What are the best custom inks to create great t-shirts?

Custom inks on cool t-shirts

Knowing that you want to print on some shirts is the easy part. But choosing how you want them to be printed, what custom inks to use, how to personalize your shirt, and what design you want on your shirt can be confusing.

Considering all the options you can find, we made this simple guide to help you with this important decision.

Types of custom inks

At tshirts florida we specialize in printing great, high quality shirts, using both water-based and discharge inks. We print the custom design you want near you.

We love water-based and discharge inks, because when they are printed with them they are pressed and absorbed by the fibers of a garment, leaving it with a breathable and light feeling and so you can have your personalized shirt.

Water based custom inks

Water-based inks are an excellent choice when printing on light colored shirts and looking for a smooth feel. The ink adheres to the fibers of the shirt and makes it feel as smooth as the shirt itself. Water-based inks can also be printed on darker garments for a vintage-looking print.

Discharge custom inks

Discharge Ink is a water-based ink that is designed to print bright colors on dark shirts. The ink is printed onto the shirt, then an activator removes the dye from the fibers in the shirt and replaces it with the ink color.

The discharge ink leaves a texture as smooth as the shirt itself. It is important to mention that this type of ink works best on 100% cotton garments, and can create a unique look on cotton / synthetic blends.

Water-based and discharge inks will look different depending on the color and material composition of the shirts selected. As for example in the Nike shirt or long-sleeved shirts.

What is the best look for cool t-shirts?

Really all you have to do is choose what type of custom shirt you want. Also, if you want it to look solid or vintage, we will take care of the rest.

Just remember that there are still some limitations, we may not be able to print the solid look on some garment colors and garments that have blends of synthetic fibers (polyester, spandex, rayon) using discharge and water based inks.

Don’t be afraid to ask. If we think that what you choose will not turn out the way you want, we will suggest alternative options, so you can have your great shirts.

Plastisol ink

As noted above, we love custom water-based and discharge inks, and print with them whenever possible. But there are some cases in which circumstances do not allow it.

Plastisol is a thermoplastic ink that only dries when heat is applied. Unlike water-based inks, plastisol adheres to the material on the surface of a garment. When the material is cured it does not breathe well and leaves a feeling of heaviness in the material. Most screen printers in the US predominantly used plastisol inks.

Plastisol custom inks

The various types of plastisol inks that are on the market are the following:

·         Metallic inks

These inks are used to give the print a metallic appearance. They are often bright and shiny when first printed. Gold, silver, and copper are the most common.

·         Bright inks

These fun inks are made with a metal foil called crystalline. It is a small piece of reflective sheet or plastic suspended on a plastisol base. The base can be transparent or tinted. Common colors include gold, silver, red, blue, and others.

·         Glow-in-the-dark ink

The photoluminescent effect is achieved by using a non-toxic and non-radioactive zinc sulfide pigment, which absorbs sunlight or artificial light. This glossy ink creates a glowing effect in the dark when charged with light.

·         Color-changing ink, heat activated

In this ink there is a heat sensitive pigment that changes color when exposed to high temperatures, generating a semi-permanent color change. Color disappears and locks at or above a temperature threshold. To return to the original color the temperature must be lowered.

·         Color-changing, light-activated ink

This impressive ink in the presence of sunlight or UV light, changes to a new color. This illuminating and reversible process is available in blue, yellow or purple colors.

Cool custom t-shirt designs

These custom inks will result in great shirt designs and you can have your custom shirt. Our main objective is to satisfy each of your requirements, to get the personalized and great shirt you want because we are printing near you.