Don't get too excited. Unfortunately this is not a new craze about to take over the nation, so I will keep this brief! It is in fact a crucial part of the screen printing process and is a required step when printing to most coloured garments. Basically, a layer of white is printed underneath the design which is why it incurs additional screen and printing costs. It ensures the design will be bright, vibrant and opaque and that any chosen pantone colours are accurately represented.
It is called flash because the ink is only partially cured or fused into the fabric at this stage.
Why do I need flash curing?
Flash curing is vital for achieving a high quality finish as it ensures the printed design remains true to the original specifications. Skipping flash curing will leave the colours looking impaired or dulled, and it is unlikely that the chosen pantone colours will match up. If ink is printed directly onto a dark garment, the ink will soak into the fabric and mix with the base colour. Not only does this impair the purity of the shade but it makes the print very dull.
Additionally, it can speed up printing time; flash cure units are usually mobile so the garment doesn’t have to moved be away from the printing machine. It also allows the additional print colours to be set down without fully curing the first (a process which takes much longer).
How does flash curing work?
Firstly, a screen is made of the outline of the logo, this is used to print a layer of white ink underneath all the other print colours. The garment is then placed immediately under a heater which has a temperature of at least 320 degrees for around 7-10 seconds. This dries the ink and partially seals it into the fabric, ready for the design to be printed on top. And ta-da a vibrant printed <insert clothing item of choice> is born!
