Low temperature inks are leaving a positive mark on our shop

OneStroke ELT-S has proven to be worth the added ink costs

We recently initiated the move from a traditional plastisol ink to a “low temperature” ink for some of our work.  We settled on OneStroke’s ELT-S products.  This ink will cure as low as 250ºF for the ultimate energy savings, dye blocking, shrink preventing, and crack resistance.  It has proven to be soft, stretchable, bleed resistant, and very easy-to-print.

OneStroke ink has allowed us to replace a couple of other inks for underbasing and highlight white with a single ink.  We found we can use ELT-S on both cotton and poly garment without a drop off in performance.  Again, more savings from reducing our ink inventory. “OneStroke provides an amazing variety of inks .  Their white has great coverage and is also bleed resistant.” , says Joey our Production Manager

By going with a single ink for both cotton and polyester, we have eliminated the productivity loss associated with needing to change dryer temperatures.  We used to lose so much production waiting for the dryer to reach the right temperature.  And with using two presses per dryer, it was a double whammy, especially when there was only one job requiring the temperature change.

Our Take:

Low temperature inks have changed our shop forever.  Why would we want to cure inks at a high temperature?  It just invites heat-related problems which leads to replacing expensive apparel.  The energy savings and productivity improvements are significant. The hand feel is soft and stretchy matching well with our vintage style of printing.