Contract Discharge Printing
Are you a fan of screen printing, but you wish there was a way to get a softer hand to your prints? Well, luckily for you, there is such a way to get those ‘barely there’ graphics onto your custom garments! You can jump into contract discharge printing and feel the difference immediately. Contract discharge printing uses water based inks instead of the typical plastisol inks, which leaves a different, softer feeling on the garment that many people love.
Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me explain how the inks work differently. With plastisol inks, there is virtually no solvent and adequate heat is required to cure and set the ink. Water based inks contain solvents, often times including water, which must be evaporated to set the print. Since water based inks are susceptible to drying out, they cannot be reused like plastisol inks and are more expensive. The benefit, however, is that the dye can penetrate deeper into the fabric and deposit the color while producing that softer touch that is so desirable. Plastisol inks only remain on the surface and become rigid after curing.
Contract discharge printing is just an extension of water based ink screen printing where a discharge agent has been added to the ink. Discharge printing works by removing the preexisting color from the garment via the discharge agent. If you tint the ink containing the discharge agent, you can simultaneously take out the old color and input your own new color! So, in the battle of plastisol inks versus water based and discharge inks, there is not clear winner. It all depends on your customization needs and aspirations. If you work with us at AMBRO Manufacturing, you won’t have to choose because we can offer you both! You can contact us to place and order, or to find out more about our company, by email or by calling us at (908) 806-8337.