Screen printing advice :) ups & downs

pixel pusher said:

Hi Guys,

Im very new to screen printing, and wow what a mix between fun and disappointment!

Ive designed a few images, and with trial & error burnt a couple of decent screens, and even had a go at inking some tee's but have run into a few problems here and there and could with some expert help please

1) Now im happy with a couple of my exposed screens, is there a way of making the emulsion last longer on the screen, some way or making it tougher?

2) Im using basic waterbased inks such as speedball and jacquard high opac inks, now im finding that after a couple of tee's printed the ink is blocking the mesh, is there a way to stop this?
I've tried flooding the screen after each print, but when I print one and cure the ink with a heat gun, when I come to do another tee the ink is drying.

3) Can I print say 10 tee's then come back and cure the ink with the heat gun at this point, or do the they curing asap?

Any help would be great, cheers Mark

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To answer your questions in order


1 - correct exposure is the best way to make your screens last longer. Underexpossed screens will wash out when cleaning. Also you must make sure that your emulsion is suitable for use with waterbased ink.


2 - waterbased ink is prone to drying in the screen. The only surefire way around it is to keep printing without too many breaks. Don't cure on the platen, as the heat will also cause the ink to dry in the screen. Some ink brands make a 'retarder' additive to slow the drying down.



3 - if you have room to place the wet shirts then you are better off printing a batch and curring all together. Some ink brands make a 'cold cure' additive so you do not need to use a drier. It won't give as long lasting print as heat curring but it is ok.


Speedbase ink is only really a hobby brand, but is ok to start with.

pixel pusher said:

Which ink should I look to upgrade too?

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If you are hobby printing then Daler Rowney System 3 is a good allround acrylic waterbased solution. It is favoured by schools and colleges because it is a safe paint system for general use. You can buy a screen print additive for use onto fabric, and a retarder to slow up the drying.


For comercial use ( assuming you want to stick with waterbased) then there are a number of options.


Permaset is a very popular brand ( retarder available, but no cold cure additive). Organic ink from Australia. Can be quite expensive.


Dave Roper sells a good Italian range of waterbased ink from Amex. Both a retarder and a cold cure additive are available.


MagnaColours produce a bewildering range of waterbased ink that appear to work well.


You might find plastisol ink easier to learn with than waterbased, but you will probably need a diferent screen emulsion, and specialist cleaning products.

Thanks for the tips, I was under the impression that waterbased was for beginners and plastisol was for pro's?

The reason I went for waterbased is a couple of reasons; one being that if I messed up a shirt or 2 I could simply wash the ink out before it was cured and start again. The 2nd was the easy clean up (shove the screens in the bath and rinse and clean out with the shower head)

Is plastisol not harder to cure than waterbased?

Forgot to say the mesh Im using is 44t (110) I did notice the first few screens I did, when I flooded the screen, and then pulled the ink through, that the t-shirt would have a lot of ink on it.

Do I need to up my mesh count or should I not be flooding?

Also Last question (sorry) should I really be using some sort of pallet adhesive? as I notice that when I pull the screen up after the print it sticking to the tee and pulling it up.

Thanks again peeps

Mesh count for waterbased ink varies massively from brand to brand of ink, due to the consistancy of the ink.


From what I remember of Speedball ink ( haven't used it for 15+ years) it is very thin, so needs a finer mesh.


For 'standard' waterbased inks many printers would recommend a mesh of 80t+ ( 200t US), even up to 120t (305 US) for very fine detail.
For high opacity inks then you can drop down to a 62t (156t US).




Another thing to remember with waterbased ink is to use zero 'off contact' - the screen mesh needs to be flush with the fabric. You probably won't need to flood the screen.


One disadvantage of higher mesh counts is that it will make the problem of ink drying in the screen worse. Make sure that all of the ink is cleared from the mesh after each print, and don't let the platen get too hot because it will partially cure the ink on the screen.


43t is way too low for anything but the thickest waterbased ink. I print plastisol through 62 - 68t ( 156 - 170t US). I only drop to 43t when printing a very thick white print onto dark t-shirts.
You basically have to choose between switching to plastisol or buying some new screens - cost will probably be similar by the time you add some screen cleaner.

In the short term you can use White Spirit to clean plastisol ink from the screen and the tools. It isn't as good as specialist cleaner, and I don't recommend using it forever,but will save you a little money in the short term.

Pat thats great advice! thank you so much

I was simply following the guide lines on the website that I bought my supplies from, and now im guessing it a very basic hobby screen printing website 'Hunt the Moon' but hey ho im a beginner and hobbyist at that so maybe a good staring point.

But they told me I needed the 43T mesh ha ha, you live and learn.

I did actually pick up some 120T mesh as I wanted to print a small logo on the breast of some tee's which I found I got on with much better than the 43T mesh, and going by your reply its clear why, using the thin ink with the finer mesh.

I have a few black tee's I want to print with some fine designs, but haven't dared to use white on black as yet ha ha, as I hear white inks can be tricky.

I think Im going to buy some higher meshes this week, and maybe some white inks, would you say Im best trying a plastisol ink? if so what brand would work well and what the best cleaner to use? I try to steer away from white spirt nowadays, being a pro decorator for the past 30 years, the decorating industry has mainly moved away from solvent based paints and most are now waterbased (not as good in my option) but thats another topic.

Also could you recommend any decent screen printing suppliers?

Thanks Again. Mark

Have a look at Dave Roper. His Amex inks ( plastisol and waterbased) and emulsion are very good. Only downside is that most of his cleaning stuff is imported from the US so at the current exchange rate is expensive. If using plastisol ink then his Easyway 842 cleaner is very good.


If you want smaller quantities of pro inks and consumables then Wicked Printing Stuff sell good quality products - Union Ink and Permaset Ink.


Pyramid Products also sell similar ranges.




Since you have some 43t screens why not try some white plastisol ink onto your black t-shirts? With plastisol you will need to use some 'of contact' - raise the screen 3-4mm above the fabric.


You will not need much cleaner to remove plastisol from your screen. Most of the ink can be scrapped off using your squeegee. If you want to use the same image at a later date then you will need a 'non emulsifiable' cleaner ( it will evaporate). Tip or spray some onto the screen, leave for a few seconds and wipe off well with a rag.