Plastisol Ink is suitable for a variety of fabrics, including 100% cotton, cotton/poly blends, polyester, dark and light colored fabrics, denim, etc. However, please note that it may not be suitable for some special fabrics, such as plastic, metal, glass, etc. and waterproof nylon fabrics. The reason why it can be used on these common fabrics is that these fabrics can withstand high temperatures of 150°C to 180°C and are breathable, allowing the ink to penetrate. For example, on pure cotton fabrics, Plastisol Ink can produce clear, bright and long-lasting prints; on polyester-cotton blends, it can also adhere and color well.

There may be many reasons why Plastisol Ink has poor fastness during operation. First, it may be that the ink is not properly selected, has poor compatibility with the printing material, or the ink has expired and has become ineffective. For example, ink that is not suitable for a specific fabric material is used, or ink that has been stored for too long and has degraded performance is used. Secondly, the ink layer is too thin and the adhesive is damaged, which can also lead to poor fastness. This may be due to improper adjustment of the viscosity of the ink during printing, or errors in the operation process. In addition, insufficient heating and slow printing drying speed will also affect the fastness. If the heat and air supply are insufficient, the ink cannot be fully cured and it is difficult to achieve the desired fastness. In addition, when overprinting, the lower layer of ink is not completely dry and is covered by the new ink layer, forming a false dry, which will also affect the fastness. In addition, dirt on the surface of the printing material, too thick a printing ink layer, too much ink, too high a viscosity, which causes the ink to become brittle after a long drying period, and the tension of the printing material surface is lower than the tension of the ink, etc., may all lead to poor fastness of Plastisol Ink.

The storage of Plastisol Ink requires the following conditions. Generally speaking, it should be placed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and high temperature environments. The storage temperature should not be too high or too low to prevent changes in the ink’s performance. During storage, ensure that the container is well sealed to prevent the ink from coming into contact with the air, and to prevent moisture and impurities in the air from entering the ink and affecting its quality. For example, if the ink is exposed to the air for a long time, the solvent in it may evaporate, causing the ink to thicken or even dry, affecting the use effect. At the same time, the ink should be used according to its shelf life. Expired ink may have problems such as performance degradation and poor curing.

The printing process of Plastisol Ink is relatively complicated. First of all, the selection of screen is very important. Generally, 100-120 mesh thick plate is selected. Use a screen printing hard square knife to scrape at 75 degrees, and use transparent ink to prime 1-2 times. When printing for the first time, scrape 4-6 times with force. For color ink, print 2-3 times (or directly print color ink 3-4 times without primer). After printing, heat treatment is carried out, and it is baked at 150-180 degrees for 1-3 minutes. During the printing process, the ink layer needs to be blown to dry with a hot air gun before each reprint to prevent it from sticking to the screen. For example, when printing a pattern with a three-dimensional effect, it is necessary to control the thickness of the ink and the strength of the scraping to achieve the ideal three-dimensional effect.

Plastisol Ink has many effects and characteristics. First, it is paste-like and thixotropic. It is thicker when left standing, and becomes thinner when stirred. The temperature affects the viscosity. In summer, the viscosity is low and the ink is thinner, while in winter, it is the opposite. Second, it can print a variety of special effects, such as pulping, pulping and hot stamping, toothbrush particles, rounded corners, right angles, brown color, gel, sticky beads, hot stamping, stone, non-slip, bark, etc. It is suitable for manual printing and mechanical printing of textile fabrics, leather, denim, shoes, etc. Third, it will not dry at room temperature. It needs to be heated to 150°C – 180°C and baked for 1 – 3 minutes to completely solidify the ink. After plasticization, the adhesion firmness is above level 5 for wet washing and above level 4 for dry rubbing. Fourth, it can be combined with various textile decorative auxiliary materials such as glass beads, plastic beads, plastic sheets, metal glitter sheets, light reflective materials, etc. for special effect printing, which is low cost and completely environmentally friendly. For example, in clothing printing, Plastisol Ink can be used to print patterns with three-dimensional effects and rich colors, increasing the beauty and uniqueness of clothing.

Cause analysis:
One of the main reasons is that the thermosetting ink is not fully baked. If the baking temperature is not high enough or the baking time is insufficient, the ink cannot be fully cured, which will cause the slurry layer to lack elasticity and even appear powdery.
The quality problem of the ink itself may also cause this situation. For example, the improper proportion of resin components in the ink and the failure of additives may affect the curing effect and elasticity of the ink.
During use, if the ink is over-diluted, the slurry layer may also lose elasticity and appear powdery. Excessive dilution will destroy the composition ratio of the ink and reduce its performance.
Solution:
Ensure the correct baking temperature and time. According to the instructions for use of the ink, adjust the temperature and time of the baking equipment so that the ink can be fully cured. Generally speaking, increasing the baking temperature or extending the baking time can improve this situation.
Check the quality of the ink. If you suspect that there is a problem with the quality of the ink, you can contact the supplier for testing or replacement.
Avoid over-diluting the ink. When using diluent, strictly follow the proportion to ensure the performance of the ink.

Cause analysis:
One of the common reasons is that the ink layer is heated to a temperature of more than 230℃. Excessive temperature will change the composition of the ink and produce gas, which will cause the ink layer to bubble.
Adding solvent diluents to the ink may also cause bubbling. Solvent diluents may react with the components in the ink to produce bubbles.
Adding other water-based substances to the ink may also cause bubbling. Water-based substances are incompatible with oil-based inks and are prone to chemical reactions to produce bubbles.
Solution:
Control the baking temperature. Make sure that the heating temperature of the ink layer is within the appropriate range, generally not exceeding 230℃. A thermometer or temperature control equipment can be used to monitor and adjust the baking temperature.
Use a special diluent for thermosetting inks instead. Avoid using solvent diluents and choose a special diluent suitable for thermosetting inks to reduce the risk of bubbling.
Do not add water-based substances. When using thermosetting inks, make sure that water-based substances are not mixed in to avoid adverse reactions.

Cause analysis:
The surface of the slurry layer is not completely dry, which is one of the main reasons. If the baking time is insufficient or the temperature is not high enough, the surface of the slurry layer may not be completely dry, and anti-sticking may occur.
Adding too much diluent may also cause surface anti-sticking. Too much diluent will slow down the drying speed of the ink and increase the possibility of surface anti-sticking.
Slurry that is too thin may also cause surface anti-sticking. Too thin slurry will affect the curing effect of the ink and make the surface prone to anti-sticking.
Solution:
Appropriately increase the baking temperature or extend the baking time on the original basis to ensure that the surface of the slurry layer is completely dry. You can judge whether it is dry by observing the color change of the ink layer and touching the dryness of the surface.
Control the amount of diluent. According to the instructions for use of the ink, reasonably control the amount of diluent added, generally not more than 8%.
The thickening powder specially used for heat-curing ink can be used to increase the consistency of the ink. Properly increasing the consistency of the ink can improve its curing effect and reduce the situation of surface anti-sticking.