# 100% Poly Printing



## IDpromosinc (Feb 6, 2014)

Hey everyone, I am relatively new to screen printing and would like to find a good quality ink for screen printing on 100% Polyester shirts.

Any help is good help, and I need a bunch

Thanks,
Jim


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## BobMotep (Jan 21, 2013)

Wilflex Top Score is super creamy, opaque and comes in several colors. You can also use their white as an underbase and print regular ink over the top without a problem. Also, it comes in at a lower cost than a lot of the poly inks I've tried which is even better since we primarily print on performance fabrics.


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## 2020 PrintWorks (Apr 22, 2011)

One stroke and wilflex both have low cure inks. Wilflex cures at 280 and one stroke is around 250. I think they're about the best you can get for poly. Most inks cure at 320 or higher but dye migration starts well before that.


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## mushroomtoxic (Sep 5, 2013)

Rutland Super Poly white all day!!!


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## debbbbsy (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Jim

You will need a good quality ink.

When printing onto darker garments you will need to get the consistency of the ink right, not all inks can be used straight out of the pot. I mix to a consistency that I can work with, for example I use Amex low bleed white, its quite thick so I add soft hand base and cureable reducer, but I also add a small amount of expanding base, this gives the print a softer more matt feel, it also helps with the curing. You will need a conveyer dryer that has a consistent heat, if you overcure, the ink will migrate. for example, you print red poly t-s with a white print, when they first come out of the dryer they may look okay, but the next day the print will have turned pink.

Also bear in mind that these shirts retain the heat, so if you allow them to fall into a box at the end of the dryer, as they fall on top of each other they stay hot and continue to cure, the same will happen if you flatpack them while hot.

I use union ink for my colours, but again I mix down.

I use 43T screens, print flash print. Cure at 320C.

Light poly T-s you can print like a standard cotton T, with a finer mesh and thinner plastisol ink, but again cure at a lower temperature.

Goodluck

Debs xx


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## 3inkpro (Nov 26, 2014)

Union White Diamond is a great ink for printing on to poly


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## 2020 PrintWorks (Apr 22, 2011)

A lot of the poly inks I've used have a pretty heavy hand after curing. Most of them have some sort of puff additive to help block the dye. The low cure inks don't have that and have a very soft hand after curing. That's why I think they're the best. I didn't even know low cure inks existed until recently.


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

I'll add another, I use the Excalibur Sport Pro inks and love the results.


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## IDpromosinc (Feb 6, 2014)

mushroomtoxic said:


> Rutland Super Poly white all day!!!


at what temp does the Rutland cure?


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## Greatzky (Jan 28, 2009)

lmcawards said:


> I'll add another, I use the Excalibur Sport Pro inks and love the results.


I've also been using the Excalibur Sport Pro series. Low cure and a stretch additive built in which is necessary on performance shirts. 
I'm really interested in their evolution series, but it's super expensive. the cool part is you can do high detail work on poly with the evolution series ink which most people aren't doing right now.


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## debbbbsy (Jan 11, 2011)

> at what temp does the Rutland cure?


320 C, any higher and you'll overcure and get dye migration.


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

IDpromosinc said:


> at what temp does the Rutland cure?


I know you didn't ask but the Excalibur cures at 290...


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## mushroomtoxic (Sep 5, 2013)

IDpromosinc said:


> at what temp does the Rutland cure?



It fully cures at 320 F. and has a gel flash time of 160 F.


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## Merlin23 (Apr 14, 2015)

Printing on 100% poly is not all about having a low temp ink. It's also about having a good poly ink that's formulated to stop the dye's. I use One Stroke Inks. They are a bit expensive but you do always get the results your looking for. All polyesters are different and some can be more difficult then others depending on the color. If you have a good poly ink, you can cure at the regular 320 without any bleed through. Be sure to test whatever poly ink you choose by running it through your wash cycle at home and letting it sit up to two weeks. You definitely don't want your customer to do the testing for you. If that happens, you will be replacing all the shirts and that could be costly.


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## mushroomtoxic (Sep 5, 2013)

Or you can go old school, and just print black ink as your base, and print colors on top


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## strummingbeat (Mar 19, 2014)

helpful information


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