Dallas came across this on Youtube and I thought it was so cool. This guy creates sculpture smaller than an eye of a needle. Then places them inside the eye of the needle. Check it out!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Fold a T Shirt in 2 seconds
Everyone wants that crisp, nicely folded t shirt that you see in all the retail stores. Right? So here is a video on how to fold your tees fast in 2 seconds or less. This technique works but if you ask me, my favorite t shirt folding technique is the old school Flip and Fold. Remember these? They are awesome! Every time a friend comes over while I'm flip folding, they want to try it out and usually do all my t shirt folding for me. NICE! So check out both these techniques and clean up your t shirt drawer.
FLiP and FoLD
FLiP and FoLD
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monkeys Favorite T shirt Brands
I've been meaning to do this for a long time. Over the years, I've seen a few t shirts in my day and would like to share with you my favorite t shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, zip ups, organics and bamboo brands of apparel and why.
My favorite t shirt ever is Alternative Apparel's Backstage Tee. It's super soft, wears great, doesn't stretch out of shape, and the fabrics muted color tones. I also like the stitching around the back of the collar and down the shoulder seam.
My favorite t shirt ever is Alternative Apparel's Backstage Tee. It's super soft, wears great, doesn't stretch out of shape, and the fabrics muted color tones. I also like the stitching around the back of the collar and down the shoulder seam.
Moving on to my favorite "standard" type t shirt to use is a Gildan 2000 and the new Gildan 64000 "soft style" tee. Gildan has tons of colors to choose from, pre-shrunk 100% cotton. Great shirt to use for an event, schools, or fundraiser. A step up from the 2000 is the new Gildan "soft style" t shirt. I've been waiting for this shirt to come out for about a year. Gildan hyped it so much and the shirt kepted getting pushed back in production. This new model is comparable to an american apparel t shirt in it's weight, softness and slimmer fit. They also have a ladies fitted shirt available in the 64000L.
Next up on the list are Sweatshirts, Hoodies and Zip ups. Sweatshirts are not so popular now a days, however, I do have a favorite because it's just the softest, fuzziest, most comfortable sweatshirt on the market. That's just my opinion. Who makes this uber special apparel item you may ask? Alternative Earth by Alternative Apparel style # AA9575 6.3 oz. Long-Sleeve Basic Fleece Crew.
The "Hoodie" I really like American Apparel's California Hoodie; style number 5495. It's a lighter weight 100% cotton hoodie and not bulky. Comes in many colors.
The "Zip Up." This style of fleece is my favorite. It's great to slip on a comfortable zip up to wear under a jacket, under a vest, and it won't mess up your hair like a pullover. My favorite brand is a very close tie. I like American Apparel for all the styles to pick from and I also like continental clothing for the same thing. Continental has some real fashion forward zipups that are really cool. I've shared a few of my fav's below.
Continental Clothing Women's Sweat Jacket with pockets and sleeve stripes.
Continental Clothing Women's Distressed Moto Jacket. 
Now for the best "standard" fleece, I recommend all sweatshirts, hoodies, and zip ups from Gildan. They are the best value and high quality. Comes in many different colors and sizes from toddler to adults.
Next up is the ladies or women's tee. Their are a lot out there that are great. Gildan's 2000L, which is the same as the 2000 model unisex tee but just in a more flattering cut. Very economical and just a nice women's tee. For a fitted tee style, I really like Bella brand and Next Level Apparel tees. They are soft, various cuts and styles and come in a longer length than your regular "belly" type t shirts.
Gildan 2000L Women's cut T shirt
Bella 8101 Longer Length baby doll t shirt
Next Level Apparel 3300L 
Last but not least, my recommendations for Organic apparel. I have my favorites by Anvil Organics, Continental Clothing, OnnO and Econscious. I'll start with Anvil. They have really stepped up and was one of the first and still is the most economical organic line. They have organic t shirts, recycled cotton t shirts. Coming Jan 09, they will offer sustainable and organic sweatshirts, hoodies, and zipups. Next fav is Continental Clothing's Bamboo T shirt. Bamboo shirts are the most soft, comfortable, and flattering t shirt around. They come in quite a few colors and are available in Men's and Women's cut tees. Price point is pretty good too considering the price point for bamboo shirts are still very high. I also like Onno brand Bamboo Shirts. I really like these because they come in men's and women's cut short sleeve and long sleeves; and youth sizes! Very nice! Last eco friendly line I like is Econscious. Their entire line is organic. You can get t shirts, long sleeves, hoodies zipups, hats, bags, beanies and aprons. Great Quality and affordable price points.
Anvil Organics
Continental Clothing Bamboo Shirts
Onno Bamboo Shirts
Econscious 
Please feel free to contact Monkey in a Dryer for any additional information on any of these apparel items.
http://www.monkeyinadryer.com
History of the T shirt
History of the T-shirt
It’s hard to imagine life without the t-shirt. Yet, “t-shirt” didn’t become a word in the English dictionary until the 1920’s and the style didn’t enter mainstream fashion until the 1960’s.
During W.W.I, American troops wore wool uniforms during hot summer days in Europe and noticed European soldiers wearing lightweight cotton undershirts. This cool apparel caught on fast with the Americans and by W.W.II, both the Army and the Navy included them in their uniforms.
Up until the 1950’s, t-shirts were still considered underwear, until John Wayne, Marlon Brando, and James Dean shocked Americans by wearing their “underwear” on T.V. In 1955, James Dean helped make the T-shirt a standard item of clothing in Rebel Without a Cause.
Advances in Screenprinting gave people the opportunity to print on T-shirts in the 1960’s. Tye dying also become popular in addition to other forms of the t-shirt, such as tank tops and muscle shirts. In the late sixties and seventies, people began to realize that printing on t-shirts could be a lucrative business. Rock and Roll bands and professional athletic teams started to make huge profits selling custom screen printed t-shirts.
Since then, t-shirts have only become more popular in the United States and are a staple in the American wardrobe. TV personalities have increased the popularity of custom t-shirts and “message shirts” by wearing them on highly rated shows and celebrities have used them as a way to communicate with the public. Because they are both convenient and fun, it is doubtful that the t-shirt will disappear from American culture anytime soon.
http://www.monkeyinadryer.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
Earth Positive Expanding Product Line with Organic Cotton Tote Bags
New products offered by Continental Clothing Company. Organic, Free Trade, and less carbon footprints. These two fantastic new additions to the EarthPositive collection will be a great seasonal choice for all sectors of the apparel industry. EarthPositive Organic Tote's will be available to order early December, 2008. Just in time for the holiday season.
Choose from these two new designs and variety of colors:
EP75 Organic Fashion Tote Bag
Colors: Black, Bright Blue, Denim Blue, Leaf Green, Moss Green, Red, Yellow
Size: W36cm x H40cm x D8cm
The EarthPositive Organic Fashion Tote (code EP75) is a premium weight, twill weave cotton bag, with quality stitching detail, in alternate tote dimensions (36cm x 40cm x 8cm) produced in a range of seven vibrant colors. This product is designed to meet the demand for a bag as a fashion accessory with a conscience in a marketplace where the vast majority of similar products are produced in cheap quality raw fabrics of unknown origin.
EP70 Organic Shopper Tote Bag
Colors: Natural (undyed)
Size: W38cm x H42cm
The EarthPositive Organic Shopper Tote (code EP70) is a plain weave, fine gauge canvas bag in undyed natural cotton, in the standard shopper tote dimensions (38x42cm) with long shoulder straps. The smooth fabric provides an ideal surface for screen-printing. This is the ultimate sustainable shopper bag.
EarthPositive is a wholly ethical apparel brand that is certified under the Global Organic Textile Standard (by Soil Association) and by the Fair Wear Foundation for ethical labor practices throughout its supply chain. It is also, crucially, low carbon, having reduced the CO2 and other green-house gases emissions by some 90% through the use of green renewable energy in its production, a claim verified by the Carbon Trust within its pilot carbon-labeling initiative. The brand launched in the UK, Europe and USA in January 2008 with a range of blank imprintable T-shirts, sweatshirts and polo shirts. Further product expansion is expected to follow in 2009.
Please contact Monkey in a Dryer with any product questions and one of our product specialists will be happy to help you.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Think Before You Ink
Think Before You Ink
At Monkey in a dryer we get daily questions and inquiries about the best ways to imprint Organic cotton T-shirts keeping the environmental impact in mind. We have been recommending water based inks but wanted to have someone independent and someone that knows environmental chemistry take a look at the print systems that are available on the market today.
We have an article below that is fromt Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC that did a survey on the existing ink technologies on the market. They are experts in greening textile products and apparel and former Patagonia environmental staff. Here is what they came back with:
Environmental Attributes and Issues with other Printing Methods for garments.
Printing
In simple terms printing is the application of color to a fabric in a design or pattern. But the nuances of texture, color and hand all impact the look, feel and performance of the final product.
What are not often apparent when you look at a printed product are the environmental effects and impacts different printing materials and processes can have on our health and the health of the environment. This short piece is intended to give you, the consumer, an overview of the impacts of the many options we need to juggle everyday to bring you a product that is stylish, durable, and a good value AND is manufactured with consideration to lower and minimize its environmental impacts.
As much as we strive to reduce the impacts of our printing, the fact is that there is no environmentally perfect printing system. But for any given printing scenario there are better and best choices. In general these choices strive for fewer toxic ink and process related compounds. Fewer solvents, and less processing in general. There are tradeoffs – get rid of one bad chemical and you may need more water for cleanup – or energy for curing. Remove PVC from the plastisol formulation and ink cost might go up. It is all an environmental balancing act. To make matters even more complicated design, application, durability and price all end up in the balancing act!
It is important to know that no matter what printing systems or systems you are considering (waster based, solvent based, plastisol, etc) the composition of inks varies widely. Some inks contain chemicals that would be classified as hazardous. Inks frequently get their color from the metals or hazardous pigments they contain. Inks containing metals and/or those inks using a solvent carrier are often classified as hazardous. It is the responsibility of those working with them to determine whether the inks used in their operations are hazardous. For assistance in making this determination, review the product MSDS.
Most inks may be recycled: spent inks of different colors are often blended to make black ink. For smaller print shops, consider coordinating with larger plants or newspapers (ones that use rubber or oil based ink) to recycle ink. These businesses usually recycle their inks on-site or ship them off-site in bulk shipments. Also consider purchasing inks from a distributor who will take or buy back unused or spent inks.
PLASTISOL PRINTING (PVC)
PVC Environmental Life Cycle Issues
The most widely used processes in apparel screen printing is probably solvent-based plastisol. Plastisol printing inks are typically based on the PVC polymer. So just what is PVC? PVC is the acronym for polyvinyl chloride, a tough, durable, low cost plastic that is the second most popular plastic (by volume) next to polyethylene. PVC has tens of thousands of consumer and commercial uses. It is found in vinyl siding, water based emulsion paints, pipe, wire coatings, and floor tile. Plastisized (softened) versions are used for vinyl fabrics, medical products, plastic wrapping and flexible coatings. Packaging applications include meat wrap, "blister packs" and bottles for edible oils and some non-food products. And many plastisol printing inks.
Pure PVC, with no additives or contaminants, is non-toxic. But you rarely see pure PVC in consumer products. Most of the time, PVC plastic is mixed with various auxiliary chemicals and plasticizers and then the health and safety story is not so rosy.
Unlike most commodity plastics that have only carbon and hydrogen atoms as their main component elements, PVC differs by the addition of chlorine, which increases its compatibility with a wide range of materials and suitability for shaping by a variety of techniques. But the addition of the chlorine also leads to one of the major environmental problems associated with PVC – the formation during its manufacture and disposal of Dioxins. PVC manufacture, use and disposal have been identified as the single biggest source of dioxin in the environment. During the PVC environmental life cycle, dioxins are formed during the production of the raw material and if a vinyl product ends up in an incinerator. Dioxins refer collectively to a family of 210 different chemicals including dioxins and furans. As a class, dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known. Many dioxins are carcinogens and highly potent hormone disrupters. They are harmful to animals and fish, do not easily break down in the environment and, therefore, tend to accumulate. Since they are fat soluble they also tend to bioaccumulation in the food chain. Except for a few laboratory applications, dioxins are never made on purpose, but formed as unwanted wastes and by-products of many reactions involving chlorine, carbon containing molecules and heat.
To make matters worse, one of the basic building blocks for PVC is phosgene gas. Which is notoriously known as a nerve gas used during World War I and was the chemical accidentally released in Bhopal, India in the early 1980’s which resulted in the death’s of nearly 3,000 people and 100.000 injured in the world's worst industrial disaster.
Phosgene is used to product the vinyl chloride monomer that is polymerized in polyvinylchloride. In essence, it is what makes up the “links” in the “chain” of PVC. Studies show that vinyl chloride can damage the liver, nerves, and immune system – and that has been found to be a human carcinogen.
Solvents
Most plastisol inks are solvent based. This means that they use one or more of the following chemicals to keep the color part of the ink suspended during the printing operations:
Hexane
Methyl-ethyl-keytone (MEK)
Methanol
Propylene Oxide
Xylene
Methyl-isobutyl-keytone (MIBK)
Isopropyl Alcohol Ethyl Acetate
Ethanol
Propyl Acetate
Butanol
2- Butoxyethanol
Acetone
Yes, this is a big list. And most of these solvents are considered hazardous air pollutants. Some can help the formation of smog. Most are either acutely or chronically toxic to humans. Several are known or suspected carcinogens, teratogens and mutanogens.
Many printing processes use heat to drive off these solvents. This processes dries or “sets” the ink. This can lead to health and air quality problems if the solvent emitted are not properly taken care of or treated.
Hormone Disruption
PVC is a hard, ridged material. Think of PVC sprinkler pipes. In many instances a chemical must be added to make the PVC soft and pliable. As mentioned previously, common chemicals used to soften PVC are phthalates, fatty acids, and alcohols. Of special concern are certain which are known hormone disrupters. These chemicals mimic or interfere with our own delicate hormone system. As a class, phthalates are one of the most prevalent of the hormone disrupting chemicals found in the environment. Hormone disrupting chemicals can lead to a variety of health problems including developmental problems, reproductive problems, increased susceptibility to a verity of cancers, as well as broad implications in lower sperm count in men and fertility difficulties in women.
Heavy Metals
Many pigments that are used as colorants in printing inks are based on the chemistry of heavy metals. Typical heavy metals include:
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Lead Chromate
Manganese
Zinc
Like solvents, this is big list and each of these metals has environmental health and safety issues in their lifecycle. Many of these are actually or chronically toxic to humans, can be toxic to wildlife if released to the environment in wastewater and some known human carcinogens.
Better options
The good news is that many companies are facing the challenge of replacing PVC, solvents, phthalates and heavy metal containing pigments and inks in their products because of both possible legal restrictions as well as environmental considerations.
Solvent Free Plastisol Inks
Some manufactures are lowering the total volume or solvents in their ink formulations to nearly zero. The good news is that the solvents, and their negative affects, are reduced or eliminated. One possible drawback is that it takes more water to clean processes equipment and screens than solvent based inks. And that the increased water use and the wastes are now going down the drain – to be either treated – or worse, released untreated into the environment.
Phthalate Free Inks
Here again, companies have found replacements for dangerous phthalates by using other phthalates or entirely different, less toxic chemistries. These are preferred.
Heavy Metal Free Plastisol Inks
Some manufacturers are producing harmful heavy metal free – or reduced metal content inks. These too are preferred.
PVC / Phthalate Free “Plastisol” Inks
Attention and concern regarding PVC content has motivated some ink manufacturers to find a replacement for PVC for traditional “plastisol” printing applications. These inks are being developed primarily around acrylic chemistry. In most cases, this is preferred to anything containing PVC polymers.
WATER-BASED PRINTING
Pros
No or lower VOCs
No PVC
Fewer chemicals/solvents involved in cleanup
Cons
Can use more energy to power oven/heaters used to evaporate water
Can still have toxic ingredients and additives
Water-based ink printing systems utilize either dyes or pigments in a suspension with water, where water acts as the primary solvent. But water based does not mean that water is the only solvent, many water base inks contain “co-solvents” which may be petroleum based solvents and contribute to a VOC content of the ink. Evaporation of the water from the ink is required to set or “cure” the ink. Curing is typically assisted with the use of electric or gas operated dryers that require energy and contribute to the emissions of this process. Non-water based solvents are typically added to decrease the time and heat necessary to cure the ink on the fabric. When catalysts or hardeners are added they dramatically reduce the shelf life of the ink.
Nearly all water-based inks, like all other inks, are industrial chemicals. Water-based inks are required to be treated and handled by the same local, regional, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to employee training, storage, handling, and disposal as screen printers as any other kind of textile printing ink. Do not assume that because they are water-based that they can be disposed of simply.
Water-based inks can be cleaned up with water.
Some water-base inks or ink additives may still contain chemicals that are suspected or known to be human carcinogens. Review the Materials safety Data Sheet (MSDS) sheet on any ink and ink systems used to determine if this is the case with any of the inks you use.
Water-based printing systems often contain several auxiliary chemicals that are added to improve the performance of the ink. Compounds are added to assist in textile wetting, thickeners or dispersants might be added to modify flow and defoamers may be added to control foam. These ingredients may or may not be listed in the Hazardous Components section of the MSDS.
DISCHARGE PRINTING
Pros
No or lower VOCs
Non PVC method to print on dark shades
Fewer chemicals/solvents involved in cleanup
Thiourea dioxide systems have no/low formaldehyde issues
Cons
Zinc-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate (ZFS) based chemistry produces formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen) as a by-product
Can use more energy to power oven/heaters used to evaporate water
Can still have toxic ingredients and additives
Some consider it to be the worst of both worlds since the garments must be dyed first and then printed, when in some cases just printing could suffice?
Discharge printing is similar to traditional water-based ink, except that “ink” is actually formulated to remove the original dye from the garment being printed. Discharge printing involves discharging (or removing) the dye in a textile substrate and is often followed by a traditional screen printing of color on the resulting natural (pre-dyed) color of the fabric. These printing systems only work on garments dyed with dyestuffs that are compatible with discharge systems.
However, the oven time for water-based inks — including discharge — is longer than for plastisol inks, slowing production times. Typical oven conditions are one to two minutes at over 300 F. Discharge requires a heater or dryer that can evaporate all of the water in the time that it takes the textile to pass through the system. Water-based only discharge involves a lot more water to get rid of than the plastisol/water-based combination systems.
Discharge inks require an activator or catalyst to function. The most popular system relies on zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate (ZFS) as its active ingredient. The newer system uses thiourea dioxide chemistry as its active ingredient.
Discharge ink has a limited pot life once the activator is added- typically one workday. Discharge ink can be “recycled” after once activated as a normal ink on light colored textiles. Waste discharge inks, like all inks in a liquid state, are considered a hazardous waste.
Zinc-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate (ZFS) systems
Zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate is a reactive chemical commonly used in industrial applications for bleaching. It is also known as Rongalite (registered trademark of BASF), sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate. While its heath effects include irritation of skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract the full toxicological properties of this material have not been fully investigated.
During the heating and curing of discharge inks, formaldehyde and sulfur dioxide gases develop as by-products of the reduction process. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. Proper ventilation of the ovens and/or workplace is crucial. It would be proactive to have any facilities indoor air quality checked for formaldehyde levels.
Waste discharge ink, like all inks in a liquid state, is considered a hazardous waste and must be handled as such. Even though it cannot function as a discharge ink after its shelf life, it can be “recycled” by using the ink as a normal ink on light colored textiles.
Garments printed with the ZFS discharge system can have measurable levels of residual formaldehyde that did not off gas from the garment during the curing/heating process. Garments may need to be washed or aired to remove all traces of this chemical. If garments are allowed to sit for a time after printing will outgas much of the residual formaldehyde in a few days, temperature and airflow pending – but consideration of where that formaldehyde is going is of concern if it exposes workers or others, ensure adequate ventilation.
The European Union has a formaldehyde exposure threshold of 75 ppm for apparel for small children and infants. Some EU countries, Japan and other countries law is even more strict – 20ppm for children under 36 months of age. A ZFS discharged garment, which has not been laundered or allowed, to off-gas could fail these tests.
Thiourea dioxide-activated Discharge Systems
Thiourea dioxide activated discharge inks were developed to avoid the formaldehyde exposure and residues associated with ZFS activated discharge inks. They work in a similar fashion with thiourea dioxide as the chemical reducing agent that destroys the garments original dyestuff.
Synonyms: aminoiminomethanesulphinic acid, thiourea dioxide, formamidinesulfinic acid, formamidinesulphinic acid, as well as several trade names.
Acute health effects of thiourea dioxide include; eye irritation, chemical conjunctivitis, skin and it may cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. But like ZFS the toxicological properties have not been fully investigated.
It is important to note that thiourea dioxide is a different chemical than thiourea (without the “dioxide”). Thiourea is a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.
Santa Barbara, December 2007, Eric Wilmanns, Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC. http://www.bw-environmental.com/cont.htm
At Monkey in a Dryer we use this ranking of different print systems to help us determine what kinds of inks we should use for a specific print job:
Ink jet garment direct printing (with water based inks)
Water based printing.
Water based discharge, we prefer non-formaldehyde systems.
Non-PVC / Non Phthalate inks.
Plastisol Inks.
We are often asked about natural inks and soy inks for screen printing but so far we have not found any ink systems that are commercially available of this type for printing on fabrics. Should you have any information about any such inks or other improved printing technologies, please contact Monkey in a Dryer at monkeyinadryer@mac.com
http://www.monkeyinadryer.com
At Monkey in a dryer we get daily questions and inquiries about the best ways to imprint Organic cotton T-shirts keeping the environmental impact in mind. We have been recommending water based inks but wanted to have someone independent and someone that knows environmental chemistry take a look at the print systems that are available on the market today.
We have an article below that is fromt Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC that did a survey on the existing ink technologies on the market. They are experts in greening textile products and apparel and former Patagonia environmental staff. Here is what they came back with:
Environmental Attributes and Issues with other Printing Methods for garments.
Printing
In simple terms printing is the application of color to a fabric in a design or pattern. But the nuances of texture, color and hand all impact the look, feel and performance of the final product.
What are not often apparent when you look at a printed product are the environmental effects and impacts different printing materials and processes can have on our health and the health of the environment. This short piece is intended to give you, the consumer, an overview of the impacts of the many options we need to juggle everyday to bring you a product that is stylish, durable, and a good value AND is manufactured with consideration to lower and minimize its environmental impacts.
As much as we strive to reduce the impacts of our printing, the fact is that there is no environmentally perfect printing system. But for any given printing scenario there are better and best choices. In general these choices strive for fewer toxic ink and process related compounds. Fewer solvents, and less processing in general. There are tradeoffs – get rid of one bad chemical and you may need more water for cleanup – or energy for curing. Remove PVC from the plastisol formulation and ink cost might go up. It is all an environmental balancing act. To make matters even more complicated design, application, durability and price all end up in the balancing act!
It is important to know that no matter what printing systems or systems you are considering (waster based, solvent based, plastisol, etc) the composition of inks varies widely. Some inks contain chemicals that would be classified as hazardous. Inks frequently get their color from the metals or hazardous pigments they contain. Inks containing metals and/or those inks using a solvent carrier are often classified as hazardous. It is the responsibility of those working with them to determine whether the inks used in their operations are hazardous. For assistance in making this determination, review the product MSDS.
Most inks may be recycled: spent inks of different colors are often blended to make black ink. For smaller print shops, consider coordinating with larger plants or newspapers (ones that use rubber or oil based ink) to recycle ink. These businesses usually recycle their inks on-site or ship them off-site in bulk shipments. Also consider purchasing inks from a distributor who will take or buy back unused or spent inks.
PLASTISOL PRINTING (PVC)
PVC Environmental Life Cycle Issues
The most widely used processes in apparel screen printing is probably solvent-based plastisol. Plastisol printing inks are typically based on the PVC polymer. So just what is PVC? PVC is the acronym for polyvinyl chloride, a tough, durable, low cost plastic that is the second most popular plastic (by volume) next to polyethylene. PVC has tens of thousands of consumer and commercial uses. It is found in vinyl siding, water based emulsion paints, pipe, wire coatings, and floor tile. Plastisized (softened) versions are used for vinyl fabrics, medical products, plastic wrapping and flexible coatings. Packaging applications include meat wrap, "blister packs" and bottles for edible oils and some non-food products. And many plastisol printing inks.
Pure PVC, with no additives or contaminants, is non-toxic. But you rarely see pure PVC in consumer products. Most of the time, PVC plastic is mixed with various auxiliary chemicals and plasticizers and then the health and safety story is not so rosy.
Unlike most commodity plastics that have only carbon and hydrogen atoms as their main component elements, PVC differs by the addition of chlorine, which increases its compatibility with a wide range of materials and suitability for shaping by a variety of techniques. But the addition of the chlorine also leads to one of the major environmental problems associated with PVC – the formation during its manufacture and disposal of Dioxins. PVC manufacture, use and disposal have been identified as the single biggest source of dioxin in the environment. During the PVC environmental life cycle, dioxins are formed during the production of the raw material and if a vinyl product ends up in an incinerator. Dioxins refer collectively to a family of 210 different chemicals including dioxins and furans. As a class, dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known. Many dioxins are carcinogens and highly potent hormone disrupters. They are harmful to animals and fish, do not easily break down in the environment and, therefore, tend to accumulate. Since they are fat soluble they also tend to bioaccumulation in the food chain. Except for a few laboratory applications, dioxins are never made on purpose, but formed as unwanted wastes and by-products of many reactions involving chlorine, carbon containing molecules and heat.
To make matters worse, one of the basic building blocks for PVC is phosgene gas. Which is notoriously known as a nerve gas used during World War I and was the chemical accidentally released in Bhopal, India in the early 1980’s which resulted in the death’s of nearly 3,000 people and 100.000 injured in the world's worst industrial disaster.
Phosgene is used to product the vinyl chloride monomer that is polymerized in polyvinylchloride. In essence, it is what makes up the “links” in the “chain” of PVC. Studies show that vinyl chloride can damage the liver, nerves, and immune system – and that has been found to be a human carcinogen.
Solvents
Most plastisol inks are solvent based. This means that they use one or more of the following chemicals to keep the color part of the ink suspended during the printing operations:
Hexane
Methyl-ethyl-keytone (MEK)
Methanol
Propylene Oxide
Xylene
Methyl-isobutyl-keytone (MIBK)
Isopropyl Alcohol Ethyl Acetate
Ethanol
Propyl Acetate
Butanol
2- Butoxyethanol
Acetone
Yes, this is a big list. And most of these solvents are considered hazardous air pollutants. Some can help the formation of smog. Most are either acutely or chronically toxic to humans. Several are known or suspected carcinogens, teratogens and mutanogens.
Many printing processes use heat to drive off these solvents. This processes dries or “sets” the ink. This can lead to health and air quality problems if the solvent emitted are not properly taken care of or treated.
Hormone Disruption
PVC is a hard, ridged material. Think of PVC sprinkler pipes. In many instances a chemical must be added to make the PVC soft and pliable. As mentioned previously, common chemicals used to soften PVC are phthalates, fatty acids, and alcohols. Of special concern are certain which are known hormone disrupters. These chemicals mimic or interfere with our own delicate hormone system. As a class, phthalates are one of the most prevalent of the hormone disrupting chemicals found in the environment. Hormone disrupting chemicals can lead to a variety of health problems including developmental problems, reproductive problems, increased susceptibility to a verity of cancers, as well as broad implications in lower sperm count in men and fertility difficulties in women.
Heavy Metals
Many pigments that are used as colorants in printing inks are based on the chemistry of heavy metals. Typical heavy metals include:
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Lead Chromate
Manganese
Zinc
Like solvents, this is big list and each of these metals has environmental health and safety issues in their lifecycle. Many of these are actually or chronically toxic to humans, can be toxic to wildlife if released to the environment in wastewater and some known human carcinogens.
Better options
The good news is that many companies are facing the challenge of replacing PVC, solvents, phthalates and heavy metal containing pigments and inks in their products because of both possible legal restrictions as well as environmental considerations.
Solvent Free Plastisol Inks
Some manufactures are lowering the total volume or solvents in their ink formulations to nearly zero. The good news is that the solvents, and their negative affects, are reduced or eliminated. One possible drawback is that it takes more water to clean processes equipment and screens than solvent based inks. And that the increased water use and the wastes are now going down the drain – to be either treated – or worse, released untreated into the environment.
Phthalate Free Inks
Here again, companies have found replacements for dangerous phthalates by using other phthalates or entirely different, less toxic chemistries. These are preferred.
Heavy Metal Free Plastisol Inks
Some manufacturers are producing harmful heavy metal free – or reduced metal content inks. These too are preferred.
PVC / Phthalate Free “Plastisol” Inks
Attention and concern regarding PVC content has motivated some ink manufacturers to find a replacement for PVC for traditional “plastisol” printing applications. These inks are being developed primarily around acrylic chemistry. In most cases, this is preferred to anything containing PVC polymers.
WATER-BASED PRINTING
Pros
No or lower VOCs
No PVC
Fewer chemicals/solvents involved in cleanup
Cons
Can use more energy to power oven/heaters used to evaporate water
Can still have toxic ingredients and additives
Water-based ink printing systems utilize either dyes or pigments in a suspension with water, where water acts as the primary solvent. But water based does not mean that water is the only solvent, many water base inks contain “co-solvents” which may be petroleum based solvents and contribute to a VOC content of the ink. Evaporation of the water from the ink is required to set or “cure” the ink. Curing is typically assisted with the use of electric or gas operated dryers that require energy and contribute to the emissions of this process. Non-water based solvents are typically added to decrease the time and heat necessary to cure the ink on the fabric. When catalysts or hardeners are added they dramatically reduce the shelf life of the ink.
Nearly all water-based inks, like all other inks, are industrial chemicals. Water-based inks are required to be treated and handled by the same local, regional, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to employee training, storage, handling, and disposal as screen printers as any other kind of textile printing ink. Do not assume that because they are water-based that they can be disposed of simply.
Water-based inks can be cleaned up with water.
Some water-base inks or ink additives may still contain chemicals that are suspected or known to be human carcinogens. Review the Materials safety Data Sheet (MSDS) sheet on any ink and ink systems used to determine if this is the case with any of the inks you use.
Water-based printing systems often contain several auxiliary chemicals that are added to improve the performance of the ink. Compounds are added to assist in textile wetting, thickeners or dispersants might be added to modify flow and defoamers may be added to control foam. These ingredients may or may not be listed in the Hazardous Components section of the MSDS.
DISCHARGE PRINTING
Pros
No or lower VOCs
Non PVC method to print on dark shades
Fewer chemicals/solvents involved in cleanup
Thiourea dioxide systems have no/low formaldehyde issues
Cons
Zinc-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate (ZFS) based chemistry produces formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen) as a by-product
Can use more energy to power oven/heaters used to evaporate water
Can still have toxic ingredients and additives
Some consider it to be the worst of both worlds since the garments must be dyed first and then printed, when in some cases just printing could suffice?
Discharge printing is similar to traditional water-based ink, except that “ink” is actually formulated to remove the original dye from the garment being printed. Discharge printing involves discharging (or removing) the dye in a textile substrate and is often followed by a traditional screen printing of color on the resulting natural (pre-dyed) color of the fabric. These printing systems only work on garments dyed with dyestuffs that are compatible with discharge systems.
However, the oven time for water-based inks — including discharge — is longer than for plastisol inks, slowing production times. Typical oven conditions are one to two minutes at over 300 F. Discharge requires a heater or dryer that can evaporate all of the water in the time that it takes the textile to pass through the system. Water-based only discharge involves a lot more water to get rid of than the plastisol/water-based combination systems.
Discharge inks require an activator or catalyst to function. The most popular system relies on zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate (ZFS) as its active ingredient. The newer system uses thiourea dioxide chemistry as its active ingredient.
Discharge ink has a limited pot life once the activator is added- typically one workday. Discharge ink can be “recycled” after once activated as a normal ink on light colored textiles. Waste discharge inks, like all inks in a liquid state, are considered a hazardous waste.
Zinc-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate (ZFS) systems
Zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate is a reactive chemical commonly used in industrial applications for bleaching. It is also known as Rongalite (registered trademark of BASF), sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate. While its heath effects include irritation of skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract the full toxicological properties of this material have not been fully investigated.
During the heating and curing of discharge inks, formaldehyde and sulfur dioxide gases develop as by-products of the reduction process. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. Proper ventilation of the ovens and/or workplace is crucial. It would be proactive to have any facilities indoor air quality checked for formaldehyde levels.
Waste discharge ink, like all inks in a liquid state, is considered a hazardous waste and must be handled as such. Even though it cannot function as a discharge ink after its shelf life, it can be “recycled” by using the ink as a normal ink on light colored textiles.
Garments printed with the ZFS discharge system can have measurable levels of residual formaldehyde that did not off gas from the garment during the curing/heating process. Garments may need to be washed or aired to remove all traces of this chemical. If garments are allowed to sit for a time after printing will outgas much of the residual formaldehyde in a few days, temperature and airflow pending – but consideration of where that formaldehyde is going is of concern if it exposes workers or others, ensure adequate ventilation.
The European Union has a formaldehyde exposure threshold of 75 ppm for apparel for small children and infants. Some EU countries, Japan and other countries law is even more strict – 20ppm for children under 36 months of age. A ZFS discharged garment, which has not been laundered or allowed, to off-gas could fail these tests.
Thiourea dioxide-activated Discharge Systems
Thiourea dioxide activated discharge inks were developed to avoid the formaldehyde exposure and residues associated with ZFS activated discharge inks. They work in a similar fashion with thiourea dioxide as the chemical reducing agent that destroys the garments original dyestuff.
Synonyms: aminoiminomethanesulphinic acid, thiourea dioxide, formamidinesulfinic acid, formamidinesulphinic acid, as well as several trade names.
Acute health effects of thiourea dioxide include; eye irritation, chemical conjunctivitis, skin and it may cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. But like ZFS the toxicological properties have not been fully investigated.
It is important to note that thiourea dioxide is a different chemical than thiourea (without the “dioxide”). Thiourea is a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.
Santa Barbara, December 2007, Eric Wilmanns, Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC. http://www.bw-environmental.com/cont.htm
At Monkey in a Dryer we use this ranking of different print systems to help us determine what kinds of inks we should use for a specific print job:
Ink jet garment direct printing (with water based inks)
Water based printing.
Water based discharge, we prefer non-formaldehyde systems.
Non-PVC / Non Phthalate inks.
Plastisol Inks.
We are often asked about natural inks and soy inks for screen printing but so far we have not found any ink systems that are commercially available of this type for printing on fabrics. Should you have any information about any such inks or other improved printing technologies, please contact Monkey in a Dryer at monkeyinadryer@mac.com
http://www.monkeyinadryer.com
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monkey Offers Rock Band Packages and Specials
We recently re-designed our website and have added some new products and t shirt packages. We've got one of the best t shirt specials out there on the net. We have 333 shirts with 3 ink colors for $3.33 each.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Monkey switches to Water-Based and PVC free Screen Printing Inks
Monkey in a Dryer Screen Printing has made the jump to switching from Plastisol screen printing inks to using Water-Based inks and PVC free and phosphate free inks. We have been using plastisol inks for the last 5 years and have always been disappointed with the thickness of the inks. Recently, we tried have tried many new and different lines of water-based inks, PVC free inks etc. We have found some excellent coverage from International Coatings new ink line GenIV.
GenIV is thenext generation of PVC-free, Phthalate-free, eco-friendly inks for the textile screen printing industry. It's an innovative high-solids ink that produces a very soft hand with excellent opacity, and offers many of the same advantages of traditional plastisol inks. One thing that set's this ink apart from other water-based inks is that it does not dry on the screen and requires no harsh solvents or chemicals for clean-up. Simply use water.
Here are some images of print done by GenIV. Also check out the Youtube video on how well the white covers a black t shirt. We have also tried this and it does look fabulous!
Anvil Apparel expanding Eco Friendly T shirts Sweatshirts Hoodies
AnvilOrganic came on the scene earlier this year with organic cotton tees for men, women and youth sizes in a variety of colors. All at a very nice price point for organic cotton. Now, with the success of the organic apparel line, Anvil will be debuting AnvilSustainable collection. This line includes ring spun fashion fit tees for men, women, and youth in a lighter weight cotton tees, Long Sleeve organic tees, sweatshirts, hoodies zipups Polo shirts and tote bags. All in a variety of colors and affordable price points. Some of the sustainable tees have a tear away tag for easy removal of tags for your own tags. Monkey in a Dryer will offer these products when they are available starting Jan 09. Check back with us for more information about this new line.
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