A Comprehensive Guide to Glow-in-the-Dark Ink in Screen Printing
Over the years, as the customer base in the fashion industry has grown, businesses have also started to broaden their horizons. Each day, you can see new trends taking over the customers’ interests. Recently, apparel with glow in the dark ink designs has become a topic of interest among individuals.
Before we go forward with other the aspects let’s talk about how glow in the dark ink works, let’s get familiar with the vital ingredient — phosphorescent pigment. The phosphorescent soaks up and stores the light after this energy is released slowly in a restrained manner. Further, when this ink is exposed to a light source, the energy is absorbed, thus causing it to get charged.
Remove the light and see how the pigment releases the energy through a mesmerizing glow. Now that you understand the basic working of glow in the dark printing ink, let’s move forward with its advantages, disadvantages, and how you can design the art.
How Can You Design Glow Art?
Here is a short step-by-step process of how you can design your apparel with glow in the dark ink:
- Create a design and highlight the features that you want to make glow.
- Prepare the screen for the process and expose it to UV light for curing.
- Apply glow-in-the-dark ink in thicker layers for better results
- Use a squeegee and press the ink with the help of the screen on the garment.
- End the process by placing the garment on the conveyor dryer.
Advantages of Using Glow In The Dark Ink
With the glow in the dark ink, the industries bring in something special for individuals who want to have unique and eye-catching apparels adorning their cupboards. Here are a few advantages that will help you find a better perspective on glow in the dark ink screen printing:
- Visibility
Garment coated with designs that use this type of ink draws attention with just one glimpse, especially in low-light conditions. Thus, making it one of the best options for night events, concerts, or while promoting a cause.
- Variety
People who have just begun using glow-in-the-dark print inks need to be made aware of the availability of the vast color palette. With so many options, you can create an incredible number of designs.
- Can Be Used On Multiple Surfaces
Apparels are made with varied types of fabrics, and each of them takes a different time to let inks settle in. While the traditional ones may or may not work well with each fabric, glow in the dark screen printing ink works seamlessly with everything.
Disadvantages of Using Glow In The Dark Ink
With a set of advantages, their glow-in-the-dark ink also has some set of cons that we will be shedding light on:
- Initial Set Up Cost for Small Quantities is Higher
If you have a small business, using this ink is expensive. When starting, one would want to take as minimum risk as possible. Going with just 10–25 units will be enough to begin with. In such cases, fluorescent ink will not be able to justify the ROI (return on investment) you have spent.
Tips on How to Use Glow In The Art Ink
Going all wacky with glow in the dark print ink is just fun, fun, and fun. But following the tips below is necessary to achieve the desired result. So, here are tips that you should follow:
- Do Use The Ink On Dark Colored Fabric
The fluorescent ink looks better on lighter shades of color than darker ones. White, gray, pale yellow, and lime green will make your designs pop out.
- Less Is More
Having a design with plenty of colors can take off its whole impact. Too much ink can make the entire shirt feel heavy and plastic-like. Using it effectively will help you get the best result.
- Use A Lower Mesh Count Screen
The particles of phosphorescent that help the ink glow in the dark are coarse. That’s why using a screen with a large opening is essential to ensure the particles pass through on the base adequately.
- Remember Not To Over-cure
Curing is the process where ink is heated onto the fabric to make the bond between the two permanent. But in the case of glow-in-the-dark ink screen printing, one should be careful not to overdo it. It could interfere with the key elements of ink, thus reducing its effectiveness.
Conclusion: Should You Opt for Dark Printing Ink?
Now that we have reached the concluding part of the topic, concerns about whether to choose this type of ink for your business might be circling down your head. The answer is that Screit depends on your requirements. If you want to step up your game, glow in the dark ink print can become your secret weapon. Make sure to keep the tips in mind while working with the whole process to get optimum results.
