Material Specs /
Best printing practices by fabric
Ring-Spun Cotton
#ringspun-cottonInk Recommendations
Plastisol
Standard general-purpose system.
Water-Based
Soft hand, excellent on light colors.
Discharge
Only on reactive-dyed cotton; test first.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 156 – 230
- Flash Temp
- 220°F
- Cure Temp
- 320°F
- Belt Time
- 60s
- Underbase
- Required on darks. Single hit, flash, then color pass.
- Squeegee
- 70 duro, sharp edge. Single hard stroke.
- Prep
- None. Lint roll the platen before each pass.
Printer Note
Combed ring-spun is a fine knit — keep ink films thin to preserve hand-feel.
Over-flashing thin jersey scorches the print zone.
Heavyweight Cotton
#heavyweight-cottonInk Recommendations
Plastisol
Forgiving and high opacity.
Water-Based
Deep penetration on heavy knits.
Discharge
Soft hand; eliminates underbase on darks.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 110 – 156
- Flash Temp
- 220°F
- Cure Temp
- 320°F
- Belt Time
- 60s
- Underbase
- Recommended on darks. Cotton accepts thicker deposits.
- Squeegee
- 70/90/70 triple ply for opacity, or 70 single for soft hand.
- Prep
- Pre-shrink wash if exact registration matters across sizes.
Printer Note
Workhorse fabric. Tolerates aggressive squeegee angles and ink loads.
Pigment / Garment Dyed
#pigment-dyedInk Recommendations
Water-Based
Locks into washed surface; matches the aesthetic.
Discharge
Pigment dyes don't fully discharge — colors shift.
Plastisol
Use low-bleed; soft-hand additives help.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 156 – 200
- Flash Temp
- 220°F
- Cure Temp
- 320°F
- Belt Time
- 60s
- Underbase
- Low-bleed underbase to block crocking from the loose pigment.
- Squeegee
- 75 duro, medium angle.
- Prep
- Brush off pigment dust before print. Expect slight color shift after first wash.
Printer Note
Pigment is sitting on top of the fiber — expect color shift and softer prints over time.
Dye crocking will tint your platen and screens. Clean between colorways.
Tri-Blend (Cotton / Poly / Rayon)
#tri-blendInk Recommendations
Plastisol (Low-Bleed)
Poly-blocking is non-negotiable.
Discharge
Will not activate poly or rayon fibers.
Water-Based
Acceptable on light colors only.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 156 – 230
- Flash Temp
- 240°F
- Cure Temp
- 300°F
- Belt Time
- 45s
- Underbase
- Required on every color but white. Use a poly-blocking white.
- Squeegee
- 70 duro, sharp. Minimize ink deposit.
- Prep
- Cooler dryer dwell. Test wash a sample for dye migration after 24h.
Printer Note
Highest dye-migration risk on this list. Keep cure under 320°F and your dwell short.
Bleed often appears 12–24h after curing — always do a delayed test.
50/50 Cotton-Poly
#50-50Ink Recommendations
Plastisol (Low-Bleed)
Use a poly-blocking underbase on colored stock.
Water-Based
Limited penetration on poly fibers.
Discharge
Discharges cotton only — leaves polka-dot effect.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 156 – 200
- Flash Temp
- 230°F
- Cure Temp
- 310°F
- Belt Time
- 50s
- Underbase
- Low-bleed white underbase on every dark or saturated color.
- Squeegee
- 70 duro single stroke.
- Prep
- Test cure — IR thermometer the print, not the belt.
Printer Note
Treat heathers like full-poly. The cotton content is a lie when it comes to bleed.
Royal, red, navy, and forest are the worst migrators.
100% Polyester (Performance)
#100-polyInk Recommendations
Poly-Specific Plastisol
Low-bleed, low-cure system designed for poly.
Water-Based
Will not bond to synthetic fibers.
Discharge
Discharge agent has nothing to activate.
Press Settings
- Mesh Count
- 200 – 280
- Flash Temp
- 240°F
- Cure Temp
- 280°F
- Belt Time
- 90s
- Underbase
- Always. Use a low-bleed poly white as the migration barrier.
- Squeegee
- 75 duro, light pressure, medium angle.
- Prep
- Pre-flash garment to release moisture and reduce wicking.
Printer Note
Heat is the enemy. Stay under 290°F and lengthen belt time instead.
Sublimation dyes ghost through standard inks — test every new color of garment.
Never use standard plastisol — guaranteed bleed.