Transfer Printing Pointers

April 12, 2010

A great way to keep designs on hand for repeat orders without having the expense and space requirements for stocking inventory of finished garments is to print your own plastisol heat transfers. These are fairly simple to make using your existing screen printing equipment and a few inexpensive supplies.

When screen printing your own plastisol transfers, it’s important to know the ink and screen variables needed for the process. Both hot- and cold-peel transfers can be created using all-purpose, plastisol inks since ink manufacturers formulate these to work with no modification needed. If necessary, a hot-split additive can be mixed with regular plastisol to enhance the ink’s performance, and transfer-specific inks also are available.

Because the ink film splits when the transfer is applied, it’s important to lay down a thick ink deposit when printing. Pour the ink straight from the container and don’t thin it too much. If the ink is too thick to print, add some curable reducer.

To get this heavy deposit, use a coarse mesh with a thick stencil system. The recommended screen mesh is 74T-86T monofilament for solid-color prints and 94-140 for detailed prints. Capillary direct film is the best solution for sharp-edge definition and thick stencils. Use at least 40-micron film, or go as high as 70 to 80 microns. — From the Impressions archives



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