So you’ve decided you want to print merch. You’ve got your design ready, colors picked out and decided on what type of garment you want to print on. But wait, you have to pick your ink? Why does it matter what ink my custom apparel is printed with?
There’s a lot to figure out if you want custom apparel. Luckily for you, it sounds like you’ve already got the hard stuff ready, but yes my dear reader, ink type is very important when it comes to printing custom merch! We've created this guide to choosing the right ink for your next merch run, with all the details you might need.
Let’s start with the basics.
Screen printing, also known as silk screening, is a printing technique used to transfer ink onto a substrate (such as fabric, paper, metal, plastic, or wood) through a fine mesh screen. It's commonly used for creating designs on t-shirts, posters, and other promotional items. A screen made of fine mesh is stretched tightly over a frame and coated with a light-sensitive emulsion — which is then exposed to UV light through the printed design. Wherever the design is opaque on the film, the emulsion hardens, creating a stencil on the screen. Ink is applied to the screen's top edge, and a squeegee is used to spread the ink evenly across the screen while pressing it through the mesh onto the item selected. The stencil blocks ink from passing through except where the design is intended.
Water Based Ink: As the name suggests, water-based inks are primarily made of water. Water Based inks are pigments in a fluid suspension. When the water evaporates through forced drying, it leaves the pigment and resin ink adhered to the fabric.
Plastisol Ink: Plastisol inks are and uncured thermoplastic made of polyvinyl chloride particles mixed in a plasticizer. When heated, the plasticizer and resin are drawn together completing the durable PVC film. They don't contain water like water based inks do.
Printing process:
Water Based Ink: These inks are thinner in consistency compared to plastisol inks. They require a porous garment, such as cotton to penetrate and bond with the fibers of the garment.
Plastisol Ink: Plastisol inks are thicker and sit on top of the fabric rather than bonding with it like water-based inks.
Plastisol Ink
Water Based Ink
Pros:
Lasts longer.
Soft and breathable.
Can achieve a “vintage” look.
Higher quality print.
Cons:
Influenced by the color of the shirt.
Pros:
Can be put on any color of shirt.
Bright colors.
Cons:
Cracks and peels over time.
Not breathable.
Can bunch around seams and around the body.
Let’s compare:
Most screen printing shops still use plastisol ink because it is easy to work with. Plastisol ink is a thermos plastic, meaning it will stay in its liquid form until it is heat cured, so printers don’t have to worry about inks drying on the screen while they are setting up and printing a job. Water based inks will air dry if left open or in a screen too long. This means that a printer needs a greater deal of experience and trouble shooting skills due to the narrow time limitations when printing with water based inks.
While plastisol ink may seem like the right choice due to how user friendly it is, water based ink is the best choice all around if you’re looking for high quality prints. If you’re printing custom merch, you want it to look good AND feel good. Who wouldn’t?
Here at Twin City Tees, we’ve mastered printing with water based ink. Our water based inks are made custom to your order, this means you pick the exact color and we mix the ink custom for your design. Unlike plastisol ink which has pre-made colors for you to choose from.