Water-based ink works well in over-seams printing. (Image courtesy Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, shockwavesapparel.com) All-over prints need special attention to stay in the right spot on press. (Image courtesy the author)

Shirts that are printed with water-based inks are more popular than ever in today’s retail market. This type of printing allows ink to sink into a garment so the printed area results in a very soft hand. It also works especially well when prints are going to run over a seam or off of the edge of a sleeve or shoulder. Many of the hottest trends in fashion are using a version of water-based ink to print a design in an unusual location without creating a heavy hand to the printed area. These trends have also started to expand into other markets, making many printers consider water-based for the first time. 

To properly understand the appeal of this exciting style of printing, it is useful to view it from both the sales perspective and from the printer’s viewpoint. The challenge to selling water-based printing is in communicating the process so the sales force can properly educate customers and capture the costs. In production, water-based inks present issues that are related to artwork, garments, inks and application.

Selling water-based printing

To print using water-based ink, it is important to first understand what is desired from a customer standpoint and then what the printing goals are. Tom Vann of www.tommysTSF.com, a well-known industry expert and an award-winning printer experienced in selling water-based printing says, “It is critical to do research on the process. Go out shopping and look at what people are doing. Try to figure out what your shop can do and what you want to avoid. This way you can talk to the clients that come in and you know your limits. The danger is in promising to do a project without understanding what is needed to complete it, such as in all-over printing. 

“Try to learn the language of the inks and how they work,” he advises. “If you are a reseller, make sure that the printer you’re using knows the process and has done the look you want before. You don’t want to be the trial run.” For printers that are just starting out, he suggests to take it slow at first, starting with a one-color print to test how it works with your shop and equipment. 

In regards to pricing water-based prints, Maurice C. Chalonec, president/CEO of RCsilk, a large printer that handles water-based printing for a variety of licensed and custom orders nationwide, says that one has to know the client base and what the market is doing to determine a pricing structure for water-based printing. “Some clients need a shirt print to look a certain way and feel very soft so they will consider water-based a necessary higher value. Other customers need to understand why they are paying more,” he explains. 

In the case where the customer has to be educated in why water-based is more expensive, Chalonec says that the whole process has to be timed right. “The inks will tend to dry in the mixing cans and on the screens and shirts. All the components of the order—inks, screens, shirts and press—need to be ready at once, so it takes a lot more management. This raises the costs.” To figure out your costs properly, take a look at what others in the industry are doing and what your regular printing costs are. Add the additional steps required to control the water-based process. Don’t forget to account for extra management and testing with shirts, screens and inks.

Even with the added costs, this style of printing is branching outward from retail stores and becoming requested by clients for identity wear, promotional shirts and event T-shirts. “Even with all of the challenges and added costs, customers love the final product. The look and feel of a well done water-based-printed shirt far outweighs the extra work,” Chalonec says. 

Even with the added costs, this style of printing is branching outward from retail stores and becoming requested by clients for identity wear, promotional shirts and event T-shirts. (Image courtesy RCSilk, www.rcsilk.com)

Art considerations

It can be useful to find a mentor whenever you are starting to learn a new process. Greg Gaardbo is an award-winning decorator and owner of Shockwaves apparel. He has won multiple industry awards for his work using water-based printing and also water-based with multi-media effects. In regards to printing on dark garments, Gaardbo says, “When people are talking about water-based printing on dark shirts, they are talking about discharge printing. The difference is that with discharge water-based inks, an activator is added to release the dye from the shirt. Straight water-based inks don’t show up on dark garments. To make this work properly you have to know the right drying time, use the right garments and have screens that are created properly. You have to understand the process and make sure you have the right equipment. Even with everything prepared correctly, things like color matching are still a difficult issue.”

The way the designs are created and how they are developed and separated can be different from traditional plastisol prints because of how the inks will absorb into the garment. “The issue with art is that the dots can’t be too small or there may be a problem with the ink drying into the screen,” Gaardbo says. “The same thing applies if the mesh on the screen is too small.” 

To combat this problem, it is a good idea to make sure the artwork uses a minimum dpi and mesh counts for the water-based inks being used. A common halftone size is 32.5 dpi with a standard mesh count of 160 tpi. It is a big help as well if the artwork has a rougher look without a lot of sharp edges or clean geometric shapes. Thus, if the design does have a little bit of a dry spot on the screen, it won’t be glaringly obvious on press. Distressed prints or loose, hand-rendered style art works the best with water-based in order to accommodate some printing variation.

One consideration when creating artwork for water-based printing is what color and style of garment to which the final print will be applied. Some manufacturers have garments that are created for the discharge process, so that when the dye from the dark shirt is released, the underneath shirt will be a standard off-white color. If the shirts are not created for discharge ink, there is a good chance they might turn up yellow or some other unexpected combination of colors. That is why it is best to learn by taking it one step at a time with a simple order using basic artwork that is made for the process. 

Once you get the basics down, you can start to play with special effects like mixed media and foil. (Image courtesy Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, shockwavesapparel.com)

Production process

Screens have to be made differently for water-based inks than for traditional plastisol printing. Gaardbo suggests that the screens be created with an emulsion that resists the water-based ink. Screen printing product distributors will often suggest adding a chemical hardener to the finished screen as well when using discharge ink so the emulsion doesn’t break down during a long print run. The screens can usually be reclaimed with the normal process after the print run, though it is critical that all ink must be removed from the screen right away or it will dry and harden in the screen.

Once all of the components are prepared, the printing process can commence. Printing discharge can be a strange experience the first time. “It takes some getting used to because you don’t see a lot until the shirt comes out of the dryer after the dye is released,” Chalonec explains. “It is important to test it on old shirts first because, if there is a problem, you won’t know until the shirts are done.” The printing of water-based is an area where all of the experts agree on starting out. Take it slow and test your equipment and process before you commit to a client’s order. 

The actual printing of water-based inks doesn’t differ from regular printing too much. The inks are thinner and need to be printed with more pressure than traditional plastisol printing, especially in the case of the discharge inks. (Editor’s note: see Screen Print Methodology on page 60 for an in-depth look at the printing with water-based inks.) 

As far as curing is concerned, “You will need a longer drying time with good airflow. The biggest equipment hurdle printers have when printing water-based ink is in curing the shirts. A small dryer won’t cut it,” says Gaardbo. 

Talking to your ink supplier is a good first step and finding a mentor, using a good outsourcing printer, or getting some training can take you a long way toward creating garments using the hottest trend that is in demand.