What are the stages a plastisol ink goes through during the curing process?
A plastisol ink goes through three stages. The first stage is the wet stage which is the state of a plastiol ink in the container or just after it has been printed on the garment prior to putting it through the dryer. The second stage is the gel stage which occurs somewhere between 180° 250°F depending upon the type of plastisol. The gel stage is the state you are trying to reach with a flash-cured underbase or conveyor-cured transfer, dry to the touch on the surface but not fully cured. The third and final stage is the cure stage. The final cure occurs when the entire ink film from top to bottom reaches 280° 320°F. and again depends upon the type of plastisol. Even though the vast majority of Union plastisols cure at 300° F., some special effects inks such as Hi-Square, Flash-Black, Shimmer, Suede or Glitter have higher recommended curing temperatures. Always consult the Union Ink Technical Data Sheet to detemine the cure temperature for the ink you are printing prior to any productio
