WB Softener
Water-based softener additive is a non-ionic emulsified silicone or fatty acid ester compound blended into water-based ink formulations to reduce the stiffness of the cured print film and improve the overall hand feel of the finished printed garment. Unlike plastisol softeners, WB softener must be compatible with the aqueous binder system and not destabilize the emulsion or interfere with crosslinker chemistry. Used at 3–10%, it meaningfully reduces print stiffness on heavy-coverage areas.
Key Applications
- Softening the hand feel of WB print areas on fashion garments
- Reducing stiffness on large-area flood coats and all-over prints
- Premium retail programs requiring soft-touch WB print finishes
- Improving garment comfort on high-coverage printing
Frequently Bought Together
WB Thickener
Water-based thickener is a rheology modifier — typically an associative urethane or acrylic alkali-swellable emulsion — that increases the viscosity and body of water-based ink systems to achieve the correct print paste consistency for the application and mesh count in use.
Screen PrintingWB Binder
Water-based binder is a concentrated acrylic or polyurethane polymer emulsion used to increase the binder-to-pigment ratio in water-based ink formulations, improving film strength, adhesion, and washfastness, particularly in heavily pigmented or discharge-activated systems.
Screen PrintingWB Fixer / Crosslinker
Water-based fixer and crosslinker is a reactive polyisocyanate or aziridine-based additive that chemically crosslinks the acrylic or PUD binder polymer chains during the curing cycle, dramatically improving washfastness, chemical resistance, and bond strength to the fabric substrate.