Aside from the usual tools of the trade, there are a few specialty items you need to print lasting, crisp prints on nylon. Those tools include:
- Nylon catalyst or specialty ink. Regular plastisol ink bonds to fabric fibers when the temperature of the ink reaches at least 325 degrees F. Normally, that temperature melts nylon. Adding a catalyst to regular plastisol ink allows for a lasting bond. The other option is to purchase inks that are made for printing on nylon.
- Jacket hold-down. Nylon’s smooth finish means it’s prone to shifting on-press. If a jacket has a liner, the nylon shell shifts over the liner during printing. The hold-down surrounds the substrate on the platen, smoothing out wrinkles and to prevent shifting.
- Retensionable screen. Try using a retensionable screen made with monofilament polyester mesh. The mesh count will vary from 125 to 230 for single-color jobs to 355 for process jobs.
- A sharp squeegee. The smooth nylon surface calls for a sharp, hard, level squeegee. Either a 70 or 80 single-durometer squeegee or a 60-90-60 or 70-90-70 triple-durometer squeegee is recommended.
—Anatol Equipment
