# water based inks on 50 cotton 50 poly shirt FADING



## lady noir (May 15, 2007)

i am new to water based inks and just printed some white burn out shirts (50% cotton / 50% polyester) with black water based ink.

i heat cured them with a flash unit for about 30 seconds and then washed one to test.

the print faded considerably. anyone have experience with this?

was it not heat cured long enough?

do water based inks adhere to polyester?

any help is appreciated.

thank you!!


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

30 seconds for waterbased ink was probably not long enough. What ink are you using. What did the ink instructions say for curing times/temperatures?


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## Reyes (Dec 26, 2010)

Im having the same issue im using ryonet ink


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

If your ink is washing out and/or cracking, it's not fully cured. 
With waterbased inks, first all of the water in the ink must be evaporated, so if your flash unit or conveyor dryer doesn't have a forced air, that it will take even longer.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Reyes said:


> Im having the same issue im using ryonet ink


 




You don't mention if you're using waterbased inks or plastisol. Your ink isn't fully cured.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Remember too, EVERY shop must have a temp gun.

Your ink must be fully cured and fully cured through the entire depth of the ink, not just the top surface of the ink...or you will experience cracking/washing out/fading.........not the kind of thing you EVER want to give to your customers.

Good news travels fast, bad news, even faster.


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## Reyes (Dec 26, 2010)

sorry i am using water base ink and drying it with a heat gun. i was not taking the shirt off the platten i was trying to dry while it was glued to the platten still


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Reyes said:


> sorry i am using water base ink and drying it with a heat gun. i was not taking the shirt off the platten i was trying to dry while it was glued to the platten still


 
You want to pull it off your platen before you cure it.
You can lay it back on top, if you want. Easier on your platen. Even better, have another surface that you can put your shirt on to do your cures.

You can find a good deal on a temp gun at Harbor Freight....you really need one. Otherwise, it's just a shot in the dark as to whether you're fully curing or not.


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## Reyes (Dec 26, 2010)

whats the temp gun for?? Thank you for ur help!


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Reyes said:


> whats the temp gun for?? Thank you for ur help!


An infrared temperature gun will tell you how hot you are getting the ink. Ink has to reach a certain temperature to cure.


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## Reyes (Dec 26, 2010)

Whats the temp it has to reach? Thank you for your help!!!


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Reyes said:


> Whats the temp it has to reach? Thank you for your help!!!


 

For most plastisol, it's 320 degrees (all of the way through the ink, not just the surface)

And, I don't use waterbased, you'll have to check the specs for the one you use, but I think it's 310 degrees. Remember that with waterbased, you also have to completely evaporate the water from the ink.


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