Matsui Foil Blocker 301 | Water-Based Anti-Foil Base for Precision Foil Control in Screen Printing — Prevents Foil From Adhering to Specific Print Areas for Clean Multi-Zone Foil Designs
Matsui
Matsui Foil Blocker 301 (WS0534) is a specialized anti-foil base that prevents heat transfer foil from adhering to the areas where it is applied — enabling precise, multi-zone foil designs where foil is applied selectively without hand-cutting individual foil pieces. Use with Foil Adhesive TFG 301: print Foil Blocker where foil should NOT stick, print Foil Adhesive where foil SHOULD stick, apply foil over the entire design. Foil bonds only where adhesive was printed. Prints through mesh up to 150/inch. Cures at 320F. PVC-free, OEKO-TEX compliant.
Price range: $69.99 through $229.99
Description
Control Where Foil Goes. Precisely.
Matsui Foil Blocker 301 gives you complete control over foil placement without hand-cutting. Print blocker where you don’t want foil, print Foil Adhesive where you do, then apply foil over the entire design. The foil bonds only to the adhesive areas — clean, precise, production-efficient.
Foil Blocker 301 creates a surface that resists foil adhesion during heat pressing. When foil is applied over areas printed with Foil Blocker, the foil does not bond and peels away cleanly — leaving only the adhesive-printed areas with foil.
Foil Adhesive TFG 301 + Foil Blocker 301 = complete multi-zone foil control. Print Foil Blocker on areas where foil should not stick. Print Foil Adhesive on areas where foil should stick. Apply foil over the entire design area. Foil bonds precisely where intended.
Higher mesh capability than Foil Adhesive (60-110 mesh) allows finer detail in the blocker printing for more precise foil placement with sharper boundaries.
For best foil resistance, use minimal heat press pressure, no more than 8 seconds, and a transfer temperature of 350F. Excessive pressure or time can compromise the blocking effectiveness.
Like all Matsui water-based products, Foil Blocker 301 delivers a soft hand feel in the printed areas — the garment drapes naturally even in the foil-blocked zones.
Compatible with standard Matsui additives: Retarder MG, Fixer WF-N, Softener MG, Thickener B, RV Additive.
Best Use Cases
Designs where some design elements get foil (logos, text, accents) and others don’t. Foil Blocker eliminates the need to hand-cut individual foil pieces for each element.
Print a full-coverage foil adhesive layer, then print Foil Blocker over the areas inside the design that should not have foil — leaving only the border or outline elements foiled.
A design where standard ink prints the main text but specific characters or accent marks get foil treatment — use Foil Adhesive + Foil Blocker to define exactly which characters receive foil.
Combine standard WB ink, foil, and blocker in complex designs where each design element uses a different finish — creating high-contrast, multi-finish premium prints.
Pro Tips & Critical Notes
For best foil resistance: minimal pressure, 8 seconds maximum, 350F. Over-pressing can force foil through the blocker in thin or over-exposed areas.
In most multi-zone foil workflows, print both Foil Blocker and Foil Adhesive in the same printing pass (wet on different screens) or in separate passes. Test your specific workflow to determine the best print order.
Foil/blocker interactions vary by foil brand, press settings, and garment fabric. Always run a test press before committing to a production run.
Mix Foil Blocker in clean vessels to avoid contamination from other ink sources. Contamination can result in positive PVC tests.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Matsui Foil Blocker 301 |
| Product Code | WS0534 |
| Type | Water-based anti-foil base — PREVENTS foil from adhering to printed areas during heat-press transfer |
| Function | Print in areas where foil must NOT stick. Foil releases cleanly from blocker zones during heat pressing. |
| Companion Product | Foil Adhesive TFG 301 — the OPPOSITE product. Adhesive makes foil stick. Blocker prevents foil from sticking. |
| Recommended Mesh Count | Up to 150/inch (59/cm) — high mesh for fine detail and precise blocking boundaries |
| Cure Temperature | 320°F (160°C) |
| ⚠️ Heat Press Settings (Foil Transfer) | Minimal pressure, no more than 8 seconds, 350°F transfer press — excessive pressure/time can override blocking |
| Additives | Retarder MG (1-5%), Fixer WF-N (1-5%), Softener MG (1-4%), Thickener B (0.25-1%), RV Additive (1-3%) |
| Viscosity Modifications | None required — shake or stir gently before use |
| Formulation | PVC-free, environmentally safe |
| Storage | 65°F to 95°F (18°C to 35°C). Avoid direct sunlight. Shake or stir before use after storage. |
| Cleanup | Water and mild soap or detergent |
| Available Sizes | Quart, Gallon |
Benefits at a Glance
- Prevents foil from adhering to specific areas during heat-press transfer — the anti-foil, anti-adhesion companion to Foil Adhesive TFG 301
- Creates precise multi-zone foil designs with sharp, clean foil-to-fabric boundaries
- Protects printed ink areas from unwanted foil transfer during heat pressing
- Prints through mesh up to 150/inch (59/cm) — high mesh for fine detail blocking boundaries
- Eliminates fuzzy foil edges — hard boundary between foil zones (adhesive) and non-foil zones (blocker)
- Quality insurance for high-volume foil production — zero accidental foil transfer
- ⚠️ Heat press: minimal pressure, no more than 8 seconds, 350°F — excessive settings can override blocking
- Production-optimized with Matsui additives
- Zero viscosity modifications — shake or stir gently before use
- PVC-free and environmentally safe
- Enables designs that combine foil and non-foil elements on the same garment with precision
Technical Sheets / Safety Data Sheets / Documents
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes Kombat Blocker different from Blocker Gray and Blocker Black LG?
It has an enhanced formulation specifically improved for sublimation-printed fabrics. Blocker Gray handles standard dyed polyester. Blocker Black LG handles aggressively dyed polyester. Kombat Blocker is designed for sublimation-printed polyester, which is the most aggressive dye migration scenario because sublimation dyes can re-activate at cure temperatures and generate more migration pressure than standard garment dyes.
Why do sublimation-printed fabrics cause worse dye migration than standard dyed polyester?
Sublimation printing works by heat-activating dyes, meaning the dyes become gaseous at elevated temperatures. When you cure your screen print at 320°F, the sublimation dyes in the fabric begin re-activating at the lower end of their transition range, generating significant gaseous migration upward into your overprint layers. Standard garment dyes are heat-set and relatively stable at 320°F. Sublimation dyes are designed to mobilize at that temperature.
What is the Kombat system?
It is a three-product system for performance fabric printing: Kombat Blocker as the dye migration barrier, Kombat White as the bright elastic white with anti-foil properties, and Kombat Black as the deep black with excellent elasticity. The blocker goes down first, and the white and black print on top.
Can I use Kombat Blocker on standard dyed polyester, or only sublimation-printed?
Kombat Blocker is effective on both. It is enhanced for sublimation substrates, but it will also block standard polyester dye migration. If you are printing only on standard dyed polyester, Blocker Gray or Blocker Black LG may be sufficient and more cost-effective.
Do I need to pre-test?
Yes — always. Dye migration varies across polyester types, dye lots, sublimation print densities, garment brands, and production batches. Print Kombat Blocker on a sample from the actual production fabric, then flash, overprint, and cure. Wait 48 hours and check for migration. If the blocker holds, move into production.
Why wait 48 hours before evaluating the test?
Some dye migration is not immediately visible. Residual thermal energy can continue driving dye movement after the garment exits the dryer. What looks clean after one hour may show visible migration after 24 to 48 hours. The 48-hour check helps catch delayed migration.
What mesh count should I use?
Up to 120/inch (47/cm). For the most aggressive sublimation prints, use 80–110 mesh for maximum blocker deposit. Lower mesh gives more deposit, and more deposit provides better dye containment. A thick stencil using capillary film or multiple emulsion coats increases deposit even further.
What print sequence should I use on a sublimation-printed jersey?
Kombat Blocker → flash → Kombat White for white elements → flash → Kombat Black for black elements → flash → colors as needed → final cure at 320°F (160°C). The blocker always goes down first.
Can I print standard 301 Series inks over Kombat Blocker, or only Kombat White and Kombat Black?
You can print any Matsui water-based ink over the cured or flashed Kombat Blocker layer. The Kombat system using Kombat White and Kombat Black is optimized for performance fabrics, but standard 301 Series inks and whites will also work over the blocker.
What additives should I use?
Use Retarder MG at 1–5% for open time, Fixer WF-N at 1–5% for wash fastness, Thickener B at 0.25–1% for deposit thickness, and RV Additive at 1–3% for viscosity reduction. Browse all Matsui additives here.
Why is this product drop-shipped from Matsui?
Kombat Blocker ships directly from Matsui in Gardena, California. Allow an additional 2–3 days for processing before your order ships.
Is Kombat Blocker safe?
Yes. It is PVC-free and environmentally safe.
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