[oakasaur]

For our very first designs, we had the printer use waterbased ink. Is it because of this ink or maybe an additive that caused the shirts to have a smell akin to fish?

I believe we're switching to Plastisol for the next batch. What are the pros/cons to using Plastisol over water-based inks?

Thanks!

 

[Twanabee]

If its water based or pigment inks from an inkjet printer, you should not have an odor. Most likely is is a coating on the shirts. What shirts are you using?

 

[oakasaur]

American Apparel "Standard American" Fine Jerseys

 

[red514]

are these dark garments, is it possible they used discharge in the water based inks? that stuff smells like formaldehyde! o_0

 

[Kime]

Pros and cons: If you iron directly over plastisol you will ruin the print (and it isn't very good for the iron, either). Waterbased can be ironed. Plastisol is usually cheaper to have printed. Waterbased can have a softer hand, especially on light or white shirts.

If your printer used discharge the shirts can be aired out and they will lose the smell after a while, they will also lose the smell after washing. Discharge has no hand at all after washing. (you can't feel it on the shirt)

 

[oakasaur]

We used Grass and Heather Gray from American Apparel o_o

 

[oakasaur]

Thanks Kime, good stuff to know

 

[Unik Ink]

Discharge prints shouldn't have an odor if they are cured properly. That is one way that we test to see if our dryer is hot enough. If the shirt has a strong smell of discharge agent when it comes through the dryer, we bump up the temp. If it doesn't, it is cured.

 

[parthenon09]

Most discharge discharge inks do smell, many have scent maskers to cover the smell while the chemical reaction takes place in the dryer, after printing usually there is a slight scent afterwards, but its hardly noticeable, and if you undercure it you will know, because the reaction wont occur with the desired results. BTW wilflex supposedly makes a formaldehyde free catylist ink, which means cancer free for those shops without proper ventillation. has anyone used this type of ink and could say whether it worked well or not.

 

[speedwheels]

Hi! I screen print using waterbased inks such as Speedball and Permaset. some of their colors have a fishy/ammonia odor that i tend to notice more during the curing process. I dont currently screen print in bulk, but i think it would be possible to have the experience you mentioned using waterbased inks.