When to Use White Discharge Ink

[slarson10]

Printing with discharge is fun, but the process has a lot of factors printers need to consider — type of garment, curing device, safety precautions, and more. Let's look at one question today: When would you use white discharge ink?

Read Full Post: https://www.screenprinting.com/blogs...-discharge-ink

[Spencer 411]

Printing with discharge is fun, but the process has a lot of factors printers need to consider — type of garment, curing device, safety precautions, and more. Let's look at one question today: When would you use white discharge ink?

Read Full Post: https://www.screenprinting.com/blogs...-discharge-ink

Ive got a modest 8' X 30" BBC little buddy conveyor, but want to dabble in discharge ink. I know that a forced air flash and dryer are ideal, but can one effectively cure discharge ink with a regular flash and conveyor dryer? Is it going to more of a PITA that it's worth?

Curious about these same questions for water based inks as well.

[Chuggins]

Hi Spencer! While you can cure discharge ink with a flash unit or heat press, you dont want to based on the chemicals used. In the article Sage linked, there is this snippet:

"To cure discharge, you need a forced air conveyor dryer. During the curing process, formaldehyde and sulphur bonds to create an inert molecule. That molecule is released in the air, so having an enclosed space (a conveyor dryer) is important because it'll let the molecule do its job while not harming you." If you dont have an enclosed space, you are releasing free formaldehyde into the air you are breathing.

For ALL Water Based inks, if you are concerned about reaching full cure. Buy some insurance by adding Warp Drive to your inks. Follow the directions and you should be set.

[Spencer 411]

Hi Spencer! While you can cure discharge ink with a flash unit or heat press, you dont want to based on the chemicals used. In the article Sage linked, there is this snippet:

"To cure discharge, you need a forced air conveyor dryer. During the curing process, formaldehyde and sulphur bonds to create an inert molecule. That molecule is released in the air, so having an enclosed space (a conveyor dryer) is important because it'll let the molecule do its job while not harming you." If you dont have an enclosed space, you are releasing free formaldehyde into the air you are breathing.

For ALL Water Based inks, if you are concerned about reaching full cure. Buy some insurance by adding Warp Drive to your inks. Follow the directions and you should be set.

Thanks for the reply! So water based inks can be done reliably with a standard (non air forced) conveyor? I do not mind having to use additives to help if that is necessary. Ill look into that Warp Drive stuff. Any recommendations on water based ink brands?

About the discharge ink, I do have a conveyor dryer. The snippet above first mentions that its necessary to use a forced air conveyor, but then later says "so having an enclosed space (a conveyor dryer) is important because it'll let the molecule do its job while not harming you". So Im still curious if discharge can be done with a standard (non air forced) conveyor dryer. As far as I know the only difference is that there are fans blowing the hot air down onto the substrate with a forced air dryer. Do they also vent better than a regular conveyor dryer?

I am asking because I am tired of using thick white plastisols. I am also extremely tired of fighting fibrilation. So I would like to use water based or discharge for white prints as well as underbasing Union Ultrasolf plastisol. Probably leaning towards water based as I do not think white discharge ink results in a bright print. They always look slightly off white to me. Ive seen very bright water based ink though. So it sounds like water based is safer and probably the better bet for my needs. I am still going to test some new white plastisol inks as well. I love how forgiving working with plastisol ink can be.

Thanks again!

[Chuggins]

Here is a bullet point breakdown

-DO NOT underbase with a discharge white. There is leftover "stuff" on top of the fabric that comes off in the wash - this will cause your top inks to fall off.
-Waterbase ink curing through small dryers: ONLY IF you use the insurance that is warp drive and follow all the directions properly.
-Discharge: Follow the same directions as with Warp Drive

As for Ink Brands - I gotta give a shout out to Green Galaxy It has the best open time on the market. But just about everything will work.