With respect to T-Shirts, many say that plastisol is the absolute best but, personally, I have my reservations. Maybe I should first explain what a plastisol transfer actually is?
Polyvinylchloride (aka PVC)
Plastisol is a name given to PVC particles that have been placed in suspension in a liquid plasticizer. When heat is applied to this mixture, the two components dissolve into each other. On cooling, a permanently semi-solid, flexible plastic is the result. This has a number of uses as a semi-finished material for certain types of plastic molding and also for plastic coatings
But, Its Main Use Is For Textile Printing Inks
Plastisol inks have a big advantage when printing fabrics by the silk screen process. While in the PVC/plasticizer state, the ink will not dry out, even if left on the screen for long periods of time. This removes the need for the printing company to be continuously having to wash screens down.
Plastisol Ink Needs Heat Curing
When the plastisol ink has been printed onto the cloth, it tends to sit on the surface rather than sink right down into the fibers. Since they do not dry out, these inks need to be heated to cure (or set) the plastisol. Heating to around 350° F is usually sufficient, special driers are available but often a simple oven will be used for the curing process.
After curing, the ink sitting on top of the threads can feel almost tacky to the touch and this is the part that I, personally, do not like. However, it does tend to lose some of the tackiness over time and multiple wash and wear usage. Furthermore, plastisol ink is extremely opaque which means that a plastisol color placed on top of a highly colored garment fabric will not let any of the under color show through. Plastisol inks also retain their brightness over long usage periods. Many argue that these color features far outweigh the slight tackiness disadvantage.
Applying Plastisol Inks From Individual Transfers
Let’s say that you are planning a T-shirt printing project and have already made the investment in the necessary heat press for applying transfers to the garment. You have designed the artwork and worked out what you wish to place where on the shirt. You have done some online research on inks and dyes and decided that plastisol inks would suit your project best. All that remains is for you to find some Custom Plastisol Transfer Vendors, compare their prices, lead times and quality, make your choice and place your order.
One of the best Custom Plastisol Transfer Vendors is Gulfside Heat Transfers. They offer exceptional quality and advice at bargain prices with very short delivery times. Check them out by browsing http://gulfsideheattransfers.com/.
