# Recommended ink/methods for making screen printed transfers



## MaritimeSigns (Aug 19, 2020)

Hi fellow printers!

I've been in the screen printing industry for about 20 years. Lately I've been trying to get some transfers printed and i seem to be having a bit of a hard time.
"Back in the day" inks were different chemical wise than they are now. I find it is much harder to get transfers to properly adhere to cotton shirts without cracking in this day and age.

So, l've been doing some tests, unfortunately i only have Union ink (PADE series) on hand at the moment, but i'm wondering if anyone in the forums has a recommendation based on their experience on another brand to try.

*My process:*
When i coat my screens, I don't scrape the excess emulsion, rather i let the screen dry flat, which creates a bit of a thickness in the emulsion to make thicker layer of ink on the transfer paper.

For the curing process, i think I managed to get the ink to the "perfect cure". I can roll it up (like a fruit roll-up lol) from the transfer and it has a light stretch to it before it snaps. Tacky, but will not transfer ink to other transfers stacked on top.

As for heat pressing, i've tried many, many options. Used variations of heat, time and pressure on the same shirt. With and without glue also. Multiple washes. I just dont feel safe selling these shirts the way they adhere. Which is why i'm leaning towards the ink itself. They are good for the most part after about 10 washes. But then it begins to crack/

As for thin lines on transfers, the industry recommended "thinnest" line is 1.5mm if i'm not mistaken. I do have some thin lines in my design, and those seemed to have failed me sooner during my test washes than the rest. Is there a clear base that exists that can be applied as a last color? My supplier said it doesn't exist anymore, which i find odd. There must be other brands out there that carries this clear base.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Shane


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