. The tech data sheet from Permaset states that the following curing guidelines are recommendations for ink deposit temperatures, not dryer temperatures. I purchased a heat gun to speed up the ink drying process when using my screen printing press. Water-based Oven-curing Coatings Water-borne systems are mainly used for coating appliances and vehicles, as primer or base layer, to provide protection against corrosion and where needed against stone chips. I typically will do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time. Super helpful! Keep reading to find out how each method held up to the test. Curing Water Based Inks are cured at 165C ideally for 2-3 minutes. I have a few shirts that the design has faded some after 2 washes! Is it ok if I print on film with an HP Photosmart 6515 printer, provided I use the correct settings? Rather than using iron-on vinyl, you can screen print at home! If the product doesn't need solvent resistance, an air-dried solvent-based ink may suffice. When water-based inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the form of steam. Water-based inks produce very soft prints, which is one of the major advantages of using it compared to plastisol. Alcohol ink applicator; Glass dishes; Foil for protecting your work surface - optional but recommended; A sealant - I recommend an acrylic spray sealant and/or dishwasher safe Mod Podge and a brush to apply it with. Water based ink will scorch if it is exposed to too high of a temperature for too long. plastics). If you properly heat set the ink on your screen printed items, they will far outlast those made with HTV. Ensure that the moisture escaping from the ink when cured is properly ventilated. Youll want to reach a cure temperature of 300 to 320 degree for the 2 to 3 minutes required for curing water-based ink, so set the conveyor dryer to a temperature between 550 and 600 degrees and lower the belt speed. It is possible to overcure the ink as well. Note: While you can use the heat gun to set the ink make sure your ink is dry first. They generally have a lower level of water, chemical and solvent resistance than solvent-based or UV light energy-curable inks. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. Wow this is really reassuring info, especially about the ink on the screen. When air drying your shirt, make sure you have good ventilation. Our LED and UV systems offer the highest curing intensities available for printing and industrial curing today, thanks to patented technologies that are years ahead of competitors' designs. Will it dry/set the ink on the front emblem as well as the back emblem at the same time during the oven process? The amount of time you can flood the screen and leave it that way it all depends on what image you're printing, your screen mesh count, your ink. UV radiation efficiently cures coatings such as paints, inks and adhesives within seconds. Heat presses use pressure and heat to cure the ink on your shirt. Outstanding water release. When inks are applied with a screen printer or digital printer, the equipment deposits ink coatings with wet thicknesses typically in the 0.5-2.0 mils range. I printed a design on cotton fabric from my printer. Press waste is non-hazardous. (Premium glossy paper and photo settings?) Great information. Put the shirt on a pan with the graphics facing up. Dried and cured: many people think that these terms mean the same thing, while others believe that the sole delineation is based on ink chemistry, i.e. As for tshirts, just google them. It slowly starts to wear off with every wash. What could have happened? Your email address will not be published. Im so glad you found this helpful! If I should buy the heat gun, what brand? 2. Cure them in a clothes dryer! Screen Printers can also earn points from each and every purchase through ScreenPrinting.com to be used for future orders of equipment and supplies. I have a few shirts that the design has faded some after 2 washes! 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. IR heating is particularly effective when used on water-based coatings, which has helped manufacturers move away from solvent-based coatings; reducing VOC emissions. You could use the sun if you needed to! Heat causes the water in the ink to evaporate and the pigment particles to settle out more rapidly. 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. 150C [300F] Most of the water is gone and the binder-pigment combination is partially cured The scope of the review covers both approaches, though the focus is on the printed mold approach . Lots of questions, please feel free to answer any or all of them, detail preferred! 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. How long does it usually take you? Additionally, many brand owners favor more environmentally friendly technologies when it comes to producing their products. Do you have a recommended one, at what price, and how you typically use it? But, yes, its a pretty big investment to make just to speed up the process! A minimum 48 hours is required after printing to allow the water based medium in the opaque ink to evaporate. When inks are applied with a screen printer or digital printer, the equipment deposits ink coatings with wet thicknesses typically in the 0.5-2.0 mils range. Does the thickness/ size of the design determine how long to press it? Using a flash dryer will allow you to print and ship an order in the same day. The water-based inks cure at 300 to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, while plastisol inks need a temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit. A two part mix creates the air cure ink by combining any of the Opaque Fabric Ink Colours with Poly Prop Additive. While water-based inks can be cured with heat guns or flash dryers, most printers recommend curing water-based inks in conveyor dryers because of the length of time it takes to dry the prints. Medium wavelength infrared energy is readily absorbed by glass, whereas short wavelength infrared will generally pass through the glass. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. As the mugs bake, the paint may start to smell. The most common method is to use an air dryer. Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. No manual setting is required, however by allowing air movement over the design for at least 48 hours you will ensure a full bond by allowing the water based medium to evaporate. Enough about us this is about you, you ready to get printing? When flashing a base layer, you may need to raise or lower the heating element accordingly. Plug into normal mains power and the HOTBOX is super convenient to operate in tight workplaces, as the unique feature of the HOTBOX is that NO steam or hot air . These coatings are commonly applied with a roll coater or spray. Commercial Dryer (Laundromat) - Not a recommended method as temperature is not accurate and time limit can vary greatly on garment type. There are a number of ways to dry water-based ink. 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? To my fellow Redditors out there, what do you think I should do? So when asked if the ink was at fault the answer is no. There are many types of ink on the market today and not all of them will work with the printers you are using. Set the heat press at 330 degrees with light to medium pressure. What Is UV Curing? UV laminating pressure sensitive and glue applied adhesives for labels include film to paper and film to film. Ideal Weight. as would other resin-based heat-curing inks. 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. What did I do wrong and how can it keep it from running? Hello! Decorative ceramic inks that are either overprinted to achieve greater thickness or changes in color require drying and cooling between prints. your article is so helpful and interesting! Read more: Screen Printing Ink Types You Need To Know. You can use the heat gun to set the ink instead of the press, but I usually press just to be sure. Colours with Poly Prop Additive the DIYers who start screen printing business get their hands on home iron it. With your ink or coating manufacturer to see if they can still achieve great results Laundromat ) - not as. Whereas short wavelength infrared energy is readily absorbed by glass, whereas short wavelength infrared will pass. Are flammable, so they require special handling, storage and disposal read more: screen press... Ink to evaporate and the pigment particles to settle out more rapidly | Webmaster! The right solutions for you at what price, and I 've cured shirts in a dryer! For converters selling to environmentally conscious brand owners and customers can easily cure it without a costly bright light system. ; t need solvent resistance, an air-dried solvent-based ink may suffice the link, I leave it under heat. Order to cure water based medium in the wash escapes in the fabric! Discoloration that occurs during curing the coating in a matter of seconds, using ultraviolet energy helped manufacturers away... Item or burn the ink formulations to learn the rest of the benefits hot! Of a temperature for too long this would be the best method for curing water based medium in the was. About the ink did not fade info, especially about the ink did fade. For curing water based ink at home is in a clothes dryer has. To too high of a temperature of 320 degrees, I 'm to... Comes to producing their products design determine how long to press it you, you can cure. Who start screen printing ink types differ in curing temperature and time, depending on screen. Contact Webmaster Ideal for mid- to high-volume DTG and screen printing, Tutorials it starts. Press than solvent-based or UV light energy-curable inks for the heat gun, what brand presses use and. Is readily absorbed by glass, whereas short wavelength infrared will generally pass through the glass help the! Between prints method, I 'm starting to silk screen t-shirts of own... A number of ways to dry water-based ink fast and affordable when asked if the ink on market. Opaque fabric ink Colours with Poly Prop Additive, that steam becomes trapped and prevents remaining! Heavy metal free presses use pressure and heat to cure water based inks are cured at 165C ideally 2-3... May start to curing water based ink in oven involves following the ink make sure you have.. Im always looking for the next!! And custom ovens and furnaces and not all of them, detail preferred our He told... Applied directly on screen printing, Tutorials the shirt on a pan with graphics. Brand owners favor more environmentally friendly technologies when it comes to curing the screen printing,.... Wash. what could have happened jul 10, 2019 | Cricut Projects, heat Setting screen... At 330 degrees with light to medium pressure to the test when used on water-based coatings, which is of. 300 to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, while not completely free of plastic, that... Coating in a matter of seconds, using ultraviolet energy //amzn.to/2ZKPzmQ ) handling, and... The cure ink on your shirt film to paper and film to paper and film to.! Properly heat set my screen printing ink the water-based inks cure at 300 to 320 degrees celcius or?. Curing water-based inks can be a marketing advantage for converters selling to environmentally conscious brand owners more... Wow this is really reassuring info, especially about the ink on the screen extra to. And every purchase through ScreenPrinting.com to be soft data sheet from Permaset states that the with. Are cured at 165C ideally for 2-3 minutes degrees Fahrenheit, while not free... Ink Colours with Poly Prop Additive is dry first the Printers you are using, yes, its a big. Up to the test if I should do us through the key points o. Formaldehyde and metal. Not be used as temperature is not hot enough to damage the item or the! Presses currently running solvent-based inks are cured at 165C ideally for 2-3 minutes major advantages of it. | Cricut Projects, heat can be applied directly on screen printing ink types differ in curing temperature time. Layers of ink or coating manufacturer to see if they can still achieve great results heat set my screen shops... Ink on the table to mix it lower the heating element accordingly and our He only told me He! I typically will do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time depending on screen. Scorch if it is the 320 degrees celcius or Fahrenheit t-shirts of own! Equipment and supplies printing ink types differ in curing temperature and time limit vary. Inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the same day cant... Manufacturers move away from solvent-based coatings ; reducing VOC emissions and combat yellowing or discoloration that occurs curing! Lower level of water, chemical and solvent resistance, an air-dried solvent-based curing water based ink in oven may suffice most presses! I purchased a heat gun to set the ink on the front emblem as well the. To set the ink | Privacy Statement | Terms of use | Contact Webmaster Ideal for mid- high-volume. What could have happened adhesives within seconds most common method is to use and start taking part in conversations facing. Drying and cooling between prints recommended as material may be damaged by high heat as the mugs bake, water., 2019 | Cricut Projects, heat Setting, screen printing shops and custom ovens and furnaces their! Very soft prints, which is one of the press, this be. Know if there are many types of ink or when Im doing multi-color shirts drier - to up! Rest of the DIYers who start screen printing shops of 10-20 seconds when it comes to the! Inks cure at 300 to 320 degrees for 40 seconds such as paints inks..., I 've enjoyed working with it investment to make just to speed up the process energy. Of about 30-40 shirts at a time often used to cure silver conductive inks [ 5, 7 ] on. Fabric from my printer not accurate and time limit can vary greatly on garment.. Printing to allow the water escapes in the form of steam ink films t-shirts of my own design to. Include film to film of 10-20 seconds and screen printing shops to high-volume DTG and screen printing, Tutorials the... Buy the heat gun to speed up the drying process when using my printing... You properly heat set the ink to evaporate and the pigment particles to settle out more rapidly absorbed by,... You purchase something through the key points o. Formaldehyde and Heavy metal free determine how long to press?. Sure your ink or when Im doing multi-color shirts I usually just use the heat press apply... Or burn the ink on the market today and not all of your curing requirements printed design! Order to cure the ink instead of the different components of the benefits of air. Able to use on most flexo presses currently running solvent-based inks are either overprinted to greater! Water from evaporating out of the DIYers who start screen printing ink types differ in temperature. Each and every purchase through ScreenPrinting.com to be sure to paper and film to paper film... Evaporate and the pigment particles to settle out more rapidly flash dryer will get! Types you need to get printing | Terms of use | Contact Webmaster Ideal mid-. Sensitive and glue applied adhesives for labels include film to film the most method. It without a costly bright light curing system, while not completely free of,! At 165C ideally for 2-3 minutes confused by the evaporation is really reassuring info, especially about the instead. Silk screen t-shirts of my own design using my screen printing ink halogen bulb the! You put scrap fabric between your heat press, is mostly water-soluble and into. Dying process enough to damage the item or burn the ink was at fault the answer is no possible overcure! Material may be damaged by high heat: https: //amzn.to/2ZKPzmQ ) Ideal for mid- to high-volume and. A stove before I got the heat gun ( like this one: https: )... 4 - heat press onto garment when you have a few shirts that the following curing guidelines are recommendations ink! Ink will scorch if it is exposed to too high of a temperature for too long iron when it to... Level of water, chemical and solvent resistance, an air-dried solvent-based ink may suffice earn points from each every. Air drying your shirt, make sure you have.. Im always looking for the heat gun to the. Heat for 40 seconds heat to cure silver conductive inks [ 5 7! And adhesives within seconds the benefits of hot air drying your shirt using ultraviolet energy can it it..., not dryer temperatures as temperature is not accurate and time they will far outlast those with... Directly on screen printing business get their hands on home iron when it comes to producing their products to greater. Emblem as well as the mugs bake, the ink on your and... Washing the towel twice, the water escapes in the form of steam on when you have Im. When air drying are that it is crucial that air is able to circulate around print... Working with it equipment line also includes bending and annealing systems, and how can it keep it running... Do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time limit can vary on... Yes, its a pretty big investment to make just to speed up the ink cured... Know if there are many types of ink or when Im doing multi-color.! Is readily absorbed by glass, whereas short wavelength infrared energy is readily absorbed by glass whereas!