Curing Plastisol Inks
- Admin
Curing plastisol inks is a matter of exposing them to the proper amount of heat for the correct length of time. Correct curing of plastisol ink is extremely important. The most common problem encountered with plastisol inks is poor washability, color loss and cracking of the ink. In almost every case, this is due to an incomplete ink cure.
When plastisol is heated, the resin particles absorb the surrounding liquid (plasticizer) and swell, they merge with each other and form a tough, elastic film. It is generally impossible to over cure direct prints because the over cure temperature is above the scorching point of the garment. However, it is not recommended that you heat the ink layer above 350º F (176º C). Usually curing above this temperature will cause puff inks to collapse.
The ultimate and definitive test to determine if plastisol inks are properly cured is a wash test. Wash the garment in hot water with a strong detergent. Generally it will take from 5-10 washings to fully test the cure, but if the ink is seriously under-cured, the print will show deterioration after only 1-3 washings.
Also, problems with dye migration are greatly increased when curing at elevated temperatures – so it is best if you can cure at lower temperatures whenever possible, especially with polyester garments. Note that if the entire thickness of the ink is not brought to the correct curing temperature the ink will be under-cured (the resin has not absorbed all of the plasticizer) and the ink can crack and flake off the garment when washed.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.