What is color migration?

Are the printed colors not as expected? Sometimes different types of inks can mix with each other. We call this color migration. 

Color migration is a chemical reaction and discoloration between textile and printing. The ink of one color (for example of the T-shirt) mixes with the ink of the other color (the printing). This can lead to a fading or change in the chosen printing color, creating an undesirable result. This is also known as bleed-through.

This bleed-through occurs, for example, when screen-printing textiles composed primarily of polyester, such as sports T-shirts. Standard plastisol inks are heated to 160°C to harden completely. But by reaching this temperature, the color of the polyester will migrate with the ink so that, for example, a white print on a red T-shirt will no longer be white, but pink.

How to prevent color migration?

To avoid color migration, keep in mind the color difference between textiles and printing, and use the right ink types.

If you want to print polyester textiles, make sure that the printing color is darker than the textile. A silicone screen printing transfer brings the ideal solution for this type of textile, such as softshell jackets and sportswear.