Why is my ink coming off during the wash?

April 05, 2012

A question that many screen printers have asked us: "Why is my ink coming off during the wash?" was also recently featured on Printwear Magazine's Q&A section. Here is Ed Branigan's response: The cause of this problem is most likely due to the fact that the ink is not cured properly. Plastisol ink needs to cure at a minimum temperature of 320º F for at least one minute. This allows the molecules to properly fuse to each other as well as to the fabric. There are many variables that can affect ink curing, such as humidity and colder air temperatures. Therefore, it’s important that the ink itself—and not the garment or just the dryer temperature—reaches 320º F. In colder weather, this may mean increasing the dryer temperature or allowing the ink to pass through a bit longer than one minute. Ed Branigan is International Coatings' Print Applications Manager and has extensive experience in screen printing, inks and technology. International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.