Contract Discharge Printing

Contract Discharge Printing

Are you a fan of screen printing, but you wish there was a way to get a softer hand to your prints?  Well, luckily for you, there is such a way to get those ‘barely there’ graphics onto your custom garments!  You can jump into contract discharge printing and feel the difference immediately.  Contract discharge printing uses water based inks instead of the typical plastisol inks, which leaves a different, softer feeling on the garment that many people love.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me explain how the inks work differently.  With plastisol inks, there is virtually no solvent and adequate heat is required to cure and set the ink.  Water based inks contain solvents, often times including water, which must be evaporated to set the print.  Since water based inks are susceptible to drying out, they cannot be reused like plastisol inks and are more expensive.  The benefit, however, is that the dye can penetrate deeper into the fabric and deposit the color while producing that softer touch that is so desirable.  Plastisol inks only remain on the surface and become rigid after curing.

Contract discharge printing is just an extension of water based ink screen printing where a discharge agent has been added to the ink.  Discharge printing works by removing the preexisting color from the garment via the discharge agent.  If you tint the ink containing the discharge agent, you can simultaneously take out the old color and input your own new color!  So, in the battle of plastisol inks versus water based and discharge inks, there is not clear winner.  It all depends on your customization needs and aspirations.  If you work with us at AMBRO Manufacturing, you won’t have to choose because we can offer you both!  You can contact us to place and order, or to find out more about our company, by email or by calling us at (908) 806-8337.

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Silk Screen Printers

Silk Screen Printers

Have you ever wondered how some of the garments you see in outlet stores came to be?  How are they able to create such eye catching prints on clothing?  How can they still look so good after many washes?  Well, it is all possible through silk screen printing.  Silk screen printers are just like any other artists that need to know the ins and outs of the medium they work with.  Knowing how to create high quality prints takes time, finesse, and expertise.  When done correctly, silk screen printing will produce a long lasting, beautiful custom garment for any occasion.

Silk Screen Printers

Screen printing gets its name from the silk mesh screens that are used in the printing process.  These screens are coated in an emulsion that completely blocks the tiny holes in the mesh.  The artwork is separated into layers that contain only one of the colors in the design per layer.  The layers are then individually etched into the screen, exposing the holes in the pattern of the design.  The screens are mounted onto a printing press in sequence and then loaded with the appropriate ink color.  The silk screen printers then load the blank garments onto the press and lay the screen over the fabric.  A squeegee will pull the ink across the screen, depositing a layer of ink onto the garment.  When all of the screens have had a pass of ink, the design is complete and it is ready to be dried and set.

It’s a lot of steps to accomplish at home so that’s why it’s best to let the professional silk screen printers handle the work.  At AMBRO Manufacturing we are more than happy to take on the work so you don’t have to.  You can contact us to place an order, or to find out more about us, by email or by calling us at (908) 806-8337.

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