When this is done you may find that you can achieve the same or perhaps a better look and feel with a thinned plastisol. Some water based ink manufactures will claim “high-opacity” but will often forgo softness to achieve it. Low opacity - Because they are thinner and do not retain their base when cured, water based inks can often have issues achieving high opacity.While there are some distinct advantages to water based inks there are also some serious pitfalls that one should be prepared for. Because of this, the print is usually softer and more solid than with plastisol. Water based ink is popular because it saturates the fibers of the garment and in essence dyes the garment rather than resting on top of the fibers like plastisol. Outside of the United States it could be argued that water based inks are the most popular garment inks in the world. With all additives and bases it is a good idea to mix small batches and test them before you alter your larger containers of ink. Suede - Dulls the print and gives it a flat, low gloss finish.Reducer - Thins the ink and reduces both viscosity and opacity very similar to soft hand.Soft hand - Reduces the viscosity of the ink and allows for a softer print.Puff - Makes the ink pop off of the garment with an arch so that it looks puffy and soft.High density - Makes the ink com e straight up off of the garment with no arching.Specialty inks include but are not limited to: Specialty plastisols are also widely used and often offered as additives, bases or in premixed containers that are ready for use. Other factors such as durability, flexibility, and versatility have also led to the popularity of plastisol ink. Plastisol Inkīecause of its high opacity and ability to sit on screen for long periods of time without drying, plastisol ink is arguably the most widely used garment ink in the United States. Because water based and plastisol inks are the two most widely used for garment printing, our primary focus will be on those.

Although screen printers may utilize a multitude of different ink over the course of their career, most are likely to use just two or three for printing on garments.

Silkscreen ink