Why does the ink look faded or like it is coming off after washing??Updated an hour ago

It may be happening for a few different reasons:

The most common issue is that shirt fibers are becoming loose during washing and starting to poke through the print. This can be normal with thinner ink deposits. To determine if this is what's happening, look closely at the print and check for shirt fibers coming through the ink. You can also use a magnifying glass, loupe, or even your phone's camera to zoom in on the print area.

Another possibility is that the ink is under-cured and has started to wear or wash away from the garment. Plastisol ink needs to reach its recommended cure temperature from the top of the ink layer all the way down to the very bottom of the ink deposit.

For water-based ink, all moisture needs to evaporate from the ink before it can properly cure. Once the moisture has been removed, the ink needs to reach its recommended cure temperature throughout the entire ink layer and then be held at that temperature for approximately 30 seconds. 

If you are having a hard time getting your water-based ink to reach the proper cure temperature and are experiencing washout issues, Warp Drive can help provide a chemical cure even when you're having difficulty reaching the recommended cure temperature. It can give you a little extra peace of mind, but it’s still important to run a test wash after using it to make sure the ink is curing properly and holding up through washing.

To learn more about ensuring your ink is properly cured, check out our blog.