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Inks · 5 of 8 · 1 min read

Specialty inks

  • High density: thick capillary film plus an additive. Ratios differ by brand, so don’t swap one brand’s ratio into another’s ink.
  • Puff: an additive makes plastisol rise when heated. ICC lists a maximum of 10–15% of its additive by weight; Avient charts high-profile puff at about 74–125 mesh.
  • Glitter: 25–40 mesh per Avient’s Crystalina TDS. Glitter and shimmer reflect infrared heat, so they need more dryer time (Davis).
  • Metallic and shimmer: Avient charts metallics at about 60–86 mesh. Metallics and fluorescents resist flashing and need more cure time.
  • Reflective: needs a longer dwell, similar to water-based.
  • Low-cure and poly or blocker inks: let you cure at lower temperatures, which reduces dye migration. Sources put migration anywhere from about 260–340°F (ScreenPrinting.com) to 295–330°F (Lawson), so test and check the ink’s TDS. Gray or black blocker bases go under the top colors on bleed-prone shirts. Avient says don’t reduce low-bleed or poly whites.
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.