Printing Q&A
frequently asked questions
Why are my prints cracking or washing out?
The most likely reason is that the ink is improperly cured! Always make sure that your curing unit is working properly.
- First check the temperature of the curing unit and make sure it is set as per instructions mentioned on the Technical Data Sheet of the printed ink.
- If the settings are correct and you are still facing this issue, make sure that your curing unit is heating properly to the set temperature. To check this, you can use several appliances to verify the temperature inside of the unit.
- If all is proper, you can also decide whether or not the belt speed of your curing unit is way too fast.
Do plastisol inks need to be stirred before use?
It is a good practice to stir plastisol inks before each use, due to the fact that plastisol inks will take on a thicker viscosity when it sits, even for just one day, let alone weeks. It is important to stir the plastisol before deciding whether or not to add viscosity reducers, because often the case is that printers add unnecessary viscosity reducers just because they didn’t stir the plastisol to break down the false body, namely the thicker viscosity. In case the plastisol ink has been sitting for a very long time, the clear liquid portion of the ink may separate from the heavier components of resin and pigment. No worries here, just stir.
Pigment Migration vs Dye Migration
Pigment migration occurs when one ink migrates into another ink that is printed over the other. It’s like the green ink migrating into the white ink on the same design.
However, dye migration occurs when the dyes of the garment migrate up into the ink that is printed on it. It simply is the pinkish shade you see on a white print over a 50/50 red t-shirt. Dye migration is also known as bleeding.
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