Puff Ink

Puff ink starts as a foaming additive mixed into standard plastisol, shop ratios vary but a quarter to half additive by volume is common, that stays flat when wet and expands once it hits the heat of a flash unit or conveyor dryer, typically around 320°F. As the additive activates, the print lifts 1 to 2mm off the fabric and rounds over into a soft, domed shape rather than staying flush with the shirt.

This is the bubble-letter, blown-up look buyers see on streetwear drops and varsity-style crewnecks, and it's one of the most frequently requested specialty upgrades we quote. A puffed logo on a heavyweight 12 oz fleece hoodie reads completely differently in person than the same artwork printed flat, and clients often don't realize how much a raised texture changes the perceived value of a design.

Because puff ink needs volume to expand, it prints through a coarser mesh, generally 86 to 110, and doesn't hold fine detail well; letters or lines thinner than about a quarter inch tend to swell together into a blob rather than staying crisp. Shops usually add an underbase first on dark garments, since puff ink itself isn't very opaque.

Buyers who submit thin script fonts expecting sharp puffed letters are usually disappointed. Bold, chunky linework is what actually survives the expansion; anything delicate gets swallowed as the ink rises.