Plastisol ink”. What exactly IS plastisol? If you’ve ever ordered custom screen printed apparel, you may have heard that term. But, what is it? Is it something you want on your apparel? To clear things up, we will explain everything you need to know about plastisol ink when you place your screen printing order.

Plastisol ink is the most widely used ink in apparel screen printing. It is made up PVC particles suspended in a liquid plasticizer. It is very durable, flexible, and easy to use in the screen printing process.

So why do we love plastisol?

• Plastisol ink is stubborn…in a good way of course. Once it’s cured on your shirt, it won’t chip off. In fact, it takes years of washing before you’ll begin to see any cracks in the printing. Your t-shirt will wear out before the print does.
• Plastisol needs no special care. There are no special wash instructions for garments printed with plastisol ink. Just wash and dry normally.
• Plastisol is versatile. It can be mixed easily to create just about any color imaginable. You get to choose exactly the color you want with plastisol ink. You can even create special effects like suede, glow-in-the-dark, glitter, shimmer or metallic.
• Plastisol is thick and opaque. It shows up easily on the darkest fabrics and retains it bright image for years.
• Plastisol is cost effective. It is less expensive than other ink options.

Plastisol ink is a fantastic screen printing medium. However, there are a few things to remember when placing an order:

• Plastisol is a thermoplastic. There is a chance it will melt when coming in contact with extreme heat. Do not iron screen printed garment in high heat.
• Plastisol does not bond to metal or glass.
• Plastisol printing may bunch around seams. When working with your screen printing company, be certain to keep your design away from seams.
• Plastisol is less breathable that other inks. It is certainly a consideration when considering a large design on your garment. This is especially true for athletic garments.

You have now passed Plastisol 101! Now that you understand plastisol ink, you may be in the market for new custom screen-printed tees. If so, be sure to check out Greek Corner Screen Printing and Embroidery in Springfield, MO. We offer full service textile screen printing at competitive rates. Our talented artists will work with you to create exceptional artwork for your screen printed garment. Whether you are looking for tees, hoodies, jackets, sweatpants, shorts or other apparel, we can do it all. To learn more, call us at 417.865.8011 or request a free quote. We look forward to hearing from you soon.