MagnaPrint Emboss Ink is a ready-to-use, water-based printing paste, engineered by Magna for creating embossed or raised areas on printed garments.

The ink can be applied just like a standard printing paste onto the desired areas of a garment. Following curing and washing processes, the ink leaves behind embossed, raised areas on the material, altering its appearance and structure.

Commercially available as of this week, Emboss Ink has a suggested shelf life of one year and MagnaColours said that, as a premium product range positioned in the higher end of the market, it is priced at a similar level to other special effects inks.

MagnaColours managing director Helen Parry said: “We wanted to simulate the heat set embossing and pleating process by developing an ink which could do this for screen printers straight out of the pot.

“When printed onto polyester the ink expands, contracting certain areas of the fabric, creating a permanent embossed effect.”

Marketing manager Paul Arnold added: “This is a completely new sort of capability so it’s something for screen printers to trial and work out how they can use it best. We’re really excited to see what they come up with.

“There are probably limitations to the heat pressing process that this will overcome as well so it opens a lot more opportunities for embossed effects and patterns on garments.”

Earlier this year MagnaColours launched MagnaPrint Glow FX, a glow-in-the-dark phosphorescent ink.

The company has also recently launched products including bleed blocking ink Migration Eliminator V2 and the UV-reactive MagnaPrint Invisible Ink as well as the two-tone pearlescent inks MagnaPrint MultiChrome Pearl and MultiShine.

MagnaColours aims to provide environmentally sustainable water-based alternatives to the chemical-based inks that are widely used throughout the screen printing industry.

The company's inks are available in the UK through its distributors, London Screen Service and SSIS.