[LMPromotionals]

lol. just realized the last post on this thread was 2 years ago... bump?

 

[selanac]

That's okay we still look at the posts. The go into our Favorite Threads.

You can use a Multi-purpose ink that you buy from AC Moore or Michael's. One of them is Speedball though I don't know how well it works. Usually speeedball isn't very good. Especially their waterbase ink.

 

[replicantgraphic]

i just added some catalyst to my plastisol ink and it is sticking just fine. I've been trying to figure out an easier way to print some posters with my existing ink. I may eventually buy waterbased inks but for now i'm gonna try the catalyst.

 

[ScreenFoo]

I've posted this in numerous 'can I print paper with plastisol' threads, but there are designs printed on paper here that are nearing thirty years old. If the paper is not coated, and it's cured properly, I have to rip the paper to damage the print.

On coated stock, however, all bets are off. Some stick well, some flake right off.

As mentioned ^^, catalyst can make plastisol stick to a lot of stuff it wasn't designed to...

 

[tpitman]

I would say the more tooth the paper has, the better it will stick. Plastisol needs something to grab hold of. My kid has done some posters with plastisol and he says they hold up pretty well.

 

[LMPromotionals]

i did end up having very good luck printing plastisol on paper. it was a card stock so it was pretty durable under the flash burner. no catalyst just straight ink. looking forward to more paper printing in the future.

thanks for the tips!

 

[selanac]

So everyone understands, especially me, you're talking about Paper, not transfer paper?

 

[MimosaTexas]

I don't understand the people who say they are setup for plastisol and don't want to make the leap to waterbased. Our shop is small and capital is relatively tight and we print waterbased (posters and shirts), discharge, and plastisol every day. The only additions, beyond buying the proper inks for the job, are a hardener which we spray onto the emulsion after burning and pre-production (and we post expose on our box or outside), and turning on a fan for more air circulation.

We use mostly speedball inks for paper since they are dirt cheap and easy to mix custom colors, though for some projects we use samples or quarts of housepaint from lowe's or home depot since the opacity on dark papers is insane.

For light and natural shirts we use matsui waterbased and custom mix colors. We use the same mixing system with a few trial and error tweaks we've developed for discharge (and we prefer discharge for basically every job we use a 100% cotton shirt that isnt royal blue or purple as the whole process is just faster and easier than plastisol), and we use plastisol basically just when necessary.

If you are printing paper you will save time and headaches by just using speedball fabric/acryllic (both work fine on paper) with curable reducer and proper flooding. We don't use a diazo emulsion because the shelf life and sensitivity to things like variable temperature and humidity are annoying when we can just buy hardener and use one emulsion for everything and its basically fool proof. Plus we only have to remember one set of exposure settings etc.

 

[replicantgraphic]

For me it's a space factor too. I don't have a lot of space to store other inks. I have a small dryer also that doesn't have a lot of air movement.

I thought about going the house paint route.
I ended up just using my regular plastisol ink with no catalyst. I printed on French 80# cover Speckletone true white. Sent each color through the dryer with no problems. Well i noticed the paper shrank up a little on the first round. So i had to preshrink the sheets.

I'm basically doing the posters for fun right now. So i'm not worried about the "proper" way to do it.

Here's a link to my first poster.
Bill Murray screen print | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[MimosaTexas]

We have a dryer with forced air, but for waterbased we actually normally just use a pedestal house fan pointed through the chamber from the infeed. Works great and cheap.

nice looking print! two color?

 

[replicantgraphic]

Actually 3 color. This was a separation studio trial separation I did. So the highlight adds some detail.
Seems like poster artwork separations are a little different. Especially since wet on wet printing doesn't work very well on posters.

 

[replicantgraphic]

good idea with the fan. I thought about trying to reverse the exhaust fan on this dryer.

 

[LocatingSpaces]

That's okay we still look at the posts. The go into our Favorite Threads.

You can use a Multi-purpose ink that you buy from AC Moore or Michael's. One of them is Speedball though I don't know how well it works. Usually speeedball isn't very good. Especially their waterbase ink.

I'm in the same situation with existing inks. ive just tested Wilfex plastisol on paper, after air dry it does smugde off. then i cured it using a ordinary clothes iron (no steam) with baking paper/grease proof paper on top of the design.. and it doesnt smudge but the paper does shrink a little.

it you were to print multiple colours, i would recommend air dry between colours. then finish it off with the iron and baking paper after the last air dry. my 2cents

 

[selanac]

I wouldn't use Speedball. Use professional ink.

I'd use a Heat Gun before I iron. However, you should use a flash dryer and/or a conveyor dryer.

You mentioned Smudging, has anyone had smudging or bleeding using thinner inks like Turquoise or purple?

 

[splathead]

What is the point of curing waterbased inks on paper?

 

[selanac]

I don't know what the point is, but does any know how to prevent bleeding? When I print thinner Plastisol inks like Turquoise and purple. Black, white and even gray is fine.

I put tack on the platten. When I pull the screen back up the top right side bleeds. Years ago when I first started screen printing on t-shirts, white would bleed if you didn't have an offset of 1/8" to 1/4" it would bleed.

With the Custom Plastisol Paper the thinner inks do this. I put a higher offset with no success.

 

[deepbluex]

From what I've read, plastisols pretty much don't stick to anything, but rely on mechanical grip to something with texture, such as cloth. My kid works in a shop, and sometimes they'll run posters for bands on stock with a little tooth, and it SEEMS to hold okay. You'd be better off getting some Speedball ink, some of the waterbased textile inks, or even a quart of flat latex paint from Home Depot for more reliable results. Use a 230 mesh or higher.

It's true - I tried printing plastisol on some smooth bristol paper and it slid right off after curing. Plastisol doesn't adhere like glue. It sits on a surface and if the surface doesn't offer a mesh-like texture onto which it can grip and take hold (plastisol penetrates fabric a tiny bit which helps it get even more traction), the plastisol might as well sit on glass. It will peel right off like a dried smudge of rubber cement.

 

[BroJames]

It's true - I tried printing plastisol on some smooth bristol paper and it slid right off after curing. Plastisol doesn't adhere like glue. It sits on a surface and if the surface doesn't offer a mesh-like texture onto which it can grip and take hold (plastisol penetrates fabric a tiny bit which helps it get even more traction), the plastisol might as well sit on glass. It will peel right off like a dried smudge of rubber cement.

... and that's the principle behind plastisol transfers.

 

[royster13]

some plastisol transfer have an adhesive layer and apply quite well to paper and cardboard....

 

[20vK]

So, what ink would be best for printing on Kraft brown boxes for shipping?

Would wb cope with getting wet?