Our belt dryer is currently down and being repaired, and I have a small job due tomorrow. Many factors play into how long it takes to completely cure an ink. If the shirt smokes, it is scorched. Your email address will not be published. The biggest drawback for the home use of plastisol inks is that they need to be cured with an oven or at least a flash cure unit. It is very important to know how to cure properly while working on prints using any type of inks while printing on any textile. The ink cures at 220°F -240°F. But if you dont have the time to wash, refer to the above, "How do I test to make sure my inks cure"? Dwell time is dependent on the spot dryer used. Adding too much pigment can upset the chemistry and render the newly-made black ink impossible to cure. These inks are very soft, and easy to print through a range of mesh counts. The short answer is when the entire ink film thickness reaches its specified cure/fusion temperature. As with any ink, proper curing involves following the ink manufacturer’s recommendations. There are a few other considerations to keep in mind to ensure that your water-based inks cure properly. Set the washer for 'Hot Wash/Cold Rinse'. Use light to medium pressure. Check your flash cure unit to see if it has temperature and airflow controls. In some cases, you may have to lower the heat of the spot cure unit because too much heat may actually make the ink tacky. It typically takes twice as long under a flash to cure the shirt as in a dryer, just due to the lack of insulation, and the resulting heat loss. The infrared heat penetrates the ink and fuses the PVC resins and other ingredients. First, be sure that you are not applying too much ink to your substrates. Consistent radiant heat over the entire element surface ensures every print is consistently cured. Glitters generally require a 60 mesh count, while metallics require 110 mesh counts. The Air-Flash™ Cure Station from Vastex combines infrared heating with forced air to heat the ink while cooling the garment. Plastisol ink will not dry, or cure, at normal temperatures. To further complicate the issue, while screen printing, we use flash-curing screen presses. Typically a flash dryer is placed 2-3 inches above the screen printing platen height. Typical problems that arise from improperly cured inks include: ink washing off the garments, cracking of the ink film, loss of color, and bleeding of the garment color(s) into the ink film. Given polyester’s resistance to absorbing moisture, water-based inks require you use an underbase. The most important part of finishing a screen-printing job is to dry or cure the ink or liquids that created your customer’s signature artwork or promotional message properly without damaging the garment. Flash dryers get the job done, but there are some tips and tricks to ensuring your print becomes completely cured. Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. 3801 Foil Adhesive will spot dry, with a very low after flash tack. To cure water based inks you may need infrared radiant heat as well as air flow to get the moisture out and cure the pigments. Recording those temperatures at say, five second intervals, will give you a good profile on how well your dryer is working. This causes plastisol ink dye migration problems. You can use your flash unit to cure your inkbut we do not recommend it. They should be "flashed" when printing in sequence. Excess water-based ink doesn’t serve to make your prints any bolder because there is only so much ink that the fibers of your substrate will hold. Your email address will not be published. The flash dryer we have is an M&R Tabasco, I am trying to print a 1-color job. This makes the color have more opacity and no bleed thru of the garment color. Second, use an infrared "Ray-Gun" to measure the surface temperature of a printed garment as it exits the dryer. With a heavy ink deposit, it may take a few seconds longer. Does the print have a thick ink deposit? It'll show you the ink temp all over the shirt, and once the lowest temp reads 330F, you're good to go. The difference between plastisol ink and water-based ink is especially evident when it comes to curing. 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. Flash cures aren’t meant for fully drying prints; they’re designed to let you partially cure, or “gel”, a layer of plastisol ink so you can print another layer on top. You may use meshes between 60 and 110 for optimal coverage. With water-based ink, however, the ink must be brought and held at the curing temperature long enough to evaporate all of the water out of the ink. 1. The dyes When curing most water-based inks, that means heating the print to 300 to 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 minutes. curing ink and how to test decorated garments for proper ink cure is important for every print shop. The biggest drawback for the home use of plastisol inks is that they need to be cured with an oven or at least a flash cure unit. Watch the shirt carefully the first few times. This will require a heat source and your laundry dryer will not do. Measuring the ink temperature on the garment, as it passes through the dryer, is the best way to determine the time it takes for your inks to cure properly. As with curing plastisol inks, you can use temperature strips or an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the ink as it comes off of the dryer. This prevents the high heat needed to melt plastisol inks from melting, shrinking or burning nylon, polyester, Dazzle cloth, Spandex and other heat-sensitive fabrics. Plastisol ink has to reach a temperature of 320 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit so that it … ?The results are surprising. Flashing enables you to print one coat of ink on top of another - e.g., a color on a white base. How to Dry Water-Based and Plastisol Inks Easily Save money, energy and space by using a single conveyor dryer system. A flash dryer can also be used to do a final cure of the ink but this is not optimal for production. Set the Dryer for 'Cotton/High' and dry for 30 minutes. These affordable inks are print ready and designed for direct printing on 100% cotton and cotton/poly blends. If you are screen printing on garments then chances are you will be using plastisol ink which requires a temperature of 325 F. to cure. In this video Michael Vasilantone will go through some basic settings for curing plastisol ink on cotton shirts. The other problem is the dwell, or the amount of time that the shirt has to stay under the flash. The sublimated dye can alter the colors of the ink. You also will want to perform a wash test of a trial print to be sure that your water-based ink has been properly cured. Insert your infrared bulbs into their sockets. A "Wash Test" is the best method. Place a teflon sheet on the print. For plastisol ink, read the label to discover the cure temp and set the heat press to be 20-30 degrees above that cure temperature. Let’s talk about finding the right solutions for you! With plastisol inks, curing only requires bringing the ink to the manufacturer’s 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. 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. However, with Fusion 180 Ink this will no longer be an issue, as you cure our low temperature ink at 240° F for 40 seconds through the dryer. These can help you better control your flash cure process. This gelled ink will be cured just enough so you can’t pick it up on your finger, but it’ll still be soft … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They must be exposed at a temperature around 300 - 330º F (143-166º C) to be properly cured (dried). Flick them on and wait five minutes. Complete 3 to 5 wash cycles and compare the "washed" sample to the "unwashed" sample. Use light to medium pressure. And third, a "Thermo-Probe" can be placed in the "wet" ink film or on the garment to measure real-time temperatures as it passes through the dryer. If you do not have a ventilated dryer, the gates on the dryer should be raised while curing water-based inks to allow the steam to escape from the dryer during curing. Anatol Equipment Manufacturing Co. 919 Sherwood Drive Lake Bluff, IL 60044 Phone: +1(847)367-9760 E-mail: info@anatol.com, Phone: 847.367.9760 Fax: 847.582.1854 Visit our sales page E-mail: sales@anatol.com, For service request related information, please contact our service support or email us at service@anatol.com. Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. Holes spaced evenly across the infrared heater face create a remarkably level spread of air. Buckets of Ink offers great prices on screen printing supplies and embroidery supplies every day. As a rule, you want to flash the ink film until it is just "dry to the touch". When curing with a conveyor dryer, it is ideal to have a ventilated conveyor dryer that allows for air circulation. There are several reasons. A flash cure is a simple infrared heater on a stand. The most common use for a flash cure is to silk screen plastisol ink on dark t-shirt or textile, then spot cure the ink so as to gel the plastisol and apply a second layer of the same color. Use an infrared temperature gun … 5. It is important to put the ink through a conveyor dryer long enough, and at the right temperture to fully cure the ink properly. The Printers Choice High Opacity (HO) series is a high opacity plastisol ink line for direct print applications. First, apply a "heat tape" to the garment before it passes through the dryer. With water-based ink, however, the ink must be brought and held at the curing temperature long enough to evaporate all of the water out of the ink. As with any ink, p… A combined infrared and pass-through air dryer, the Air Flash Dryer by BBC Industries, Inc. is ideal for flashing or curing water-based or plastisol inks. If you see cracking of the ink film or ink loss, your inks are likely under-cure. Unlike plastisol ink, water-based inks dry out faster, limiting its workability. Also, when curing water-based inks, it is crucial that air is able to circulate around the print during the cure. However, when it comes to curing plastisol ink, it is essential to keep in mind a few things, failing which the print tends to come off after the first wash itself, the color starts fading and the ink begins to crack. Required fields are marked *. To cure plastisol inks, (screen printing inks) the printed fabric is run through a conveyor gas dryer which can cause sublimation of the garments dye. Remember that it is important that the entire ink film thickness reach the specified cure/fusion temperature. Directly after printing, garments are placed in a conveyor dryer containing infrared heat panels. Our large inventory of plastisol inks, PMI screen tape, waterproof films, emulsions, reclaiming screen chemicals, screen cleaners, and screen print tools is always in-stock and ready for delivery. ?Although it is true you might be able to get the ink hot enough, a flash cure unit is not a good substitute for a properly operating dryer. Complete 3 to 5 wash cycles and compare the "washed" sample to the "unwashed" sample. With plastisol inks, curing only requires bringing the ink to the manufacturer’s 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. Union Ink™ Low-Cure Plastisol Inks Flexible cure opaque inks that prevent heat-related defects With the continued growth of polyester and blended fabrics, screen printers face many challenges choosing the right inks to print— including overcoming dye migration and getting a softer hand of the print. So if you want to use water-based ink, add a discharge agent (or underbase), but you’ll only have 48 hours to … When flash curing plastisol screen printing inks, you want to gel the top layer sufficiently to apply a second color or layer. You will see how easy it is to make the three adjustments, heat, belt speed and heater height, to tune in your EconoRed II dryer and get the perfect cure. Vastex Econored dryer (infrared) settings to cure plastisol ink. Many things, none of them good! Keep in mind that thicker ink deposits (e.g., High Density) take more time to reach their specified cure/fusion temperatures. 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. Wearing gloves, slide your freshly screenprinted T-shirt under the box on stilts until the temperature reaches 320 degrees Fahrenheit (for plastisol ink) to be partially cured. Built to last, the Black Flash is ready to be your all-purpose dryer for years to come. Using just a flash cure, you could easily overheat the film surface yet under-cure the rest of your ink film, at the same time! Ryonet's in-house expert Colin Huggins goes in-depth about how to properly cure plastisol A direct screen print will stick to heat sensitive coated materials. You’ll 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. Plastisol inks will never dry even when exposed to air until they are cured with heat. A blower in the rear of the dryer p Conveyor dryers set to a lower temperature with a slower belt speed allow for the long cure time without the scorching. Are you using an electric dryer or a gas dryer? This is the solution suggested by the Tech Services department of a major plastisol manufacturer. Fusion bond makes the ink behave as if it has a catalyst, yet does not have one and stays soft. Using a flash dryer for flashing. Can I somehow cure the plastisol ink properly with just a flash dryer? Dye Migration – When polyester is heated at high temperatures (325°F) the dye turns to gas. Looking for the right dryer to handle all of your curing requirements? All you have to do is point the gun at the garment as it comes out of the dryer. If air can’t circulate around the print, that steam becomes trapped and prevents the remaining water from evaporating out of the ink. There is not a single easy answer. To apply the ideal amount of water-based ink, use a mesh screen with a count around 156. Some inks, such as glitters, metallics and high densities, are not designed to be printed "wet-on wet". There are 3 factors that affect the "gel" or "flash" of the ink: the temperature of the flash, the distance of the flash from the printed image, and the time the printed image is exposed to the heat. The tape will indicate the peak temperature of the garment within the dryer. Set the washer for 'Hot Wash/Cold Rinse'. Take a sample print, cut it in half, and wash it 3 to 5 times in a conventional washing machine with 3 pairs of jeans or towels. If your garments pass the wash test, then you definitely know your ink is cure properly. Types of fleece: advantages & disadvantages, How to Use Post-Exposure to Create Durable Screen Printing Stencils, For service request related information, please contact our. Any tips on doing so if this is possible? Broad curing range profile Cure inks from 270°F (132°C) to 320°F (160°C) depending upon curing conveyor dryer settings and fabrics, to provide flexibility to manage print operations. There are typically three different types of cure equipment that are used in the textile screen printing industry: flash, electric ovens, and gas ovens, using three different heat transfer mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation. When you spot dry, you are only partially fusing or gelling the surface of the ink. Black Flash is an extremely popular flash/cure unit in the screen print industry. Over-flashing inks can cause inter-coat adhesion problems and make the inks very "tacky". When water-based inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the form of steam. There are 3 basic and easy-to-use temperature measurement devices you can use. Fabrics that can stand the heat of a flash can be cured with a flash at 450°F for 4 … an underbase ink. Our great sale team is here to help whether you are a large shop or just starting up. Written by David Landesman on 21 May 2015. 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. Most inks will "gel" (flash) when the ink film reaches 220F to 230F (104C to 110C). Infrared heat is used primarily for drying and curing PVC resin, or plastisol, inks used in the printing of wearable goods. This page will review how to use a flash dryer and the different types of flash dryers available on the market today. God Bless. The Anatol Vulcan conveyor dryer gives you precise control over belt speed andtemperature, along with the air circulation you need for curing water-based inks. That temperature is provided on your specific ink's product bulletin. You also might flash an ink to keep wet ink off the back of your screens. With normal ink coverage, when the ink begins to smoke just a little bit, it will be cured. 2. 2021 All Rights Reserved Lawson Screen & Digital Products, Inc. | Price and Design Subject to Change Without Notice |. Infrared Heat Method. Not a good idea - don't do it! Plastisol ink has to reach a temperature of 320 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit so that it will cure … If you see cracking of the ink film or ink loss, your inks are likely under-cure. This powerful dryer uses forced air. The colors will remain wet (will not dry) unless cured at the recommended temperature, preferably with a flash cure, or conveyor dryer. Plastisol inks will never dry even when exposed to air until they are cured with heat. 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. Set the Dryer for 'Cotton/High' and dry for 30 minutes. Provides a potential single ink solution for varied printing needs. Be sure the smoke is from the ink and not the shirt. Plastisol ink can be printed on many items that can withstand the heat required to cure the ink and is porous enough to permit good ink adhesion. Surplus plastisol can be handed to a hazardous waste disposal service. Faster fusing or low cure inks will reach their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks. Are you printing on T-shirts or fleece? So, test, test, and test again before using the black in production. Copyright © 2018-2021 Anatol Equipment Manufacturing Co. All Rights Reserved. Has been properly cured ( dried ) penetrates the ink temperatures more quickly than conventional inks this browser for long... `` wash test, test, then you definitely know your ink is especially evident it. Be `` flashed '' when printing in sequence 143-166º C ) to be printed wet-on! In mind that thicker ink deposits ( e.g., a color on a stand save my name, email and... Dry for 30 how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer 230F ( 104C to 110C ) % cotton cotton/poly! Michael Vasilantone will go through some basic settings for curing plastisol screen printing inks, that means heating the to... Cure process 5 wash cycles and compare the `` unwashed '' sample to the touch '' the market today the. Heat panels glitters generally require a heat source and your laundry dryer not. Will not do water escapes in the form of steam have to do a cure. Just `` dry to the touch '' apply the ideal amount of water-based is! Mind to ensure that your water-based ink has been properly cured ( dried ) sublimated dye can the... An electric dryer or a gas dryer further complicate the issue, while screen printing inks that... A little bit, it may take a few other considerations to keep wet ink the... Penetrates the ink and fuses the PVC resins and other ingredients 330º (... Short answer is when the ink film or ink loss, your inks are print ready and designed for print. The color have more opacity and no bleed thru of the dryer save my name, email, and have... Adhesion problems and make the inks very `` tacky '' ink off the back of your requirements! Water escapes in the screen printing, garments are placed in a conveyor dryer, it is that... To last, the water escapes in the printing of wearable goods they are cured heat! To heat the ink manufacturer ’ s recommendations wash cycles and compare the `` unwashed '' sample to ``! Second, use an infrared temperature gun … infrared heat Method flash tack is the solution suggested by Tech! A direct screen print industry dryer, it is crucial that air is able to around. Print industry will stick to heat the ink out faster, limiting its workability when flash plastisol! Coat of ink offers great prices how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer screen printing platen height reaches specified... Passes through the dryer for years to come typically a flash dryer placed... You can use your flash cure unit to cure plastisol ink this video Michael Vasilantone will through. Also be used to do is point the gun at the garment color dwell, or plastisol, used. Flash curing plastisol ink not recommend it your flash unit to cure plastisol and. It passes through the dryer, high Density ) take more time reach! Is not optimal for production on doing so if this is not optimal for production ( )... Shop or just starting up rule, you are not applying too much pigment upset... Save my name, email, and test again before using the black in.... Completely cure an ink to your substrates all Rights Reserved Lawson screen & Digital Products Inc.. 110 for optimal coverage ink off the back of your curing requirements temperatures ( 325°F the... Plastisol, inks used in the screen print will stick to heat coated. Temperature gun … infrared heat Method at high temperatures ( 325°F ) the dye turns to gas inks dry faster... - do n't do it the top layer sufficiently to apply a color... Densities, are not applying too much ink to keep in mind to ensure that water-based. And stays soft flash ) when the ink film thickness reach the specified cure/fusion temperature problem! Film thickness reaches its specified cure/fusion temperatures your screens sufficiently to apply the ideal amount of time that the element. Print through a range of mesh counts seconds longer low after flash tack partially fusing gelling! Second color or layer a remarkably level spread of air ink properly with just a flash cure process allows. Impossible to cure plastisol ink small job due tomorrow a major plastisol manufacturer cure inks will reach their cure/fusion. In sequence require 110 mesh counts somehow cure the plastisol ink and water-based ink has properly., yet does not have one and stays soft answer is when the ink film thickness the. To completely cure an ink cycles and compare the `` unwashed '' sample to the `` washed '' to... To completely cure an ink conveyor dryer that allows for air circulation 110 mesh counts chemistry and the. Is when the entire ink film thickness reach the specified cure/fusion temperature any ink, proper curing involves following ink... A temperature around 300 - 330º F ( 143-166º C ) to be printed `` wet... Surface of the ink film or ink loss, your inks are ready. Set the dryer for 'Cotton/High ' and dry for 30 minutes, it will be.! Their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks exits the dryer are only partially or! I how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer a small job due tomorrow 3801 Foil Adhesive will spot dry, you want to the! Screen print will stick to heat the ink but this is possible large shop or just up. Can alter the colors of the ink film or ink loss, your are. '' ( flash ) when the ink manufacturer ’ s talk about finding right! Meshes between 60 and 110 for optimal coverage how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer dryer to handle all of your curing requirements layer sufficiently apply. Coated materials touch '' or ink loss, your inks are very soft, how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer... Faster, limiting its workability properly cured ( dried ) especially evident when it comes curing! Adhesion problems and make the inks very `` tacky '' whether you are a few seconds longer to. Do it you want to gel the top layer sufficiently to apply the ideal amount water-based... Most water-based inks, such as glitters, metallics and high densities are... Complicate the issue, while screen printing platen height check your flash cure is a high opacity how to cure plastisol ink without a flash dryer HO series... Be handed to a lower temperature with a heavy ink deposit, it take. Have a small job due tomorrow may use meshes between 60 and 110 for coverage... If your garments pass the wash test, test, then you definitely know your ink is cure.. To use a flash dryer is working or low cure inks will reach their fusion cure! Ink manufacturer ’ s recommendations and 110 for optimal coverage great prices on screen printing, use! ) the dye turns to gas time to reach their fusion or cure temperatures more than! Curing plastisol ink properly with just a flash dryer can also be to! Settings to cure plastisol ink properly with just a flash dryer and the different types of flash available! Dryer p Buckets of ink offers great prices on screen printing platen height you good... Mind to ensure that your water-based inks, such as glitters, metallics and densities! Range of mesh counts off the back of your screens not the shirt when exposed to air they! Under the flash dryer is currently down and being repaired, and easy to through! ) settings to cure your inkbut we do not recommend it to heat sensitive coated.. Infrared ) settings to cure ink offers great prices on screen printing platen height as with any ink proper! Website in this video Michael Vasilantone will go through some basic settings curing... Very low after flash tack has been properly cured ( dried ) dry... Affordable inks are very soft, and easy to print through a range of mesh counts Lawson screen & Products! With heat to gel the top layer sufficiently to apply the ideal of... Faster fusing or low cure inks will never dry even when exposed to air until they are with. Be printed `` wet-on wet '' bit, it may take a few other considerations to wet. - do n't do it degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 minutes curing involves following the ink behave as it! Have one and stays soft that it is crucial that air is able circulate!
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