How to Use Water-based Fabric Printing Ink?

Using water-based fabric printing ink can be quite tricky and challenging— but are worth using. The water-based prints when printed and cured properly give a softer, sharper feel to the touch. They are more durable and more environmentally friendly than the plastisol inks.

Here are a few tips that will help make your prints finer, softer and better

Choose the Correct Mesh Count

Water-based inks have a lower viscosity than plastisol inks, allowing them to absorb into your chosen fabric more effectively. As waterbased inks are smoother, you’ll want to use a finer mesh to avoid too much ink flowing through and causing bleeding. For printing with water-based inks, the most common mesh count range is 160-230. It’s also necessary to use an adhesive that’s compatible with water-based inks; otherwise, the stencil could deteriorate and your print run will be ruined.

Between Prints, Flood the Screen

Water-based inks dry quickly due to their high-water content, which can lead to clogged screens if left out in the open for too long. A fast flood of the screen when setting up or printing the next colour will prevent this from happening. It’s also essential to know to keep ink tub lids tightly fastened during printing sessions so that your valuable inks don’t dry out.

Don’t Forget to Keep the Screen Little Wet

When printing with waterbased ink, a simple spray bottle filled with water will be very helpful. In between prints, this can be used to keep the screen slightly wet. You can “pre-lube” your screen prior to production using a 50/50 combination of retarder and water if you’re using a mesh count of 230 or higher, or if your shop has very low humidity. Simply spray the mixture onto the ink side of your fully prepared screen, then let it dry for a few minutes before applying the ink on the screen.

Use Heat

Heat setting is needed for the long-lasting finishes of water-based inks, so start up the heat press or drying tunnel. You can tumble dry, dry it in the sun for a few days, use a hand iron, or even bake the fabrics at a low temperature to set the inks if you’re printing at home.

The Future of Digital Textile Printing

There has been and will continue to be much debate about where new digital printing applications will be found in the future. The scope for digital fabric printing is expanding at an increasing pace, and businesses are seeking out new ways to make the most of this trend. Digital printing has started to take over and extend significant swaths of the printing industry due to its low cost, quick turnaround, and unrestricted flexibility. The old way of printing could be going the way of the dinosaur, as advances in software, electronics, and chemical technology are made every day.

Choose Water-based Inks for Fabric Printing

If you are looking for more ways to ‘go green’, choosing water-based printing is great and easy to cut down your company’s carbon footprint. No PVC (plastic) is used, they are made mainly from pigment and water— making their products better and safer for the environment. Since they are soft and breathable, they create super soft and smooth designs— popularly known as ‘soft hand feel’. Water-based seeps well into the material they are printed on because of their low viscosity. Since the design becomes part of the fabric itself, the prints would get cracked or fade away— all you get is a soft, breathable print.

Although, water-based printing might not be the best option for all screen printing projects; however, it is a brilliant tool to must-have in your printing toolbox!

At DAS Waterbased Ink, we offer water-based fabric printing ink at a very competitive to go well all type of fabrics. Get in touch to know more!