"There are two main types of ink that are used for textile printing. Water-based ink utilizes either dyes or pigments in a suspension with water as the solvent. And thus the evaporation of the water is necessary to set or cure the ink. This curing can take place either at room temperature or with the assist of a dryer depending upon the specific water-based ink used and the speed or volume of production.



And the second one is named as Plastisol ink which is PVC (polyvinyl chloride) based system that essentially contains no solvent at all. And Along with it, UV ink is used in graphic screen printing; it is referred to as a 100% solid ink system. Plastisol is a thermoplastic ink in that it is necessary to heat the printed ink film to a temperature high enough to cause the molecules of PVC resin and plasticizer to cross-link and thereby solidify or cure.

Both types of ink are very popular. However, for the most part, they are used in very different applications. Plastisol is the ink of choice for printing of finished goods such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and tote bags. Water-based ink is the ink of choice for the printing of yard goods; either in piece form or on the roll. Both inks have technical advantages and disadvantages for use in specific applications. They also each have their own environmental impacts and these should be considered for the particular application and shop setup.

But as of now, let's now have a look at some of the advantages of Plastisol ink-

Plastisol can best be described as a ?user-friendly? ink because overall it is very easy to manage. Plastisol can be left in the screen for extended periods of time without clogging the mesh. It comes in formulations that can be printed on light and dark fabrics. And, in most municipalities, the disposal of waste plastisol is a very simple process.

Plastisol is extremely versatile in its nature .so the printers are able to use it direct from the container without ever adjusting the viscosity or the strength. It comes in strengths from transparent to very opaque and most printers will have the various versions available for you to use, depending upon the type and color of fabric they are printing on. The various opacities of ink also vary greatly in price with the most opaque being the most expensive, mainly due to the cost of the increased pigment. So, the good shop management dictates that the proper opacity be applied to each fabric in order to be cost effective.

Well talking about the water based inks, Water-based inks can be defined as those that utilize water as the main solvent. And that does not mean, however that water is the only present solvent. Well it is significant to note that many water base inks contain ?co-solvents? which may even be petroleum based solvents sometimes. There is a reason these co-solvents are used, but one of the key reasons is to decrease the time and heat necessary to cure the ink film on the fabric.

And the key is to use the proper ink for the application, minimizing all the waste products, and always dispose of waste properly."