Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Hi guys and thanks for all the good tips and techniques...
Someone talk about warming/heating up the ink. Would put it in the microwave works? Or how do you actually heat it?
I'm going crazy with these white ink on Dark... the ink i'm using is so much thicker than the black for example.
I also have this problem with the white ink peeling/taking the fibre up/away from the garment...
Could it be because the ink is too thick?
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by youtees
If i do anything here i hope to abolish the use of heat guns for ANY step of screen printing!!!! Yikes OMG and BLEH!!! to heat guns. Truth: You can get a faster and better/more even flash cure by mivng a 500 watt halogen work lamp low and slow over your design(About $10.00 at any hardware store). I guarantee you it will work better than that heat gun. There is a company or two that passes along the heat gun ignorance to help sell their equipment(it isn't slamming if it is true!)and I just in one sentence told you a better way to do it(halogen). Better yet...a few seconds in your oven(while still on the platen)under the broiler element is even better for flashing. Please EVERYBODY....toss that heat gun!!! It is just one of the erroneous things that is aimed at noobs to hold them back. 'Doable' yes...but you can also dig your way to Australia. If nobody told you we have jets. I am amazed at how many people are putting up with the spotty and time consuming use associated with heat guns. I have taught a LOT of people to print about everything and I would never tell anyone to use a heat gun. because I know better. I suspect those who told you you should knew better too. Make it easier on yourself. LOSE that heat gun. You will feel MUCH special'er' if you do.
Thanks for the tip! I did 20 shirts last saturday and had to do the backside prints the following day cause it took so damn long to cure with the heat gun. You will have converted another person if I can get it to cure with my halogen light! How long is a typical cure time on a single color logo, say about 10"x10" ? Thanks very much!
Last edited by Solmu; June 13th, 2009 at 11:16 PM.
Reason: fixed quoting
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Sorry to bump this tread but i thought someone would have responded to some of the queries see the amount of experts on this board.
As the tips has been brought up, i was wondering 'how' to warm up the plastisol?
Can you use your microwave or is there another technic (easier and better than just mixing it by hand)
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
I never liked microwaves, and don't trust them, besides the can could get very hot to handle.
However another way of heating the inks could be by filling a pan with hot water,putting your tin inside and slowly stir till creamy.
Just my opinion.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffie
Hey, Ive said it here nurmious times...we print alot of white on dark (as much as 5 gal/month).
I'll list the most imporant points
1) warm ink (90ish)
2) 156 or finer screen (way helps with fibulation, fibers in shirt pulling thru screen and standing up
3) off contact (my current new fav.) alot of off contact will allow the shirt to come off the screen as the squegee passes...as opposed to "snaping off when platten is lowered (or screen raised) further reducing frib...
4)warm plattens (if ink is warm and plattens are cold plattens will sink heat from ink almost instantly negating the warm ink) around 100ish
5)strike offs when we start white ink we strike 8ish shirts to get the white moving, screens loaded, shirt looking good
6) lots of squegee pressure (self eveident)
7) flash till "dry" to the touch ,can't be smeered with finger.
That pretty much covers it....jeff
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
About the heat gun, i see no one likes them, dont no why but i get that point. Someone told me to purchase one for football jerseys i am getting ready to do. They say that the flash unit is to hot for the jersey. Is this correct can someonehelp
thanks tonya
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjredox
Sorry to bump this tread but i thought someone would have responded to some of the queries see the amount of experts on this board.
As the tips has been brought up, i was wondering 'how' to warm up the plastisol?
Can you use your microwave or is there another technic (easier and better than just mixing it by hand)
Thanks
Remi
I wouldn't use the microwave, it might work but I ain't ever going to try it. All I ever do is just stir the ink for a few minutes to loosen it up. I work in texas so I don't have to deal with cold ink very often. When is does get cold, I'll put the ink on top of our conveyer dryer or flash unit for a while till it heats up a little.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolantmc
About the heat gun, i see no one likes them, dont no why but i get that point. Someone told me to purchase one for football jerseys i am getting ready to do. They say that the flash unit is to hot for the jersey. Is this correct can someonehelp
thanks tonya
Actually I like mine. I tried using the halogen lights to dry a shirt and it was taking way too long. I would rather have a flash dryer but I dont have the $$ for one. A heat gun works perfectly fine and is cheap. Thats why people buy em. Although I dont recommend one for large quantity runs because its a lot of work once you get over 25 shirts. My back was killing me the other day. But every shirt was cured perfectly. They are great for beginners with little $$ like myself =]
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
I know this is an old post but I agree with what lees said regarding heat gun and a 500w halogen lamp, in relation to flashing/curing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by youtees
....Yikes OMG and BLEH!!! to heat guns. Truth: You can get a faster and better/more even flash cure by mivng a 500 watt halogen work lamp low and slow over your design(About $10.00 at any hardware store). I guarantee you it will work better than that heat gun. ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MotoskinGraphix
How hot does a halogen lamp actually get? I saw a curing table somewhere with four lamps.
I dont think unbolting the platen with shirt on board and sticking it in the oven is an option.
Removing the platen is feasible only for a minority of presses, mostly youtees double platen press. My old press also has a modular platen that can be removed easily without any tools. Just push and lay down. Lift and pull out.
1".off the lip of a 500w lamp, shirt temp can get to curing temp in just a few seconds. It is more efficient than a heat gun in flashing/curing. Again, just between a heat gun and a 500w halogen lamp.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by BroJames
I know this is an old post but I agree with what lees said regarding heat gun and a 500w halogen lamp, in relation to flashing/curing.
Removing the platen is feasible only for a minority of presses, mostly youtees double platen press. My old press also has a modular platen that can be removed easily without any tools. Just push and lay down. Lift and pull out.
1".off the lip of a 500w lamp, shirt temp can get to curing temp in just a few seconds. It is more efficient than a heat gun in flashing/curing. Again, just between a heat gun and a 500w halogen lamp.
thanks for the tip. Im gonna give the halogen another try. are you saying you keep the lamp about an inch away from the shirt? And are we talkin 10 seconds? 20 seconds? Say for a 8" x8" logo.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Hover it 1" above the shirt and move it about 1/2"-1" per second or so depending on the ink deposit and color. From left to right, you move it about 2" lower then cure again from left to right. Maybe 3-4" lower is also fine but I've not tried it. A 2" hover with lower speed should also be fine(if not better) but I also have not tried that. Experiment on it with lots of wash test.
Testing on small pieces of fabric, you can also try observe the smoke. Also try see when the fabric scorches. I deliberately do it to avoid it. The best time should be somewhere in between.
The reason I moved to a 1500w halogen, later curing at a higher distance, is to be able to cure the shirt at a more consistent heat over a wider area.
You should really have something with temp control but between heat gun and halogen, I prefer halogen because it cures faster.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolantmc
About the heat gun, i see no one likes them, dont no why but i get that point. Someone told me to purchase one for football jerseys i am getting ready to do. They say that the flash unit is to hot for the jersey. Is this correct can someonehelp
thanks tonya
sorry if someone has already touched base on this topic... pick up the stuff that is called nylabond (not sure if thats exactly how its spelled) mix a very small amount with your ink (follow the instructions its easy) it makes the ink able to cure at a much lower temp so your flash dryer wont melt the material... learned that one the hard way.
If adding Nylobond is working for you there is no discussion - but if you don't use heat to cross-link the plastisol ink resins, it won't be as durable as properly cured ink.
Beware, nylon bonding agents are formulated to make plastisol stick to water resistant nylon fabric, but they still must be cured just like regular plastisol in the 300°F neighborhood.
The function of nylon bonding agents is to reduce the viscosity of plastisol ink so it can penetrate the tight weave of nylon fabric and water resistant coatings found on jackets.
Moist air makes the agents gel or thicken after penetration (wait 72 hours ? before scratch testing), but that doesn't cure the actual plastisol.
Beware, anything you do to increase penetration, reduces opacity of the printed fink film. This isn't a problem on smooth satin finish nylons, but ink penetration will weaken opacity on a jersey knit garment.
This is a discussion about White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique that was posted in the Screen Printing section of the forums.
Re: White Ink on Black Shirts: My New Top Secret Classified Technique 
