Screen Printing with Silicone Inks on Silkies (aka Ranger Panties)

Silicone Inks are 'where it's at' for screen printing on silkies (aka Ranger Panties). I had been screen printing with plastisol and water based inks on silkies from 2016 to 2021, and synchronistically "stumbled" upon silicone inks Summer of 2020. I did my research, talked to a couple of different ink companies, befriended a silicone ink expert who became my mentor, and then made the plunge by investing quite a bit of my savings into silicone inks (they're THAT GREAT for a reason!).

I mainly wanted to make the transition to using silicone inks because I believed the quality, feel, look, and durability of it would be the best (it was).

And secondly, using silicone inks are a bit more eco-conscious as they are Non-PVC, non-phthalate.

Here are Some Perks of the Silicone Inks I use on our Silkies:

—> Extreme stretchability
—> Excellent soft drape & super soft Hand Feel (no tackiness here!)
—> Excellent coverage and opacity
—> high performance and eco-conscious silicone ink by Zodiac™ 
—> Inks are Non-PVC, non-phthalate
—> these durable inks can tolerate heavy washes for lasting strength

RESULTS! I watched enough YouTube videos and researched as much as I could on silicone inks and screen printing with them. It was time to act and actually test it all out. This here was my first time printing with silicone inks. I screen printed our No Step on Snek logo with hand-mixed silicone inks (matte base, yellow toner, and catalyst) on these silkie smooth Ranger Panties (I call them Silkies!) and my little screen-printing-world was turned "right side up" hahaha!

My screen printing process with silicone inks on silkies (made of 100% nylon tricot) was so much easier than when I previously used Plastisol or water-based inks. The ink was smoother, the flash time was quicker, and I was able to toss these bad boys on my conveyor belt dryer and presto...gold.

I did a wash and dry test and here is the stretch test.