# white ink cracking



## mead5268 (May 4, 2015)

I recently had a job go out where i printed white on a few different colored t-shirts and the customer just got back to me saying that SOME of the prints are cracking. I did a white, flash dry, white using TechSuport (WMPlastics) titan white. Flash dry for 7 seconds and the shirts were coming out of the dryer at 362 degrees. Its a MR spirit2000 dryer and the settings are the same as I always use. Stretch test was good and I even went back to check the test pellon prints that I kept. Please help me with some ideas.


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## cesarmart34 (Mar 5, 2015)

simple add a little bit of stretch additive into your white before each run and it wont ever ever EVER again crack GUARANTEED


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## cfree (Oct 26, 2010)

There is a possibility that you over cured the first coat of white after you flashed it.

Most often it is cause by undercuring though. Was it on a hot day where you may have opened the doors?
If you get a draft passing through your dryer will make them inconsistent. They might be fine on some but not all. So that could have been missed on the stretch test. Contact your ink manufacturer too. They will tell you what the recommend for cure time. The ink I use says 320 for 90 seconds. So Dwell time is very important. I usually run mine at 350 for 60 seconds and have never had a problem.

Thanks and good luck.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

What did you use to get an accurate temperature reading throughout the ink deposit?

Adding a stretch additive isn't a definitive cure-all either 
even if it seems to work.

You say the shirts were coming out at 362. Doesn't mean anything if you aren't measuring the ink, and not just the surface reading. And a temp gun doesn't cut it. 

Think of a Turkey in an oven. The oven setting may be 375. A temp gun reading may show 375. But what is the core temp of the Turkey? A time suggestion may be
an hour or two hours. May be hot enough, may not be.

You'll get all kinds of suggestions of what "works", but there are too many possible variations. Ink color, fabric color, humidity, moisture content, additives, viscosity, deposit thickness etc.

A properly used donut type measuring device gives the most accurate reading of the entire ink deposit. It's a very worthwhile investment and takes the guess work out.


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## mead5268 (May 4, 2015)

I was using a temp gun to get the temp, my donut is back at the manufacturer getting a new new cord because there was a short in it. Door was closed and we are in a climate controlled room. Talking with the ink manufacturer about settings, I was told the ink had to hit 320 (all the way through) for 10 seconds. Also talking with suppliers about a new ink.


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