This brittle ink cracks when the print is handled to create an authentic vintage look. (Image courtesy Rutland Screen Print Products)

Contemporary works of ink-on-cotton have given way to museum-worthy special effects, making T-shirts more interesting to look at than ever before. But unlike a pristine Picasso regarded from afar, SFX screen prints are begging to be touched… and one of the best things about this art form is that you can. Below, Printwear explores what goes into these visual and tactile sensations, framing up special-effects inks and their role in the bigger picture.

 

Fancying fashion

In tandem with dynamic, dimensional suede, high- and low-density clear, rock, stone, slate, brick and gravel textures, today’s consumers care for softness, according to Chris Pluck, PolyOne Corporation/Wilflex. In his estimation, this in-demand hand is part of what constitutes fashion inks, with designers and developers seeking out softness. “They want the inks to become a more integral part of the fabric so it can flow and be more wearable, so that when you’ve actually got the ink on the garment, you hardly feel it’s there, it’s not an encumbrance,” Pluck states. 

 

International Coatings Company’s Kent Hudson agrees that soft sells, also naming gel gloss as a very popular option, especially in children’s designs. “Foil transfers and direct print flock are hot at the moment,” he adds. “The distressed look is still in vogue for urban wear and we still see some HD clears with sequins or glitter attached.” 

 

Simulated twill and chenille appliqué effects created using a ready-for-use SFX ink and a soft density ink, respectively. (Image courtesy Rutland Screen Print Products)

With regard to this in-style segment, Brian Lessard of Rutland Screen Print Products mentions high-density, discharge and all-over printing as some of the latest. “We’re still seeing tons of glitter printing, going back to the sugar glitters and applied glitters on top, not so much screen printed,” he adds. 

 

Touching base

For a little ink 101, our sources explain how some of these looks are generally achieved, beginning with a base. “With different smooth, hard, rough, coarse, feather-like, brick-like, and sawdust, all of those effects are available to the printer in many different types of bases,” Pluck points out. From there, a splash of color/pigment concentrate (PC) is thrown in, followed by a bit of puff or suede additive to taste and it’s off and running… but luckily, not on your own. With so many different combos, trials and room for error, many ink companies have programs to guide garment decorators toward success with their system. This also involves ingredient experimentation on the ink manufacturer’s part to formulate the right recipes in achieving a multitude of given effects. 

 

One such SFX ink developed for a plethora of applications is high density clear gel, according to Pluck’s PolyOne/Wilflex colleague, Morgan Dasher. This HD gel ink simulates the appearance of glass, gel, water or high-gloss surfaces and can be used as an overprint clear on colors and metallic inks or as a clear carrier/adhesive for caviar beads and glitters, Dasher reports. Mixed with finished ink colors, PCs, flakes or shimmers, it can modify opacity and color and enhance shine, she continues. 

 

Above-average embellishments are what make decorators and their creations stand out—often literally.  Incorporated in the right design or image, any ink can be classified as fashion. (Images courtesy International Coatings Company)

To this list of possibilities, Hudson adds that gel gloss inks are designed to generate a wet sticky look. “Designs are made by printing the clear gel through a thick stencil, usually on top of an under print. This creates the look of a clear wet bead that sits on top of the shirt.” 

He also offers his take on how some of the other specialty inks available take effect: “Inks that look distressed or cracked are a very popular look today. These prints are created using special inks that, once cured, will show cracks in the surface, giving the appearance of an old tattered image.” Direct-print flock, he explains, is produced by printing a flock adhesive and using an electrostatic method to put the small flock particles into said adhesive and stand them vertical for a raised fuzzy patch. “Foil transfers can be used for that shiny metallic look—very simple to make by printing a foil adhesive down first and then applying foil using a transfer machine.” 

 

For another specialized style, a harder durometer ink is put down in conjunction with multiple foil transfers. “Printing is done through a thick stencil around two-hundred to four-hundred microns, cured in the dryer and then the foil is added on the surface,” reports Hudson. “You can also get a unique look by making an uneven platen from crumpled up paper or something similar and printing on top to get an uneven print. Then apply multiple foil transfers using different pressures to cover more or less of the distorted surface.” This MacGyver-like creativity helps illustrate an important point in SFX printing: It’s not all up to the ink.

 

Ink theories, in practice

Evidenced by the degree of skill and higher value often attached to technique printing, decisions made before, during and after these inks hit substrate all play a role in making effects exceptional. “A lot of special-effects printing is in the artwork,” Rutland’s Lessard states. “If you can make really good artwork, it’s more forgiving on press.” A winning combination, good art and proper ink usage lay the groundwork for the best SFX prints. Understanding what can be achieved with inks and modifiers is essential when designing, in Lessard’s experience: “It’s important to have a vision of what the print should look and feel like during the creative process. The artist must create both a cool design and a blueprint of how the print will be executed.”

 

Similarly, Pluck points out that the oh-so-significant soft handedness is very much a function of how much ink is laid, per the graphic. Accordingly, designers are ditching big slabs of low- and high-density printing in favor of smaller areas with different types of special effects and textures in the graphic design. 

 

The aforementioned HD gel can also come in handy as a blank canvas for post-press effects, Dasher reports. “Our in-house applications lab used HD gel to create a metallic stud effect,” she states. By printing this ink through a 400 micron screen, the lab was able to produce a raised circle the circumference of a small sequin or stud. “After the ink had run through the dryer, we then used a heat press to tap the print with a metallic gold foil.” By pressing the foil for two to three seconds, a sporadic metallic effect was left on the raised gel surface for a metal stud appearance on the garment.

 

Many special effects are a product of an ink’s abilities paired with a little innovation. (Image courtesy PolyOne Corporation/Wilflex)

Inky innovation

With all the phthalate-related ink regulations stirring and the environmentally-friendly movement coloring the industry greener each year, it’s no surprise that compatible special-effects solutions are around to keep print practitioners doing what they do. 

 

“Phthalate-free SFX inks are here already, and all of the examples mentioned previously are available in a phthalate-free formulation,” remarks Hudson. “PVC free is another story. It is much harder to formulate SFX inks without our good friends the PVC resin.” Chemists at the company have come up with some new PVC-free formulas for HD bases, granite bases, soft-hand and even a gel gloss, he reports, anticipating further fashion-effect developments as needed over time. 

 

For specialty systems free of PVC and phthalates, water-based foil adhesives, flock adhesives, glitter bases and puffs answer the call. “Water base is the best for a soft or no hand feel on light fabrics,” Hudson points out. “Most recently, high-opacity water-base inks have been in demand. This is an alternative to PVC for dark fabrics.” 

 

Lessard mentions acrylic plastisol as another PVC-free option currently common in SFX screen printing overseas. He also discusses intermixing water-based discharge and special-effects printing on shirts as a viable way to mix it up, eco style.

 

According to Dasher, the great thing about the abundance of SFX inks and additives is the ability to formulate mixtures, create multiple blends and combined SFX chemistries. “This ultimately results in an infinite variety of ink effects. Pairing these SFX inks with innovative applications compounds the opportunity for creating fashion-forward prints.” 

 

Above-average embellishments are what make decorators and their creations stand out—often literally—and exponential are the possibilities in effects to make your shop special.