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Inks · 7 of 8 · 1 min read

Polyester and dye migration

Polyester dyes turn to gas when heated and move up into the ink, turning white or light ink pink, gray or greenish on red, black, heather or camo polyester. It can show up straight out of the dryer or develop over days. Any polyester content can do it; white polyester doesn’t bleed.

At what temperature? Sources give different ranges: ScreenPrinting.com says about 260–340°F, and Lawson says typically 295–330°F. Both overlap where standard plastisol cures, which is why poly needs care. Check your ink’s tech data sheet.

  1. Pick blanks that don’t bleed much. Cheaper shirts and some dye lots are worse.
  2. Use a low-bleed or poly ink. On bad bleeders, put a gray or black blocker underbase underneath.
  3. Cure as low as the ink allows, with low-cure inks or additives, and don’t stack hot shirts.
  4. Test the shirt before the job. Lawson describes heat-pressing a white-printed swatch and grading it on the AATCC gray scale. PIA suggests testing a week ahead, since migration can be delayed.
Sources for this guide (32)
  1. Davis International, FAQs
  2. Davis International, Common issues
  3. Davis International, 7600 Series product bulletin (PDF)
  4. Wilflex (Avient), Ink curing tips (2020, PDF)
  5. Wilflex (Avient), Product selection guide (PDF)
  6. International Coatings, Low-cure additive 3804
  7. International Coatings, Catalyst 900 (nylon)
  8. Avient, Wilflex Epic Rio color mixing system
  9. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do you cure water-based ink?
  10. Avient, Mapping your conveyor dryer (PDF)
  11. SPSI, Aquarius Activator ZF
  12. CCI, T-Charge tech sheet (PDF)
  13. ScreenPrinting.com, High contrast with discharge inks
  14. Lancer Group, NX6135 high density additive
  15. Impressions, The challenges of screen printing on caps
  16. ScreenPrinting.com, Printing with plastisol vs. water-based ink
  17. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Water-based vs. plastisol
  18. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Curing water-based ink without forced air
  19. Lawson Screen & Digital, Plastisol ink FAQ
  20. Lawson Screen & Digital, Low-cure screen printing ink
  21. Lawson Screen & Digital, Eliminating fibrillation
  22. Lawson Screen & Digital, Testing polyester for dye migration
  23. ScreenPrinting.com, What is dye migration?
  24. ScreenPrinting.com, Decoding poly white and dye blocker inks
  25. PIA/SPTF, Textile plastisol curing troubleshooting (PDF)
  26. Lancer Group, STI direct print silicone ink system (PDF)
  27. Northwest Graphic, Silextreme silicone ink
  28. Graphics Pro, Silicone simplified
  29. Avient, Print technique guide, 2023 (PDF)
  30. Avient, PAGEJ100 Crystalina tech data sheet
  31. International Coatings, Puff additive
  32. ScreenPrinting.com, 4 curing methods

Ranges are starting points from these sources. When a source and your ink’s tech data sheet disagree, follow the tech data sheet.