One of the most common questions we get here at Superior Ink is “What is the difference between traditional plastisol vs water based inks for screen printing?”

Here's a break down of the main differences between these two screen printing ink types, both for feel, printability, and the overall ingredients.

Water based inks actually dye the fabric and replace the coloring for super soft hand and a much more breathable t-shirt. This is also the most eco-friendly screen printing method. Most of the industry is working on transitioning to this method, although Plastisol ink printing is still in high demand.

Plastisol inks on the other hand are heavier and less eco-friendly, but have a much more opaque look that really pops. Plastisol literally coats the fabric in heavy ink that sits on top, much like when you paint a wall.

A simple comparison for water-based inks would be using stain on wood, although it’s much more vibrant than this, it bonds into the fabrics. Plastisol is more like layering thick paint on wood where you can’t really see the grain or texture anymore, and a whole new layer sits on top.

Different fabrics work better for different inks. Plastisol will work on anything but not retain the breathability. Water-based however works best on pure cotton and becomes faded with other fabrics.

For more information on water based vs plastisol ink, be sure to check out our article here:

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