Create Soft Prints
There are several ways to achieve a soft hand with plastisol inks, one of which is to use a soft-hand additive.
Choose one that is a curable soft-hand additive and add 10 to 15 percent (by weight) to a regular plastisol. More may be added, depending on the hand desired. However, please note that diluting the ink with any type of additive will change the ink’s opacity and therefore affect the color or color matching ability.
—John Hatcher, International Coatings
Mesh is another way to achieve soft hand. Typically for base plates we use a 110T mesh for the white base. Murakami 150/S mesh has more open area than a 110T, which allows far less squeegee pressure. This can lay un-modified white ink on the surface of the shirt. The 110T squeegee pressure drives ink into the fabric creating a stiff hand, while the 150S print will sit on top of the fabric and be much more pliable. Here is a video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFShG5cWeGY
Alan Buffington
What are the other ways to achieve a soft hand with plastisol?
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