Historically, a majority of the textile screen printers in our industry have strived to print primarily on 100% cotton apparel. Cotton offers fewer challenges, as fabrics containing polyester pose a problem controlling the potential for bleeding that polyester dyes present.
But apparel manufacturers have strived to bring excellent cotton/poly-blended fabrications to the marketplace that — when combined with specific instructions on how to print on blends — result in eye- catching graphics. As the drive for additional styles and fabrics have flooded our industry, the need to perfect the printing on 50/50 blends has become a necessity for every screen printer.
In this Tech Tips Newsletter, we will review the processes needed to print on 50/50 blends. For this demonstration, we will be using American Apparel’s style BB401, a poly/ cotton blend that is made from combed cotton that gives it an ultra-soft, worn-in feel and fashionable drape. The shirts are offered in solids, heathers and neons, which all are ideal for direct screen printing.
In Part 1 of this series, step-by-step techniques were listed for everything from press setup to preparing pallets and applying pallet adhesive. In Part 2, we'll start with emulsion practices and sufficient coverage on screens.
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From the moment I enrolled in my high school printing class as a freshman to the time I printed my first shirt, I’ve been hooked on screen printing.
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One of the top complaints I have heard in my career is that textile inks, whites in particular, are not opaque enough.
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