[InterStreme]

Hello Members!

I've been avoiding water based inks but it is now time to give it a whirl. What common problems should I expect? Also, could you quickly explain the drying/curing process with these inks??...To me it seems like the tricky part of the process.

Thanks!

 

[cookiesa]

Biggest problem I have in hot weather (although with small runs isn't an issue) is the ink drying in the screen, but you wash the screen out with water so if you do need to leave it for a little while just wash it out, no big deal really!

I print, hang it to dry (I use a portable clothes rack with the "clip" style (dress/skirt? hangers) By the time you have finished printing and washed up, yes washed up with water, gentle pressure and a soft sponge does the trick nicley! (I use a plastic camping style shower head over my "reclaiming" bucket from the normal tap on gentle pressure, sponge is just for any stubborn spots) you can usually start heat setting them (around 300F for 30 seconds, depending on the inks used)

If it isn't urgent then a better result is to let them dry overnight then heat set them first thing next day.

 

[brent]

I use a 10 foot oven to cure during production. Drying in the screen and stiffening of inks, especially opaque inks, will be the major hurdle in your waterbased printing. Find a good ink brand. I use Matsui inks.
With some waterbased ink brands it is fine to use a heat gun to dry to the touch, then iron with a very hot iron or use the heat gun again to get the temperature high enough to cure. A flash cure unit would be faster and more trustworthy...

 

[splathead]

Go to Ryonets youtube channel. YouTube - Ryonet's Channel

Search on "water" to pull up his Matsui waterbased printing videos. He demos drying using a heat gun, flash, and conveyor.

 

[cookiesa]

And of course if you have a heat press that will work a treat for heat setting too

 

[kmapparel]

Drying in the screen and stiffening of inks, especially opaque inks, will be the major hurdle in your waterbased printing.

Okay,

I was doing a small run of shirts (7 shirts) four color. one color is Union Ink Aerotex white ATEX-1000. The other colors (all aerotex) were giving me no problems at all but the white would dry in my screen in a matter of 2 minutes. I had a TON of ink over my stencil to prevent it from drying so quickly but no luck. Nearly every time I came to this screen the ink had parts drying in the stencil. I would have to either spray some water in the image to unlock the ink and dissolve it away or do a couple of passes on my test square and that would help unlock some of the ink.

Why is it that the opaque inks such as white dry faster and other colors such as yellow don't dry nearly as fast?

This was very frustrating for me as a seven shirt run took me almost two hours to complete

Any advice on other white water based inks? or am I doing something wrong? How do others use these types of ink in an automated production senario? I can't imagine they have time to clear screens every few shirts?

Also should I add the Aqueous Stay Open that Aerotex offers (ATEX-9600)? Based on what I read that keeps the ink from drying for 2 to 5 hours and has no affect on the shelf life of the ink. Sounds perfect!

-Nate

 

[neato]

I'd switch brands. From what I've seen, Union hasn't made any changes to their waterbased inks in years. I started out using Pavonine inks (made by Union) and had the same issues. At the same time, many advances have been made in waterbased inks as a whole.

Try another brand like Permaset or Matsui. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[kmapparel]

Where can I get permaset in larger quantites besides 300ml? I'm familiar with that brand and have used them before with great success (only place I know where to get them is from my local Utrecht art store). How is their white both standard and supercover opaque?

Also isn't Matsui the housebrand for Silk Screening Supplies .com, screen printing equipment, silk screen printing kits or am I thinking of something else? If not where can I get Matsui from? Thanks!

Honestly i'm really satisified with Aerotex in any color other than white. It feels more like a plastisol than a waterbased. I can leave that ink in the screen for 20 or 30 minutes with no movement and it doesn't dry at all. It's just the white I had problems with.

 

[neato]

Contact [email protected]. He'll give you the trade price sheet (not advertised on their site) It comes in quantities up to 5 gallons.

 

[splathead]

Also isn't Matsui the housebrand for Silk Screening Supplies .com, screen printing equipment, silk screen printing kits or am I thinking of something else?

Yes it is.

Honestly i'm really satisified with Aerotex in any color other than white. It feels more like a plastisol than a waterbased. I can leave that ink in the screen for 20 or 30 minutes with no movement and it doesn't dry at all. It's just the white I had problems with.

One of the main reasons a lot of us use waterbased is because we don't want that plastisol feel.

 

[cookiesa]

Same here, use it because it DOESN'T have the plastisol feel!

 

[VinSanity]

Yes it is.




One of the main reasons a lot of us use waterbased is because we don't want that plastisol feel.

Really? I was under the impression that Plastisol was industry standard.

ok, well I was going to start another thread on this topic, but instead I'll just ask here.

I'm using WB inks and I think I definitly need to upgrade to a better ink because I'm using Dick Blick Textile inks which I assume are a far tier below an ink like Matsui or Permaset?

Well, it looks like I have a job coming up which will be white ink on camo shirts. Those Dick Blick WB inks I been using I know are going to have opacity issues when printing on dark garments (the label also says for printing on light garments only)Blick Water-Base Acrylic Textile Screen Printing Ink - BLICK art materials

Can someone reccomend a WB Matsui white ink for me? Also, Ive read on another post that most white ink migitates shirt dye bleeding into the ink after washes. Is this true? Because I'm also being asked to print white on red shirts.

Is there a specific line of WB Matsui inks to choose from? If so, what would be the best?

When doing multi color jobs with wb inks, whats the difference in flash curing compared to flash curing plastisol?

Im about to buy a flash cure unit. Can someone reccomend a solid unit within the $200-$300 range?

I notice that there are a varity of flash dry units available that range in price, wattage and amps.
Why is this? Do the cheap one not get as hot as the expensive ones?

Lots of questions I know, but these questions are what I have been pondering all weekend

Thanks!!

 

[nearbrand]

Hi,

I have used Neptune textile inks which I have had no problems with. They are fine to air dry and are apparently envrio safe. I have done print runs in the shop of up to 500 bags at once without a problem of it drying in the screen.

The only thing to watch out for is that when you lift the screen up on the press, the ink is in front of the squeegee and not behind or your handle will get covered and the ink will drip down into the back of the press creating a massive mess!

Have fun!


Best Regards,

Matthew Riches
01473 399377

 

[splathead]

The only thing to watch out for is that when you lift the screen up on the press, the ink is in front of the squeegee and not behind or your handle will get covered and the ink will drip down into the back of the press creating a massive mess!

Sounds like you may be working with too much ink on your screen. With your method is also does not sound as if you are flooding your screen after a print? This helps in preventing ink from drying in the screen image.

 

[neato]

Well, it looks like I have a job coming up which will be white ink on camo shirts. Those Dick Blick WB inks I been using I know are going to have opacity issues when printing on dark garments (the label also says for printing on light garments only)Blick Water-Base Acrylic Textile Screen Printing Ink - BLICK art materials

Can someone reccomend a WB Matsui white ink for me?

I would recommend Permaset SuperCover White. It's more opaque than the Matsui 301 White.

When doing multi color jobs with wb inks, whats the difference in flash curing compared to flash curing plastisol?

You may need to flash a little longer. We set up a small fan at the station after the flash to help evaporate the water as well. The Permaset White flashes amazingly fast though, like plastisol.

Im about to buy a flash cure unit. Can someone reccomend a solid unit within the $200-$300 range?

I don't think there is one unless you want used. In that price range, cehck out the one CAPS makes. (Screen Printing Equipment, T-Shirt Printers, Cap Printers, Dryers)

 

[brent]

I recommend not buying anything from CAPS. They shipped me a used press when I paid for a new one, and it's the biggest piece of junk. I had to get a new press within a year.

Phillip, is Permaset SuperCover white opaque enough that you can get away with just one layer on some shirt colors, like red?

 

[VinSanity]

I would recommend Permaset SuperCover White. It's more opaque than the Matsui 301 White.

Permaset Aqua looks to be some really good ink, but it sure is expsensive, especially the white. Is there a place to get it at wholesale?