Inktek Fashion Base – The Ultimate Soft-Hand Mixing Base for Plastisol Inks

Inktek

Inktek Fashion Base
Inktek Fashion Base

Inktek Fashion Base is a high-clarity, low-viscosity soft-hand mixing base designed as the foundation for custom fashion plastisol color creation. Unlike opaque plastisol colors mixed with white, Fashion Base produces custom shades with a clean transparent character that prints with an ultra-soft, vintage feel — delivering the muted, fashion-forward aesthetics that premium apparel printing demands.

Soft-Hand Mixing Base

Custom Color Creation

Transparent / Low Opacity

Muted Fashion Palettes

Cures at 320°F

Light Garments Only

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Price range: $34.99 through $299.99

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Description

Inktek Fashion Base – Soft-Hand Mixing Base for Custom Fashion Plastisol Color

Inktek Fashion Base is a high-clarity, low-viscosity soft-hand mixing base designed as the foundation for custom fashion plastisol color creation. Unlike opaque plastisol colors mixed with white, Fashion Base produces custom shades with a clean transparent character that prints with an ultra-soft, vintage feel — delivering the muted, fashion-forward aesthetics that premium apparel printing demands.

Available in Quart, Gallon, and 5-Gallon. Mix with Inktek LB pigmented colors at 3–15% concentration to create custom fashion shades.

Is This the Right Product for Your Job?

Use This When You Need To…
✓

Building custom muted or semi-transparent fashion color shades

✓

Printing on premium white or light-colored cotton garments

✓

Vintage, distressed, or washed-out aesthetic is the goal

✓

Customer needs a brand-specific color palette with soft hand feel

Not the Right Fit If You Are…
✗

Printing on dark garments (not opaque enough)

✗

Need full spot-color coverage from pre-mixed inks

✗

Working on polyester or poly-blend substrates

✗

Standard athletic or production printing

Key Features

Pairs Best With
Add LB colors at 3–15% into Fashion Base to build unlimited custom fashion shades
Use Gentle Soft Base when maximum softness (not color creation) is the primary goal

Building Custom Fashion Color Palettes with Vintage & Soft-Hand Print Results

Premium Fashion & Lifestyle Apparel Printing
When customers are printing on premium retail tees and need a print that feels as good as the garment, Fashion Base delivers. Mix target colors at 5–15% concentration for shades that look custom and feel exceptional — the print character that separates boutique brand printing from commodity production.
Vintage & Distressed Color Palettes
The transparent, semi-opaque character of Fashion Base-mixed inks produces natural color variation and garment show-through that defines the vintage screen print aesthetic. Use for band tee-style graphics, heritage brand apparel, and designs where a worn-in, authentic character is the goal.
Gradient & Watercolor Wash Effects
Because Fashion Base can be mixed at very low pigment concentrations (3–5%), you can build a range of values from the same hue for gradient printing. Multiple screens with increasing pigment concentration produce a smooth color graduation that reads as an artistic wash rather than a flat spot-color print.

Mix Ratio Calculator

Enter your ink weight, then select your target ratio to see exactly how much Inktek Fashion Base to add.

Add 12 oz of Inktek Fashion Base to 100 oz of ink — Total batch: 112 oz
12.00 oz  /  340 g

Complete Inktek Plastisol Additives — Find the Right Product for Your Job

River City Supply stocks the full Inktek SE additive line. Use the guide below to choose the right product for your specific application.

Process Clear

Soft-hand extender & transparent base
Best for: 4-color process, halftone, fashion soft-hand

Curable Reducer

Pure viscosity reducer with de-tacking agents
Best for: Auto presses, thick inks, wet-on-wet printing

Puff Additive

Creates raised 3D textured prints
Best for: Logos, varsity lettering, fashion texture

Gray Super Blocker

Dye migration barrier underbase for polyester
Best for: Polyester, 50/50 blends, poly-cotton

Stretch & Low Cure

Flexibility additive & low-temp cure
Best for: Athletic wear, spandex, tri-blends

Fashion Base

High-clarity soft-hand color mixing base
Best for: Fashion printing, custom color mixing

Gentle Soft Base

Ultra-soft low-viscosity base
Best for: Premium cotton, ringspun, lightweight tees

CCI Nylon Bonding

Low-temp cure bonding additive for nylon
Best for: Nylon bags, jackets, caps, synthetics

Printable Adhesive

Screen-printable adhesive for foil & flock
Best for: Foil transfer, flock application

Crystalina Fine Flake

Fine metallic flake sparkle plastisol
Best for: Fashion garments, subtle shimmer effects

How to Wash Test Plastisol Prints

Every time you change your ink formula, mix ratio, dryer settings, or substrate — run a wash test before releasing production. This is the only definitive check for cure integrity and wash durability.

Step 1 — Cure a Test Print
Print and cure a test garment at your production dryer settings. Let cool completely before washing.
Step 2 — Wash Hot
Machine wash on the hottest setting with standard detergent. Hot water is the stress test — if it holds here, it holds everywhere.
Step 3 — Repeat 3–5 Cycles
Run 3–5 full wash-and-dry cycles. Under-cured prints typically fail within the first 3 washes. Properly cured prints show no change.
Step 4 — Inspect
Look for: cracking, peeling, delamination, color fade, or ink loss. A properly cured print shows none of these. Also do a stretch test — pull the print firmly and check for cracking.
If prints fail the wash test: First check dryer temperature with a donut probe or temp tape on the actual garment surface (not air temp). If temp is correct and prints still fail, reduce belt speed slightly to increase dwell time. Retest before running production.
Light Garments Only
Fashion Base inks are semi-transparent. Not appropriate for dark or deeply colored garments where opacity is required.
Significant Opacity Reduction
Fashion Base-mixed inks will show the garment color through the ink film by design. Will not work for customers expecting full-coverage opaque prints.
Questions about this product?
Call us at (512) 454-0505 or email [email protected] — Mon–Fri 9am–5pm CT
River City Supply · Authorized Inktek Distributor Since 2008

Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications

Product Information
Product NameInktek Fashion Base
BrandInktek
TypeHigh-clarity soft-hand transparent mixing base
AppearanceClear, low-viscosity transparent plastisol
Available SizesQuart, Gallon, 5 Gallon
Mixing Guidelines
Light Fashion Shades3–8% LB color added to Fashion Base
Standard Fashion Colors8–15% LB color added to Fashion Base
Soft-Hand Additive Use20–40% added to standard LB plastisol for improved hand feel
Maximum Pigment15–20% max before transparent character is lost
Printing Parameters
Recommended Mesh160–230 mesh for fashion detail
Squeegee Durometer70–75 durometer
Curing
Cure Temperature320°F (160°C)
Compatibility
Compatible WithInktek LB standard plastisol colors
Best SubstratesWhite and light 100% cotton, ringspun cotton, fashion blanks
Not ForDark garments, high-opacity printing, polyester
Documents
Safety Data SheetInktek SDS (PDF)

Technical Sheets / Safety Data Sheets / Documents

Printers Choice SE016 Safety Data Sheet

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Fashion Base and Process Clear?
Both are transparent soft-hand bases, but optimized for different workflows. Fashion Base is a dedicated mixing vehicle — its primary purpose is to be the medium into which you add small amounts of LB pigment to build custom fashion shades from scratch. Process Clear is primarily a modifier you add to existing pre-mixed plastisols at 10–30% to improve flow and soften hand feel. Building custom palettes? Fashion Base. Modifying pre-mixed colors at the press? Process Clear.
How do I mix custom fashion colors?
Start with Fashion Base. Add your target Inktek LB pigmented color at 5–15% by weight. Mix thoroughly. Print a test on the actual garment and cure before evaluating — plastisol looks different wet vs. cured. Adjust pigment concentration to hit your target. Keep notes on your ratios for repeat job consistency. A scale accurate to 1 gram is sufficient for small batches.
Can I use Fashion Base on dark garments?
No. Fashion Base-mixed inks are semi-transparent by design and will not cover dark fabrics. The ink film shows the garment color through it — on dark substrates, colors appear muddy or contaminated. Fashion Base is exclusively for white and light garments where transparency is an aesthetic feature.
Is Fashion Base the same as Gentle Soft Base?
Similar concept but different character. Fashion Base is higher clarity and specifically designed as a mixing vehicle for building custom shades. Gentle Soft Base (SE1000) is formulated for maximum softness as a modifier added to existing inks at higher ratios. Fashion Base is for color creation; Gentle Soft Base is for maximum hand feel improvement.
Still have questions?
(512) 454-0505  ·  [email protected]  ·  Mon–Fri 9am–5pm CT

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