The Wizardry of Special Effects Printing

Have you been hesitant to order some special effects inks to try out in your shop?

I get it — the unknown is, well, unknown. So here are some starting points to help you hit the ground running with special effects in plastisol. Many of these tips also apply to water-based printing as well.

1. Screen Stencil

Screens are where the magic happens. ( I hate that I just wrote that) Almost all special effects inks benefit from a thicker stencil. Most rely on some type of blowing or expansion chemistry, which performs best when more material is deposited. Make sure you’re getting a heavy coating, and if needed, use capillary film for a uniform, consistent build. Also consider underusing these inks to minimize “puckering” and to provide a foundation for the ink to expand UP off of instead of all directions or into the weave of the garment.

2. Screen Mesh

Most special effects inks include expansion agents or polyester flakes (think shimmers, glitters, and liquid metallics), so lower mesh counts are better.

As a rule of thumb, any ink with heavy particles will perform best through 86–110 mesh. There are exceptions, but if you’re unsure, start with the lowest mesh you have. Higher mesh counts will filter out flakes or particles, leaving only the base behind.

3. Screen Tension

Higher tension is almost always better — it helps the ink release cleanly and reduces surface distortion.

The exception: if you’re going for a thick, goopy texture, a slightly lower tension with almost no off-contact can help create that vertical “lift” as the screen peels away from the ink. Be sure to glue the hell out of your pallets so the garment does not lift with these sticky screens.

4. Pre-Mix / Pre-Shear

Mix the hell out of your special effects inks. Particles tend to settle, especially in liquid metallics, foil adhesives, and glitters.

Pre-shearing the ink improves consistency and flow, making it easier to print and helping the effect develop properly.

5. Squeegee

For suede or puff inks, a sharp 60/90/60 squeegee often works best once the ink has been adequately sheared (it should fall off your ink knife, not cling like a glob).

For abrasive or particle-heavy inks like texture bases, step up to a 70/90/70 or even a straight 80-shore blade for deposit and control.

6. Speed

Keep your flood pass mid- to medium-high speed, but use a slower print stroke. This helps lay down enough ink and gives the ink time to peel smoothly off the screen — especially important with sticky or viscous inks.

7. Flashing

Flash only to a gel stage to avoid buildup or pickup on following screens. Expansion inks should cure in the dryer, not on press.

If you’re stacking puff or high-density layers, partial gelling ensures adhesion between coats. Fully curing on press can cause separation or visible striations in your final texture.

8. Curing

Go low and slow. Most special effects inks are tested in gas dryers, so you’ll need to fine-tune electric or forced-air units carefully.

Too much heat can cause blisters or collapse the film. Reflective, glitter, shimmer, and metallic inks may reflect infrared heat, so slow down your belt and lower the temp for even penetration.

Use a heat test strip on the inside of the garment behind the print to gauge true cure temperature.

9. Flood Bar

Normally, the flood bar floats just above the mesh, rolling a bead of ink in front of the blade depositing a sheet of ink into the stencil area. But with thick, abrasive inks full of particles, you might need to rest the bar directly on the screen to “scrape” the ink across.

This can affect registration — so when possible, run special effects screens last in the print sequence.

10. Stepping

For inks that expand or lift, the more times a screen steps on the ink deposit, the less it will rise. Plan your sequence so your expansion inks print late in the order.

A Few Special Notes

The above covers the majority of expanding or heavy particle inks, but there are exceptions. Take, for example, a reflective ink. This ink is designed with a base that is meant to penetrate into the fabric, exposing the reflective glass beads. This is why we don’t underbase reflective inks — because the underbase would otherwise prevent the base from sinking down into the weave of the garment. 

Another example of this would be the Avient Infinite FX Nova Base. This is a base that you can add your own particles to and is designed to sink down, exposing the particles on the surface of the fabric while anchoring them to the garment with the adhesive in the Nova Base. Avient Particle Base does just the opposite. This base encapsulates a glitter or particle, giving it a more lifted suspension of the particle above the garment surface. 

Generally, glitter or flake applications where you want the flake to sit up on top of the garment, exposed and not suspended, would be for your cheer or dance group jobs where maximum reflectivity is desired. Gel shimmers are more for your streetwear accents or hot-rod-type chrome effects.

Drips and Gels

A quick tip on high-density gels: if you are looking for a more domed or clearer effect on a clear gel, then add more heat and time. More heat will dome the HD gel deposit, and more time will make it clearer.

Pallet Temps

Keep your pallets hot. Pre-heat and maintain temperature throughout the run.

For “false lenticular” effects using high-density inks, combine a slow stroke, hot pallets, and a thick stencil for best results.

Final Thoughts

That’s all you get for today! For deeper dives, attend one of my Special Effects Printing classes — we cover these techniques in detail.

And remember, don’t be afraid to mix bases. The Avient Infinite FX line was named for that very reason — you can combine Cork with High Density, Suede with Gel, and so on.

If you create something awesome, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @Traveling_Screenprinter or send me a copy!— I’d love to see it and feature it.