I’ve encountered a problem with the white Modatex ink: the colour cracks when the garment is washed.
The only potential mistake I think I could have made, is that after allowing the garment to dry at room temperature, I dried it again using an iron.
Could that be what damaged the print? How can I maintain the print in its original condition without the colour coming off?
All water-based acrylic inks, such as Modatex, when printed using a low thread count frame, tend to develop cracks after drying.
This means that the ink, due to its high thickness, doesn’t move with the fabric as it expands, as a result the ink cracks.
It “cracks”, but doesn’t “peel”: when Modatex Quasar is properly catalysed and even more so when it’s heated with an iron (the correct thing to do), it becomes very resistant to washing.
In future, I recommend that you print with Modatex using a frame with a thread count of at least 55T, and then heat it immediately with an iron before it dries by placing a sheet of baking paper between the print and the iron.
Furthermore, do not wash the garment within the first 72 hours, as this is the time needed for the ink to harden completely.