# Discharge vs. Water-based Printing



## rpgrayso (Jul 28, 2007)

I print with plastisol inks and am looking for a way to get a soft hand feel. From the information I have found it seems that discharge and water-based printing is the way to go. However, I am a bit confused on the big picture...

Can you print colors with discharge ink or do you have to do the undercoat with discharge and then print on top with water-based ink to get colors?

If both ways work for obtaining color, is one preferred over the other?

Is it mandatory to have a compressed air flash dryer (I'm not sure if that's the official name) or can you get by with a regular flash dryer? (the one that works with plastisol inks)

Thank you so much to all that respond! Any bit of information is greatly appreciated!!

Madeline


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

For serious waterbased and discharge production, you need a fairly long conveyor oven with forced air. I use a hix 2410 with three IR panels.

you can add pigments to the discharge ink, so that you basically have colored discharge.

discharge is awesome on darks and regular waterbased inks are awesome on lights.

I use Matsui inks that I order from Screen Printing Supplies, Equipment, Service & Support - Westix Online

Reading my blog may be of interest to you, as I just talk about waterbased and discharge printing/production.


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## standardgraphics (Jul 28, 2008)

[media]http://www.polyone.com/en-us/about/businessgroups/Inks/Literature/Oasis%20NF%20Base%20PIB.pdf[/media]



Six foot dryer ...


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## ai file (Sep 9, 2006)

standardgraphics said:


> [media]http://www.polyone.com/en-us/about/businessgroups/Inks/Literature/Oasis%20NF%20Base%20PIB.pdf[/media]
> 
> 
> 
> Six foot dryer ...


sounds like what i'm looking for...do you have any print samples on dark?


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

You need a lot of energy and air to cure a lot of discharge and waterbased. If you get a six foot dryer, you may have to have it going through so slow that you are waiting for your oven, you may print faster than it can handle. Sometimes with my ten foot belt oven I almost go too fast for it.


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## rpgrayso (Jul 28, 2007)

Thank you very much to all the replies! 
Stuart the blog really helps! 

I just ordered all the supplies I need tonight and I'm excited to get started!


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

just like the others say, you need to cure it the best as possible. ive got a precision dryer with three burners. and we sometime have to dry the garments twice beacaus of high rates of production. btw my dryer is like 75 feet long. So, ud better dry it twice

George,


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

You have a 75 foot conveyor belt oven? pictures, please!


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

yeah tomorrow


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## staned (Feb 25, 2007)

up north matt posted pictures of their 3,000,000 btu dryer that is about that long. wouldn't want the gas bill on that baby.


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

one of our fabric printing machines has a 10 million btu dryer. It runs with its own oil boiler..


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

[media]http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/4977/img0292my7.jpg[/media]


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

sorry for the hudge pics guys.


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

ive got more.


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

Georgies, where are you located? How big is your company?
That equipment looks crazy.


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## Georgies (Jul 30, 2008)

we are located in the city of Montreal. We are not too big of a company.But whats special is all the different things we do. Fabric printing, fabric dying, garment printing, garment dying, fabric finishing.Sublimations,on continuous fabric or garments. Foils,flock,discharge,high density,gel,mirrored silver,metallics, and the list goes on.

George.


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## staned (Feb 25, 2007)

big a$$ dryer with a belt printer on each side, i've got that in my spare bedroom and i'd show you if my camera wasn't broken. stretchen the truth stan


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## kpearsondc (May 3, 2014)

brent said:


> For serious waterbased and discharge production, you need a fairly long conveyor oven with forced air. I use a hix 2410 with three IR panels.
> 
> you can add pigments to the discharge ink, so that you basically have colored discharge.
> 
> ...


Hi,

Can you tell me how to find your blog?


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