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Buckets of Ink Help CenterScreen printing, DTF & embroidery supply · Tempe, AZ since 2008
Short answer: Dye migration happens when heat from flashing and curing releases dye in the garment (mostly polyester and poly blends) and it moves up into the ink, turning a white print pink or gray. Stop it with a low-bleed ink made for polyester, curing at the low end of the ink maker's range, a blocker underbase on difficult fabrics, and a test print before the run.
What dye migration looks like
- White prints turn pink, gray or the color of the shirt.
- Light colors look dull or dirty on red, maroon, royal or dark polyester.
- It shows up at the flash or dryer, because heat drives it. That is why polyester needs care that cotton does not.
How to prevent dye migration
- Use a low-bleed ink made for the fabric. Standard plastisol is not built to hold back polyester dye.
- Cure at the low end of the range and measure the ink. The whole ink film must reach cure, but extra heat makes migration worse. Use temperature strips or a probe on the shirt, and slow the belt before you raise the heat. See the plastisol cure temperature chart.
- Use a low-cure ink on heat-sensitive polyester, such as Wilflex Epic Rival Sport (250–300°F), WM Plastics Low-Bleed Poly (260–325°F) or WM Plastics Brute White (230°F), per the makers' data.
- Add a blocker underbase on challenging fabrics. Avient (Wilflex) says a bleed-blocking underbase such as Epic Armor LC Gray or Black is required on those.
- Test before the run. Avient says to pre-test garments with dyes that may bleed or ghost.
Low-bleed Wilflex whites we stock
| Ink (Avient data) | Fabrics | Mesh | Flash / cure |
|---|
| Epic Athletic Poly White (K2200) | 100% polyester and cotton/poly blends; good resistance to dye migration | 86–160 | 220°F flash, 320°F cure |
| Epic Bolt LC White (2200) | Blends, triblends and 100% polyester (cure at 270°F on 100% poly, pre-test for bleed); low cure, low bleed | 86–305 | 270–320°F cure |
| Amazing Bright Tiger White (K2200) | Cotton/poly blends and triblends where moderate bleed resistance is needed; not 100% polyester | 86–280 | 220°F flash, 300°F cure |
For colors on polyester, see Low Bleed Poly inks and Wilflex Epic Rival Sport. Not sure which white fits your garment? Best screen printing ink for polyester compares them, or call us with the garment brand and fabric.
Dye migration test
Before a polyester job, print one garment with the same ink, mesh, flash and dryer settings you will use for the run. Cure it, let it cool, and check the white and light colors against an unprinted sample. If the color has shifted, lower the cure temperature within the ink's range, switch to a lower-bleed white, or add a blocker underbase, then test again.
Frequently asked questions
What is dye migration in screen printing?
Dye migration is when dye from the garment, usually polyester, moves up into the ink as the print is heated. A white print turns pink, gray or the color of the shirt, and light colors look dirty.
How do you prevent dye migration?
Use a low-bleed ink made for polyester, cure at the low end of the ink maker's range and no hotter, measure the ink temperature instead of trusting the dryer setting, and test the garment before the run. On hard-to-print fabrics, Avient (Wilflex) calls for a bleed-blocking underbase.
How do you test for dye migration?
Print and cure a sample on the actual garment, using the same ink, flash and dryer settings as the job, then check the white and light colors for color change. Avient says to pre-test garments with dyes that may bleed or ghost.
What is a dye migration blocker?
A blocker is a bleed-resistant ink, often gray or black, printed as an underbase so the garment dye is held under it. Avient lists Epic Armor LC Gray or Black for challenging fabrics.
Can you fix dye migration after printing?
No. Once garment dye has moved into the cured ink, washing will not take it out. Fix it on the next run with a low-bleed ink, a lower cure temperature or a blocker underbase.
Related: Best ink for polyester · Cure temperature chart · Low Bleed Poly inks · Wilflex ink · How to screen print
