Speedball Flex Screen Printing Fabric Inks.
Usage, Heat Setting & Troubleshooting Guide
These are water-based fabric screen printing inks specifically formulated for printing on textiles, with a strong focus on flexibility, durability, and soft hand feel after heat setting.
🧶 Suitable Fabrics
Speedball Flex Inks perform exceptionally well on:
- cotton
- polyester
- tri-blend fabrics
- rayon
- synthetic fabrics and blends
They are ideal for:
t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, and fabric items that are worn, stretched, and washed regularly.
🧘♀️ Flexibility & Hand Feel
After proper heat setting, prints made with Flex Inks:
- remain flexible
- do not crack or break when the fabric stretches
- maintain a soft hand feel
This flexibility is the defining characteristic of the Flex range and what sets it apart from standard fabric inks.
⏳ Drying Time
For best and most durable results, allow your print to air dry for at least 24 hours before heat setting.
Heat setting ink that has not fully dried may lead to issues such as poor adhesion, cracking, or breaking after washing.
🔥 Heat Setting
Proper heat setting depends on the fabric type:
- 100% Cotton: 300°F / 150°C for 1 minute
- Tri-blend fabrics: 300°F / 150°C for 1 minute
- Polyester blends: 300°F / 150°C for 40 seconds
Heat setting can be done using a heat press or a household iron (no steam).
👉 Important:
Always cover the printed area with parchment paper before applying heat. This:
- prevents the ink from sticking to the heat source
- ensures even heat distribution
🎨 Color Mixing
Speedball Flex Inks are not pure process colors. They contain blended pigments, which:
- provide high opacity (opaque coverage)
- but require experimentation when mixing colors
For consistent results, always test color mixes on a scrap piece of fabric before final printing.
🛠 Mini Troubleshooting
🔴 Print cracks or breaks after washing
Possible causes:
- ink applied too thick
- insufficient or uneven heat setting
Solution:
Use thinner, even layers and repeat proper heat setting.
🔴 Print feels stiff or heavy
Possible cause:
Solution:
Reduce ink volume on the screen and work in lighter passes.
🔴 Ink dries in the screen
Possible cause:
- normal behavior of water-based inks, especially in warm or dry conditions
Solution:
Maintain a steady workflow and clean the screen if printing pauses.
🔴 Color appears dull on dark fabric
Possible cause:
- layer too thin or fabric highly absorbent
Solution:
A second light pass improves color intensity without making the print heavy.
🧠 Pro Tip
The combination of proper drying, thin even layers, and correct heat setting is the key to prints that remain flexible, durable, and clean over time.
