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.

Blog RSS

Water Based Screen Printing

Water Based Screen Printing

What works for some people, may not work for other; that is just a reality of the world we live in.  Because of this, we are in world filled with options.  People are always trying to come up with new ways to ‘skin a cat’ so that it works best for them.  In the custom garment printing world, this type of innovation has given us water based screen printing.  Water based screen printing is an alternative way of screen printing your custom garments that comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Water Based Screen Printing

Originally screen printing was done using plastisol inks, which are petroleum based.  Plastisol is great for keeping costs down because they are reusable as long as you properly maintain them.  They won’t dry up in the screens because there is virtually no solvent in them.  The problem with plastisol is that for some customers, the feel of the ink on the garment known as the ‘hand’, is too firm.  For designs that are all over coverage or that have multiple colors, plastisol ink can feel quite heavy and stiff.  Water based screen printing is perfect for those who are looking for a soft, ‘barely there’ feeling print.

Water based inks are susceptible to drying out and as such, are mixed for the amount needed for the job.  Since the inks aren’t reusable, water based screen printing is generally more expensive than printing with plastisol.  At AMBRO Manufacturing, you can have the best of both worlds as we offer screen printing with both plastisol and water based inks.  We also are capable of water based discharge printing too, so don’t forget to ask us about that!  If you are interested in placing an order, or if you would like to find out more about water based printing, you can contact us by email or by calling us at (908) 806-8337.

Blog RSS