Printing on Cotton/Spandex Blends

Most cotton/spandex blended apparel tends to only contain a small percentage of spandex such as 5 or 10%. But even just 5% spandex in a garment can increase the elongation of the fabric immensely. Basically, this creates the very flattering body-conforming style that is super trendy currently. Since this type of basic apparel is more stretchy it only makes sense that we would use a stretch ink. 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PRINTING ON COTTON/SPANDEX

For printing on blank t-shirts, jackets, hats etc. made of cotton and spandex you need that special ink to withstand the extra stretch. But besides that, these stretch inks cure at lower temperatures to account for the extra heat-sensitivity of spandex.

Unlike polyester and other synthetic fabrics, screen printing on spandex doesn’t have the same risk of dye migration.

Screen mesh counts are important to remember here. Let’s say you are going to be screen printing on a 40-singles, 95/5 cotton spandex basic tee, you need to remember it has a tighter knit and lighter weight. For those unfamiliar with singles, this refers to the fineness of each thread of the blank apparel garment. The higher the number of singles, the higher quality and ultimately increased softness. But back to the actual printing now. In this situation you will be able to use, and it’s recommended to use, a much thinner than normal ink film. So choose a screen mesh with a finer mesh count and higher tension. The thin ink film will be softer as well as easier to flash cure.

You also want to consider what type of squeegee you will use to apply the ink. A squeegee that is too hard can obscure the opacity and one that is too soft can create a film that is too thick. Which you want to avoid here. But all in all there’s nothing to worry about when screen printing cotton/spandex blends and it’s pretty easy to get a crisp clear print.

On that note let’s check out some top wholesale bulk apparel picks for cotton/spandex blends. Firstly we have the Boxercraft S89 Women’s Practice Jacket. Made of 90/10 cotton spandex for the perfect amount of stretch, the S89 is a blend of sporty and flirty. A great basic activewear pick for errands, morning runs, or just looking cute around the house.