MATSUI WATER-BASED WHITE INKS
Nine white inks, each designed for a different fabric type and printing situation. Standard cotton whites, stretch whites for athletic and performance wear, ultra-soft whites for premium retail, high-opacity whites for underbasing on dark garments, and standalone whites for maximum brightness. Choose the right white for your garment and your white prints will never crack, yellow, or fail again. PVC-free. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. All compatible with Matsui Neo Pigments for custom pastel and tinted white colors.
HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT MATSUI WHITE INK FOR YOUR JOB
Every Matsui white ink is formulated for a specific fabric type and print purpose. Using the wrong white on the wrong fabric is the #1 cause of cracking, poor opacity, and wash failures in water-based screen printing. Match your white to your garment and your results will be dramatically better.
Standard Cotton
301W-B White for light garments. 301W-B HO for dark garment underbase. EasyPrint White for beginners. All print through high mesh counts with ultra-soft hand feel.
Stretch & Athletic
Stretch White for Dri-Fit and Lycra. Soft Stretch White for luxury activewear. Acrylicon White for next-gen stretch with matte finish. 301W-10-4 for performance mixing.
Specialty
Kombat White for maximum brightness standalone white (NOT an underbase). Anti-foil sticky. Soft-Tex White 350 for the 350 Series rubber binder system with maximum flexibility.
� Standard Whites WILL Crack on Stretch Fabrics
301W-B, 301W-B HO, and EasyPrint White are formulated for cotton. They do not have stretch recovery and will crack, peel, and fail on athletic, Dri-Fit, Lycra, or any fabric with elastane. If the garment stretches, you MUST use a stretch white: Stretch White, Soft Stretch White, 301W-10-4, or Acrylicon White.
EVERY MATSUI WHITE INK — SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
All nine Matsui water-based white inks in one table. Every white below is ready-for-use, PVC-free, and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. Most can be mixed with up to 15% Neo Pigments for custom pastel and tinted colors.
| White Ink | Finish | Max Mesh | Best For | What It Does & When to Use It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matte | 305 | Standard Cotton | The standard Matsui white for light-colored 100% cotton. Ultra-soft hand feel with high opacity. Use as a standalone white print on light garments, or as the white underbase layer beneath colored inks on dark garments. Prints through 305 mesh for fine detail. The workhorse white for everyday cotton production. | |
| Matte | 305 | Dark Garment Underbase | High-Opacity version of 301W-B. More opaque than standard 301W-B for superior coverage as an underbase on dark garments. Print Blocker Gray or Black LG first, flash, then 301W-B HO, flash, then your color on top. The essential white for the dark-garment underbase workflow. | |
| Matte | 225 | Beginners / Hot Climates | Forgiving white ink with slower drying for longer open time on screen. Ideal for shops new to water-based printing, manual presses, and hot environments. Medium opacity with excellent printability. No viscosity adjustments needed. Great as a standalone white or underbase. | |
| Matte | 160 | Performance / Stretch Fabrics | Premium white designed for high-stretch performance fabrics. Excellent elasticity with soft hand feel. Mix with up to 15% Neo Pigments for custom colors on athletic wear. Stretches and recovers without cracking. | |
| Silicone-like | 180 | Athletic / Dri-Fit | White ink specifically for stretch and performance fabrics like Dri-Fit, Lycra, and compression wear. Excellent elasticity with a soft, silicone-like finish. Stretches with the garment without cracking. Mix with Neo Pigments for custom stretch colors. | |
| Soft Matte | 180 | Premium Luxury / Baby | The softest stretch white available. Pillow-soft hand feel with excellent elasticity and opacity. Designed for luxury activewear, baby apparel, and high-end fashion on stretch substrates. Prints on both light and dark garments. | |
| Matte | 160 | Next-Gen Stretch | Next-generation acrylic-based white for high-stretch performance fabrics. Matte finish with a silky-soft, silicone-like feel without the tack. Superior elasticity. Mix with up to 15% Neo Pigments for custom colors. The premium pick for modern athletic printing. | |
| Bright Matte | 160 | Standalone / Anti-Foil | Ultra-bright standalone white. NOT an underbase — designed for direct top-layer white printing with maximum brightness and opacity. Anti-foil sticky properties prevent unwanted foil adhesion during multi-process heat transfers. Ideal for bold white graphics on performance wear. | |
| Rubber-like | 160 | 350 Series / Maximum Flex | Part of the 350 Series rubber binder system. Exceptional flexibility, smoothness, and stretch without tackiness. Foil-resistant. For enhanced texture, use Clear 350G as undercoating first. On dark polyester: Blocker 350 → flash → White 350W → flash → Clear 350B with color. |
THE DARK-GARMENT UNDERBASE WORKFLOW
White ink on dark garments requires an underbase approach to prevent garment dye from migrating through and staining your white. This is the standard water-based workflow for dark fabrics.
Print Blocker Gray (or Blocker Black LG for polyester). This seals the garment dye.
Flash cure the blocker layer. 160°F until dry to touch.
Print 301W-B HO White over the blocker. This is your opaque white layer.
Flash cure the white layer.
Print your color on top (or leave as white). Cure fully at 320°F through the conveyor dryer.
48-Hour Dye Migration Test
Print, cure at 320°F, then wait 48 hours before evaluating. Dye migration develops over 24-48 hours after curing. If any pink, yellow, or color bleed-through appears after 48 hours, escalate to a stronger blocker.
Blocker hierarchy: Blocker Gray (Level 1, cotton) → Blocker Black LG (Level 2, polyester) → Kombat Blocker (Level 3, sublimation poly).
Stretch Fabrics on Darks
For dark stretch/athletic garments, use the same workflow but substitute stretch-compatible products: Blocker → flash → Stretch White or Acrylicon White → flash → color on top.
MATSUI ADDITIVES FOR WHITE INKS
The same additives work across all Matsui white inks. Start with Quick Additive (the all-in-one), then use individual additives as needed.
Quick Additive
Add 6-9% by weightWhat it does: Combines Retarder, Fixer, and Softener into one product. Slows drying, improves wash fastness, and softens hand feel. The simplest additive for any Matsui white ink.
Start here. The default additive for every job.
Retarder MG
Add 1-3% (up to 5% in heat)What it does: Slows evaporation to keep ink open on screen. Essential in hot environments and for manual presses.
Problem it solves: “My white ink dries in the screen.”
Fixer WF-N
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Cross-links ink film during curing. White prints survive 50+ washes without yellowing or cracking.
Problem it solves: “My white prints fade or yellow after washing.”
Softener MG
Add 1-5% by weightWhat it does: Improves ink penetration into fibers for softer hand feel. Reduces surface deposit so the white print feels like part of the garment.
Problem it solves: “My white print feels too thick or plasticky.”
Fixer L
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Same cross-linking as Fixer WF-N but for lower cure temps. For dryers that can’t hold 320°F.
Problem it solves: “My dryer can’t reach 320°F.”
Thickener B
Add 0.25-1% by weightWhat it does: Makes ink thicker. Increases opacity. Reduces bleed-through. Use 0.25% increments.
Problem it solves: “My white ink is too thin / not opaque enough.”
RV Additive
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Makes ink thinner. Helps flow through high mesh and fine-detail stencils.
Problem it solves: “My white ink won’t push through the screen.”
Additive Stacking
Typical: 2% Retarder + 2% Fixer WF-N + 2% Softener = 6% total. Or 6-9% Quick Additive alone. Do not exceed 15% total additives. More than that degrades opacity and print quality.
MATSUI WHITE INKS — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
301W-B White for standard cotton. It is the most popular Matsui white, prints through 305 mesh, and delivers ultra-soft hand feel. For dark garments, also get 301W-B HO for the underbase layer.
No. 301W-B is for cotton only. On polyester, use it with a blocker underbase. On stretch fabrics, switch to Stretch White, Soft Stretch White, or Acrylicon White.
Both stretch with the garment. Stretch White has a silicone-like feel. Soft Stretch White is softer — a pillow-soft, barely-there hand feel designed for premium retail and baby apparel. Soft Stretch is the luxury upgrade.
Kombat White is a standalone white for maximum brightness. It is NOT designed as an underbase. Use it as a top-layer white for bold white graphics on performance wear. It also has anti-foil sticky properties for multi-process heat transfer work.
Yes. Add up to 15% Neo Pigments to most Matsui white inks to create custom pastel shades, tinted whites, and off-white tones. Use free CMS software for Pantone formulas.
You are using a cotton white (301W-B or EasyPrint White) on a stretch fabric. Switch to Stretch White, Acrylicon White, or Soft Stretch White. Standard whites do not stretch and will crack on any fabric with elastane.
You need a blocker underbase. Print Blocker Gray first, flash, then your white on top. Wait 48 hours after curing to evaluate. If bleed-through persists, escalate to Blocker Black LG or Kombat Blocker.
Soft-Tex White 350 is part of the 350 Series rubber binder system. It has exceptional flexibility and stretch without tackiness, plus built-in foil resistance. For best results, use Clear 350G as an undercoating first. It is a specialized product for shops running the 350 Series workflow.
FIND THE RIGHT WHITE INK FOR YOUR NEXT JOB
Nine whites for every fabric type and printing situation. Cotton, stretch, athletic, underbase, standalone. Mix with Neo Pigments for custom tints. PVC-free. OEKO-TEX certified. Free shipping over $200. Same-day shipping before 3:30 PM CT.