# All ink cracks?



## congomatty (Jul 26, 2014)

Hi, I've been on and off printing for quite some time.. not really professionally but always hoping to someday be there.
I'm wondering...do all inks eventually crack on the garnment? (other than discharge)
It seems after an amount of time, the print will always crack.

I've noticed this on all plastisol bought t-shirts. I've noticed this on all water-based prints I've done.
I make sure they are very well cured for 2 minutes at 350 ish °F and they are brilliant to begin with, and always pass the stretch test
But after a while, they always start cracking. Is this unavoidable, or am I maybe doing something wrong?


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

congomatty said:


> I'm wondering...do all inks eventually crack on the garnment? (other than discharge)
> It seems after an amount of time, the print will always crack.


Thick opaque inks used straight out of the bucket and printed as solid colors, will eventually crack.
White ink for example will always crack first.

The fabric type makes a difference as well.
I have a 10 year old hoodies with elbow pads to cover the holes but not a single crack on the print.
The same ink if used on a t-shirt would eventually crack.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

I have a 40 year old Plastisol print on a cotton/poly raglan that still looks as good as the day I bought it, though the shirt itself has lost most of its cotton content. It saw regular use for around 20 years, very occasional use since then. It is very much the exception, as prints eventually seem to crack. It is a shirt I bought, not one I printed, so I don't know what gods they sacrificed to when printing it 

My own prints are mostly Permaset Aqua Supercover (an opaque high-pigment water base ink), and I haven't had one crack yet. The shirt I'm wearing at the moment was printed in 2015, and has been worn a couple times a month since then. Other than turning things inside out, I don't do anything special or "gentle" when washing. It's an American Apparel #2001, which is all I printed on back then. Will it make it 20+ years like my magical Fleetwood Mac concert raglan? I'm doubtful. But ask me again in 14 years 

I have a Green Galaxy Comet White print that cracked, but I think I under cured it. It seems to require more curing than Permaset (must be all those magical chemicals that keep it from drying in screen).

Dark/black water based ink for use on light-colored garments does not crack, as it does not make an ink film like Plastisol or opaque water base.

What inks have you used and how have you cured them? I cure with a heat press, around 1 minute @ 340 F for Permaset; about double the time for Green Galaxy.


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## congomatty (Jul 26, 2014)

Thanks @TABOB ,
Yes i am using high solids ink, are you saying if you want to use high solids this is unavoidable? I like a lot of white on black printing, so using a standard waterbase ink never really produced a good result. Why would the same ink on a hoodie be better off than on a tshirt? More room for movement? I've printed hoodies and cured very well (as far as i know!) but the same thing eventually happens.


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## congomatty (Jul 26, 2014)

Thank you @NoXid ,
I tried Permaset Supercover when I first started out and it dried so quickly that I soon gave up with it, although this was when I started so could have been doing something wrong.. Maybe I should try it again.

I never turn my printed cloths inside out when washing, and wash at 40° C (100°F), maybe this will be a culprit as well? I also have worn these many many times much more than a couple a month.

I have used Green Galaxy Comet White as well, which was good but typically I use a UK company's own brand - WickedPrintingStuff premium superflex waterbased, which is very similar in feel, application, thickness and dry time. The only thing ingredient wise it states is contains 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one. Their website describes it as "WPS SuperFlex – Highly opaque water based inks. Suitable for Cotton / Poly Cotton blends. It has excellent opacity, easy to print with, slow drying in the screen and quicker to cure than other water based textile inks."

I cure with a flash drier, after printing. Usually I place the shirt under the drier and wait for it to reach at least 330° (which I am checking with an infared thermometer) and then start a 2 minute timer, the temperature continues to slowly rise, if it gets close to 390°, I lower the distance slightly so it doesn't get too hot, so usually 350 - 370 it remains for most that time.


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

congomatty said:


> Yes i am using high solids ink, are you saying if you want to use high solids this is unavoidable?


There are ways to avoid it, but in most cases you cannot just use ink straight out of the bucket.
Some brands are better than others, so maybe the Supercover NoXid is using is better.
Some brands will have under-base white and top white inks. The under-base is used to prevent cracking.
Others brands are selling the ink base and pigments separately, so you can mix your own ink at the ratio needed.
That said, even with the ink straight out of the bucket, the print should last 15-20 regular washes without cracking.



congomatty said:


> Why would the same ink on a hoodie be better off than on a tshirt?


It's just how it is... The thicker, less stretchy fabric does help.



congomatty said:


> I cure with a flash drier, after printing. Usually I place the shirt under the drier and wait for it to reach at least 330° (which I am checking with an infared thermometer) and then start a 2 minute timer, the temperature continues to slowly rise, if it gets close to 390°, I lower the distance slightly so it doesn't get too hot, so usually 350 - 370 it remains for most that time.


That would be way too hot, but I think your thermometer is not accurate and the actual temperature is lower.
Anyway... I never trust indicated temperatures.
You should print small samples and test them to find the optimal indicated temperature and time for your equipment and ink.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

As Tabob suggested, get all scientific and test! I have a screen for this purpose, with large-sized numbers printed in a grid pattern. Print that on a couple of scrap garments and cut them up so you can cure each number at different time/temp/height combo. Then see how they hold up to a stretch test and the wash. Of course, the edges will fray in the wash if you don't serge them or seal the threads in place.

If you are actually attaining temps as high as you say, that would probably be over-curing the ink and causing premature failure. In general, a lower temp for longer is safer and leaves a larger margin for error than a higher temp for shorter--though obviously one doesn't want to needlessly waste time.

Curing with a radiant heat source requires testing and "dialing-in," as the radiant source itself is much hotter than you want the ink film to get, thus requiring a dance of time and distance to avoid over or under-curing. It's like broiling a steak--can you keep the inside from being bloody raw without burning the surface? As opposed to curing with a heat press, where one sets the press to the precise temperate one wishes to impart to the ink film and it does so via direct contact and conduction.


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## DrivingZiggy (Apr 24, 2017)

NoXid said:


> I have a 40 year old Plastisol print on a cotton/poly raglan that still looks as good as the day I bought it, though the shirt itself has lost most of its cotton content. It saw regular use for around 20 years, very occasional use since then.


If only I could fit into clothes from 40 years ago...


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## TABOB (Feb 13, 2018)

DrivingZiggy said:


> If only I could fit into clothes from 40 years ago...


I cannot do that either... I did not exist.



NoXid said:


> I have a 40 year old Plastisol print on a cotton/poly raglan that still looks as good as the day I bought it, though the shirt itself has lost most of its cotton content. It saw regular use for around 20 years, very occasional use since then. It is very much the exception, as prints eventually seem to crack.


When done right, plastisol prints on white or light color shirts will never crack.
If the print has white ink, discharge combined with heavily reduced white ink is the only option to create indestructible prints.


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## congomatty (Jul 26, 2014)

Sorry for my late reply, but a massive thanks to everyone here who has spent their time, with really detailed, in depth answers. This is hugely appreciated! I haven't had time to digest it all yet but will do very soon! Many thanks!


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## ANDREW CROWLEY (Dec 18, 2021)

*Primarily the cause of the ink cracking is from the ink not curing.*

Dryer temperature too low.
Dryer belt speed too fast.
Dryer chamber is too short.
Dryer electric heating elements are too high off the belt (heat not really getting to the ink.)


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## thetestrider (11 mo ago)

Once you think you have the ink cured you should give it the old stretch test after it's been allowed to cool for a few seconds. That image provided shows a very thin deposit of ink. Thin deposits like that are less likely to stretch much without cracking. Perhaps adding some stretch additive or another layer or two of ink will help. I like to use 110, 125, 140, 160 and 180 mesh for my whites. Which one I chose depends on the garment and the image.


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