Polyester is among the toughest fabric for you to screen printing on polyester. It’s also recommended to stay clear of poly-cotton blends in lots of instances. Since we are in the decorative clothing business. We’re often asked if we are able to print on various kinds of fabrics. In most instances the answer is yes. However, not all materials are compatible with ink. Therefore it’s crucial to take into consideration every aspect of your production process.
Polyester Apparel Types
It was the time that polyester was commonly associated with school and leisure uniforms. Today the use of polyester fabric printing is used in a variety of our favourite clothes it’s difficult to stay clear of. The colors that have been hacked as well as triblends are made up of polyester. A lot of people are unaware that the majority of sweatshirts are made of polyester. It’s not common to find one that is 100 percent cotton.
Moisture Wicking as well as athletic and race clothing also contain polyester into fabrics. Nowadays, you’ve got a few t-shirts that are made of made of polyester.Take extra care in the event that your clothing is composed of a spandex and polyester blend. The polyester poses a number of problems that we discuss in this article. Moreover, spandex presents a unique set of challenges to conquer. The majority of screen printing inks aren’t as stretchy as spandex, and can crack when the garment has been worn.
Why Polyester is so difficult to Screen Print
The reason that polyester is difficult to print on is due to a reaction called dye migration. In the process of dye migration, small particles of dye move through the fabric and onto the print ink that is printed on the screen. This causes a unwanted color change or tint color. The header image in this blog showcases an image that was white before, but after dye migration, it appears pink.
The process of transferring dye occurs during the garment is being cured. Curing is the procedure of setting the screen print ink in order that it can be cleaned. When the process is curing the garment is placed in a conveyor belt that runs underneath an a source of heat set at 325 degrees. Unfortunately, the temperature of 300 degrees triggers the process of dye migration.
When polyester is exposed to temperatures around 300° the dye migration process begins to take place. Because the heat is required for curing Screen print companies constantly seeks methods to prevent this unwanted outcome.
How to Prevent Dye Migration
Although there isn’t a method that can be guaranteed to perform without failure, the industry of ink has made significant progress. If you print using the correct inks, you can have an excellent chance that the colors you print will be in line with the colors of your art.
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Low Bleed White Inks – This is a specially designed white ink which can be used as an underbase that can help in blocking dye migration.
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Gray Underbase – Gray Ink has the capability to make neutral the colors of dye particles.
Because the gray ink acts as the layer used for printing as well as an underbase of white that gives the print more of a more substantial hand. “Hand” is the sensation of a screen print fabric. Because prints that are soft-hand are a frequent demand the gray underbase has become obsolete to the point of being useless.
