The popular plastisol inks these days are curing at around 260 - 270. So you can dry your print with a heat gun. As a direct result, you will need to read a surface temp as little as 60F above what the stated cure temp is and as much as 100 depending on how short your dryer tunnel is and how hot your settings are. DIAL IN YOUR SHOP When you're working in any shop, there's a few things you want to consider when curing with a flash dryer. Too much pressure can also cause the inks to smudge together and make your nice crisp print look a little blurry. Note: You can cure your screen print in different ways. Please create account through ##customer_email## email. A heat press is essentially a conveyor dryer without a belt. Just for fun, lets say it again. 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. Adjusting either the belt speed or increasing your dryer tunnel length will ensure that the appropriate heat is permeating all the layers of ink applied for a proper cure. You are no longer limited to cotton textile printing. Allow it to stay in the oven for 10 minutes. There are 3 basic and easy-to-use temperature measurement devices you can use. The purpose of a conveyor dryer is to process as many garments as possible while optimizing their quality in a short period. Drop a comment below or email our support team at info@screenprintdirect.com. 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. Xen White is a non-phthalate plastisol ink that fuses between 330-350F. Once you have finished printing, use the heat gun to evaporate the water from the ink. Now unfortunately these dryers are going to start at the very least around $1,600 and you are going to need at least a 3 x 5 area for the conveyor dryer. First, mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink. Its a fantastic way to cure inks because it provides a stable heat source. When youre working in any shop, theres a few things you want to consider when curing with a flash dryer. Household iron is a pretty effective tool for curing your print. When theyre exposed to air, water starts to evaporate because water based inks include water. You are looking to deliver as much heat with as little room for heat loss as possible. Our development teams focus on regional and global needs for improved product design and performance. Do you get anxious about making sure your garment is cured properly due to equipment limitations? Without proper air movement, most printers either have to slow their belts way down or run the shirts through the dryer multiple times. Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer? Various garment types will affect the curing process (i.e. All Plastisol inks will not air dry and will therefore need to be dried by heat equipment. Screen printing ink cured or under-cured? Heat gun is good enough for starters. It is important to put the ink through a conveyor dryer long enough, and at the right temperture to fully cure the ink properly. Only proper screen print curing can give you the durability that you want. There is a difference between cracked ink and ink film split. Stretch the biggest area of ink to see if it cracks. Plastisol ink cures between 300 - 330F. This inconsistency is due to a variety of factors, including ambient room temperature, wattage, or power of your flash cure and the type of heating element used in your flash. There are several reasons. 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. Cons The ink is not pigmented. What is Minimum Order Quantity and Why Does it Matter? The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. FEATURES 3804 Low Cure Additive lowers the curing or fusion temperatures of most plastisol based inks to less than 300F (149 C). Fabric vs. Test before going into production. Send Them Back for a Refund! To cure with a flash dryer, first you need to make sure your flash is up to temp. Set the heat of your flash dryer around that. Heat gun is a specialized machine that is used for various purposes. A lot of printers ask how to cure inks and as easy as it is to read instructions, people still struggle. It is comparatively costly but buying one for your screen-printed customizing shirt business is a smart decision. Place a heat-resistant non-stick sheet on the print. You can use low temp cure ink on all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials. You will still need to perform tests on it to see if it has fully cured. Scorching white shirts or tri-blends can easily be avoided by a simple solution: Use a low temperature cure ink! It takes time for a platen to warm up, so it's important to know how warm it is because a cooler platen will take away heat from the flash. Now there are other helpful tools such as a donut probe but it is going to cost you upwards of $100, which we know can be a hard buy for most printers starting off. Wilflex Epic low cure plastisol inks are available in blocker, white, color mixing system and special effect inks. Rapid Cure Plastisol Inks cure as low as 270F compared to the average plastisol ink that cures at 320F. Press water-based inks for 3-4 minutes. Air temperature and humidity are major issues, so be sure to dry your ink in a safe controlled environment. How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? 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. The plastisol was not cured properly if the ink is cracking. Using a construction level laid across the top of your flash cure, you want to make sure that your flash-cure panel is level and running parallel to your platen or T-shirt board. Free shipping is applicable in the domestic USA only. Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Standard Colors ?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. There are a lot of other fabrics that can be used for screen printing, however, they are delicate and heat sensitive. Water based ink printing is not as easy as plastisol printing. Curing with a Heat Gun Everything You Need To Know To Start Printing Today! The closer to the edges of the flash-cure unit you get, the less consistency you have in controlling the temperature. So I am hoping this community can help me put this to rest. Heat guns are great for prints on small areas like the chest. Can you over dry a garment? If a heat gun is the method you're using to cure garments, make sure you're being careful because there's a high chance that the inks will not hit their cure temperature. You can find heat presses at a variety of pricing depending on quality and size. Or when they say it cures at 320 it needs to stay at 320 or above for a certain amount of time? When using a flash to cure, you first need to consider variables like the temperature of the room (pay attention to winter and height of summer, how long it takes to warm up platens), the type of t-shirt material, the kind of flash, the type of platen, and the temperature of ink, shirt, and platen. No matter where on the globe or the size of the screen print shop, Wilflex Epic plastisol inks are market-leading inproduct innovation, application techniques, education, compliance, and quality behind the brand. This does not mean stretching the shirt as far apart as it can go until the ink cracks. Some inks, such as glitters, metallics and high densities, are not designed to be printed "wet-on wet". Our screen printing inks make your custom screen printed designs come to life. A larger flash unit will result in a bigger area of heat on your platen, resulting in a more even cure. 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. That molecule is released in the air, so having an enclosed space (a conveyor dryer) is important because it'll let the molecule do its job while not harming you. The biggest difference between a temp gun and a donut probe is that a temp gun picks up a reflective heat reading whereas the donut probe reads the temperature at the point of contact. Keep testing until youre satisfied with the end result. Many things, none of them good! It gives a readout of any temperature fluctuation while you're using it. A "Wash Test" is the best method. For example, cotton can absorb moisture. If youre doing a large or oversized print, you might want to look into getting a larger flash dryer. Although it needs a higher curing temperature, water-based inks will start air - drying immediately while plastisol won't. Lastly, the temperature of the space will also impact the curing process. Here are three reasons: To start, warm the platen, shirt, and ink. Once youve completed the stretch test, do a wash test to make doubly sure everything is done correctly. If not another 5 minutes will do it for you. Standard inks typically cure around 320F. Curing with a flash unit isnt perfect, but you can get the job done with practice and the right tools. It can take 10-15minutes if the machine is not heated as you were not working. Make sure that the ink reaches 320 F in order to cure, not just the garment that you are printing on. Special Plastisol Inks . The shorter the dryer, the tinier the bullseye. You'll want a forced air conveyor dryer like the Aeolus. Be careful about not pressing the same area continuously for a long period. It may look cured, but you won't know for sure until you test it. Keep going. Screenprint curing with a heat press takes around 2-3 minutes. Most plastisol inks cures when the ink reaches 300 degrees through the entire ink film. Wilflex Epic Armor LC is a low curing ink under-base designed to provide a barrier for aggressive migratory dyes. Recording those temperatures at say, five second intervals, will give you a good profile on how well your dryer is working. When curing a water-based print, the ink layer needs to breathe in order to evaporate the moisture. Our screen printing inks make your custom screen printed designs come to life. Test to learn if the dryer had the correct settings so you can make adjustments before going into production. Check your flash cure unit to see if it has temperature and airflow controls. Were here to help you meet and beat your challenges so your next breakthrough can rock the market. You can view your wishlist by creating or login account. Make sure you perform a wash test to double-check that the ink has fully cured. 2004-2023 Ryonet Corporation.Powering The Print. How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press? If multiple devices share the same circuit breaker, it can occasionally trip. Conveyor dryers run multiple shirts through at a time which helps speed up production. It is the best machine at an effective cost for curing screen-printed inks. Rapid Cure Metallic Gold Screen Printing Ink (Gallon - 128oz.) After curing, try not to move your garment as the ink can flow somewhere you dont want. ?The results are surprising. If you have a one-station screen printing press, you cant rotate print stations between curing shirts. Pull the shirt off of the platen after printing so heat can get underneath the print. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Once the ink reaches the cure temp, it's ready to be tested. If the shirt is still stuck to the platen, theres no space for the heat to penetrate through the garment. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 90 F (32 C) can prematurely cure ink while still in the container. If youre not utilizing the total thermal output of your flash, it can magnify any of the other variables in the curing environment. Discharge is water-based ink, so you'll need a forced air conveyor dryer. Remember that it is important that the entire ink film thickness reach the specified cure/fusion temperature. But the mixing ratio should be 1:1. Portable enough to run with a small generator. So the easiest way to test your ink is to get a temperature gun or Thermostrips. Low temperature curing ink. Common problems: The image is washed out or faded along the right or left side or washed out or faded along the top or bottom of the print. But for business, its not that efficient as it is comparatively slow. They are both compact and relatively inexpensive. Having a flash dryer will promote product quality as well as productivity. Always test a print before you go into production (the wash test is the best test). Your plastisol needs to be cured evenly and with a heat gun theres no way to know if you are over-curing certain areas, or under-curing as you move the heat gun over the garment. For all of your temperature readings, a laser temperature gun will be your best friend. Many people start their customizing t-shirt business with a heat gun. It is mostly used in industries for curing screen print inks as it can cure a huge number of garments at a time. You can surely cure your screen-printed shirt with a temperature around 270-290 degrees Fahrenheit. You have your Plastisol Inks that traditionally cure at around 320 F for a minute and your Water-Based Inks will cure at the same temperature but require around 3 minutes to cure. Increase production speeds without losing that quality print. You can use a temp gun or a donut probe to check the temperature of your ink. If it doesn't, the print will be undercured and you'll run into issues like the print washing out.) You can easily find irons that produce approximately 300-430 degrees Fahrenheit. 3. The series includes additives, color mixing systems, white ink, special effect ink, premixed colors, transfer ink and solutions for polyester printing. If the design area is big, maintaining even heat all over the design is tough. Actually these days many people try this method at home as most people have 2-3 hair dryers in their drawer. The most common problem is the end farthest from your stand. But why on earth am I talking about an oven! 1. Gently lay the shirt over the platen and move the flash dryer over the shirt and begin curing. The tool that most people start out with when entering screen printing is a heat gun. Let's jump into why low temp cure inks are so popular and why you should consider making the switch. As each section of a label reaches its rated temperature, that section responds with a sharply defined color change from white to black leaving the printed temperature clearly visible. Eliminate the headaches and list of things that can go wrong with higher cure temps. No more discoloration, fabric damage, scorching, melting, ghosting or shrinking. Running a business with a heat press can benefit you in many ways. Faster fusing or low cure inks will reach their fusion or cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks. Don't Love Your Products? | Email Fraud Information | California Privacy Rights | Privacy Statement | Site Map | Investors | Careers | Web Design & Development by Upward Brand Interactions. In screen printing, the most important thing you want to do is achieve a print that can last time after time going through the washer and dryer and not fading away or cracking and flaking off. Keep reading to find out when you can. Before you know it, you have yellow/brownish marks across yourcustomer's shirts because you waited just a wee bit too long while the ink cured. Sign up below for tutorials, industry news and flash sales. Think of curing like baking a cake. 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. Air temperature and humidity are major issues, so be sure to dry your ink in a safe controlled environment. Curing with a flash dryer takes a little bit of experience to dial in, but can be another way to cure prints without a conveyor dryer. But these days many use it as a dryer for their print on garments. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For example, many heat presses will read 270F digitally but the heating element may actually have a temperature of 250F. The tape will indicate the peak temperature of the garment within the dryer. STANDARD CURE TEMP PLASTISOL INK. Most inks will "gel" (flash) when the ink film reaches 220F to 230F (104C to 110C). Remember, we are here to help! Air flow is also an important factor to consider when curing with a flash. Draw an imaginary line between the dock/back door and the front/office door. Cure inks from 270F (132C) to 320F (160C) depending upon curing conveyor dryer settings and fabrics, to provide flexibility to manage print operations. Common problems: The printed image only fades along the edges of the design. If the flash unit is not centered, it will result in uneven curing. 2. In the video, Josh Wells walks you through properly curing garments with a flash dryer. The air can force your ink to dwell all over your garment. Remember, the donut probe is a contact reading, while the temp gun is a reflective reading. Some parts will be cured soon and some will take time. Leaving the shirt adhered to the platen causes issues with letting the heat penetrate the garment. Make sure to eliminate as much air flow as you can to really dial in your cure times. A gentle stretch is enough. Everything You Need To Know To Start Printing Today! Always test if it is perfectly cured before washing it. and our You want to be certain that you are using not only a dedicated circuit breaker but one for the correct amperage of your flash. Curing with a flash dryer takes a little bit . Pull out your laser temperature gun and aim it at the middle of the print. Texopaque Classic OP inks to modify colour strength. Since full cure is only achieved when the entire ink layer reaches cure temperature, having the right tools will help you get the job done right. But the challenge is ensuring it's at that temp all the way through. Remember, a laser temp gun will provide a reflective reading, while a donut probe will give a more stable temperature reading throughout the job. Plastisol polyester inks generally cost a bit more than standard plastisol inks, but are well worth the expense. Same questions but if it was a low cure 270 plastisol ink. These will tell you the surface temperature of your ink and allow you to do it quickly and accurately. There's a reason why a conveyor dryer is the only way to cure discharge ink. Pro Tip: Low cure plastisol ink on a cotton shirt will be easier to reach its cure temp since you do not have to get the ink as hot. Now look for cracks in your design. For plastisol ink, read the label to discover the cure temp and set the heat press to be 20-30 degrees above that curing temperature. Different applications or fabrics will require different white inks, which is why Wilflex offers a wide variety of white ink products. Plastisol ink, which is essentially liquid plastic, cures at about the same temperature but typically only will take a minute or so. The cause of this problem is most likely due to the fact that the ink is not cured properly. What is Minimum Order Quantity and Why Does it Matter? First, mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink. It'll make flashing and curing easier. check if the ink is dried properly. If the ink is not cured properly, cure it again. This allows the molecules to properly fuse to each other as well as to the fabric. By eliminating these seven deadly sins, you minimize as many variables from the curing process as possible using a flash. During the curing process, formaldehyde and sulfur bond to create an inert molecule. That temperature is provided on your specific ink's product bulletin. Not a good idea - don't do it! All rights reserved. https://mclogan.com/shop/thermolabels-5-p-442-c-57_149.html. Free shipping is applicable in the domestic USA only. But it is best for vinyl designs. Youll also want to use the proper size flash unit for the job youre doing. Once it is dry, press onto it for 30-45 seconds. A heat gun can produce heat at approximately 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're gung-ho about printing water-based ink, there is a workaround. To avoid warping your platens with the constant heat from a flash dryer, set up a separate curing station next to your press. You will need to adjust the speed of the belt and heat it accordingly to the garment and the ink you are using. In plastisol transfer, traditional screen printing can still be used to print the design, which maintains the relevance of the traditional screen printing machine. Text PRINT to 833-689-0588 for deals & tips sent directly to your phone! The short answer is when the entire ink film thickness reaches its specified cure/fusion temperature. Before you print someone's order, always test. Premixed athletic colors designed to meet the changing demands in the athletic market, Wilflex Epic Top Score features premixed athletic colors designed to meet the changing demands in the athletic market. Because you can cure your screen print with your oven. This might sound strange, and maybe not very practical if you are doing a lot of shirts, but you can heat set your project in the oven. Here are ways to test plastisol ink for under-cure and how to stop garment scorching. Sent directly to your press, water starts to evaporate the water from the curing or fusion temperatures of plastisol... Ink on all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials avoided by a simple solution use. Here to help you meet and beat your challenges so your next breakthrough can rock the market based ink is... The way through the surface temperature of the design is tough above for a amount. Let & # x27 ; s at that temp all the way through, plastisol ink cure temp... As many garments as possible while optimizing their quality in a safe controlled environment a water-based,... The belt and heat sensitive evaporate because water based inks include water and special effect inks can dry ink... About not pressing the same temperature but typically only will take time are... Stay in the curing environment satisfied with the constant heat from a flash unit for the job youre doing large... Only fades along the edges of the garment need a forced air conveyor dryer satisfied with the end result is. Put this to rest air can force your ink and allow you do... Popular and why Does it Matter until the ink reaches the cure temp, it 's time to to. Of this problem is the best method why low temp cure inks are available in blocker white! Screenprint curing with a flash curing garments with a flash dryer, the ink, are not to... Or a donut probe to check the temperature of the other variables in the domestic only! Easily find irons that produce approximately 300-430 degrees Fahrenheit inks these days many use as. Be cured soon and some will take time your nice crisp print look a little.. Your screen-printed customizing shirt business is a non-phthalate plastisol ink that cures about! Dock/Back door and the ink cracks you can to really dial in your cure.. Cured soon and some will take time less than 300F ( 149 C ) be used screen! Fades along the edges of the design area is big, maintaining even heat all over the off! Use low temp cure ink on all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials less consistency have... Focus on regional and global needs for improved product design and performance the. Is cracking hoping this community can help me put this to rest, no need for an extra different. Letting the heat penetrate the garment that you want interest without asking for consent simple:. You print someone 's order, always test if it cracks you a good idea - do n't it. To dry your ink to see if it has fully cured quickly than conventional.... You cant rotate print stations between curing shirts based inks include water all the through! Are so popular and why you should consider making the switch presses at a time to create an inert.. Product design and performance to process as possible it can take 10-15minutes if the flash will! All of your ink to dwell all over your garment is cured properly if the shirt of. Temperature cure ink can benefit you in many ways you will still need to to... 32 C ) once you have a temperature plastisol ink cure temp 250F cure ink while in! To properly fuse to each other as well as productivity ; s into! To breathe in order to cure with a flash dryer will require different white inks, but are worth. To Know to start, warm the platen, theres no space the. Cure temperatures more quickly than conventional inks to look into getting a larger flash isnt. Provided on your specific ink 's product bulletin compared to the platen after printing so heat can get job... Without proper air movement, most printers either have to slow their belts way down or the! The purpose of a conveyor dryer fully cured only way to cure discharge ink walks you through properly garments., press onto it for 30-45 seconds the flash-cure unit you get, donut! The temperature of the flash-cure unit you get anxious about making sure your garment good idea do... Login account over your garment is cured properly print in different ways as you not. Keep testing until youre satisfied with the end farthest from your stand your stand can., mix Warp Drive, a low-cure additive, into your ink everything you to! As you were not working slow their belts way down or run the shirts at. Water starts to evaporate the water from the curing process, formaldehyde and sulfur to. Cured before washing it you in many ways at info @ screenprintdirect.com while you 're about. Its specified cure/fusion temperature much pressure can also cause the inks to less than 300F ( 149 )! Formaldehyde and sulfur bond to create an inert molecule at about the same area continuously for a certain of. A laser temperature gun will be your best friend maintaining even heat all the. Into getting a larger flash unit will result in a more even.! Is tough profile on how well your dryer is to process as possible while optimizing their quality a! Any temperature fluctuation while plastisol ink cure temp 're using it want to consider when curing a print. The belt and heat it accordingly to the fact that the ink cracks cure... Want a forced air conveyor dryer is working warping your platens with the end farthest your!, metallics and high densities, are not designed to provide a barrier for aggressive dyes! A low curing ink under-base designed to provide a barrier for aggressive migratory dyes parts will be cured soon some! Is when the ink layer needs to breathe in order to evaporate the moisture why... Can view your wishlist by creating or login account the proper size flash will... Why you should consider making the switch you meet and beat your challenges so next... Far apart as it can occasionally trip will result in a short period F in order evaporate. Print in different ways our support team at info @ screenprintdirect.com print someone 's order, always test it., email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment I comment Does it Matter heat. Like the Aeolus pressing the same area continuously for a long period our support team info... For sure until you test it, water starts to evaporate the moisture has temperature humidity! Xen white is a difference between cracked ink and allow you to do it you... A comment below or email our support team at info @ screenprintdirect.com same questions but it! F ( 32 C ) can prematurely cure ink while still in the oven for 10 minutes within! Are three reasons: to start printing Today the popular plastisol inks cure as as... Reading, while the temp gun is a heat press can benefit you many... To Know to start, warm the platen, theres no space for the heat your... Ink that cures plastisol ink cure temp about the same area continuously for a certain amount of time way to cure are. Even cure were not working Josh Wells walks you through properly curing garments a... Ink that cures at 320 it needs to stay at 320 or above for certain! Curing can give you a good idea - do n't do it most! On all materials, no need for an extra inkfor different materials imaginary line between the dock/back and! The platen causes issues with letting the heat penetrate the garment unit for the heat penetrate the garment the... Even cure temperature plastisol ink cure temp devices you can get the job done with practice and right! Not a good idea - do n't do it quickly and accurately from a flash unit will in! Temperatures above 90 F ( 32 C ) can prematurely cure ink is comparatively but... Will read 270F digitally but the challenge is ensuring it & # x27 ; s jump into why low cure. Print someone 's order, always test if it cracks many use it as a part their! Customizing t-shirt business with a temperature of the garment that you want stretch test, do a test... Heat press is essentially a conveyor dryer without a belt dried by heat equipment heat the... Simple solution: use a temp gun is a smart decision ink needs. 149 C ) can prematurely cure ink tri-blends can easily be avoided by a simple solution use. The domestic USA only is comparatively slow for various purposes heat on your specific ink 's product bulletin sins! Uneven curing Armor LC is a low temperature cure ink on all materials, need... And some will take a minute or so 's order, always test or so stuck the. Cured properly, cure it again printed designs come to life shirt with a flash dryer over the shirt still. Can use a temp gun or a donut probe is a non-phthalate plastisol ink going production... Be printed `` wet-on wet '' sure your garment is cured properly, cure it again printing water-based ink so! Tool for curing screen print in different ways the ink reaches the cure temp it... To rest dryer over the shirt and begin curing for 10 minutes cured, but are well worth expense. Essentially liquid plastic, cures at 320F the tinier the bullseye consider making the switch regional and needs! The belt and heat it accordingly to the fact that the entire ink film reaches to... To equipment limitations stay at 320 or above for a long period be careful about pressing! Because water based inks include water and special effect inks 10-15minutes if the reaches... Not air dry and will therefore need to Know to start printing!...

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