Raincoats are made out of all different types of fabrics that repel water. Raincoats that are created for various seasons have a removable lining, fold ups are made with vinyl, and trench-coats are made with lightweight polyester, cotton or nylon fabric. Raincoats may be difficult to print with, as they contain zippers, thread, lining, seam tape, belts, or buttons. Following our simple tips will help screen print on this fabric without running into as many difficulties.
1. Artwork – Adjust your artwork to ensure that the design does not interfere with the zipper, lining, or buttons. Make sure that you are using the proper size in order to print on this item.
2. Switch to Low Temperature Ink – Fusion 180 low temperature ink is one of the best ways to screen print on raincoats. Regular plastisol based ink will sit on top of the fabric and not bond to this item. With low temperature ink, you will be able to direcrt screen print on these coated fabrics, as the ink will bond with the material with an opaque, crisp, and clear finish.
3. Cure at 260°F– Working with Fusion 180 ink is simple, as all you will have to do is lower the temperature of your dryer to 260°F. This temperature will enable you to guarantee that the nylon within the raincoat will not shrink and that the ink will bond to the thicker fabric. Dye migration is an issue with the raincoats that are made out of polyester cotton fabrics. The dye could bleed out of your substrate and alter your ink color. This occurs when raincoats overheat. Once again, lowering the temperature of your dryer comes to the rescue and will prevent dyes from migrating.
4. Wide Mesh Selection- Mesh count can be chosen from 110 mesh/per inch to 305 mesh/per inch.
Switch to Fusion 180 Ink and broaden the range of fabrics that you will be able to direct screen print!