# a trick for great-looking whites



## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

hey guys,

someone at my shop recently taught me this great trick for getting a flawless white on shirts. Whites on darks have ALWAYS been my weak point, and they're tough for some people, but no longer (assuming you are using a good mesh count and decent squeegee technique). 

1. take a spray bottle, and fill it with water. set it to mist.
2. put your shirt on the platen.
3. spray the area where you're going to print (just enough to cover, really). this flattens the fibers in the shirt, and you get a great-looking, smooth as hell print on top because the surface is smoother. 
4. flash it as normal. the water dries away quickly, but the first print of white will still be smooth.
5. hence, when you print on top of a smooth first print, the white ends up looking gorgeous. I want to eat off of it. 

Certainly, it's a bit more time-consuming, and sometimes not even worth it, but for certain prints it's a big help. I'm actually in the middle of a job where I'm using this technique now, and I'm so psyched I had to come and tell y'all how well it works. 

Apologies if someone has posted this before; I was too psyched to search and see if that's the case.


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## casualtees (Jan 26, 2007)

hi there just wondering what brand of white ink do you use??
Thanks


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## John S (Sep 9, 2006)

Are you:
spraying
first coat 
flash 

or 
spraying
flash
first coat
flash?


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

spraying, first coat, flash. 

at the shop, we use Triangle's Phoenix White.


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

Thanks for hte info. Will have to check this out. Wondering if the water effects proper curing? Will do some tests. We print a clear gell to matt down the fibers, this works great yet costs a lil more.


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

I don't think it does - the first flash dry takes most if not all of the water out.


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## quixotic (Dec 22, 2006)

That's a really good tip. Next time I do some printing I'll have to try that.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

Great tip thanks for passing it on. Knowledge is power


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## MinusBlindfold (Nov 4, 2005)

man i haven't been printing for quite some time, this being one of the reasons. thanks for the tip, i'll give it a shot soon.


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

yeah, I used to be soooo hesitant to work with lights on darks, because this has always been a problem of mine, but this really does the trick.


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## mikiec (Aug 2, 2006)

Thanks Seibei!!!

I did my first prints with white and although they looked OK at the time, after washing, I could see holes in the print where the fibres had come through.

This should solve the problem next time!

Knowledge is Power!!!


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

I also have problems with the fiber coming thru and have the white look clumpy. I want to try this. What is the Gel that was mentioned also above. Thanks


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Just wondering. What is a good mesh count for a dark shirt with white Union ink low bleed? I was using 110 for making a basic word shirt. I thin out the ink a bit with the thinner Union Ink recommends (detackifier). I flash between strokes and it looks ok except for the fibers. Should I be doing something different? Will putting a mist down help? Any suggestions are welcome. Still Learning a lot!!

Jeff


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## tryplecrown (Jan 24, 2007)

Jeff, I run Union's low bleed diamond white on blends and I almost always run through a 110 with a 70 dur squeegee. I also run their brite cotton white on 100% cotton and it's really smooth and soft. In fact, I run both of them straight out of the container without any additives because I'm afraid I'll jack up the opacity. 

Just be sure you're using the right white ink. This is something I learned recently. I have some Rutland Snap white, but it's insane thick although I think it's pretty much all purpose (use on 50/50 or cotton). But I run the union diamond white on 50/50's and cotton white on 100% cotton. Early on, I ran the diamond white on cotton and it worked, but it has a puff additive and it tends to be a bit rougher after curing. But the cotton white on a cotton shirt generally comes out really smooth. 

Printing white ink has been my nemesis and it's something that challenged me just because there seemed to be so many variables (ink brand, type, squeegee technique, off contact height, flashing times, clearing the screen... and the list goes on).

But here are a few keys that I recently learned through trial and error when printing white ink:
- Stir your ink good! Break down the false body by stirring it well so it's soft. 
-Use a more upright squeegee angle to sheer off the ink making it clear the screen. If you see any ink in the screen, make another quick pass with an upright stroke until you don't see any ink still sitting in the screen. 
-Be patient with flashing. After flashing, you want the ink to not come off on your finger when you touch the print. If it's still wet, you won't get as good of coverage. BUT DON'T OVER CURE. If you full cure it under the flash between passes, the additional passes won't bond right to the bottom layer. You just want it to heat up enough to not be wet. (This has been critical to me in getting opaque prints. I've made stupid numbers of passes with wet ink and you could always see the shirt fibers underneath.
-Build up your stencil / emulsion. After coating your screens and drying them, go back and recoat the print side of the screen (not the squeegee side) with another pass or two of emulsion. It will build up the stencil making more of a gasket between the squeegee an the shirt. It helps with edge definition and helps you lay down a thicker deposit of ink in less passes. 

Well, these are a few things and I'm sure I forgot some. But hopefully it will help you avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered. Sorry, I don't mean to hijack this post. Looks like it's pretty old though.


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## rickcaspari (Oct 25, 2006)

Hey MARK,
Good post! I am getting ready to start screen printing in the next few months and post like this really helps.Thanks RICK.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Thank you Mark. I will try some of your ideas. I am new and have not used emulsion yet. I use the Ulano Quick Exposure Films 50 microns.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Richard (from FLUID) what is the brand of the clear gel to matt down the fibers? Can you advise where to get me some??

Thanks
Jeff of Koala Tee


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## majkthreads (Mar 29, 2006)

Great tip seibei, can't wait to try it.


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

thanks for your tips guys. keep em coming!


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

anything about the gel? Looking to try it. What is the name?

Thanks

Jeff


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

Isn't the gel a modifer for soft hand feel?

i belive it's also the same stuff used to heat press foil onto a design.


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## tryplecrown (Jan 24, 2007)

One other thing I just ran across in an article by Roger Jennings in this month's Printwear magazine. He says to take your thicker high opacity ink, and a thinner white (medium pigment) and mix it 75/25 (75% thicker high opacity ink, with 25% of the thinner medium pigment ink). I've never tried it, but I may have to give it a shot to try to get rid of the snap white I have. It's like taffy. May have to try to mix in some Union cotton white and see if that helps.


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## victorywear (Aug 13, 2007)

Okay, we did this last night on some ball shirts we were doing. You would not believe how smooth it made the white. We might have sprayed a little too much water because we had to turn the heat up a tad to get it to cure...but it definitely works. Great Tip! Thanks a lot!


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

when you guys mist the shirt do you just print right away or do you mist, smooth the shirt down with your hand then print ?


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## victorywear (Aug 13, 2007)

All we did was just spray, and then lay down the screen and print. We didn't smooth it down with our hand. I can say that we did a few without spraying, and we can tell the difference between the two.


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## bok (Mar 17, 2007)

Thank you!! I can't wait to try it.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

I tired it and they do look better than w/o the mist. Great suggestion. Just need to cure it a little longer if your using the flash dryer. I think!


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## zhardix08 (Sep 9, 2007)

im new here but i think this is help a lot for people like me which is new in this business


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## TeamScreenNYC (Sep 9, 2007)

This is a great little tip. I'm going to give it a try when I'm in the shop tomorrow. 
Has anyone tried this tip with any metallic inks? I'm sure this tip might just make the gold and silver inks stand out more.

Kevin
TSNYC


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

i just did a gold on a dark green shirt. 
i should have read this before i did it to see how this works.

next time ill give it a try! =)


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## macmiller (Jul 23, 2007)

i just wanted to bump this because it really works well... just tried it.


thanks David! (seibei)


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## buzzbox (Oct 24, 2007)

not sure if your trying to make the white flat or bright?


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## buzzbox (Oct 24, 2007)

making white flat is no secret. 230 mesh, single stroke, flash 900 degrees for 1 sec, next head is a blank (solid no design) has clear in it but doesn't go thru the screen, while the ink is super hot it flattens the white while it is in a gel state. can't get any flatter than that.


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## shirtjunkie (Oct 30, 2007)

Great advice! Thanks for sharing. Will have to check this out and get back to the forum on this!


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Mark- Great post. Thanks 

Question: For the off - contact height with whites inks on dark. Do you want to go higher or lower than a normal dark ink on light shirt? About what height works well?


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## bok (Mar 17, 2007)

buzzbox said:


> making white flat is no secret. 230 mesh, single stroke, flash 900 degrees for 1 sec, next head is a blank (solid no design) has clear in it but doesn't go thru the screen, while the ink is super hot it flattens the white while it is in a gel state. can't get any flatter than that.


I'm not sure I understand what you just said. Please explain it.


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## denversol (Aug 26, 2007)

GREAT TRICK!!!! I love it thanx


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## Six (Oct 10, 2007)

thank you great tip!


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## Roboto (Apr 6, 2007)

hahaha yess i tried it and it works only thing that it took longer for it to cure


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## billy bob (Dec 12, 2007)

I have a design,with a massive one color skull on it,my screener is having a hard time making it look good,it even cracks,so how do i print a huge image (white) on a black shirt,with color consitency and no cracking?? anyone


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## billy bob (Dec 12, 2007)

this is the link to almost the same shirt,only diff is this one has blood on it


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

If the design is cracking then i is not curing properly.


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## billy bob (Dec 12, 2007)

Thank you i will inform ,my screener!!


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## Jo Ann (Jan 1, 2008)

I need some help with flashing, correctly. What temp. and time is a good measurement of proper flashing. This is concerning the white ink topic.
thanks


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## Six (Oct 10, 2007)

i think imight have put too much on, the white came out patchy


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## Platinum-Ink (Nov 27, 2007)

Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing!


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

I know the original post was almost a year ago, but I wonder if the shirt was a 50-50 or 100% cotton.

In my humble opinion, if you screen print properly, this technique isn't necesary.

White - flash - White - boom - you done


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## drotz (Jan 10, 2008)

nice tip for a newbie like me,tanx


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

Here's another good tip for you then. 

1. Before you print your next order, lay all the shirts out on the floor overnight to get the wrinkles out. 

2. Then iron all of them front and back to make sure the print surface is nice and smooth. You can use your water spray bottle too.

3. Also take 2 inch masking tape and use it like a lint brush to remove all the fuzz balls from the shirt. 

This will really help the final imprint look really really nice.


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## RickB (Jun 15, 2007)

Eric, would you think keeping an iron next to the pallet and hitting the shirt right before you print would work well? I've tried the tips about the spray bottle and they help, but it would seem like doing the iron trick would really lay those fibers down. 
Thanks!


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## 4oclockteetime (Dec 30, 2007)

I tried this and my screen stuck to the white ink. It ended up pulling UP more fibers than it did pushing them down. Any thoughts?


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## RickB (Jun 15, 2007)

4oclockteetime said:


> I tried this and my screen stuck to the white ink. It ended up pulling UP more fibers than it did pushing them down. Any thoughts?


 
I would imagine that you would want to do a light iron and then let the pallet and shirt cool down some, just like after a flash . I'm gonna give it a shot in a couple of days and post back.


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## 4oclockteetime (Dec 30, 2007)

RickB said:


> I would imagine that you would want to do a light iron and then let the pallet and shirt cool down some, just like after a flash . I'm gonna give it a shot in a couple of days and post back.


??? Are you suggesting that while the shirt is on the platen that I should iron it to smooth out the fibers instead of the water spray???

Its possible that I didn't spray it with enough water. I wasn't sure how much was appropriate. I didn't want to water it down but maybe that's the case --- don't know.


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## surfwear (Jan 13, 2008)

what does flash mean ?


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## marlo45 (Oct 4, 2007)

surfwear said:


> what does flash mean ?


It's when you use a heat source (namely flash unit) to 'gel' your ink. Hitting your ink with a little heat is called a 'flash'.


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## screenprinter1 (Jan 5, 2008)

Guys seriously,... you all must have a TON of time on your hands. You can't spend all of the time you are talking about, spraying, IRONING, etc. Getting a smooth print has everything to do with off contact, squeegee angles, and pressure. When you are printing on a manual press, you might try flooding and then printing. Make sure you have good even preassure and try different angles. I usually hit twice, first time with a steeper angle, second with a lower angle. Then Flash. After the flash, steep angle, less pressure, and you will have a beautiful white, nice and flat if you make sure you scrape the well side of the screen nice and clean. 

Wilflex Bright Tiger is great for manual presses

On the Autos, you simply need the right angles and the right pressure, and the right off contact.

For manual and autos, most underlay or white screens will be on a 110 mesh. If you are using halftones, then you might go as high as a 200 mesh. 

Good even pressure guys, that is the key. I see a lot of guys who start out who don't hold the squeegee correctly and so they don't get even pressure and they start to experience fatigue much sooner. Plant the corners of the squeegee right in the middle of your palms, thumbs in the back, rest of the fingers in the front. You shouldn't see any stutter lines in your screen when you pull. If you see stutter lines, then you do not have even pressure.

You can try the things that have been suggested in the rest of this post, but you will never be efficient or get your jobs done in a timely manner.

Matt


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

Come on guys - read the posts - lol 
I said (in my opinion) the technique of spraying water isn't necessary. Then drotz posted he thought it was a nice tip. (Now I think I might have misunderstood him). Well if you think spraying water is a good tip, then laying your shirts out on the foor and ironing them will waste even more of your time.

Sorry for the scarcasm, I might have been a little cranky that day.

Print white - flash cure - print - that's how it is done if you want to make money screenprinting.

Using a good quality 100% shirt doesn't hurt either.


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## drotz (Jan 10, 2008)

> Come on guys - read the posts - lol
> I said (in my opinion) the technique of spraying water isn't necessary. Then drotz posted he thought it was a nice tip. (Now I think I might have misunderstood him). Well if you think spraying water is a good tip, then laying your shirts out on the foor and ironing them will waste even more of your time.


sori eric but i wasnt referring to your post


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## surfwear (Jan 13, 2008)

nothing wrong with just sharing a helpful tip. Everyone should be thankful.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Thanks Mark. I replying now - sorry, and going to make the whites today before the Superbowl for a small order. I will do most of what you posted. Except I did not build up the screen. Here we go..........


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## garlikky (Mar 17, 2008)

HI, I'm new here and new to printing. are you guys talking about waterbased or oil based inks?


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

Pastisol Ink is what we are talking about - I think.

Question/Comment: I see tees with perfert whites on dark. And even dark on lights...You look close and there is no blimishes, no threads, it is perfert in every way. You can see the mesh with a leye oupe. How is that done? I assume it is a combination of great equipment, tight screens, good ink and years of skills. Can anyone achieve the same with dying with a flash dryer, using Union ink, and a wooden screen - 110 or 123 mesh. Should mesh be higher? It there a better white ink out there? I have it down pretty good, but not where I want it to be. How do you soften the hand too? 

Jeff - Koala Bear


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## garlikky (Mar 17, 2008)

thanks for answering my noob questions. after reading the rest of the posts and other threads i realized that you guys must be talking about plastisol. 

I have both plastisol and lots of aquabrite inks and have used both in the past but only use waterbased now. i decided not to continue with plastisol cause of health concerns. after reading many posts here i am wondering if they are both just bad for me now. i've also only been able to print on light fabric which sux. Now that i want to start printing on dark shirts i may rethink my techniques.


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## ttime (Mar 8, 2008)

To Jeff's question I believe that the smooth white prints that you see are called cold split transfers (printed on special paper then applied with a heat press to the shirt) it leaves a very bright and smooth finish but I dont believe the adhesion to the shirt is as good and I think the ink eventually cracks.
Interesting tip with the water trick. By trying new things we learn new things; However, be sure your new trick isn't going to backfire in the long run. Check it good because it sucks when you work hard to do a nice job to make a customer happy and then find out later that you lost them because your ink came off or cracked etc.


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## SHOW6 (Mar 18, 2008)

thanks for the tips seibie and tryplecrown, planing on printing on dark and with union ink


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