Screen printing on heather fabrics

5657 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by 65 PONTIAC, Apr 25, 2012

65 PONTIAC

Discussion Starter · Apr 23, 2012

The last time this question was posed in the t-shirt forum was November, 2010. I don't if the process has changed any but...

I'd like to screen print on a heathered t-shirt. Just for conversation, perhaps a Canvas 3055. But the printer I use says there is danger in the ink running. I think this style of tee is ideal for the concept I have and for the most part I've never had the printer use a base layer because I don't care much for any trace of ink if possible (whether that has anything to do with it or not). Why are the people who manufacture or offer these types of t-shirts as blanks for screenprinting do so if it's not a workable process?

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ScreenFoo

· #2 · Apr 24, 2012

I think they're talking about migration--when an incorrect ink or curing method is used with any blend of polyester it's possible for the dye to migrate through the ink layer and show on the image--IMO heather isn't too tough on this, compared to royals, or the dreaded red...

If they're quality blanks (like Canvas) a skilled printer with proper equipment and supplies shouldn't have any problems printing any image they can put on any other shirt.

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65 PONTIAC

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 24, 2012

ScreenFoo said:
I think they're talking about migration--when an incorrect ink or curing method is used with any blend of polyester it's possible for the dye to migrate through the ink layer and show on the image--IMO heather isn't too tough on this, compared to royals, or the dreaded red...

If they're quality blanks (like Canvas) a skilled printer with proper equipment and supplies shouldn't have any problems printing any image they can put on any other shirt.

Thanks, Tyson. Could you clarify for the novice: incorrect ink, curing, IMO heather ?

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Flagrant-T

· #4 · Apr 24, 2012

I'm sure screenfoo is right, that he is talking about dye migration, however, I've never seen this occur with heather shirts. Right after white, heather shirts are about the easiest shirts to print on. Pretty much any ink should work.

The problem usually occurs on 50/50 shirts (which a lot of heather shirts are), but mostly with bright colors, especially reds. Since plastisol ink is plastic, and 50/50 shirts have essentially plastic in them, the dye from the shirt sometimes migrates into the ink. Biggest problem is red shirts with white ink, if done incorrectly the white ink will end up pink.

Fixes are special inks for polyester material, as well as curing at to the lowest temperature to get a full cure.

But again, this should not be a problem on heather.

Good luck,
Nick

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65 PONTIAC

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 24, 2012

Flagrant-T said:
I'm sure screenfoo is right, that he is talking about dye migration, however, I've never seen this occur with heather shirts. Right after white, heather shirts are about the easiest shirts to print on. Pretty much any ink should work.

The problem usually occurs on 50/50 shirts (which a lot of heather shirts are), but mostly with bright colors, especially reds. Since plastisol ink is plastic, and 50/50 shirts have essentially plastic in them, the dye from the shirt sometimes migrates into the ink. Biggest problem is red shirts with white ink, if done incorrectly the white ink will end up pink.

Fixes are special inks for polyester material, as well as curing at to the lowest temperature to get a full cure.

But again, this should not be a problem on heather.

Good luck,
Nick

Thanks a ton, Nick. I'm from Michigan and a huge Piston's fan. Which is why Flagrant-T is pretty cool. I wasn't going to get too nuts with heather colors so I thought I'd start with black ink on a heather grey. Which by the sounds of your explanation, shouldn't be too problematic.

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foot print

· #6 · Apr 24, 2012

I love printing on heather grey/sports grey shirts..i have printed just about every color under the rainbow on them and have never had any issues..Food for thought ALWAYS check the label/tag "alternative apparel" sells a great heather tee but it was a tri-blend printed well but the heat shrunk it.

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ScreenFoo

· #7 · Apr 24, 2012

I've only seen weird ones a handful of times--never on ash, but sport grey will sometimes 'dull' a white. Definitely not common in my experience either.

I was just saying IMO as in "in my opinion" heather isn't tough to print--as Nick mentioned as well. I suppose charcoal heather or the colored heathers might be a much different bag, have only done a few runs with weird ones.

Normally when a shirt with polyester content is printed with a light colored ink, a "low bleed" type of ink is used, which combined with good curing practices (not overheating, but curing the full ink layer) results in a print that stays the same color--without the dye from the shirt migrating into the ink layer.

HTH

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65 PONTIAC

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 25, 2012

ScreenFoo said:
I've only seen weird ones a handful of times--never on ash, but sport grey will sometimes 'dull' a white. Definitely not common in my experience either.

I was just saying IMO as in "in my opinion" heather isn't tough to print--as Nick mentioned as well. I suppose charcoal heather or the colored heathers might be a much different bag, have only done a few runs with weird ones.

Normally when a shirt with polyester content is printed with a light colored ink, a "low bleed" type of ink is used, which combined with good curing practices (not overheating, but curing the full ink layer) results in a print that stays the same color--without the dye from the shirt migrating into the ink layer.

HTH

"In my opinion." Of course. I knew that. Are you sure this isn't Orson Welles?

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