Plastisol Ink, For Industrial, Form : Liquid

plastisol inks are widely used in garment printing. They are easy to print, do not dry in the screen, can be very opaque on dark garments, and will adhere to most textiles. They are composed primarily of two ingredients, pvc resin (a white powder) and plasticizer (a thick, clear liquid). Plastisol inks have one outstanding characteristic; they must be heated to dry. They will not dry, or cure, at normal temperatures. For a complete cure, they must reach 290-330º f (143-166º c).

plastisol inks can be printed on virtually any surface that can withstand the heat required to cure the ink and is porous enough to permit good ink penetration. Plastisol inks do not color the fibers like a dye. Instead the ink wraps around the fibers and makes a mechanical bond with the fabric. For this reason, they will not adhere to non-porous substrates such as plastic, metal, and glass. They also will not adhere well to woven, waterproofed nylon material without adding a bonding agent.

plastisol is used as ink for screen-printing on to textiles. Plastisols are the most commonly used inks for printing designs on to garments, and are particularly useful for printing opaque graphics on dark fabrics.

plastisol inks are not water-soluble. The ink is composed of pvc particles suspended in a plasticizing emulsion, and will not dry if left in the screen for extended periods. Garments don't need to be washed after printing. Plastisol inks are recommended for printing on colored fabric. On lighter fabric, plastisol is extremely opaque and can retain a bright image for many years with proper care.

plastisol inks will not dry, but must be cured. Curing can be done with a flash dryer, or any oven. Most plastisols need to reach a temperature of about 180 degrees celsius (350 fahrenheit) for full curing. Plastisol tends to sit atop the fabric instead of soaking into the fibres, giving the print a raised, plasticized texture. Other inks can produce a softer feel.

with so many different meshes to choose from, selecting the “best” mesh for your plastisol printing needs can be frustrating. Use the following information as a guide for choosing your screen mesh:

glitter plastisol ink: use 30 – 38 mesh

athletic prints: use 60 – 85 mesh

fleece items: use 60 – 110 mesh

puff inks: use 60 – 85 mesh

metallic plastisol ink: 60 – 85 mesh

super opaque/bleed resistant plastisol: 60 – 85 mesh

hot-split heat transfers: 60 – 85 mesh

general plastisol prints: 110 – 125 mesh

multi-color, wet-on-wet plastisol printing: 180 – 200 mesh

nylon jacket printing: 180 – 230 mesh

simulated & 4-color process: 230 – 305 mesh

application: 

it is thick, highly covering paste for direct printing, prints have a soft hand finish, generally plastisol prints should be cured at 170o c -180o c the amount of time it takes for curing depend upon the color and thickness of the ink deposit, an initial test to determine cure is, after curing and cooling, the print should feel dry and firm when rubbed with your thumb, it should be able to stretch and relax without excessive cracking.

technical information: 

main composition: admixture of pvc resin, titanium dioxide colourants & plasticizer 

appearance : thick paste. 

squeegee : medium durometer 

fabric : 60 to 140 cm for direct printing 

stencil : direct, indirect, capillary film 

wash-up : mineral spirits / non-hazardous screen washes 

reducer : sofnol 40 upto 0.25% -0.5% 

curing / fusion : 360o f / 180o c