# Using a heat press to cure water based ink: how long and at what temperature?



## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

Hi All
I'm just setting up in screen printing and want to use a water based system. I have read other posts that mention using a heat press to cure these inks, can someone explain a bit more about this. Do you have to leave the inks until touch dry before using the press and how long does it take and at what temperature?
Thanks.
Regards
Paul


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

From what I've read, the ink manufacturer will give you the recommended curing time and temperature for their specific ink.


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

Rodney said:


> From what I've read, the ink manufacturer will give you the recommended curing time and temperature for their specific ink.


Thanks Rodney
But is it necessary to allow the water based ink to touch dry first. I am only guessing that you do actually press with heat press as opposed to 'hovering' with it but presumably the ink has to be dry first. Is that correct? Is this a particularly efficient method with water based ink. I know all the pro's say a tunnel dryer but I can't stretch to the cost of one at the moment. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Regards
Paul


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## TeddyRocky (Mar 23, 2007)

TxZone said:


> Thanks Rodney
> But is it necessary to allow the water based ink to touch dry first. I am only guessing that you do actually press with heat press as opposed to 'hovering' with it but presumably the ink has to be dry first. Is that correct? Is this a particularly efficient method with water based ink. I know all the pro's say a tunnel dryer but I can't stretch to the cost of one at the moment. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
> Regards
> Paul


Tunnel Dryer is ideal, but a flash dryer works as well if you are in a crunch. Look into buying a used flash dryer, or even a lower end new one.


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

TeddyRocky said:


> Tunnel Dryer is ideal, but a flash dryer works as well if you are in a crunch. Look into buying a used flash dryer, or even a lower end new one.


Thanks
So would you say a flash dryer will do a better job on water based ink than a heat press?

Regards
Paul


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## TeddyRocky (Mar 23, 2007)

TxZone said:


> Thanks
> So would you say a flash dryer will do a better job on water based ink than a heat press?
> 
> Regards
> Paul


Definetely.


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

TeddyRocky said:


> Definetely.


Ok... thanks for that. I guess i'll start looking for a flash dryer.
regards
Paul


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

TxZone said:


> I am only guessing that you do actually press with heat press as opposed to 'hovering' with it but presumably the ink has to be dry first. Is that correct?


Yes, you press not hover, so yes, the ink should be dry first (which doesn't take _that_ long).



TxZone said:


> Is this a particularly efficient method with water based ink.


No, but it beats a hand iron.

A heat press is something people will sometimes have around anyway, which is where they're a particularly handy solution.


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

Thanks for that Lewis
You're right it is something I've got which is why I asked. Would it be as quick as a flash unit because it seems as though the wattage of around 2500 is comparable with some flash units.
Regards
Paul


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## majkthreads (Mar 29, 2006)

No the flash unit will dry faster. Even though my ink was dry I had some lifting off of the ink when pressing a couple shirts. 

A flash will work faster and easier.


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

majkthreads said:


> No the flash unit will dry faster. Even though my ink was dry I had some lifting off of the ink when pressing a couple shirts.
> 
> A flash will work faster and easier.


Thanks for the help Bryan... much appreciated.
Regards
Paul


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## Your Mantras (Aug 13, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys, I just spent 3 hours ironing to set my inks (I HATE ironing!) Will have to look for a flash dryer too!


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## TxZone (Jun 12, 2007)

Just had a thought (beginners luck!)... Has anyone used a quartz infrared heater to make their own flash curer. These heaters appear to use the same short wave infrared radiation as the flash curer units and can be purchased quite cheaply. Any thoughts???

Regards
Paul


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## ambitious (Oct 29, 2007)

TxZone said:


> Just had a thought (beginners luck!)... Has anyone used a quartz infrared heater to make their own flash curer. These heaters appear to use the same short wave infrared radiation as the flash curer units and can be purchased quite cheaply. Any thoughts???
> 
> Regards
> Paul


I know it's been a while since you posted here, but was curious to know if you ever tried that quartz infrared heater to flash and how were the results?


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## wickedcool (Dec 1, 2008)

Waterbase needs to reach about 315f-320f for 60-80 seconds to cure it. If you were going to use a heat press to cure it, make sure it's set around that range if not slightly higher. Using a flash unit only would be in-advisable IMO. A flash unit gets too hot and will begin to scorch the garment after not too long. It will probably scorch before completely curing the waterbase. If I were doing it, I would flash for 30-45 seconds to make it dry to the touch, then heat press it for probably 60-80 seconds. Watch for any wet ink to stay on the heat press plate when you lift up. You'll need to wipe it off or chance some ghosting or funky build up.


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## Belt-Print-Pro (Jan 28, 2008)

TeddyRocky said:


> Definetely.


Definitely not actually, a flash dryer will not dry waterbased inks better or faster than a heat press. Why do you think all the new direct to shirt waterbased systems heat press their shirts to cure them. There are 2 stages of curing for waterbased inks, moisture evaporation and heat setting, a heat press will force the moisture out of the garment much faster than a flash dryer and will start the heat setting process almost immediately, unlike a flash dryer. A long run gas fired oven is ideal but a heat press is a better substitute than a flash dryer, any day.


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## saturnstroll (Aug 19, 2008)

ambitious said:


> I know it's been a while since you posted here, but was curious to know if you ever tried that quartz infrared heater to flash and how were the results?


I can verify this. I've been using a stout black body flash unit for wb discharge. The flash will not hesitate to scorch the tee if you're not careful. The timing of it is very delicate. You have to fully cure the discharge, but the damn flash burns too hot, even with a higher distance.

I'm preparing to invest in a heat press. 

I'll flash dry, then heat press.


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## saturnstroll (Aug 19, 2008)

Belt-Print-Pro said:


> Definitely not actually, a flash dryer will not dry waterbased inks better or faster than a heat press. Why do you think all the new direct to shirt waterbased systems heat press their shirts to cure them. There are 2 stages of curing for waterbased inks, moisture evaporation and heat setting, a heat press will force the moisture out of the garment much faster than a flash dryer and will start the heat setting process almost immediately, unlike a flash dryer. A long run gas fired oven is ideal but a heat press is a better substitute than a flash dryer, any day.


Question: how do you handle problems with ink sticking to the press? Do you flash first, or just use teflon sheets?


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## teechapter (Dec 17, 2008)

My printers use teflon sheet and they taped it on the heat plate so you don't have to place it on top of the shirt each time. ( But I wouldn't suggest to tape the teflon sheet on the heat plate unless you are using the clamp heat press where you can keep a watch out for any accident dirty marks that sticks on the teflon sheet before pressing onto the next shirt. )


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## AKBDL Print Co. (Jun 15, 2010)

Yes, you can use a simple heat press to fully cure waterbased inks... We tested using permasets super cover colors.: we tested 30 swatches, wash tested and stretch tested. 

NOTE: regardless of what the manufacturer posted... 30 minutes on high in a normal dryer will not fully cure your inks... 

We used a heat gun tack, and heat pressed for 50 seconds and achieved a full cure on a 2 color image.

Cautionary note: always, always, always order more garments with your clients order that you pay for - so that you can run your wash tests on... take the time to do the wash and stretch tests. also - with permasets...always use an underbase... preferable the supercover white... it is very elastic and it bonds well with the other super cover inks... We tested the super cover colors by them selves on black tee's... cracked under stretch tests... washed well... looked great... but still cracked... once we used the super cover white as the underbase... it came out very comparable to a plastisol print... washed great... stretched great...


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## couchpotato29 (Oct 18, 2011)

wickedcool said:


> Waterbase needs to reach about 315f-320f for 60-80 seconds to cure it. If you were going to use a heat press to cure it, make sure it's set around that range if not slightly higher. Using a flash unit only would be in-advisable IMO. A flash unit gets too hot and will begin to scorch the garment after not too long. It will probably scorch before completely curing the waterbase. If I were doing it, I would flash for 30-45 seconds to make it dry to the touch, then heat press it for probably 60-80 seconds. Watch for any wet ink to stay on the heat press plate when you lift up. You'll need to wipe it off or chance some ghosting or funky build up.


Hello WickedCool! I have the same problem. I did the 320F, in fact, 85 seconds to cure my shirt. And then after that, when I quickly check the temperature of the ink using a temp gun, it's just at 280- 290F, is that normal? Or does the heat gun have to show 315-320 range immediately after I pressed it? Because if it doesn't have to show that range, then I would think I am doing the right thing. If it does have to show that range on the temp gun, then I'll have to go higher than 85 seconds, but I am afraid I would burn the shirt. 

I have wasted 3 shirts already, following the manufacturer's advice. It's just that every heat press is different I guess. So what I did, i cut one of the failed shirt into pieces and just place ink (thicker than what i would print) on the small pieces and cured it with the press with different time range. So far, nothing before 85 seconds survived the wash test. Although at 85, there is a color bleed on the water but no ink numerous dots of inks flaking off, just very very very minimal.

I was so frustrated that I thought of cutting up the shirt into pieces. haha  thanks in advanced for the reply soon.


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## Cristiangato (May 2, 2013)

Hi there, I am using water base inks+catalizer, and then after a few minutes in a very cheap portable electric heater then I put this in my heat press and voila! its work great! the question is? am i doing this right? well i use to make it first with only the catalizer and i have to wait 2 weeks to wash the t shirt, but ink after a few washes start to crack and look not nice, then i started to iron them and then even without wait the 2 weeks to wash (because of catalizer) it works good (in fact even with just 1 layer of ink )
and now to avoid the waste of time ironing i bought a heat press!
Now, once again do you think am i doing this right?
Cheers


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## Apostolica (Apr 10, 2009)

Cristiangato said:


> Hi there, I am using water base inks+catalizer, and then after a few minutes in a very cheap portable electric heater then I put this in my heat press and voila! its work great! the question is? am i doing this right? well i use to make it first with only the catalizer and i have to wait 2 weeks to wash the t shirt, but ink after a few washes start to crack and look not nice, then i started to iron them and then even without wait the 2 weeks to wash (because of catalizer) it works good (in fact even with just 1 layer of ink )
> and now to avoid the waste of time ironing i bought a heat press!
> Now, once again do you think am i doing this right?
> Cheers


Hi there, an old thread but I thought I would chime in anyway. When I first set up my shop I didn't have alot of money and I was having problems curing my shirts, I was using a flash curer to touch dry the ink and then used an old iron press ( similar to a heat press only far cheaper, got mine for $90 on ebay ) After trying one shirt with this method I did a test wash and unfortunately the ink faded quite a bit. An old friend of mine that's been in the printing game for as many years as Ive been alive told me of a trick they use to cure there water based inks on shirts very quickly and with amazing results, he told me to add Special Binder A to the ink and then flash cure it or let it air dry and then put it in a simple iron press or heat press. I told him I have an iron press and he said to put it on the highest setting, both temperature and time and it will work just great. I followed his advice and have never had a problem since, I am still using this method as I can't afford a conveyor belt oven just now.
I set my iron press at the highest setting for temperature and pressed the shirts for 20 seconds and I never have a problem, my friend has been wearing my shirts for 3 years now and the ink still looks great on them after washing it every week.


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