How does Discharge differ from Plastisol?

While plastisol inks (Standard Stock Inks) sit on the top surface of the garment, discharge ink is absorbed into the fabric; stripping it of it's original color and taking on the color of the ink.  Due to the ink interacting with the actual fabric of the garment, results can vary much more than when were working with plastisol. With discharge ink, you won't be able to feel the ink unlike plastisol. 

What type of fabric is best for Discharge Printing?

When it comes to discharge ink, there are some fabrics that work better than others when it comes to reacting with the inks. 

100% Cotton is the best for discharge printing because the discharge agent works best with natural fibers, however there are some blends that work great too. If you like heather or triblends - the effect might not be as bright, depending on the color of the garment. 

Our best T-Shirt recommendation if you're going for a bright white discharge print would be the Black BELLA+CANVAS 100% Cotton T-Shirt. BELLA+CANVAS shirts use high energy eco-friendly dyes that work great with Discharge Ink.

Picking your T-Shirt Colors

We've discussed how Discharge Ink works and what fabrics work best with it, but another big consideration is what color your garment is.

Certain colors like Kelly Green, Royal Blue, Reds and Purples have a harder time discharging than colors like Black or Military Green. Garments that are in those families do discharge, but they may not be a "Bright White" like it would be on other colors. They will be more of a "Tonal" color of the original garment, discharge on Kelly Green may appear more of a mint green than a white. 

If you are wanting to get garments in those colors, accounting for the color change could be a really important aspect to your design. 

Is Discharge Ink right for my design?

We've talked about the good and bad of Discharge Ink, which may leave you with the question of is Discharge ink right for your design. 

Overall Discharge ink is a very cool and unique way to design your garments differently than other brands. It creates a very soft and light feel to your garments and can take your brand up a level. 

If your looking for something different, Discharge Ink could be right for you.