Pass through Indemnity Clause Drafting for Garment Wet Processing
Pass-through indemnity clauses require un-capped liability carve-outs and mandatory flow-down terms to bridge privity gaps across dyehouses and garment vendors.
Screen Printing Phthalates
Plastisol Chemistry
Synthetic plasticizers added to vinyl-based inks to improve the flexibility and durability of printed designs on garments are subject to strict global bans due to their toxicological profile. In textile decoration, screen printing phthalates are chemical additives that make plastisol inks soft and compliant with fabric stretch, but they are restricted to extremely low concentrations (typically below 1000 ppm) by consumer safety legislation. This limit is enforced by third-party testing of the cured ink film.
Solvent Extraction
Chemical analysis of finished prints utilizes gas chromatography mass spectrometry to verify that the ink is free from restricted compounds. When testing for screen printing phthalates, the laboratory scrapes the cured print from the fabric and dissolves it in a solvent before injection. If the plasticizer level exceeds the threshold, the entire shipment is rejected at the buyer’s expense.
Brands require compliance certificates from ink manufacturers to prevent these costly printing errors.
Acrylic Substitution
Acrylic and polyurethane-based inks are utilized as alternatives to achieve soft-hand prints without resorting to restricted vinyl plasticizers. These alternative systems cure at similar temperatures but do not carry the regulatory risks associated with chlorinated polymers. This substitution is standard for infants’ and children’s apparel.
Curing Temperature
Curing temperatures must be monitored closely to ensure the complete polymerization of the alternative ink formulas. These tight environmental limits have made screen printing phthalates obsolete in modern garment factories.