ink blurring image

Hi,

Make sure the screen is perfect (hold up to light and check the design has hard edges). Clean the screen and make sure it is perfect before use. This is just to check the screen condition.

I have had this problem before, a long time ago, and although I thought I had enough distance between the garment and the screen, I didnt. Increasing the distance made sure that the air drying ink, only touched the fabrick when the squeedgy was in pushing down in the area and not washing through the edges. try a bigger offset...

good luck

mark
Green clothing, Organic Cotton T-shirts and fairtrade t shirts, all by nosymbolrequired

What mesh are you using and are you flooding the screen, because that could be pushing to much ink through when using thin ink.

Also you are using waterbase ink on paper?

thutch15 said:

What mesh are you using and are you flooding the screen, because that could be pushing to much ink through when using thin ink.

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Hi, It is a 90, and am using water based ink on paper, thank you

How tight is the mesh? If it's kind of slack, the mesh can kind of roll in front of the squeegie causing registration and sharpness problems. When you say 90 mesh, I assume you mean 90T, not 90 threads per inch. Otherwise, unless the ink itself is really runny a single pass should produce a good print. You might try lighting up on you print stroke, and hold the squeegie more upright if you pull the squeegie during the print stroke.

Thank you, i guess i just have to practice different techniques, I have been printing t shirts with plastisol inks so maybe i need to be a little less aggressive with paper printing,

I would think a 90 mesh for waterbased inks on paper would be way to low of a screen. You are getting too much ink pushing through. You would want to go higher, the minimum I would try is a 156.

JeridHill said:

I would think a 90 mesh for waterbased inks on paper would be way to low of a screen. You are getting too much ink pushing through. You would want to go higher, the minimum I would try is a 156.

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I was told that 90t would be fine, guess i will have to buy some more, It's an expensive game!!!!!!!! Thank you

The thinner the ink, the finer the mesh, especially printing on paper. If there is too much ink pushing through, depending on the paper, it may "cockle". Have you ever taken a very long shower (or bath) and your hands wrinkle? That's what "cockling" is on paper.

The 90t he refers to is metric, not TPI. Our equivalent is 230 mesh, which should be right for printing on flatstock. It's what I use for yard signs, and I've printed Speedball ink through it and it worked great.

I agree with tpitman.....if the 90t is referring to metric (about 230) then you are fine. If it is what we Americans refer to as "Mesh Count" then the mesh count is WAY too coarse which would explain the problems you are having. 230 - 305 mesh count is the best option for printing on paper and card stock. I definitely recommend using a premium water based ink for those types of prints. Matsui inks don't dry in the screen and produce beautiful prints.