Printing On Non Woven Poly Bags

A popular topic on our e-mail inquiries has been how to print those trendy non-woven polypropylene bags.  Every major store seems to have their own, yet the print quality on most of the bags is usually poor, with the print being easily scratched off. 

 

Here is John Levocz, International Coatings’ North-East Regional Sales Manager with tips on how to print on this material:

 

“Non-woven fabrics are sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fibers mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are flat, porous sheets made directly from separate fibers or from molten plastic or plastic film.

 

Non-woven polypropylene is a practical fabric because it is strong and extremely lightweight. Most of these bags are made from recyclable plastic. This being said, they present a problem when they need to be screen printed. These new materials will not withstand the 325 degrees F (163º C) needed to cure plastisol inks.

 

The best way to screen print these materials is to use a low cure additive in combination with plastisol ink to achieve a full cure at 275 degrees F (135 º C).  By doing this, the ink will be cured without melting or distorting the material.

 

Since there are so many different poly substrates in the market today, ALWAYS test your print and material prior to production.”

International Coatings does have a low-cure, Phthalate-free additive available:  3804 Low-Cure Additive, available nationwide from our network of distributors.  Also see related product post from October 19, 2009 for more information on the 3804 Low-Cure product.