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What Is Water Based Ink in Screen Printing?
What is water-based ink? What makes it a desirable ink for screen printers? The basic answer is that water-based ink uses water as a base. Seems pretty self-explanatory, right? There’s a lot more to know about water-based ink than just the base itself. Let’s dive in and talk about what water-based ink is and how printers can get the most out of it.
Why Should I Start Screen Printing?
Screen printing is a challenging, creative process. Many screen printers start out as a hobby, or get into the trade through other means of garment decorating, like vinyl or embroidery. Stepping into screen printing doesn’t have to be a big investment, but it can have big effects on your business. Let’s talk about what it takes to start screen printing, and how it can be combined with other aspects of garment decoration.
How to Print White Plastisol Ink on a Black Shirt with a Smoothing Screen
Printing white ink on black shirts is a popular design combination. For this design choice to be most effective, the ink needs to be clean and bright. For the best results, printers should use a smoothing screen. Want to learn how to do it? Print expert Colin Huggins has the answers.
3 Ways to Create Soft Prints with Plastisol Ink
Soft hand prints are best achieved with water-based ink but can be done with plastisol ink as well. Between the inks you choose to use, the garments you're printing on, to the available ink additives, achieving soft plastisol prints is possible. Let's take a look at three ways to create soft hand prints with plastisol ink.
Best Practices to Ensure Proper Ink Curing with 4 Curing Methods
Curing your prints is one of the last steps of the screen printing process, but it is one of the most important steps. Ink needs to be cured properly so it sets into the garment. If the ink does not cure fully, it will crack, fall apart, and not last for long. Printers use either heat guns, heat presses, flash dryers, or conveyor dryers to cure inks. Let's take a look at how each curing device works.
The Basics of Mixing Emulsion and Coating a Screen
Not all emulsions respond the same when coating screens: some emulsions require adjustments in pressure and speed, depending on the emulsion thickness and the type of mesh you're working with on your screen. The end result should give a nice glisten that makes a great stencil for your next screen printing job. Darkroom expert Colin Huggins is on the case.
A Guide to Firing up Your T-Shirt Printing Side Hustle
Need some extra cash? Want to diversify your income? Starting a side hustle is a great way to earn some extra money while doing something you love. Screen printing is a great side hustle to start up. Dip your toes in with a small press and take the craft as far as you want. Let’s talk about why you’d want a side hustle, what you’ll need, and how to be successful at it.
Why Every Screen Printer Needs a Heat Press in their Shop
A heat press is a great tool and has tons of uses. Many screen printers start by heat pressing transfers onto t-shirts, tote bags, or other garments. Heat presses can be used to cure garments, and are great for printing at live events. Let’s talk about all the benefits of having a heat press, and what you’ll need to be successful.
4 Steps to Prepare Your Screen Print Shop for a Severe Storm
It’s summer storm season again. You know what that means: natural disasters and storms that can impact your business. What should you do to prepare for a severe storm and protect your print shop? Here are six tips for prepping before a storm and what to do if your shop does get damaged.
Why Screen Printers Should Use a Filtration System
If you have ever had to pay for a drain cleaning service or plumber to come to your shop to unclog your drain, you already know why you should be using a filtration system underneath your washout booth. Filtration systems keep solids from washing down the drain, clogging up your pipes, and creating a lot of stress for you. Let’s go over why printers need a filtration system and how to use it.
CMYK vs. Spot Color vs. Simulated Process Printing
Okay, so you’ve heard their names, CMYK Process, Spot Color, and Simulated Process, but what are they? What sets them apart from one another and what is the best use for each? Let’s go through them, one by one!
A 5-Step Guide to Separating Spot Colors in Adobe Illustrator
For some screen printers, using Illustrator to separate colors can be overwhelming at times. Luckily, the main roadblock people run into is over-thinking the process. In this video, Luke Ryerkerk shows a simple way to separate a design using some key tools in Illustrator.
