Plastisol

Plastisol is PVC resin in plasticizer. It doesn’t air-dry and cures with heat. It sits on top of the fabric, feels thicker and a little stiffer than water-based, is very opaque, and is the most forgiving ink on press because it won’t dry in the screen. ScreenPrinting.com suggests beginners start with it.

Cure: the entire ink film has to reach the ink’s cure temperature. Sources give ranges: ScreenPrinting.com says plastisols cure roughly 260–320°F depending on the ink; Davis gives a general range of 280–320°F, with many inks fully curing around 310–330°F; Lawson describes standard plastisol at around 320°F and low-cure inks around 280°F. Taken together, that’s ~260–330°F by ink (sources differ): your ink’s TDS decides. Plastisol gels (dry to the touch but not cured) well below that.

• Thinning: use only a curable reducer at the maker’s dose. Davis warns that non-curable reducers and mineral spirits can stop plastisol from fusing.
• Handling: stir before use, and don’t store ink next to the dryer or flash (Lawson).
• Low-cure additive: ICC lists its 3804 additive at 5–6% by weight to bring most plastisols below 300°F, for heat-sensitive garments. Test before production, and check both the ink’s and the additive’s TDS for the actual cure temperature and dwell.
• Nylon: ICC’s 900 series needs its catalyst at 16:1 by volume (20:1 by weight), with a pot life of 4–8 hours once catalyzed.
• Mixing systems match Pantone colors as simulations. A plastisol mix on a shirt approximates a Pantone chip; it isn’t an exact match.
• Cleanup: plastisol press wash or screen wash, not water. Davis separates press wash (during the run) from screen wash (cleanup).