# New to discharge printing - discharge vs plastisol?



## jonbapparel (Jan 24, 2010)

Hey Guys,

I am new to this screen printing business and saw this discharge printing process. What if the main difference between discharge and regular plastisol? Can they be mixed? Easier or harder to print? Can i still use the same emulsion as plastisol?

Thanks for the help guy!


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> What if the main difference between discharge and regular plastisol?


Discharge has a soft hand and blends into the garment whereas plastisol has more of a noticeable hand and sits on top of the garment.

You can find lots more info on it here: discharge related topics at T-Shirt Forums


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## Dan K (Nov 15, 2006)

This is not really self promotion(I hope - Rodney or another moderator?), although it could be with the wrong intentions, but if you want a brief rundown of plastisol vs. water base inks, you can read about the basics on those pages on our website in the services section. We also have a post or two up in our blog.


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## arun609 (Feb 15, 2010)

Discharge print has a zero handfeel, it get into the fabric but u can print discharge print on dark colour tees only.

Plastisol print stays on top of the garment bit shiney, can be printed both on dark and light colours.


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## Dan K (Nov 15, 2006)

Discharge and water based inks can be printed on light and dark garments with great opacity...


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

arun609 said:


> Discharge print has a zero handfeel, it get into the fabric but u can print discharge print on dark colour tees only.


I've seen several discharge prints that have a hand feel, like a chalkiness to them. This does go away after the first wash tho. It' possible the manufacturer didn't do the job properly and that's why it had that feel.

I thought you could print discharge on light colors without a problem , you could even print on white fabric.. not sure why you would but you could, results would be the same, no?


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## Dan K (Nov 15, 2006)

red514 said:


> I've seen several discharge prints that have a hand feel, like a chalkiness to them. This does go away after the first wash tho. It' possible the manufacturer didn't do the job properly and that's why it had that feel.
> 
> I thought you could print discharge on light colors without a problem , you could even print on white fabric.. not sure why you would but you could, results would be the same, no?


You're right on all of this. There is a hand to discharge just after the print, nothing like plastisol, and it does wash out after the first wash.

You can totally print discharge on light colors, but it's usually not necessary, when printing in whites, there is no reason to charge your water base inks.

Water base and discharge are essentially the same inks, discharge is just water based inks with the discharge activator added, so many times there is confusion between the two terms...


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## The Youngin (Nov 26, 2007)

You can mix them in therory, but if you are goin to do that you want to use a true plasticharge. This work wonderfully when you are first learning the process to stay moist.
Jason


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Most discharge inks are water-based but there are plastisol water-base blended versions.

In plastisol ink, nothing evaporates, so it cures fast and simply, just get it to 300 degrees F.

Water-based inks are mostly water and it takes longer to evaporate all that water, but that really helps the final "soft hand" of the print. 

You really should use a well ventilated "dryer", rather than an IR panel oven to handle all the fumes & water from the ink. Every year, manufacturers build smaller and smaller dryers, but first you have to evaporate all that water, then you still have to get the remaining film up to 300 degrees F.

You add a discharge activator to the ink just before printing that attacks "only specific dyes" in the shirt as the ink heats up. Ink with the activator usually has a less than 2 to 6 hour pot life. Don't mix up too much.

There have been innovations in water-based inks that allow you to use discharge ink on some dark shirts, without a traditional flash. These are very interesting because the water-based ink doesn't allow or blocks dye migration as plastisols do. These inks have to be printed first to be under the other plastisol colors.

There are safety issues with discharge.

Only selected shirts discharge well. THE SHIRT IS CRITICAL TO THE PROCESS.

Water-based ink w/pot life that can dry in the screen+ dischargable shirt + adequate dryer + ventilation = dark shirts with a soft hand.

Stuart Brent of Philadelphia is printing lots of discharge in a small shop
http://www.vacord.com/blog/

Homework - just a few of the dozens of articles

*Understanding Discharge Inks by Mike Ukena*
Understanding Discharge Inks | ScreenWeb | screenweb.com

*Exploring the Secrets of Discharge Printing by Terry W. Combs*
http://www.screenweb.com/garment/cont/dischargeprinting.html


*Discharge Printing Step by Step* articles in Impressions
Discharge Printing Step by Step
Discharge Inks Ignite Hot Sales


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## dopedaddy1 (Jul 27, 2010)

Hi I and new to the forums as well and new to the clothing industry so forgive me if I am ignorant to your lingo. So I must inquire

1) As a far plastisol ink from my understanding now correct me of I'm wrong is what you use when you screen print. Now is that only type of ink you can use for screen printing or are there others? If there are others which gives you the best hand or quality?

2) Is digital printing the same as discharge printing ? If not what is the difference between the two?

3) Does discharge printing involve more labor than screen printing ? Does it cost more to discharge print than to screen print


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Plastisol is the most popular textile screen printing ink, because it doesn't dry in the screen, but like water or solvent textile inks, they all require 300 degrees F to cure the ink. Nothing evaporates with a plastisol (like frying an egg when heated), so it is the favorite for covering dark garments.
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/screen-printing/t7552.html#post410736

The 60%-80% liquid evaporates in solvent or water based inks before they cure, leaving a 20%-40% final deposit which yields a softer "hand" or feel.

Discharge ink is a water-based or plastisol with a discharge agent that attack specific fabric dyes when heated.

Discharge printing *is* screen printing. All water-based screen printing is more labor intensive than plastisol - read the post listed above.

Homework listed above as you re-study post#9.

Digital or DTG - direct to garment is water-based pigment ink jet ink printed with customized Epson piezo head printers. US$20,000

There is some attempts to inkjet print discharge, but it is very advanced.


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## Solvolysis (Aug 31, 2011)

Do you know any more about discharging using an ink jet printer? Is there information about it out there? I haven't had much success. I'd appreciate any direction, thank you.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

Solvolysis said:


> Do you know any more about discharging using an ink jet printer? Is there information about it out there? I haven't had much success. I'd appreciate any direction, thank you.


 The only vendor that i've heard of is Mimaki, and this was a few years back. You can also look at the threads specific to that printer here on the forums.


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## Flex Apparel (May 23, 2012)

Hello,

I want to print large prints across the chest, so I want a soft feel, which has focused my attention on waterbased and discharge printing.

However, my shirts are 50 poly/50 cotton and some are black shirts. And, some prints are over seams. 

What are my options?

Many thanks,

Jonathan


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Flex Apparel said:


> I want to print large prints across the chest, so I want a soft feel, which has focused my attention on waterbased and discharge printing.
> 
> However, my shirts are 50 poly/50 cotton and some are black shirts. And, some prints are over seams.


The homework reading in post #9 is a good place to start but, the polyester dye in your shirts won't discharge.

Color isn't a factor, a garment colored with dischargable dyes is critical to success.


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## Flex Apparel (May 23, 2012)

Ok, thank you Richard. 

So, my only real option is a Plastisol print for my 50/50 blend?

Is there a way to print bright colours with Plastisol and still achieve a soft feel?

Thanks,

Jonathan


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

*Is there a way to print bright colours with Plastisol and still achieve a soft feel?*



Flex Apparel said:


> So, my only real option is a Plastisol print for my 50/50 blend?
> 
> Is there a way to print bright colours with Plastisol and still achieve a soft feel?


No, plastisol ink isn't your only option for printing light colours on a 50/50 blend.

You've chosen one of the most difficult tasks in t-shirt printing - multiple light colors on a dark shirt. Then you've increased the difficulty by choosing a difficult fabric to print on. In future, at the very least least, avoid 50/50 fabric. If you're stuck with this fabric, you now have to fight your way out of the hole. 

*Fundamentals*

*Screens*
Everybody knows that tight screens print better, but printers have learned how to compensate for low tension. They stroke slower, press harder which only bends the blade lip more and drives ink into the shirt rather than depositing it on the surface.

Each and every inferior method has helped to complete a job, but they are very time consuming. You can get ultra high tension from the worst screen in your shop by raising the off-contact distance and using a squeegee as a mesh tensioning device, but it stretches the image out of shape and size.

*Mesh*
If you want less ink deposit for a softer hand, you have to use thinner mesh. Thicker deposit isn't more opaque if you drive it into the fabric. 

Prove this to yourself by making a transfer with a test screen on the highest mesh you have. Print ANY white in on wax paper or coated paper from the sandwich shop, cure it and put it on your target shirt. Take a scrap of the thinnest paper you can find a place it on a shirt. They'll be opaque. That's what your liquid ink has to do to be opaque.

*Ink*
Screen printing ink by definition is a multi-viscosity product. When you move it, the viscosity drops *AND IT FLOWS*. If you stroke it slow, it doesn't flow, so you have to use brute force to get the ink to transfer through the mesh. Press as hard as you like, you r blade has to stay on your side of the mesh - you can't make the come out of the mesh, that's the job of lifting the mesh out of the ink film, preferably with the pull of off-contact. 

Novice printers that don't understand *stroking fast* will reach for a chemical additive that destroys the viscosity designed into the ink by it's chemical parents and it flows through the mesh and penetrates into the fabric where it's less opaque.

Plastisol is 100% solids, so everything you print ends up on the shirt. Water-based ink leaves only 8% to 45% on the shirt so it's bound to feel softer. Water-based ink is much harder to learn than plastisol ink and requires much more time to cure and every step of printing & pre-press takes longer. I love water-based ink - but it's hard work and I charge more for the premium prints.

I posted this in December 2008:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/screen-printing/t7552.html#post410736

*Art*
Many of our problems can be avoided in the Art Department. If it's hard to print, it was designed to print hard. 

Of course, we're often a hostage of art that wasn't designed to be printed on dark fabric, but the customer insists on printing their design un-altered for textiles.

When we use art that tortures the ink, and use a low tension (<25 newtons), low mesh count (60-110), with excessive squeegee blade pressure, then send it through the oven where nobody knows how hot it is (better turn it up, just in case), and then be disappointed with the result.

Some colors print better than others. Lots of negative space looks better. Using the rich color of the shirt looks better. Using a design that's 'shadowy', with no giant patches of flat smooth colour will print best.

*Shirts*
50/50 shirts are trouble if you under or over heat them. Under cure and free un-cured plasticizer will liberate rebel polyester dye and dis-colour your ink (dye migration). Over heat and rebel polyester dye will sublimate and dis-colour your print.

I have often paid the difference or outright replaced customer shirts to make the job easier to print. I charge a premium for dark 50/50 shirts to make 100% shirts more attractive & compensate me for the trouble they cause. 

*Goal*

100% cotton shirt - designed for screen printing
high tension, thin thread mesh with a count above 230. The higher the better.
high opacity water-based ink
minimum blade pressure
DRYER that can remove water & control temperature
fast squeegee stroke

No kidding, this took more than 2 hours to write. Print it and study it.


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## hellah fresh (Feb 26, 2009)

Hmmm if using discharge ink can i print full color using cymk method?


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

*using discharge ink can i print full color using cymk method?*



hellah fresh said:


> Hmmm if using discharge ink can i print full color using cymk method?


You will have to compensate for the ACTUAL color of the shirt after the discharge action works. A dark shirt is rarely bleached before dying. Check this by using discharge "clear" only on a prospective shirt. You might find yellow or light blue under the black shirt you plan on using. You might find only some of the shirts you bought are from the same dye lot.

You would need to find discharge process CMYK inks that could resist the discharging action.

You would need a curing unit capable of activating discharge ink and the ability to make fine halftone water resistant stencils on high mesh count mesh.

You are asking a "Can I master discharge AND process printing" question. The answer is yes. Start by learning to print process & discharge separately. You are asking to pioneer an astronaut level print style. 

Good luck.


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## Flex Apparel (May 23, 2012)

*Re: Is there a way to print bright colours with Plastisol and still achieve a soft feel?*

Thanks Richard, I will take your advice. Thank you very much for your work. I really appreciate it. Helps a lot.


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## nekkron99 (Jan 14, 2015)

*Re: Is there a way to print bright colours with Plastisol and still achieve a soft feel?*



RichardGreaves said:


> No, plastisol ink isn't your only option for printing light colours on a 50/50 blend.
> 
> You've chosen one of the most difficult tasks in t-shirt printing - multiple light colors on a dark shirt. Then you've increased the difficulty by choosing a difficult fabric to print on. In future, at the very least least, avoid 50/50 fabric. If you're stuck with this fabric, you now have to fight your way out of the hole.
> 
> ...


 This is gold! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this up! :TipThank:


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## merchmonster (Apr 6, 2015)

Watch this video for some tips on how to print discharge waterbase correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiYeduJKmKo&t=1s


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## kinjal (Jun 16, 2018)

jonbapparel said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> I am new to this screen printing business and saw this discharge printing process. What if the main difference between discharge and regular plastisol? Can they be mixed? Easier or harder to print? Can i still use the same emulsion as plastisol?
> 
> Thanks for the help guy!


We understood your problem, you need to know in detail before starting. I am sharing details of both discharge and regular plastisol. Then you will understand all the process.

*demeanoir*


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