Water-Based Inks
Water-based inks have become a popular choice for printing in recent years. There are several advantages to using water-based inks in comparison to other types of inks. Here, we discuss some of the key benefits of water-based inks and how they may be a better option for certain projects.
The first advantage of water-based inks is that they use water as a carrier of pigment versus a plastisol resin. As found in plastisol. This means when garments and textiles are washed there are less microplastics going down the drain. Additionally, they don't release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. This can also be found in quality plastisol ink as well. Water-based inks also tend to use simpler cleanup water-based solutions which means they can easily be cleaned up. This edges out water-based ink over plastisol due to plastisol often needs special inks that breaks up the plastisol ink. This makes water-based inks slightly better than plastisol inks. The screens for Water based inks will require more processing compared to a screen for plastisol ink. Water based inks do have chemicals in them thus they need to be disposed of properly like plastisol ink. To summarize water-based inks do have features that make it more friendly to the environment. The printing industry overall is working for more sustainable solutions. Allthread Ink is following the latest trends and implementing the latest standards in the printing industry.
The first advantage of water-based inks is that they use water as a carrier of pigment versus a plastisol resin. As found in plastisol. This means when garments and textiles are washed there are less microplastics going down the drain. Additionally, they don't release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. This can also be found in quality plastisol ink as well. Water-based inks also tend to use simpler cleanup water-based solutions which means they can easily be cleaned up. This edges out water-based ink over plastisol due to plastisol often needs special inks that breaks up the plastisol ink. This makes water-based inks slightly better than plastisol inks. The screens for Water based inks will require more processing compared to a screen for plastisol ink. Water based inks do have chemicals in them thus they need to be disposed of properly like plastisol ink. To summarize water-based inks do have features that make it more friendly to the environment. The printing industry overall is working for more sustainable solutions. Allthread Ink is following the latest trends and implementing the latest standards in the printing industry.
One of the advantages of water-based inks is the hand of the garment. To explain hand. Quickly hand is measure relating to how smooth the surface of a fabric is, with the least smooth having a stiff or harsh hand and the smoothest having a soft hand. Poorly applied plastisol inks can have a vinyl or a plastic feel to them. The advantages of water-based inks are they tend to have a softer lighter weight feel to them. Although, plastisol can also be applied in a manner where it has a lighter weight less plastic feel to it than poorly applied plastisol. Comparing water-based ink to properly applied water-based ink the hand can be almost indistinguishable between the two. Lastly, water-based ink adheres to textiles and garments differently than plastisol inks. Plastisol inks when exposed to heat cross link and bond to the garment and enable them to last for many washes and look fantastic. Whereas water-based ink dyes the garment or textile. Water based ink wash fastness is largely determined by the quality of the garment it is applied to. If a garment was dyed poorly water-based ink can have a poor wash fastness. If water-based ink is applied with the correct additives and to quality garment water-based ink can last for many washes. Concluding. Water based inks have many intricacies when decorating garments and textiles. It’s important to select a print partner that has the experience of decorating with these inks and can help select an option that is correct for the customer.
Overall, water-based inks are a great option for lightweight vintage prints. That can be applied to a variety of substrates. They have advantages over plastisol to make them more environmentally friendly depending on the project this could be an option for you.