Hey everyone, I am desperate need of help!! I guess I took a leap without knowing all the ins and outs!! Typical ....LOL Ok here is my problem....I got my new 4 color 2 station setup....fixed my screens all up , went to do a sample run on paper....using plastisol ink....everything looked great on the paper, so I proceeded to start my shirt run, I wasdoing great.....so I thought, mind you I have never used a screen for anything.....so I was amazed on how everything was going .....instead of weeding and cutting....this was a God sent, then I noticed after I slowed down after about 30 shirts that the ink was really thick on the shirts and not smooth.....is this a curing problem?? Can you cure a shirt too long? Or too hot.....not long enough? Is it my technique with flooding or pulling....anyonehave any ideas on what I might be doing wrong?? Do you think the ink on the shirts will be fine....I did cure them....or will it come off in the wash....just please give me some clues and tips!!! You Guys are sweet and thank everyone for their help!!!
First off thank you for your reply!!! OK ....here goes I am using internatiol coating BLACK plastisol ink.....on various color of shirts .....I am using a flash dryer. I am just not sure why my ink is sooooo thick on the shirts....I believe the off contact is about 3/16'" I am just at loss on what to do!!
Thank You!!! For your time
Miller Teez
Sheryl
You can reduce the ink with a curable reducer or use a "soft hand" additive. That should allow you to get a softer print. Just be careful with lighter inks as the opacity will be affected by the additives.
Use the minimum number of squeegee strokes to get coverage. With black ink you shouldn't need more than 2 strokes (flood stroke and print stroke)
Play with the angle of the squeegee on the screen. Less angle will let the sharp edge of the squeegee "cut" the ink off the the shirt. More angle allows the flat part of the squeegee to force more ink through the screen.
BTW, What screen count are you using. You can also use a higher count to deposit a thinner layer of ink.
__________________ 350tees.com Talk Is Cheap, Especially On Our Shirts
It is me again!!
My mesh is 110 ......do you think the ink on the shirts will be ok....or should I just toss them?? What angle should I use??? Should I have to apply alot of pressure? Thank You!!
My mesh is 110 ......do you think the ink on the shirts will be ok....or should I just toss them??
Stretch a small area of the ink. If it does not crack it is cured properly and will be fine. Just make sure that the ink gets to 320 degrees for a few seconds. This will ensure a full cure.
Quote:
What angle should I use??? Should I have to apply alot of pressure? Thank You!!
This you just need to play with and get the "feel" for it. Try different angles and pressures. You'll see a difference and will find the method that works best for you.
Good Luck,
Ken
__________________ 350tees.com Talk Is Cheap, Especially On Our Shirts
110 mesh is very low for black ink. You're probably putting down way too much ink. You should be using 230 or 158 at the VERY least. Even 158 leaves too heavy of a deposit for me.
__________________ ScreenPrintH2O.com - An Online Community of Waterbased Screen Printers SignAmigo.com - An Online Community of Sign Makers.
Thank You so much for your time!!! I did the stretch test and it seemed to be fine.....can you over cure plastisol? Your info has been very helpful to me. You seem to have a vast amount of knowledge in this subject. So if I get on your nerves please let me know and I will back off with all the questions!! Thank You Again.
You can't really overcure plastisol. The shirt will burn up first, but if your prints are super glossy, you're getting them hotter than they need to be to be cured. You'll eventually need some method of checking curing temperature, such as the paper temperature strips or an infrared non-contact thermometer, often referred to as ray guns. The stretch test is a pretty good indicator, as Ken pointed out.
Please help me out Guys!!! INK PROBLEMS 
Hey everyone, 
Re: Please help me out Guys!!! INK PROBLEMS 
Re: Please help me out Guys!!! INK PROBLEMS 
