[money911]

Just wondering how long or how many washes a good water based print will last on a 100% cotton tee?

also how much longer does plastisol or oil based inks last compared to water based.

thanks

 

[brent]

If cured properly, a waterbased print will last as long as the garment. If it's not cured properly, it may fade, and if it's an opaque ink it may crack.
If cured properly, plastisol ink will never fade or crack, and will outlast the garment. You can take a well-done plastisol print on a shirt, bury it, dig it up 20 years later, and the shirt will have rotted away, but that plastic ink will still be there.
I have no experience with oil based inks but I would assume/hope they'd be as permanent as WB or plastisol...

 

[neato]

If cured properly, a waterbased print will last as long as the garment.

Actually, it'll last longer. I know of one manufacturer that has done tests with their ink that proved this. They washed a printed garment until the garment was falling apart, but the area that was printed stayed intact, as if the ink was protecting the shirt. Pretty cool.

 

[SketchBox]

You can take a well-done plastisol print on a shirt, bury it, dig it up 20 years later, and the shirt will have rotted away, but that plastic ink will still be there.

thats more shocking than anything, another point to go for more eco friendly materials.

 

[gmille39]

If cured properly, a waterbased print will last as long as the garment. If it's not cured properly, it may fade, and if it's an opaque ink it may crack.
If cured properly, plastisol ink will never fade or crack, and will outlast the garment. You can take a well-done plastisol print on a shirt, bury it, dig it up 20 years later, and the shirt will have rotted away, but that plastic ink will still be there.
I have no experience with oil based inks but I would assume/hope they'd be as permanent as WB or plastisol...

That's good to know, for those that expect to kill and bury someone. Remove their t-shirt first, as the ink may hold your fingerprints. Just a thought. Maybe CSI should have a show like that.
Catch the killer through a screen printed t-shrit.