pinto

Hi.

I'm a small-timer, but I've done several one-color designs with success. Recently, I tried my first two-color design. I printed with a water-based super opaque white first. Then I switched out screens, and printed with water-based black ink on top. I used an iron to set the ink, and everything looked good until I took the shirts out of the washing machine: The black ink that was sitting on top of the white had mostly washed off.

How do I successfully print one ink on top of the other? Is it a matter of setting the ink differently, or should I do something differently before I get to that stage?

Pinto

 

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neato

Did you set the white ink with the iron before you printed the black?

Also, what brand of inks are you using?

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Fluid

It is my understanding in order to print colors on white with waterbased inks you have to print a clear over the white first? I could be wrong yet I am almost certain I read that here the other day

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pinto

neato-

I didn't set the white with the iron before printing black. I figured heat would get to the white regardless of when I used the iron. I do have a notion, however, that if I ironed and washed after printing white, everything would have turned out alright. The white ink felt very thick, and after the washing it felt normal.

I was using a Versatex-brand white and a Speedball-brand black.

 

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RichardGreaves

If you let the initial ink dry, it seals itself and bonds to the shirt as it is supposed to. I rejects anything wet like laundry water or black ink, like it is supposed to.

This is the same thing that happens when printers cure plastisol ink instead of flashing it to only 210°F. The plastisol seals itself and won't bond with the ink you print on top, so it washes off.

White water-based ink does not flash well.

? What color was the shirt? If it was dark, could you use the color of the shirt? If not, you will have to cut out the area where the black prints and fit the two colors together like a puzzle.

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pinto

That makes sense. Thanks, Richard.

So it sounds like I can't do one ink on top of another with water-based inks. Instead, I need to use tight registration and cut out the parts where I would otherwise layer ink on ink.

The other option would be to use plastisol inks. These I could layer on top of one another as long as I didn't flash dry them between inks.

Correct?

 

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RichardGreaves

Quote: Originally Posted by pinto So it sounds like I can't do one ink on top of another with water-based inks. Instead, I need to use tight registration and cut out the parts where I would otherwise layer ink on ink. The other option would be to use plastisol inks. These I could layer on top of one another as long as I didn't flash dry them between inks. Correct?

Almost. Printing on darks requires more equipment than water-based inks. You have to flash to 210°F and still cure all the inks at 310°F. Most people use water based inks because they don't want to buy heat curing equipment.

You MUST flash the first plastisol color down or it will smear. Maybe you want that. Rarely do professionals flash again if they don't have to.

Of course, a secret to this, is to print the top colors through much finer meshes and use transparent inks because you want the white underbase to reflect light and make the design brighter.

If you wanted, you could flash each color to 210°F and soon kill yourself from boredom.

The key is to flash to stabilize the ink so it doesn't smear, yet not cure the ink so the top colors can't bond to it.

The real key to printing on darks is to modify the design so it looks good and prints easy on darks. This is very rarely taken into consideration when designing logos or printed art, because those lazy slacker paper printers cure each color between heads, unlike textile screen printers that print Wet-On-Wet! Try to increase the amount of dark space and use the fabulous color of the shirt in the design. Nothing looks worse than black ink on a black shirt on a white underbase.

Alas, we do have to stoop to flashing when we print on darks, but when was the last time you saw anyone print on darks outside of textiles.


Very hard to print


"The Cheat" - Very Very hard to print


Easy to print, easy to see even blocks away and in the dark


Easy to print

Of course, the design you got was probably not designed to print on dark, so it will probably feel heavy and thick like a transfer, which is the best way to actually print a large ink coverage print on dark garments.

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