Why Does the Plastisol Ink Crack on My Washed Garment?

"Plastisol ink is cracking when I wash my garments. Why?" More than likely the plastisol has not been properly cured. Remember duration in the dryer is our friend. Many times printers maybe in a hurry, slow down. Most plastisol will cure when they reach a temperature of 320-330 degrees and sustain that temperature for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Some whites that have a fast cure designation will cure from 275-300 degrees and this will have to be sustained at 45 seconds to 1 minute. Make sure you check the technical data sheets for each ink line. There are two tools out there that will help you make sure that the plastisol is curing at the right temperature.

1. The most common would be the temperature strips. Thermolabels # 5 are the most common sold with a temperature threshold of 290-330 degrees. Each package comes with 16 strips and each strip can only be used once.
2. A little bit more expensive option would be a IR gun. When pointed at the print coming out of the dryer the IR gun will read the temperature of the garment on the LED screen.

If you have a question about your inks, or the printing process call us at 818-718-0888.