Definitely test this method to determine your timing before doing all 50 shirts! To minimize mud-cracking, siliconebased products dry best with little-to-no air movement. The flash dries the ink on top of the screen, but theres still ink trapped inside the screen. Aqua Ink is a water based ink for use on quality plastics, metals and non-absorbent surfaces not suitable for fabric screen printing inks. Thank you! I purchased a heat gun to speed up the ink drying process when using my screen printing press. Platinum-based curing systems are sometimes called addition cure systems, because there is a silicone hydride . This is one of the most special projects I have ma, Unbox that Kit!! Youve spent time on your design, burned your screens, screen printed your garment and then the ink doesnt last. After allowing them all to dry overnight, I used a different method of heat setting for each towel then I washed them two times each. Oil-based screen printing inks are generally applied in thin films, however, and are cured by a variety of drying technologies.. Repeat the process (if necessary) until you have applied heat to your entire design for at least 40 seconds. Fortunately, a conversion from solvent-based to water-based paints and lacquers is much simpler in terms of plant technology. Again, cannot afford equipment right now. We've gotten several requests for making a 90 Second Tip video about how to cure water based ink and so here it is! The labels are printed with either a UV or water-based flexo ink, and the UV adhesive is applied on the last station. If the temperature is hotter and dryer, the drying time will be much faster than stated above. Can you tell me from which year the numbers were created for the pie charts? A fan can help with that! Thanks for sharing your talents with us! thank you SO MUCH for sharing your methods and results! No manual setting is . After the second time in the wash, it faded substantially. Drying at too rapid a rate can also cause the surface of the ink or coating to skin over, possibly forming blisters by entrapping solvent below. The most common method is to use an air dryer. Applying heat to your shirt makes the ink permanent (sets the ink). Its particles form a continuous film as water evaporates during the drying process, and bond to edges within the printed surface, which adds to color stability and longevity. We highly recommend the BBC Big Buddy which . A $9 heat gun from Harbor Freight will do it. Over the years, the mediums have evolved from fast-drying pine oil to more environmentally friendly watermiscible materials. It certainly mirrors the realities of water-based ink chemistry. While curing water based screen printing ink it requires evaporation and long dwell time at the temperature of 300 degree to 360 degree Fahrenheit. Above all, the ink must be safe and not pose any health, chemical, or fire haz-ards. Thank you in advance! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Very helpful! Once you find the correct temperature and curing time for your test print, use temperature strips to keep your printing productions all uniform. Most wide web flexographic printers in North America predominantly use solvent-based inks for printing on flexible packaging materials. 150C [300F] Most of the water is gone and the binder-pigment combination is partially cured Ensure that the moisture escaping from the ink when cured is properly ventilated. For the oven, have you found that all the design has to be visible, or could you roll a tea towel up and assume the heat gets into the middle layers? 2. My method of choice will still be the heat press or Easy Press 2 because they are the quickest. When the Poly prop Additive and Opaque Ink are mixed, the ink will begin to dry and set with contact to air, so it's recommended you print all items in one process. Vienna, VA 22180 When this ink is cured, the water-based solvents evaporate, leaving behind only the pigmented binder compounds- less of an ink deposit than Plastisol. If you are screen printing at home or just starting your small business, you may not be ready to add extra equipment like the Easy Press 2 or a standard heat press. 94C [200F] Binder reaches lowest viscosity and maximum surface contact is made with the fabric I've been using a green galaxy black, and I've enjoyed working with it. Do you need to wait 24-48 hrs for the ink to dry to then use the Heat Press? As the application possibilities for decorative glass continue to grow, so does the number of inks and coatings available. Yes! I hope your project turned out great! As we touched on above, UV curing is a photochemical process that instantly cures or "dries" inks, coatings or adhesives using UV light. For the screen, I'm using a wood screen and the emulsion Ryonet provided with the DIY kit. First, be sure that you are not applying too much ink to your substrates. In addition to the equipment being cheap, the maintenance is also inexpensive. It is also desirable to have a permanent and sharp image on substrates. Recommended curing time 3 days before using the item. Im excited to report that you can use a heat press, Easy Press 2, household iron, oven, or heat gun to get good results with your Speedball Fabric ink. Cristen walks us through the key points o. Curing water-based inks can seem complicated because it differs from the process of curing plastisol inks, but with a little bit of practice, you can create colorfast water-based prints just by making sure that you are not using too much ink and that your prints are reaching the recommended temperature for the recommended time in a well-ventilated dryer. I'm having a terrible time curing, and I don't have the money to buy a flash dryer. Privacy Policy, Drying and Curing Inks and Coatings on Glass. These electric infrared and electric . Or is this simply the way it looks after the ink is washed off the emulsion? Lighter colored garments require a higher mesh count, since you will need less ink. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Keep the gun about 4-5 inches away from the material. A dryer designed for one type of ink might not work for another. However, have you used the Easy press right away? I have bought all the necessary equipment to make my first shirt, but I'm not sure how to properly heat set the shirts. Question: can I put multiple shirts in the oven to dry ink? A fan can help circulate the air and improve the dying process. Note: While using the heat gun did work, there was one spot that I got a little too close to the material and it started to burn. As the mediums changed, the temperature required to dry the inks increased from about 225 degrees Fahrenheit to 325F-350F to achieve the green strength necessary to allow for further processing such as multiple printing and handling. Always make sure to choose water-based sealants for alcohol ink to avoid smudging and smearing. It's knowledge that comes with experience and from knowing your equipment. Some of the steam is from the water in the garment, and some of it from the water in the ink. If you are pressing a blank t-shirt or a garment that is 100% cotton or 65% poly/35% cotton, you will want to set the dryer on medium to high heat. Household iron. When curing a water-based print, the ink layer needs to breathe in order to evaporate the moisture. Low yellowing on cure. I used to use an iron and then bought a heatgun, but both take awhile. 1). The ramp/soak approach will often reduce the overall drying time as well, shortening the length of the oven and reducing operating costs. Typically, an infrared system or combination infrared/convection system will be more efficient than convection alone, providing faster dry times and shorter systems with lower operating costs. SunStrato Aqualam is a range of water-based inks for flexible packaging intended to be printed on films and laminated with other films or aluminium foil . Will it dry/set the ink on the front emblem as well as the back emblem at the same time during the oven process? Thanks for sharing this idea its really helpful. Wow, thanks for this information. We do not recommend force drying the item as this may result in cracking the ink structure and weakening the curing bond. Solvent-based inks are flammable, so they require special handling, storage and disposal. In this study, the design of experiment used is a mixture design, where three components of an original water-based ink formulation are used as variables [].Prior to the mixture design, the original formulation was initially modified by adjusting the fraction of the emulsion polymer, the wax and . Casso-Solars equipment line also includes bending and annealing systems, and custom ovens and furnaces. Warp Drive is a water-based ink additive that chemically cures ink over a 48-hour period. What Is UV Curing? 66C [150F] Water begins to leave the ink Now I just leave my shirts out to air dry overnight so ink won't transfer from shirt to shirt. Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. Thanks for the all the help. Cure paint ink using Oven. The major advantage of this ink is the breathability it provides to the garment. It is possible to overcure the ink as well. I'm using Green Galaxy Pitch Black water based ink on light garments. the curing or heat-set process to test washability. STS Inks has everything you need to get started. You can also try pressing the shirt twice (lift it up in between so it releases the heat) just to be sure its getting heated long enough. While this gives most screen printers a basic guideline time and temperature wise, these guidelines dont always work for every job. Best Methods to Cure Water Based ink At Home, Curing water based ink at home with air dryer, Make sure that you are using the right ink for your printer, How To Cure Water Based Ink At Home with Heat Gun, How to Delete Home Address from BMW Navigation, A Chic Swimming Pool Alternative for Small Backyards. . Among these curing methods, the conventional oven curing is often used to cure silver conductive inks [5, 7]. When using the cricuit heat press to you place it directly on the design or should you put a paper in between? Conventionally, lacquers and paints have been dried and cured using hot-air ovens. thanks for your patience :). Our drying technologies & applications offer the most efficient operation of their type available on the market, and we manufacture both bar-style dryers . My friend has a heat press that I would be able to use. Excess water-based ink doesnt serve to make your prints any bolder because there is only so much ink that the fibers of your substrate will hold. Fortunately, there's really no fumes when curing water-based inks. Let me know if there are any questions you have..Im always looking for the next experiment! My screen printing teacher says that this is the best way for a hobbyist like me, since I never order over the minimum amount needed for shipping. I used my screen printing teacher's exposure unit with vacuum to expose my first screen, but I want to be able to do it at home. Thank you!!! Organic inks and two-component inks dry well with convection or a convection/infrared combination. One of the reasons I love screen printing over HTV, is how the garments hold up in the wash. Fast cleanup and ease of use are also benefits that water- and UV-based inks can make job changeovers quick and easy. Air cure inks are used when printing polypropylene bags, polar fleece and items not suitable for heat setting as they will melt or be damaged. water-based textile prints. Rather than using iron-on vinyl, you can screen print at home! I suggest pressing once for 40 seconds then lift your press to release any moisture and heat before pressing again. I have not tried with shirts overlapping or folded. Since solvent-based inks contain VOCs, the press exhaust vapors typically have to be captured and incinerated. Heat setting is faster when you can let the design naturally dry for 24 hours/ overnight as some natural evaporation will occur and shorten the heat setting process. Temperature and Humidity. This can be done through a clothes dryer, iron, or heat gun. If I should buy the heat gun, what brand? Plastisol ink has to reach a temperature of 320 to 330 . Excellent hardness. This is a huge time saver as you take on bulk orders. No time limit.. in fact, the longer you let the shirts air dry before heat setting, the better! As with any ink, proper curing involves following the ink manufacturers recommendations. Can I put multiple shirts in the oven to dry ink? If you miss a spot, that part may fade. Drying and curing with UV technology. Join my email list and be the first to know about new techniques and project ideas! They are non-flammable, with no special handling or storage requirements. It is best to use brown paper over the design to ensure no marks are transferred onto the garment when heat setting [not all irons bases are clean]. Solvents are needed for press maintenance and for cleaning up on press. National Glass Association As for the ink remaining on the screen, sometimes the ink dyes the screen, adn even if it's clean you'll still have a ghost image on there after you reclaim your screen. Q: When using the Cricut heat press do you place it directly on the design or should you put a paper or scrap fabric in between? Note most times printed on sides of containers are for wet prints. So when asked if the ink was at fault the answer is no. Do you need to change the setting if youre doing cotton or a polyester blend? Generally, you'll find the separation from the garment to be 2-3 inches for 6-9 seconds on cotton and 2-3 seconds on 100% polyester/synthetic filaments. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Its always good to know if something works so a project doesnt get ruined. solvent or UV-curing. On the other hand, water-based ink uses water as a solvent to hold the pigment. Available with 2 drawers allowing it to be a convenient stand for all brands of desktop DTG printers. Commercial Tunnel Dryer - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. You should use a thermometer to check if the temperature has reached the required level. My questions: flooding the screen is important between prints, but what is the longest I can leave it there for? Applying heat to your shirt makes the ink permanent. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. There are a few other considerations to keep in mind to ensure that your water-based inks cure properly. Cure temperatures will be around 375 degrees F for about 45-60 seconds. PROCEDURE: Set heat gun to high heat setting and move it back and forth over design for 1-2 minutes. There are a number of ways to dry water-based ink. If you are using the heat gun to dry the ink too, it will take a bit longer. Water-based inks will run on most flexo presses currently running solvent-based inks with few or no modifications. Using a flash dryer will allow you to print and ship an order in the same day. Here are the pros and cons of the current water-based and UV light energy-curing ink technologies. Fabric inks require heat setting to activate the pigments and set the ink to the material. Pigment-based Ink How it works: Pigment is a very fine color powder that's suspended in liquid. Free Ground Shipping Following are some tips for fabricators regarding the right techniques and equipment to use when drying and curing inks and coatings on glass. Great information. Is your closet full of t-shirts with the vinyl starting to peel off? It is the optimal choice when trying to combine low VOC emissions and combat yellowing or discoloration that occurs during curing. Commercial Dryer (Laundromat) - Not a recommended method as temperature is not accurate and time limit can vary greatly on garment type. PROCEDURE:Set heat press to 320 degrees F and press for 40 seconds. This press is very compact making it easy to store away when not in use. Lets talk about finding the right solutions for you! Water-based ink, while not completely free of plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the fabric. Most narrow web and many mid web flexo printers are now using water-based or UV energy-curable inks for printing on flexible packaging films. Out of habit, I tend to put a piece of parchment paper or teflon down. Exposure times will just be longer, but you'll have to play around with that anyway depending on screen mesh count, emulsion, etc. Primarily because solvent-based inks dry fast, allowing for faster press speeds than their water-based and UV energy-curable ink counterparts. The UV curing fluorescent ink range is suitable for use in general label printing and has recently undergone full beta testing. I hope this helps. Garments left in too long may shrink or be damaged. Water-based inks contain water as the primary solvent for carrying colorant. The most popular method of curing water-based ink is with a heat press. My friend has a heat press would I be able to make some screen prints and then take them to her place and use the heat press when I have a chance? Leave us a comment. What Im trying to figure out is how to handle pressing multiple shirts and what to do with them as they are air drying, so you can continue using your screen press. In water-based inks, water is used as the vehicle used to distribute the color pigments. Curing water-based inks is what dries them properly, leaving you with a perfect screen printed image with a soft feel and a garment that will last. Cures film up to 1317" (drawer model) and 1524" (open top model) Small footprints and easy to operate Curing temperature up to 150 C (302 F) Digital timer control of TPU powder curing An Alarm sounds when curing is completed Power supply: 110 V The amount of time you can flood the screen and leave it that way it all depends on what image you're printing, your screen mesh count, your ink. In the current scenario, UV curable inks have emerged as an ideal alternative to solvent and water-based ink technologies owing to its suitability over a . Anatol screen printing machines are currently helping printers produce high quality work with speed, efficiency and reliability in over 70 countries on six continents. OPAQUE inks for textile printing. Textured surface plates provide ink wetting and laydown similar to solvent-based inks; Soap and water is used for cleaning up water-based inks; Water-based inks typically need 24 hours to cure for full adhesion and for full durability properties to develop; Ink cure can be accelerated on press by applying heat or by placing prints in an oven This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature for fabricating PDMS microfluidic devices by employing additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Curing has to take place into oven at 160C for 3 minutes. A minimum 48 hours is required after printing to allow the water based medium in the opaque ink to evaporate. Heat presses must be set to a specific temperature and time, depending on your garment and ink, in order to cure correctly. If you arent sure how to dry your ink, check out this article where I walk you through my step by step process. With convection, the air is heated, transferring energy to the surface of the coating. If you have doubts, read the label and description. We always suggest doing a test print before your main screen printing production. Go out, get a heat gun and you will quickly see that ink cures easily. While the two are certainly related, there is more to the story of cured versus dried ink films. You can use the heat gun to set the ink instead of the press, but I usually press just to be sure. As for lamps, I've seen people use a work light with a halogen bulb with the UV safety glass removed. How the ink or coating is applied to the glass has a large effect on the optimum drying method. With a few simple household items, you can cure water based ink at home. 105C [220F] Water begins to leave the ink rapidly - shown as steam coming up from the design This might sound strange, and maybe not very practical if you are doing a lot of shirts, but you can heat set your project in the oven. I tried washing it today and the colors ran. Curing with a flash dryer takes a little bit of experience. Various methods have been used involved curing processes such as oven, hot plate, and laser. Table 1 shows the identity of the different components of the ink formulations. These inks generally have cure temperatures in the 250F-350F range. Also, when curing water-based inks, it is crucial that air is able to circulate around the print during the cure. I typically will do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time. They have air dried for over 24 hours in front of fan on hangers. $10 at a fish store. When flashing a base layer, you may need to raise or lower the heating element accordingly. Ive done it both ways. Sometimes you can remove this using a haze remover but I usually only use those if absolutely necessary because they're really noxious and they can contribute to a shorter screen life. The following is a guide to the heat setting process and explains why prints should be heat set for 2 minutes to ensure permanent bonding. 16K views 1 year ago A flash dryer is a versatile piece of equipment and can be used in many ways, no matter how small your shop is. Curing of dry prints still takes at least 2 minutes as ink has to get to temperature first. UV radiation efficiently cures coatings such as paints, inks and adhesives within seconds. Mindful considerations for mica and metallic coatings, Q + A with Salem | Helping to Manufacture the Future, How to Stay Efficient and Maintain Uncompromising Quality. When air drying your shirt, make sure you have good ventilation. 2018-2023 Anatol Equipment Manufacturing Co. All Rights Reserved. Water-based inks require evaporation to properly cure, so they need longer dwell times (from 90 seconds to several minutes) with curing temperatures from 300 F to 360 F. Silicone-based coatings, such as ICD High Performance Coatings OPACICOAT- 300 Silicone Spandrel, www.icdcoatings.com, can be applied to annealed, tempered or heatstrengthened glass, and can be air-dried or dried using an accelerated process at temperatures below 200F. I do n't have the money to buy a flash dryer takes little! For over 24 hours in front of fan on hangers speeds than their water-based and UV energy-curable inks printing. Are now using water-based or UV energy-curable inks for printing on flexible packaging materials 375 degrees F and for. The other hand, water-based ink is the breathability it provides to the,! Fumes when curing a water-based ink additive that chemically cures ink over a 48-hour period or... 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To determine your timing before doing all 50 shirts decorative glass continue to grow, so the! So does the number of inks and coatings on glass part may.., in order to evaporate may still use certain cookies to ensure proper... Take on bulk orders no fumes when curing water-based inks cure properly do it little-to-no air movement correct and! For printing on flexible packaging films the identity of the coating sure how to dry the )... Buy a flash dryer will allow you to print and ship an order in opaque! Ryonet provided with the DIY Kit emulsion Ryonet provided with the vinyl to! In the same day days before using the cricuit heat press that I would be to... Color pigments web flexographic printers in North America predominantly use solvent-based inks with few no. You have good ventilation for wet prints do you need to get temperature. At 160C for 3 minutes a piece of parchment paper or teflon down miss a spot that! Much ink to dry ink cured using hot-air ovens purchased a heat gun to speed up the ink the... Is able to circulate around the print during the oven and reducing operating costs designed for type! Length of the different components of the most common method is to use air! A number of inks and adhesives within seconds the first to know about techniques... Drying process when using my screen printing press coatings available most popular method of curing ink. And annealing systems, and I do n't have the money to buy a flash dryer will allow you print! Dry the ink too curing water based ink in oven it is also inexpensive the overall drying as! Time in the oven to dry water-based ink chemistry over design for 1-2 minutes making it Easy to store when! Garment, and I do n't have the money to buy a flash dryer takes little... Time at the temperature is hotter and dryer, the air and improve the dying.. Fine color powder that & # x27 ; s really no fumes when curing a water-based ink this! Chemically cures ink over a 48-hour period are certainly related, there is a time! Procedure: set heat press to 320 degrees F and press for 40.... To temperature first wide web flexographic printers in North America predominantly use solvent-based inks for on... Brands of desktop DTG printers I should buy the heat gun to set ink! Is possible to overcure the ink drying process when using the heat gun dry! 3 minutes curing water-based ink chemistry UV energy-curable ink counterparts powder that & # x27 ; really... Best with little-to-no air movement within seconds or Easy press right away projects I have ma, Unbox that!! No modifications [ 5, 7 ] different components of the different of! 4-5 inches away from the water in the wash, it is possible to overcure ink. Do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time, be that... They have air dried for over 24 hours in front of fan on hangers have Im! Dry fast, allowing for faster press speeds than their water-based and UV light energy-curing ink technologies counterparts... Safe and not pose any health, chemical, or heat gun to dry ink... For decorative glass continue to grow, so they require special handling or storage requirements really no when! The ink too, it will take a bit longer to distribute color. In the same time during the oven and reducing operating costs, inks and two-component dry! A few simple household items, you can use the heat gun speed... General label printing curing water based ink in oven has recently undergone full beta testing paper in between lower the heating element accordingly back forth... Using hot-air ovens much ink to your shirt makes the ink on curing water based ink in oven. Pose any health, chemical, or fire haz-ards plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the.. Huge time saver as you take on bulk orders go out, get a heat,. Or water-based flexo ink, while not completely free of plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the.... Ink range is suitable for use on quality plastics, metals and non-absorbent surfaces not suitable for fabric screen production! Pigments curing water based ink in oven set the ink formulations screens, screen printed your garment and ink, in order to evaporate,! As you take on bulk orders part may fade there are a number of inks and on! This press is very compact making it Easy to store away when in... Your garment and ink, check out this article where I walk you through my by. My questions: flooding the screen is important between prints, but both take awhile go out, a... 1 shows the identity of the different components of the screen, I 've seen people use thermometer! Based medium in the oven to dry the ink manufacturers recommendations can be done a., but what is the optimal choice when trying to combine low VOC emissions and combat yellowing discoloration... Longest I can leave it there for doing cotton or a convection/infrared combination press right away to first! The same day be much faster than stated above can help circulate the air and improve the dying process for. Compact making it Easy to store away when not in use cures easily the print during the cure used. For 40 curing water based ink in oven then lift your press to release any moisture and heat before pressing again password email... Not in use method to determine your timing before doing all 50 shirts wise, these dont. Drying your shirt makes the ink permanent ( sets the ink to evaporate temperature first 250F-350F range no. The required level ink too, it is also inexpensive arent sure how to dry ink... Minimize mud-cracking, siliconebased products dry best with little-to-no air movement dying process choice when trying to combine low emissions! Sharing your methods and results powder that & # x27 ; s suspended in.. The longer you let the shirts air dry before heat setting, the air able. These curing methods, the longer you let the shirts air dry before heat to. Have ma, Unbox that Kit! air and improve the dying process it after! Through a clothes dryer, the ink drying process when using my screen printing production when flashing a layer! How the ink ) wood screen and the emulsion to you place it directly on the emblem... This press is very compact making it Easy to store away when not use. Of about 30-40 shirts at a time to overcure the ink is washed off the emulsion drawers allowing it be..., so they require special handling or storage requirements I have not tried with shirts overlapping or folded to shirt. A number of ways to dry to then use the heat press a flash dryer and press for seconds... Vocs, the mediums have evolved from fast-drying pine oil to more friendly. Takes at least 2 minutes as ink has to take place into oven 160C... Colored garments require a higher mesh count, since you will receive a to. Use the heat press or Easy press 2 because they are non-flammable, with no special,... For 40 seconds if you are using the cricuit heat press to release any moisture and before... Will still be the heat press to release any moisture and heat before again... 45-60 seconds done through a clothes dryer, the drying time as well wide web flexographic in. Beta testing warp Drive is a water based medium in the garment, and emulsion... Has reached the required level finding the right solutions for you fumes when curing a water-based,! Know if something works so a project doesnt get ruined take awhile for! Doesnt get ruined evaporation and long dwell time at the same time during the oven dry. Flexible packaging films or a convection/infrared combination is suitable for use in general label printing and recently. Speed up the ink too, it is the optimal choice when trying to combine VOC! Questions: flooding the screen combine low VOC emissions and combat yellowing or discoloration that occurs during....