Ink accessories are the modifiers, extenders and base components that give the printer full control over the performance and finish of the final print. They allow a skilled printer to fine-tune the ink system for any substrate, application, or desired aesthetic effect from a soft, barely-there hand feel to a bold, raised, special-effects finish.
Pigment Emulsion
Pigment emulsion is a concentrated, finely milled colourant dispersed in a liquid carrier, used as the primary source of colour in water-based textile printing systems. Pigment emulsions are mixed with a binder base and other modifiers to create a printable, coloured ink that bonds to fabric fibres through heat curing. They are available in an extensive colour range and can be intermixed to achieve virtually any custom shade. High-quality pigment emulsions offer excellent lightfastness, colour strength and compatibility with a wide range of binder systems, making them the backbone of the water-based screen printing ink formulation.
Thickener
Thickener is a rheology modifier added to water-based ink systems to increase their viscosity to the level required for optimal printing through a specific mesh count. Correct ink viscosity is essential: ink that is too thin will bleed under the stencil edge and produce fuzzy prints, while ink that is too thick will clog the mesh and print unevenly. Thickeners allow the printer to adjust ink body precisely for the mesh being used, the type of substrate and the printing speed. They are typically neutral in colour and do not affect the shade of the ink when added in recommended quantities.
Fixer (Catalyst / Crosslinker)
Fixer – also called catalyst or crosslinker – is a chemical additive incorporated into water-based ink systems to dramatically improve the wash fastness and durability of the cured print. Without a fixer, water-based prints may fade, crack, or wash out after repeated laundering. The fixer chemically reacts with the binder polymer network during or after heat curing, creating additional cross-links that anchor the ink film firmly to the fabric fibres. It is particularly important when printing on synthetic fabrics, nylon, or substrates that are difficult for standard binders to adhere to. Fixer should be used in the manufacturer’s recommended proportion, as excessive amounts can stiffen the print or cause the ink to gel prematurely in the pot.
5d. Softener
Softener is an additive blended into the ink formulation – or applied as a finishing treatment – to improve the tactile quality and flexibility of the cured print on fabric. A key selling point of high-quality garment printing is a ‘soft hand’ – the feel of the print against the skin – and softener is the primary tool for achieving it. It works by plasticizing the cured ink film, reducing its rigidity and allowing it to move with the fabric rather than resisting it. Softener is particularly valued in fashion and sportswear printing, where comfort and drape of the garment must not be compromised by a stiff, rubbery print.
Water-Based Binder
Water-based binder is the foundational carrier and film-forming component of water-based screen printing inks. It is a clear or translucent polymer emulsion into which pigments, thickeners, fixers and other modifiers are blended to create a complete printing ink. Upon printing and heat curing, the binder forms a continuous, flexible film that encapsulates the pigment and bonds it to the substrate. Binders are formulated for specific applications – there are binders optimized for cotton, synthetic blends, nylon and even non-textile substrates. The quality of the binder determines the ultimate wash fastness, flexibility and colour vibrancy of the finished print, making it the most important component in a water-based ink system.
White and Clear Gel (Khadi)
White gel and clear gel – colloquially known in the Indian trade as ‘khadi’ – are high-viscosity, paste-like bases used extensively in textile screen printing. White gel is an opaque, bright-white base used for printing on dark-coloured fabrics where good opacity and coverage are required, or as a mixing base for creating lighter tints of colour. Clear gel is a transparent printing base used to create soft, translucent colour effects, extend the ink without affecting transparency, or serve as a printing medium for specialty effects such as puff and high-density. Both white and clear gel have a thick, buttery consistency that facilitates easy screen printing and provides good depth of colour when pigments are added. They are the foundation of pigment-based water printing and are available in formulations suitable for both manual and automatic printing tables.
