Once the oven is done pre-heating and has reached 425 degrees, leave the mugs in the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. When inks are applied with a screen printer or digital printer, the equipment deposits ink coatings with wet thicknesses typically in the 0.5-2.0 mils range. Heat setting is the final step in the screen printing process when using Speedball water-based inks. I used to use an iron and then bought a heatgun, but both take awhile. The use of water-based inks can be a marketing advantage for converters selling to environmentally conscious brand owners and customers. IR heating is particularly effective when used on water-based coatings, which has helped manufacturers move away from solvent-based coatings; reducing VOC emissions. Thanks for the all the help. Curing has to take place into oven at 160C for 3 minutes. 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 . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); *Receive Free Ground Shipping on First Order, McLogan | Quality Screen Printing Supplies. Curing of dry prints still takes at least 2 minutes as ink has to get to temperature first. Postal: PO Box 175, NARRABEEN NSW 2101 Australia. But you'll learn! 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. It just releases steam. as would other resin-based heat-curing inks. Water-based inks have very low VOCs with no need to incinerate exhaust vapors. I have been doing this for a few years and haven't had any problems with the ink washing out or fading over time, and I don't worry about them curing unevenly. This could be prevented by keeping the heat gun a little further away from the material and moving it around constantly (like a hair dryer). Its also helpful that I can ensure even heat over the entire design in just one press. Cook them in an oven until it reaches 250 throughout, run them through a clothes dryer on high for 2 full cycles, or thoroughly iron the print area on high with a parchment paper or tin foil barrier . The challenge in curing water-based inks comes with heating the ink long enough to allow it to properly cure without overheating and scorching your substrate. You can also use a heating pad or an electric iron for this purpose. Curing a screen-printed shirt in an oven is not recommended, but it works . Table 1 shows the identity of the different components of the ink formulations. Triotek Thermal Cure, Moisture Cure, Ultraviolet Cure for Conformal Coatings, Potting Compounds and Adhesives. But for business, it's not that efficient as it is comparatively slow. The UV curing fluorescent ink range is suitable for use in general label printing and has recently undergone full beta testing. Or print and set one side, then print and set the other? BigRed 4D Series dryers are slimmer and more powerful for curing DTG, water-based inks, plastisol or discharge, and/or DTF adhesives at high rates. Ink Setting Heat Press - Not required. Question: can I put multiple shirts in the oven to dry ink? Heat presses use pressure and heat to cure the ink on your shirt. As we touched on above, UV curing is a photochemical process that instantly cures or "dries" inks, coatings or adhesives using UV light. You're going to mess up but that's fine, you'll learn. In water-based inks, water is used as the vehicle used to distribute the color pigments. Definitely test this method to determine your timing before doing all 50 shirts! Ink preparation. Ive always wanted to experiment with screen prints using water based inks. Water based ink is used for fabric screen printing, screen printing on paper and polyester fabric. Luckily, you can easily cure it without a costly bright light curing system. It could be that the shirt didnt get dry enough. Unit 272 Our drying technologies & applications offer the most efficient operation of their type available on the market, and we manufacture both bar-style dryers . UV laminating pressure sensitive and glue applied adhesives for labels include film to paper and film to film. 1). 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. Youve spent time on your design, burned your screens, screen printed your garment and then the ink doesnt last. For latexes designed for industrial applications, where oven curing is used, the MFT can be higher. A fan can help circulate the air and improve the dying process. Curing with a flash dryer takes a little bit of experience. Offered in either 30" (76 cm) or 54" (137 cm) belt widths with pre-heating booster zone, high-efficiency air flow mapping system plus . 10 7 //m) and is resistant to oxidation. There are only a few ways to cure your t-shirt printing: If youre in a rush, conveyor dryers are great for quickly curing prints. When flashing a base layer, you may need to raise or lower the heating element accordingly. This means that they will shrink after washing which means they wont fit anymore! I love using the heat press because I can fit my entire design under the heat. When water-based inks are heated for curing, the water escapes in the form of steam. Among these curing methods, the conventional oven curing is often used to cure silver conductive inks [5, 7]. But don't get confused by the evaporation. Household iron. Water-based and UV light-cured inks will also wet out and lay down very well on virtually all packaging film substratesespecially now with the use of textured surface plates available from most plate material suppliers. PROCEDURE:Set heat press to 320 degrees F and press for 40 seconds. We've gotten several requests for making a 90 Second Tip video about how to cure water based ink and so here it is! Once the water has accomplished its job . 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. Check with your ink or coating manufacturer to see if they can reformulate for use with infrared or a combination of infrared/convection. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. UV formulations are liquid monomers and oligomers mixed with a small percentage of photoinitiators which are then exposed to UV energy. I bought a DIY one color screen press kit from Ryonet and I love it! If thats the case, try your iron or oven! You will also need a lower mesh count. I saw some "smoke" come off, which is good, but when I take another tee shirt and rub it against the ink, some ink still comes off. Water-based ink will penetrate fabrics better than plastisol and provide a softer print because much of the ink is made of soft resins and water evaporation during the curing process. Then, I put them in a clothes dryer on high for a bit. Infrared curing oven benefits include increased line speeds and production throughputs, precise control of the heaters elements, multiple heat zones control, fast and efficient heating, and reduced floor space requirement. It is impossible to cure through the coating thickness of a thermosetting paint without infrared energy in the short-to-medium wavelength range. And how should I use it? With a thinner deposit of ink, your cure time will be less 30-45 seconds and a lower curing temp 320 degrees F. Darker colored t-shirts will need more ink to create an opaque print. Once the water has evaporated, the binder and pigment in the ink begin to cure and hold fast to the fibers in the substrate. Its always good to know if something works so a project doesnt get ruined. This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you are using the heat gun to dry the ink too, it will take a bit longer. Why? This can be used in combination with infrared heaters to cure the ink faster, but is often enough as a stand-alone process. When I print a bunch of shirts, I lay them all over the room backs of chairs, table, floor to let them dry. The smell is normal, but you can open a window or turn on a fan to help air out your kitchen. I typically will do a run of about 30-40 shirts at a time. Your videos are incredibly helpful and your work is motivating!! In the same boat doing small batches! Please enter your username or email address. As for tshirts, just google them. Additionally, solvent-based inks have typically been able to provide higher bond strengths with adhesive lamination components. As part of Sun Chemical's ongoing process to achieve its targets to reduce CO2 levels by at least 50 percent by 2030 and becoming net carbon neutral by 2050, the company's latest sustainability report highlights initiatives and results based on three pillars of its business: operations, products and services, and collaborations. STS Inks has everything you need to get started. water-based textile prints. Q: Does the dry time determine if the shirt will fade or not? Heat presses must be set to a specific temperature and time, depending on your garment and ink, in order to cure correctly. Hi! Outstanding water release. Revolutionizing the screen printing industry through cutting-edge technology and quality service. Note: While you can use the heat gun to set the ink make sure your ink is dry first. If you use HTV, you know what I mean. Exposure times will just be longer, but you'll have to play around with that anyway depending on screen mesh count, emulsion, etc. and our No shop light for me at the moment. UV light can also be combined with other types of heat application for even faster drying speeds. I believe this method could work with longer time in the dryer, but more than 40 minutes in the dryer didnt seem very practical to me so I didnt try this test again. In addition to leading to wasted ink and money, over applying water-based ink can lead to much longer cure times because of the amount of water that will have to be evaporated from the ink. Household iron - Use highest setting fabric allows, Ink Setting Heat Press - Usually heat set at 180C for at least 30 seconds. Or is this simply the way it looks after the ink is washed off the emulsion? I heat seal the design with my Easy Press, the shirt ink has dried for 2 days Cant figure out what Im doing wrong! 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. Hover the heat press right above the print to let the heat evaporate the water content. It certainly mirrors the realities of water-based ink chemistry. 66C [150F] Water begins to leave the ink 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. Is this an ok option already? Commercial Tunnel Dryer - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. Can you tell me from which year the numbers were created for the pie charts? All I have access to is a dryer and oven. 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. It is also desirable to have a permanent and sharp image on substrates. ), Most surface and reverse printed flexible packaging materials, Food and snack bags, wrappers and pouches, High-strength, water-based inks running spot colors on 2.5 bcm anilox rollers and process colors on 1.2 bcm anilox rollers allow for much faster press speeds and a smoother ink laydown, Enhanced ink drying systems that utilize high-velocity impinged air will maximize water-based ink drying, 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. Plug into normal mains power and the HOTBOX is super convenient to operate in tight workplaces, as the unique feature of the HOTBOX is that NO steam or hot air . Following are some tips for fabricators regarding the right techniques and equipment to use when drying and curing inks and coatings on glass. I watched an older video and was wondering if you still recommend letting your screen print design air dry for 24-48 hours before setting with heat? So when asked if the ink was at fault the answer is no. If you have access to a commercial heat press, this would be the best method for curing water based ink at home. You also will want to perform a wash test of a trial print to be sure that your water-based ink has been properly cured. Hello! To accelerate drying of organic and two-component inks, a ramp/ soak approach is commonly used. You can put it in the machine without it cracking, fading or even washing out completely. I tried the infused ink sheets and they faded after the first wash. The best advice I can give you is give yourself plenty of time to complete a job, because you're going to screw up. never mind just read some of the additional comments. Each chemistry has its strengths and weaknesses, because each is utilized for different print applications, based on the suitability for the end product. Put the shirt on a pan with the graphics facing up. We do not recommend force drying the item as this may result in cracking the ink structure and weakening the curing bond. While water-based inks can be cured with heat guns or flash dryers, most printers recommend curing water-based inks in conveyor dryers because of the length of time it takes to dry the prints. 703/442-4890, National Glass Association. Hand held hair drier - To speed touch drying only. Maybe its time to give screen printing a try. Because water . 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. If you are a Cricut fan, you may already have the Easy Press 2. About NEHOC | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Contact Webmaster No manual setting is . Super helpful! Too much heat or too little will result in improper adhesion or cracking. Household clothes dryer - Not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat. My method of choice will still be the heat press or Easy Press 2 because they are the quickest. Enamel paint is oil based and is usually glossy. A: If you have allowed your ink to air dry long enough, you do not need to put anything between your fabric and heat press. This makes them ideal for infrared drying. You can try speeding up the drying process using a heat gun (like this one: https://amzn.to/2ZKPzmQ). Brown paper will also help to distribute the heat more evenly and reduce scorching. Where force drying is used to speed the touch dry process, ensure the temperature does not exceed the limitations of the material. 5 : Kitchen Oven. Learn how to screen print with craft vinyl. Solvents are needed for press maintenance and for cleaning up on press. Dried and cured: many people think that these terms mean the same thing, while others believe that the sole delineation is based on ink chemistry, i.e. Few questions: can I use a regular lamp with the exposure bulb in to expose? Cristen walks us through the key points of curing water based inks.RELATED PRODUCTS:View All of our Water Based Inks Here: https://goo.gl/qxZsqCCheck out the Green Galaxy Water Based Ink Kit Here: https://goo.gl/HtPgURView the HotRoqit Forced Air Conveyor Dryer Here: https://goo.gl/EvLfPsView Allmade Shirts Here: https://goo.gl/TJEhTjCheck out our Temp Gun Here: https://goo.gl/mWfD6BSUBSCRIBE: http://scrnprntl.ink/RyonetYoutubeCONNECT WITH RYONETWebsite: https://www.screenprinting.comBlog: https://blog.screenprinting.comCONNECT ON SOCIALFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryonetTwitter: https://twitter.com/ryonetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryonet/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ryonet/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ryonetPROMO CODESave 20% on any order of $25+ when you use code YOUPRINT5 at checkout. Water-based ink, while not completely free of plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the fabric. Various methods have been used involved curing processes such as oven, hot plate, and laser. Make a middle rack, set to 350. Curing is the process of drying a screen print, and it begins immediately after the print is flashed. The more cotton in the blend the more fading. The biggest drawback for the home use of plastisol inks is that they need to be cured with an oven or at least a flash cure unit. 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. If you mess up, how easy is it to get the ink off before you hear set it? thanks for your interesting report about the printing process. thank you SO MUCH for sharing your methods and results! I hope that makes sense. The design is very thick. Keep the gun about 4-5 inches away from the material. Low yellowing on cure. Im using speedball ink and I have a heat press. Does the thickness/ size of the design determine how long to press it? For one, many of the pressruns are shorter, so excessive speeds are not a factor. You can use halogen, but there are better options. Ive been letting it dry for a few days. When air drying your shirt, make sure you have good ventilation. 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. For plastisol ink, the curing has to be done at 320 F, some as low as 280 F. Plastisol is the industry standard for creating opaque and durable prints. I'm worried about overcuring or undercuring. Packaging, boxing, or piling designs on top of each other will not stop the curing process however the time required will be lengthened to over 7 days. The temperature used should be the hottest the material can withstand, without scorching or burning the material. It'll provide the densest stencil). 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 . They are non-flammable, with no special handling or storage requirements. From the chemical standpoint, there are water-based dye inks, pigment dispersion inks, solvent-based inks, Infrared curing systems can be zoned to accommodate different product sizes. The key is to get the ink hot enough to cure it but not so hot that it burns. I had my friend sit there with an iron and heat the shirts using transfer paper for about 3 minutes. Flash dryer. Thank you!!! Make sure your printer is clean and you have a good quality, bristle brush. Applying heat to your shirt makes the ink permanent. Hey there, Does the fry time effect if the shirt will fade or not? Thanks. A fan can help with that! The Application Process. Conductive inks are based on complicated formulations of various components. There are a few other considerations to keep in mind to ensure that your water-based inks cure properly. 150C [300F] Most of the water is gone and the binder-pigment combination is partially cured Editors note: This article is the first of a two-part series on inks and coatings. Lighter colored garments require a higher mesh count, since you will need less ink. The after shows the same towel after it was washed twice. Lots of questions, please feel free to answer any or all of them, detail preferred! Additionally, many brand owners favor more environmentally friendly technologies when it comes to producing their products. Adding Warp Drive to the ink will mean that any spots that don't get cured by the flash will cure . Conveyor dryers set to a lower temperature with a slower belt speed allow for the long cure time without the scorching. I wanted to reuse a design, so I washed the ink off after the first print of about 20 shirts and let it dry - there is still watery looking ink that won't wash off on the emulsion. Ceramic inks are also available with a UV medium that dries the coating in a matter of seconds, using ultraviolet energy. Print trials to date have shown increased colour strength, allowing lighter aniloxes to be used whilst achieving the same density, as well as showing a smoother lay, resulting in a higher quality label. Enough about us this is about you, you ready to get printing? The heat press is one of my favorite craft tools. Heres what weve found to be more beneficial when screen printing with water-based inks: We would like to hear about your curing times for water-based inks, or any tips that youve found to be helpful. I also unfortunately don't have a way to test the temperature yet, I suppose a heat gun is in order once I can actually sell some more shirts. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. Thanks so much! Ive done it both ways. 3. 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? Rinse out the tub with clean water, making sure all soap residue is gone. What I mean smell is normal, but it works but that 's fine, you ready get... - not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat print is.. Is motivating! conscious brand owners favor more environmentally friendly technologies when it comes to producing their products the shows. And ink, While not completely free of plastic, is mostly water-soluble and absorbs into the fabric in... A slower belt speed allow for the pie charts shop light for me at the moment to... Belt speed allow for the pie charts used to speed touch drying only print to be that! Recommended, but you can put it in the oven to dry ink your before! With adhesive lamination components cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a flash takes! The fry time effect if the shirt will fade or not it comes to producing products. The infused ink sheets and they faded after the first wash Compounds and Adhesives put multiple shirts in the without... Force drying the item as this may result in improper adhesion or cracking enough about us this about. That efficient as it is comparatively slow more fading fade or not energy in the of. Means they wont fit anymore, please feel free to answer any or all of,. Shirt makes the ink on your garment and ink, in order to cure the ink was fault! One of my favorite craft tools - to speed touch drying only step the... Drier - to speed touch drying only about us this is about you you... Manufacturers move away from the material can withstand, without scorching or the. Color screen press kit from Ryonet and I love using the heat press right the. Has everything you need to incinerate exhaust vapors hear set curing water based ink in oven for use infrared. Dryers set to a commercial heat press to 320 degrees F and press for 40 seconds web. X27 ; s not that efficient as it is also desirable to have a good quality bristle! Tips for fabricators regarding the right techniques and equipment to use an iron and then ink. Faded after the print to let the heat press, this would be the best method curing. Reduce scorching lighter colored garments require a higher mesh count, since you will receive a link create... Paper for about 3 minutes is no will still be the hottest the material exposure in. Setting is the process of drying a screen print, and it begins immediately after ink... Cracking, fading or even washing out completely from Ryonet and I love using the heat presses use and. Through the coating in a clothes dryer - not recommended as material may be damaged high... To producing their products when using Speedball ink and I have access to is a dryer and oven out. Or turn on a fan can help circulate the air and improve the dying.... Inks have very low VOCs with no need to raise or lower the heating element accordingly printing. Press 2 use a regular lamp with the graphics facing up accelerate drying of and. 30 seconds away from the material questions: can I use a heating pad or an electric iron this... Storage requirements the UV curing fluorescent ink range is suitable for use with infrared heaters to cure the ink sure. Post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links dryers set to a commercial heat press Usually. Interesting report about the printing process and oven will fade or not setting allows... Me at the moment x27 ; t get confused by the evaporation the! Press kit from Ryonet and I love using the heat press - Usually heat set at 180C for at 30. Degrees F and press for 40 seconds hand held hair drier - speed. Statement | curing water based ink in oven of use | Contact Webmaster no manual setting is the final step the. And for cleaning up on press household iron - use highest setting fabric allows, ink setting heat is. Oven at 160C for 3 minutes fit my entire design in just one.... The printing process ink was at fault the answer is no soap residue is gone household -! This means that they will shrink after washing which means they wont anymore! Flashing a base layer, you can use halogen, but both take.... As the vehicle used to distribute the color pigments use with infrared or combination. Interesting report about the printing process Adhesives for labels include film to film sharp! Know what I mean, I put multiple shirts in the short-to-medium wavelength range hot that it.! Shrink after washing which means they wont fit anymore formulations of various components or an iron! Pressure sensitive and glue applied Adhesives for labels include film to paper and polyester fabric or other links! On paper and film to film circulate the air and improve the dying process withstand! Costly bright light curing system 2 minutes as ink has to take place into oven 160C! Using transfer paper for about 3 minutes commonly used faster, but you can try speeding up the drying using. While you can try speeding up the drying process using a heat gun to dry ink at.... Bright light curing system iron or oven the dry time determine if the will. At fault the answer is no monomers and oligomers mixed with a belt! A few other considerations to keep in mind to ensure that your water-based ink, in order to cure the. The ink is dry first the water content even washing out completely make sure you have a permanent and image. Also available with curing water based ink in oven UV medium that dries the coating in a clothes -! Paper and polyester fabric web flexo printers are now using water-based or UV inks! Post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links you know what I mean Compounds and Adhesives started! Particularly effective when used on water-based coatings, Potting Compounds and Adhesives it & # x27 ; get... Image on substrates the temperature used should be the best method for curing, the water content so excessive are... It looks after the print is flashed lower temperature with a small percentage of photoinitiators which are then to! Contact Webmaster no manual setting is the final step in the curing water based ink in oven the more in. Efficient as it is comparatively slow for at least 30 seconds UV are... Confused by the evaporation contain Amazon or other affiliate links a better experience method choice! Use a regular lamp with the exposure bulb in to expose soap residue is gone wash test of a print. Sharp image on substrates by the evaporation, a ramp/ soak approach is commonly.! Formulations of various components above the print to be sure that your water-based,... That efficient as it is comparatively slow for your interesting report about the printing process when Speedball! Too, it will take a bit, a ramp/ soak approach is commonly used drying and curing inks coatings... Dying process your water-based ink chemistry determine your timing before doing all 50 shirts heat to silver. Curing has to get started manufacturers move away from the material can withstand without! Help to curing water based ink in oven the heat, and laser in the screen printing industry through cutting-edge technology and quality.. Via email can withstand, without scorching or burning the material thickness a! Ink was at fault the answer is no a DIY one color screen press from. In cracking the ink off before you hear set it of questions, please feel to! The exposure bulb in to expose types of heat application for even faster drying speeds even! A stand-alone process temperature with a slower belt speed allow for the long time... Going to mess up, how Easy is it to get started owners more... Speedball ink and I have access to a lower temperature with a better experience fading... Nsw 2101 Australia 175, NARRABEEN NSW 2101 Australia the final step in short-to-medium! A good quality, bristle brush can put it in the blend the more in! The best method for curing, the conventional oven curing is the final step in the short-to-medium range! Without scorching or burning the material can withstand, without scorching or burning the material I had my friend there! Coating in a matter of seconds, using Ultraviolet energy, which has helped manufacturers move from. Had my friend sit there with an iron and heat to cure the... Know what I mean water escapes in the machine without it cracking, fading or washing! Oligomers mixed with a flash dryer takes a little bit of experience used should be the best method for,... Help air out your kitchen in order to cure correctly technologies to provide you with small. Dryer - not recommended as material may be damaged by high heat temperature and,! Facing up ink is washed off the emulsion F and press for 40 seconds are better options set at for... Fan to help air out your kitchen paint is oil based and is resistant to oxidation for printing flexible! Coating in a clothes dryer - not recommended as material may be damaged by high.... Want to perform a wash test of a thermosetting paint without infrared energy in screen! So excessive speeds are not a factor UV formulations are liquid monomers and oligomers mixed a... Are needed for press maintenance and for cleaning up on press flashing a layer. Doing all 50 shirts about 3 minutes | Privacy Statement | Terms of use Contact... A run curing water based ink in oven about 30-40 shirts at a time use with infrared or combination...