FAQ for Upper Printing Silicone (Shoe Upper Silicone Print)
Q1: What material is this shoe upper printing silicone? Is it eco-friendly?
A: It is two-component liquid screen printing silicone, soft and wear-resistant. We can provide test reports such as SGS and REACH. It contains no phthalates or heavy metals, meeting European and American export standards for footwear. Eco Passport certification is available upon request.
Q2: What substrates can the silicone print apply to?
A: Suitable for flyknit mesh, stretch knit, lycra, artificial leather and other shoe upper fabrics. The penetration on mesh fabric is controllable without bleeding through. It will not crack when stretch fabric is pulled.
Q3: How is the hand feel? Will it become hard?
A: Formulas can be customized for matte or glossy finish. Thin printing delivers soft fabric-like touch. Thick printing creates raised 3D effect. Thickness can be adjusted as required. It features good stretch recovery and will not turn hard to rub against feet.
Q4: Is the print wash-resistant and abrasion-resistant? Will the silicone peel off or crack?
A: The cured silicone has strong adhesion, passes repeated washing and Martindale abrasion tests. It resists peeling and cracking under normal bending and wearing. Prerequisite: Proper fabric pre-treatment and correct curing parameters.
Q5: What colors and effects are available? Can we do multi-color overprint or gradient?
A: Solid color, transparent and fluorescent colors are available. It supports flat screen printing and raised thick printing with texture lines. Multi-color overprint can be realized by layer-by-layer printing. Fine line patterns like the streamline designs in the picture are achievable.
Q6: Will the silicone clog the screen during production? What are the curing conditions?
A: The viscosity of screen printing silicone is adjustable to avoid screen clogging under normal operation. Typical oven curing temperature is 100–130°C. Curing time depends on print thickness; thicker prints require longer baking time.
Q7: What is the lead time for sampling and MOQ?
A: Sampling takes 3–5 days after pattern and color confirmation. MOQ is negotiable. Small trial orders are acceptable for footwear development.
Q8: What are the advantages of silicone print compared with ink print?
A: Silicone has much better elasticity than ink, so it does not crack when stretch mesh is stretched. It offers superior wash and abrasion resistance, and can create 3D embossed effect which normal ink cannot achieve. It has higher eco-standard and low odor. The downside is higher unit cost than common ink.
Q9: Will the silicone overflow or bleed through to the back side of shoe upper?
A: Proper control of slurry viscosity and print thickness with matched screen can effectively prevent overflow and penetration. For mesh materials, a small trial test is recommended first to check penetration performance.
Q10: What are the storage and handling notes?
A: Mix Part A and Part B at specified ratio and stir evenly before use. There is pot life after mixing. Store raw materials sealed in cool place, away from high temperature and direct sunlight.