Textile product having latent image that slowly appears following repeated washings

Abstract

A textile product is disclosed having a latent image created from water-based ink which is applied using a screen printing process. The image is thereafter hidden underneath a second image created from a plasticizing emulsion such as plastisol ink which is partially cured. The partial cure causes a portion of the plasticizing emulsion to be removed from the textile product during washing and after repeated washings, the latent image becomes revealed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A textile article having a first image created by a screen printing process using water-based inks and dried at a sufficiently high temperature to permanently cure the first image to the textile article, wherein the improvement comprises:
 a second image created on the textile article by a screen printing process using plastisol ink upon the textile article wherein at least a portion of the first image is obscured by the second image, the textile article thereafter dried in a dryer at between 220-240 F for between 35 to 45 seconds to partially cure the second image, so that the second image is susceptible to partial removal when washed and that the first image will become progressively more visible each time the textile article is subsequently washed, until the second image has been completely removed.   
     
     
         2 . The textile product of  claim 1  where the plastisol ink is a non-phthalate screen ink. 
     
     
         3 . The textile product of  claim 1  where a layer of transparent plasticizing emulsion is applied directly upon a least a portion of the first image, using a screen printing process and thereafter fully cured prior to the second image being applied to the textile article. 
     
     
         4 . The textile product of  claim 1  being a garment and the textile article being an article of clothing. 
     
     
         5 . A garment comprising:
 a first image applied to an article of clothing using a screen printing process with water-based ink and permanently dried;   a second image applied directly upon at least a portion of the permanent first image using a screen printing process and plasticizing emulsion wherein:
 a first application of a layer of plasticizing emulsion applied directly upon a portion of the first image and thereafter dried at about 240 F for about 40 seconds to achieve a partial cure of the first layer of plasticizing emulsion; and, 
 a second application of a layer of plasticizing emulsion applied upon a remaining portion of the first image not covered by the first application, and where the second application is thereafter dried at a temperature between 220 F and the pre-determined temperature of the first application for about 40 seconds to achieve a partial cure that will be susceptible to removal at a faster rate from the garment when washed than will be the partially cured first application.