Special Effects Printing

Want to stand out to your consumers with unique products? Make them shine! Whether adding 3 dimensions, glitter, or even Crystalina, just a little bit of an extra touch can show the effort you put into a special design.

Before you buy every glittery product you can find, it is best to decide how you want the finished piece to look and feel. If you want a 3D pop to your design, a Puff product is the way to go. Texsource Tex Puff Additive can be added directly to your ink and tends to work best with Texsource GEN Series or SO inks. It should be added at 15%-20% by weight. However, Texsource also offers a Tex Puff Base which can be used as an underbase for special effects printing. Using Puff as a base can allow you a little more freedom, especially since color can still be added to tint it as desired.

You might be thinking, you mentioned glitter, show me the glitter! OK, OK. There is always the option to simply buy a pre-made special effects ink. You have a few options in this department as Texsource offers different shades of gold and silver glitter inks. Union Ink offers a line of shimmer metallic inks as well. It is important to note that if you do choose to use glitter, you will need to use a lower mesh so that it can pass through to your product.

Beautiful Silver Glitter Ink.

You can always take the shimmer and glitter to the next step and create your own glitter color. Similarly to the Puff Base, there are also many Glitter Bases. Select one and then add color and mix until you have the custom color you want. Similarly, you can do this as well with Metallic Clear Base to give your design some extra shine.

Speaking of shine, one cannot forget about transfer foils. Create your desired shape and flash your design on there! May I suggest a beautiful Leopard print design? It never hurts to go a little funky!

For those with a calmer attitude towards bling, Crystalina would be the way to go. Texsource’s Crystalina is intended to give a subtle sparkle to your work, but is also made to stay durable. You won’t have to worry about losing your shimmer, which can certainly be a big problem when you go out of your way to add it!

The number one thing you have to remember with all of these creative products is that you need to have patience. Research what mesh and heat works best, or even better, ask us! We would love to answer any questions you may have and to help you through the process. Texsource also has available classes specifically for special effects printing.