[spx]

As a newbie... I am not 100% sure if/when I am suppose to thin out an ink? I have tried some printing using the plastisol ink right out of the container and had varied success. My recent project involved a left chest design that was to be printed in white on a royal blue t-shirt.

I tried a 110 screen and some of the finer lines didn't come through. It thought it might be a screen issue so I went to a 160. It was about the same. I had to squeegee it three to four times but then it was really really thick on the shirt and I lost alot of the detail.

Any suggestions?

 

[Locklear]

What brand of ink are you using? Also sounds like there could potentially be some issues when burning your image. Is the emulsion holding all the detail from the design?

You shouldn't have to use more than 1 or 2 print strokes max.

 

[Celtic]

Be sure to mix your ink well before you put in in your screen too.
You may also want to try a push stroke, instead of pulling your squeegee.

 

[spx]

I am using WILFLEX NuWhite ink. This is brand new ink, brand new screen, brand new emulsion. I think I have the burning finally correct because my images are looking clean and crisp and clear throughout the printing area.

The design is not that bad.... pretty bold text for the majority of it.

I am still "experimenting" with the proper way to load run a screen. I typically stir the ink a bit before placing it on the screen. To me, it seems thick but then again, what am I comparing it to. I guess it's almost like a toffy consistency I guess.

I but some on the screen below the image. Do a light pass to coat the image. Put the screen down, due 1 stroke... and then stroke again.

Thats about it....

 

[ACC]

Really stir the the ink with a drill and a mixing bit that you can get in the paint section of the hardware store. Maybe add just a few drops of reducer.
Print-Flash-Print.

 

[EastBayScreen]

Generally never reduce a white ink. It's not the solution to your problem. Like others
have suggested, stirring the hell out of the ink, and maybe a little warmth if you're in a cold
garage should help. 110 is a good start for manual printing, and you'd be surprised at the detail a properly exposed 110 screen can hold. Do you have a vacuum unit/dense positives? Get all your
ducks in a row before worrying about the ink, starting with the screens.

 

[spx]

Thanks for the info. Stirring the ink more is probably a good idea. What consistency is ideal for ink? As for the screens.... I use a commercial exposure unit with a vacuum system. I printed the design out of Photoshop using an Epson R1800 printer. The only thing I "played" with on that end was I selected Premium Glossy Photo Paper and then turned the GLOSS option off. It printed a GLOSS enhancer ink over everything... which seems like such a waste. Comparing the printouts... they look really really similar in darkness.

 

[EastBayScreen]

White ink will always be thicker than other colors. It's just a part of the process. To be honest, thicker white inks tend to have better properties than thinner ones, in terms of opacity, brightness and fiber mat down.

Good words for properly stirred ink would be buttery, maybe honey like, creamy with good shear. Just stir the hell out of it for 5- 10 minutes with a drill and a paddle, you'll see.

No experience with the R1800, but I've heard of people using them for films. Try different settings until you get the darkest print you can. Have you done a step wedge test with your setup? How does the screen look after exposure? Is all of your detail there? Does the screen feel slimy during washout? Do a search for those related terms and get your exposure/films down first.

 

[spx]

Good words for properly stirred ink would be buttery, maybe honey like, creamy with good shear.

We talking thick honey/creamy or runny? If I scoop it up on a paddle and turn it on edge or over... should it stay on paddle or start to run?

Just stir the hell out of it for 5- 10 minutes with a drill and a paddle, you'll see.

Hmmm, that brings up an interesting question or questions... I've never stirred an ink that much and only used the scoop to "fluff" the top of the container.

If I stir the white like that... will it settle back out or do the ink properties keep it that consistency over time?

Should I stir (with a drill) all my inks when I first get them?

Have you done a step wedge test with your setup? How does the screen look after exposure? Is all of your detail there? Does the screen feel slimy during washout?

That was the first thing I did. I "thought" I had it figured out till I had some blowouts during washout. I have a homemade washout sink that uses a garden hose and hose nozzle with pretty substantial pressure. (don't have a power wash). Played with coatings of emulsion, time, washout technique (wash off both sides with 3/4" direct spray about 12" away.... wait... wash again.... wait... move to 6" wash again.... screen clears out... doesn't leave jaggy edges, etc) and seem to have hit possibly the correct steps.

Printed a couple items and thought they looked pretty good. Then ran into this problem and began to wonder if I had a new problem or an existing one resurfacing.

 

[EastBayScreen]

Always washout from the substrate side, not the squeegee side. A properly exposed screen can be developed with a pressure washer, and in many cases is preferable. You only want to wet the squeegee side, and give it a light rinse to remove any unexposed emulsion after washout.

On a low mesh (110-160) screen I would coat 2x2 with the round edge of the coater, pretty firm pressure. Do that and try another step wedge test.

Always stir your ink. A hand paddle ain't gonna cut it. Chuck an allen key in a drill and go to town. Plastisol is thixotropic and will loosen up the more you move it. It will settle down over time, but I can always tell what ink in the bucket was previously stirred.