Each type of fabric has its challenges as far as the ink for custom screen printing. Here we will talk about 5 of these fabrics and the solutions.

Cotton – Ghosting occurs when shirts are being pulled off the dryer and stacked. In the right conditions, namely the ink has not cooled and the shop has high humidity, some ink may stick to the shirt stacked on top of it and result in a bleached “ghosting” surface. This problem occurs when using general purpose white inks with bleed resistance. Solution is to use a cotton white and cotton inks. If you choose to use a low-bleed ink, take steps to avoid “ghosting”. On high humidity days, give your tee shirts time to cool and dry before stacking.

Nylon Shells – Use special ink that will go into the nooks and crannies of the fabric. A general-purpose ink will stock for a while, but eventually will peel off, leaving a residue. Use a catalyst or an ink that’s made to become especially hard over time. This will insure the best application as possible for the longest time for the t-shirts or other garments for custom screen printing.

Nylon Jersey – Woven nylon requires extra adhesion. The same concept applies to nylon jersey as nylon shells. Therefore the solution is the same – use a catalyst first or an ink that’s made to become especially hard over time for the best application and durability of the tshirt, polo, or other garment for custom screen printing.

Stretchy fabrics – The stretch of the fabric must be matched by the stretch of the ink, which is a special property for a special ink. There are some low-cure, low-bleed athletic inks that provide a good amount of stretch. However, super stretch fabrics such as Lycra, usually require a very low-cure, low bleed ink or a compatible stretch additive.

Polyester – Polyester has a tendency to bleed especially when printing white on a red shirt. The key to printing successfully on polyester is to use a bleed-resistant ink to stop dye migration. If you have space on your press, printing an underbase gray is a good way to go.

Please give us a call or email us for your custom screen printing or embroidery requirements in Indianapolis, IN. Look forward to hearing from you.