# Help with water-based speedball fabric inks washing out.



## Ziarci (Feb 9, 2011)

Hello, 
I apologize if this question has already been answered somewhere, but I searched the forum and read most of the posts I could find related to the issue.

I have just finished printing a run of about 30 shirts with white water-based speedball fabric screen printing ink on black 50% cotton / 50% polyester shirts. I let them air dry for a few hours, and then ironed them with my iron on the highest non-steam setting. I used a cotton pillowcase between the iron and the ink, and did each shirt for at least 5 minutes.

Then I wanted to test it to make sure it was properly cured so i just tried rinsing it in the sink. Even in cool water the ink started washing off, and when i turned it to warm water almost all of the ink washed out. I wasn't using soap or anything and i was left with a very faded image on the shirt. 

My question is, why is this happening? I read other posts in the forum and they all say that it probably wasn't heat-set long enough, or high enough, but the directions on the ink said "highest non-steam setting". Would it be better if I just put it on the highest setting (which says you are supposed to use steam) and didn't put water in the iron? Or would that burn the shirt? The image is only 8"x10" and I believe that the heat is staying at about the same temperature constantly for the majority of the 5 minutes. But perhaps the heat just isn't a high enough temperature in the first place?

I have used this ink before and never had a problem with it, but that was about 6 years ago, and I actually have had this particular jar of ink for about 6 years, so could that have something to do with my problem? Does the ink go bad after so long? I wouldn't think that it would, but I don't know. 

I also did a few shirts in silver and gold ink (opaque speedball fabric ink) and black ink (the same as the white ink, also about 6 years old). I didn't try washing these, but I heat-set them the same way and for the same amount of time. Do you think I will have the same problem with these too?

Could the type of fabric the shirt is made of have something to do with it? I purchased these shirts from a craft store, and they are sold in the same isle as the Yudu brand screen printing machines so I assume they are meant to be used for screenprinting. 

I do not have a heat gun, but I have a hair dryer. Would that perhaps help? What about putting the shirts in a dryer? If so, what setting should the dryer be on? Where I have so many shirts, it will be really time consuming to have to re-iron them all again. Can anyone suggest a faster way that will guarantee that they'll be cured and not wash out? 

I'm sorry for such a long post, I just want to make sure you all know exactly what my situation is so that you can answer me easily. I am really afraid to send these out to the buyers until I am sure they will not wash out. I have already made the mistake of sending about 10 of them out before I test-washed one. I would like to know what the solution is to this so that I can tell those buyers how to prepare their shirts for washing. I know that's not a very professional thing to do, but it's the only thing I can do now to ensure that their shirts do not get ruined. 

Please help me. I am hoping to get these mailed out by the end of the week. 

Thank you!


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## pdcollection (6 mo ago)

Hello, I know this is an old thread. If you found a solution I'd love to know. I've printed shirts before, and had no problem. So did not prewash test before printing about 30 shirts, and selling 8 of them. Pretty close to your story. Except my ink was in storage for 3 years since the pandemic, also I had put some no heat setting solution in the ink to help set the ink, although I still heat set for 2:30 mins. But somehow the ink is just washing out this time around, which didn't happen 3 years ago. I've bought fresh ink, but am trying to see if I can somehow salvage the shirts I have already printed or they're now doomed. Thanks for letting me know


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