Screens For Water Based + Discharge Inks

Waterbase and Discharge Ink Printing

Objectives:

• To improve production performance, minimize down time, and optimize screen life by preparing durable stencils with quality products and screen making techniques .

• To understand the importance of a properly designed stencil making area.

Details: 

• Preparing quality screens for water base and discharge textile printing. 

• Proper Coating, Drying and Exposure of emulsion for waterbase and discharge screens. 

• Mesh and Squeegee selection. Press Set Up, Printing with waterbase and discharge inks.

Orientation: Understanding how many factors influence the success of the screen.

• Water base and especially discharge inks are highly aggressive and require a durable stencil prepared with special emulsions and handling.

• Understand & Control the key variables to standardize processes, techniques and materials to yield the most durable stencil possible.

 • Preparing Quality Screens is the key to faster and consistent production without having to go through costly down time due to premature stencil breakdown.

Topic 1: Mesh Selection

• Water base and discharge need S thread mesh or Murakami’s LX Mesh where optimum ink laydown is needed, (in red.) • Notice that the meshes in red also have the largest open area in their mesh count. This open area allows discharge ink and waterbase to print easier, with better color and less prone to drying in the mesh.

 • You will notice that there is both an LX Mesh and standard polyester mesh in the same mesh count. LX-Mesh is a totally new and unique mesh with very smooth mesh knuckles and a proprietary thread that allows inks to print easier and yet still have excellent tension retension and low elongation. LX-Mesh can withstand reclaiming better. Never use a pinpoint pressure washer spray on S or LX mesh which can damage fine meshes.

Topic 2: Preparing the Mesh for Emulsion

Clean your mesh to avoid pinholes and fisheyes and dry completely

• Remove haze or ghost images

• Degrease screen - make sure of no splash back of degreaser

• Dry completely before coating

Topic 3: Coating the Screen

Lay the scoop coater over so the end cap rests at on the screen and coat slowly. This will produce more consistent emulsion coating, reduce pinholes and will allow the exposure to be more accurate to create strong screens for waterbase, discharge and plastisol.