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Plastisol is a type of ink used for silkscreen printing on to textiles. Plastisols are the most commonly used inks for printing designs on to garments, and are particularly useful for printing opaque graphics on dark fabrics.

[edit] Advantages

Plastisol inks are not water-soluble. Because the ink is made up of PVC particles suspended in a plasticizing emulsion, the ink will not dry if left in the screen for extended periods of time. Because of the convenience of not needing to wash a screen after printing is done, printers using plastisol inks can do so without a nearby source of running water. Plastisol inks are highly recommended for printing on colored fabric. On lighter fabric, plastisol is extremely opaque and can retain a bright image for many years, if cared for.

[edit] Disadvantages

Plastisol inks will not dry, and need to be cured as a result. Curing the inks can be done with a flash dryer, or more inexpensively, any home oven. Most plastisols need to reach a temperature of about 350 degrees before being fully cured.