[MyKil]

Hello world.
This is my first post. I have read many posts here, but after searching this forum and the internet in general, I can't find a straight answer to my question. Perhaps it's the word combo I'm using; I don't know. If this has already been discussed, please just point me to the discussion.

I'm wanting to print halftone images; usually white plastisol ink on black garments. So, is it "better" to print on 100% cotton or 50/50? How about Tri-Blends with Rayon?

I am a designer working for a screen printing shop as well as a member of a band fixing to "mass" produce shirts. I would assume that since 50/50 shirts need a plastisol with a lo-bleed ingredient, and cotton shirts do not have the same dye migration problems as repeatedly dyed blend shirts, 100% cotton would be the best choice.

But the shirts we really like (as well as some of our better clients) are 50/50. Just wondering if there is a consensus on the subject, or if there is a "trick" to printing halftones on 50/50...or if I'm just over-thinking this all together. Thanks.

 

[tpitman]

There's really no "better" shirt. The only beef I've got with 50/50's is they seem to shed a lot of what I'm guessing is the cotton content. The shirtboards seem to lint-up much quicker, and that might have a bearing on the finish if you were using a white ink that was tacky if it pulled up lint when the mesh releases from the print stroke.
Otherwise, you know the potential for dye migration using white ink on color tees, so if those are the shirts you prefer, use them and keep cure temps as low as possible while still getting a complete cure.

 

[MyKil]

so if those are the shirts you prefer, use them and keep cure temps as low as possible while still getting a complete cure.

Forgive me, but I've been on the design side of the shop for a while and am just now getting to the print side and pushing the squeegee myself. I thought that cure time was ~45 seconds and a final temp of ~315º - 330º on ALL materials. Is that incorrect? I just bought "How to Print T-shirts for Fun and Profit", but have not been able to read it yet...