Step 1

Know your demographic. For a commemorative fashion event, Rowboat Creative (asi/313715) chose a soft garment and a water-based printing technique to achieve a no-hand feel on the print. Joe Zangrilli, owner/head of production at Rowboat, used Rutland water-based inks and tinting system.

Step 2

Print quickly. With water-based production, you have to move fast. Ensure your screens are coated with a water-resistant emulsion so the screens don’t break down during production. Zangrilli’s pick: Kiwo Polycol Discharge Emulsion (with Diazo D additive).

Step 3

Add an accent. A plastisol foil adhesive is placed last in the production line to add the foil accents in the jewelry and overall design. (Heat-transfer foil won’t stick to water-based ink.) Zangrilli’s pick: International Coatings Plastisol Foil Adhesive 3801.

Step 4

Flash cure. Place a flash just before the foil adhesive screen in your production line to ensure the water-based ink isn’t further muted during production. This will also help prevent the plastisol adhesive and water-based ink from contaminating each other.

Step 5

Apply foil. Gold heat-transfer foil was applied using a pneumatic semi-auto heat press. The foil is pre-cut to the proper imprint size and laid on top of the imprint area. The foil is pressed for 10 seconds at 330 degrees Fahrenheit with medium pressure.

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