KOSMO
SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY
Custom Printed And Embroidered T-Shirts, Hats, Hoodies, Promo items and more!
SCREEN PRINTING INKS
Like many screen printing shops around the globe, we work with an array of inks and dyes depending on the desired effect.
We use Plastisol, Waterbase and Discharge inks to achieve the full spectrum of great prints.
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There are benefits to each type of ink.
PLASTISOL
Plastisol is the most common and most versatile textile ink.
Plastisol is a petroleum based product so there are some negatives in that sense.
Here are some positives:
1. Extremely low waste, sometimes zero.
2. Long Shelf Life.
3. Cost Effective
4. Vibrant, easily matched colors.
5. Retains it's quality loinger than waterbased inks.
6. Can be printed on almost all fabric types.
Here are some Negatives:
1. Plastic based product
2. Is thicker to the touch
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Waterbase
Waterbase is very popular in the fashion industry.
Waterbase is a...water based ink. It's naturally thinner than Plastisol ink. It tends to bind to the fabric a little tighter and leaves a softer feel.
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Positives:
1. Softer to the touch
2. Is easier to clean up -just use water
3. Is a little better for the environment than other ink types
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Negatives:
1. Short shelf life, dries out quickly.
2. More waste than Plastisol
3. Tends to fade quickly
4. Not as easy to match colors
Discharge must be washed to remove a thin crust developed from the curing process. It will super soft after the first washing.
Discharge
Discharge is actually more of a dye and recolors the tread.
Discharge is waterbased ink with an added activation agent which allows the dye to recolor the tread instead of sitting on top of the fabric.
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Positives:
1. Impossible to feel, the softest!
2. Is easier to clean up -just use water
3. Is a little better for the environment than other ink types
Negatives:
1. 6-8 hour shelf life
2. Lots of waste
4. Not as easy to match colors
OVERVIEW
Waterbase Ink is designed to be printed on light colored garments and thought to be a more environmentally friendly product with a smoother feel, or hand, as we say in the industry.
While it doesn't use the plastic base that Plastisol inks use, waterbase inks still use harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, as a preservative.
It's a great option for fashion or retail lines, and especially in vintage designs.
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Discharge is a process where by a color stripping agent is mixed into a waterbase ink. This mixture will have about a 6-8 hour print life and then it must be disposed.
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Once printed, Discharge will remove the dyed color of the apparel leaving it a natarual color usually. Some shirts have been redyed several times and the orginal color will be affected by this process and produce interesting colors.
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A dye can be added to tint Discharge ink leaving a color behind instead of the natural off-white color.
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The result of using discharge is it's literally part of the shirt and can not be felt by touch. The downside, is it's impossible to color match, the colors may not be as consistent or as vibrant as plastisol. But it's softness is unmatched.