# Printing Discharge waterbase ink



## GSG (Feb 5, 2007)

Here's the question I am using a wilflex oasis waterbase discharge ink I mix the ink with oasis additive. Using a 156 mesh screen I hit the shirt 1 time pressing as hard as possible on the squeegee then running through the dryer at 320 degree's for 90 seconds I still dont see the ink bleaching or discharging through the shirt????? Can anyone help me with knowledge of printing discharge inks.
It would be much appreciated Thankya!!!


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

hit once or twice more.
What type fo dryer? If electric you may need to slow the belt more.

ALSO try flashing after you print before running through the dryer. This stuff needs some serious heat.


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## GSG (Feb 5, 2007)

Its a big gas dryer I have got it slowed down ,, So you are saying to hit it twice then flash before sending it through the dryer?? What should my flash time be??


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

the flash is just to help the process.
We run our quartz for a sec before running through the dryer. Gas dryer, temp set at 380-400 and belt speed at about 10.

I manually printed some samples the other day, flood, hit, flood hit, flood hit, 156 mesh and ran the t's through twice as I did not change the temp from 340 our normal setting.


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## GSG (Feb 5, 2007)

does it matter what type of shirt we are using gildan heavy cotton? Is there a better shirt to use for this process thanks for all the help

"LEARNIN SOMETHIN NEW EVERY DAY"


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

actually gildan are the best as the dye discharges better than all the rest.
Its possible you need to use a #110. lets mroe pass through the screen


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

stupid question but you never know, are you adding the activator?


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## GSG (Feb 5, 2007)

yes adding the activator as perscribed


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

only thing I can think of is you need more heat. Havent had any issues at all. 

How much activator are you adding?
specs say up to 6% by weight yet I believe we use 10%


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## instrumental (Dec 28, 2006)

you need to set the dryer speed so the shirt will remain under the heat for more than a minute, 2 if you have a long enough dryer, also make sure you are adding 10% activator, i presonally dont think the willflex works too well, i use union ink clear discharge and get great results, also gildan never seems to work well, i get best result with f.o.l., anvil, american apparel, article 1, etc


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

steve your results are the total opposite than mine. Great results with Wilflex brand and Gildan are the best. Since we sampled this process a couple months ago I would say about 25% of my printing uses this process. We are starting to add this for our underbase prints as well.

you verified it is the heat.


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## instrumental (Dec 28, 2006)

hmmm...gildan never worked well, and i have such ease using the union, its seems so much more fluid than the willflex which came off pasty when i tried it, we are now entering the new world of multicolor, spot process, etc of waterbased discharge using a clear base and pigments


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

dont fix was isn't broken! 
Possible weather has someting to do with it as well. Humidity, etc. Depending on where your located.



> we are now entering the new world of multicolor, spot process, etc of waterbased discharge using a clear base and pigments


 yep. some great stuff and what everyone seems to want these days.
BONUS - get to charge more


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

Fluid said:


> yep. some great stuff and what everyone seems to want these days.
> BONUS - get to charge more


you know Richard, I think you're right. Enough of the 1 color jobs.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

GSG said:


> yes adding the activator as perscribed


Brandon, 

Use a heat press to prove if the shirt and ink combo actually work. The pressure and heat are the ideal atmosphere for the chemical reaction. Use a scrap shirt of the same model and over heat it to prove how much the ink will actually bleach the shirt.


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

> you know Richard, I think you're right. Enough of the 1 color jobs.


 Hey why not, thats why wwe do this, right? Time to make some money 

Richard
How would he know what to set on his dryer to match the result he gets with pressing if in fact he gets better results?


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Fluid said:


> How would he know what to set on his dryer to match the result he gets with pressing if in fact he gets better results?


I suggested it to Brandon because he was still experimenting with shirt ink and mesh combinations. The heat press is more of a proof of concept. the heat press is impractical for a real print run, but if he can't duplicate the results of the heat press, with his oven, he know he must change his settings.

This will usually mean more (of something), rather than less.


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

I got ya. Just wasnt sure how he would measure/deup the temp/pressure from a heat press to his dryer.

Just trying to learn new things as always


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## grafikal (Jan 29, 2008)

I did a discharge print with out buying any of those products like discharge base or agent. Heres how you do it.
Buy a Clorox bleach pen. Squeeze it out on the screen. Do like any other print and you got ... Discharge softhand effect!
The Clorox is thick enough not to run and spread and gives the same discharge effect. Try it and see.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

grafikal said:


> I did a discharge print with out buying any of those products like discharge base or agent. Heres how you do it.
> Buy a Clorox bleach pen. Squeeze it out on the screen. Do like any other print and you got ... Discharge softhand effect!
> The Clorox is thick enough not to run and spread and gives the same discharge effect.


Bleach will attack the cotton fibers compared to discharge ink that only attacks the compatible dye in the cotton.

The bleach pen is intended to be applied just before washing, so beware of what might happen if you leave it on too long. 

The bleach pens are very mild so this is a very interesting experiment!


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