Water-based vs plastisol vs discharge: which ink for your shirts
Battle Born Clothing runs all three inks in-house. They cost the same per piece. The choice comes down to the shirt fabric, the shirt color and whether the shirt is a uniform or merchandise. Here is how to pick.
The three inks in one table
| Plastisol | Water-based | Discharge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Sits on top; you can feel it | In the fiber; soft | In the fiber; softest |
| Opacity on dark | Excellent (with underbase) | Poor | Good on dischargeable cotton |
| Fabric | Cotton, blends, poly, fleece | 100% cotton, light colors | 100% cotton, dark solid colors |
| Color accuracy | Pantone match | Good on light shirts | Varies with shirt dye |
| Durability | Outlasts the shirt | Ages with the shirt | Ages with the shirt |
| Best for | Crews, uniforms, hoodies, blends | Light cotton merch | Dark cotton merch |
Plastisol
The default for the trades, schools, events and anything on a blend or a hoodie. It is bright, opaque, mixes to Pantone and cures hard. The only knock is the hand: a large solid print feels like a layer. Halftones and thinner ink deposits soften it. See plastisol screen printing.
Water-based
The ink is pigment in water; it soaks into cotton and dries in the fiber. On a white or light PC61, Gildan 64000 or Next Level 3600 the result is a print you cannot feel. On dark shirts it is nearly invisible without a discharge base. Colors are softer; no neon, no metallic.
Discharge
Discharge ink carries an activator that removes the reactive dye from a dark cotton shirt where it is printed, leaving the ink's pigment in the now-undyed fiber. A black shirt with a white discharge print feels like a blank shirt. Requirements: 100% cotton, a dischargeable dye (most black, navy, maroon and forest from Port & Company, Gildan and Next Level are), and a solid color (heathers are blends). A faint halo on the first wash is normal and washes out. See water-based and discharge.
Which shirt, which ink
| Shirt | Recommended ink |
|---|---|
| PC61, PC54 light colors | Plastisol or water-based |
| PC61, PC54 dark solids | Plastisol (uniforms) or discharge (merch) |
| PC55 blend | Plastisol only |
| PC78H, 18500 hoodies | Plastisol only |
| Comfort Colors 1717 | Water-based or plastisol; discharge tested first |
| Next Level 3600, 64000 solids | Discharge (dark) or water-based (light) |
The rate is the same
$4.34 per location at 48 pieces, $0.25 flash on dark shirts with plastisol, $20 per screen. Discharge on a dark shirt does not need a white underbase, so the flash charge usually drops off. Full schedule on the pricing page.
Questions
Can you match a Pantone in discharge?
Close, not exact. Discharge color depends on the shirt dye. For an exact brand color on a dark shirt, plastisol.
Which ink lasts longest?
Properly cured plastisol. Water-based and discharge fade slowly with the shirt, which is the look most merch buyers want.