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contents
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www.wickedprintingstuff.com
T: 01474 709009
F: 01474 709200
E: [email protected]
Wicked Printing Stuff © 2012
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the buyers guide
Introduction
How to use this guide
What kind of printer am i?
printing kit
the basics
Your
Work
What are you printing on?
How many colours?
Sizing up
Screen sizes
Which Mesh Count?
Setting up
budget
Wicked kits
exposure units
squeegees
Work space
Printing
Emulsion
Inks & medium
Drying & curing
Wash fastness
Cleaning
Cleaning your screen
reclaiming your screen
Health & safty
Environmental printing
Glossary
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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Introduction
Welcome to the Wicked Printing Stuff Buyers Guide.
What kind of printer am i?
Whether you are a 'Rookie' or a 'Pro'; you can let go of any
screen printing fears now, because here you'll find all the
guidance you need to figure out what screen printing products
and equipment is best suited to you.
This will help us get you to the information you want quicker.
Which describes you best?
a
I am new to screen printing and need all the help I can get to
get cracking in my new hobby.
If ‘A’ describes you best...Welcome ‘Rookie’, you are in safe
hands. Don’t forget to look out for the info marked in green
and we’re always here to help if you need anything else.
b
I’ve done a fair bit of screen printing, I have the basics nailed
but am unsure of certain things. I love printing and sometimes
sell my work.
If ‘B’ describes you best...You are an intermediate but we’ll call
you ‘Inter’ for short. You need to look out for information in blue
as this will go into a little more depth for you.
c
My job is screen printing, I know it inside out but need help
with some of the technical bits.
If ‘C’ describes you best...Hello ‘Pro’, keep your eyes peeled
for the information in red as it gets technical, all you need to
know for commercial screen printing.
Should you need even more in depth information, check out
the FAQs section of our website or get in touch if you have a
new question, we'd love to help.
How to use this guide
For all you pro’s and geeks out there, keep a look out for
purple arrows as these notes will explain any technical
information you might need.
Technical information.
By clicking on words which are underlined you will be taken to
our website or youtube channel. These will mainly appear to
See: the website.
the side of the page.
Skip: to a page.
Watch: a video.
Words which appear in our glossary will appear in italic like
this: ‘finding the squeegee which is right for you’. Click the
word to read the glossary definition.
This guide has been colour coded so depending on your level
of knowledge, experience or interest you can quickly pin point
the information you are looking for.
Information specifically for beginners or ‘Rookies’ as we shall
refer to them is marked with a green triangle. For intermediates
or ‘Inters’ the information is marked with a blue triangle and for
all you professionals, ‘Pros’, look out for red triangles.
the buyers guide
Information for Rookies.
Information for Inters.
Information for Pros.
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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INTRODUCTION
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PRINTING KIT
Here are the main bits of screen printing equipment you’ll use
and a little bit about what they are for.
5. EXPOSURE UNIT
9. FLASH DRYER
Used for exposing artwork
on to screens.
Used to cure colours
inbetween prints.
6. TAPES
10. CAROUSEL
1. EMULSION
3. SQUEEGEE
Light sensitive thick liquid
which coats the screen and
is hardened when exposed
allowing unexposed areas
to drop out of the screen
creating a stencil.
Used to pull the ink across
the screen.
Parcel tape is good for taping Screens are clamped in and
up a screen and Masking tape rise and lower to the platen
for registering prints.
whilst printing.
4. SCREEN
7. TUNNEL DRYER
11. INKS
For fixing ink to fabrics.
Different inks are used for
different surfaces.
These come in different sizes
and mesh counts.
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8. PALETTE KNIFE
2. TROUGH
Used for mixing inks with
medium and scraping inks
from screens.
Used to coat the screen with a
thin layer of emulsion.
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10
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3
the buyers guide
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www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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INTRODUCTION
THE BASICS
So, lets cover the basics. How does screen printing work? If
your a Pro, you might want to skip ahead to page 10. For all you
Rookies and Inters that need a little refresh, lets begin…
KIT:
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EXPOSE YOUR ARTWORK ONTO THE SCREEN
COATED SCREEN
EXPOSURE UNIT
OR A HANGING
LAMP AND PIECE
OF GLASS
When exposing your screen your positives should be face up
(artwork touching the emulsion), place your screen on top of
the artwork. Different emulsions have different exposure times,
so check the tub for guidance. Once your have exposed, its
time to wash.
Spray the screen with water until the image appears and all
the loose emulsion is washed out of the image.
1
MAKE YOUR ART WORK POSITIVE
Let the screen dry, use a fan or drying cabinet to speed it up.
We would not recommend using a hair dryer to dry you screen
as it can over expose the emulsion causing it to harden.
Make your positive on acetate or tracing paper, a cheap (and
messy) method is to coat the paper your art work is printed or
drawn on in olive oil to make the paper more transparent.
2
KIT:SCREEN
TROUGH
EMULSION
the buyers guide
Once dry, check the screen for pin holes, anything you can
see through will print. Use screen filler or parcel tape to fill any
unwanted holes.
COAT YOUR SCREEN
Emulsion is light sensitive so its best to do this in the dark.
Fill the trough with emulsion and keeping the screen steady tilt
the trough and drag it up the screen leaving an even layer of
emulsion on the screen. Use a fan heater to dry your screen in
a dark place.
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KIT:
TABLE HINGE
(UU CLAMP)
VACUUM BED OR
CAROUSEL
PARCEL TAPE
SETTING UP TO PRINT
However you are printing, your screen will need to be clamped
in place. Use parcel tape to cover the edges of the screen
where the emulsion stops. This prevents ink straying though
the screen where you don’t want it to print.
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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INTRODUCTION
5
KIT:INKS
MEDIUM
SQUEEGEE
ACETATE/TRACE
PARCEL TAPE
MASKING TAPE
Skip: see page 23 for more
information on inks and medium.
Or, see page 19 to identify the
type of squeegee best for you.
PRINTING & REGISTERING
The type of ink and medium you use depends on what you
are printing as they are specifically for either fabric or paper.
Squeegee’s are also different for fabric and for paper.
Pour your ink along the length of your artwork making sure it
also covers the length of your squeegee. You’ll need a piece
of acetate taped to the surface to help register your paper.
Apply pressure and pull the ink towards you to flood the
screen and leave an image on the acetate which you can
register your work with. Lift the screen off the surface, then
push the squeegee and ink back to the top of the screen
without pressure.
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KIT:
PALETTE KNIFE
BRUSH
STENCIL STRIP
WATER
POWER WASHER
CLEANING UP
With a palette knife, scrape the unused ink back into the pot
from the screen and squeegee. Take the screen out of the
hinges and wash off straight away. Be sure to get all the ink
out or blockages can occur.
Your stencil can be used again or if you arr finished with it
spray the screen with stencil strip. Scrub with a sponge or
brush (we recommend a brush especially if you are using
plastisol inks) to wash off and use a power washer if you
have one. Ensure all the emulsion is out by holding the
screen up to some light. Allow to dry and you are ready to
start all over again.
To get your registration right especially if you are printing onto
paper you need to place your paper or substrate under the
acetate and line it up as you want. Then, using masking tape,
mark out where to put your paper.
See: Platen adhesives
For garment printing you would normally spray hitak or roll on
adhesive onto the platen.
Using the registration marks place your paper/substrate
in position. Put the screen down to make contact and with
both hands apply a good amount of pressure and pull the
squeegee and ink towards you across the screen, lift the
screen off and push the ink back, this helps keep the ink
from drying and floods your screen ready for the next print.
Voila! You are printing.
the buyers guide
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www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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your work
How many colours?
Getting the right kit which suits the type of work you want
to produce is essential as you need different kit, inks and
processes depending on what you are printing.
Whether you are printing onto t-shirts, sweatshirts, paper or
board, the number of colours you want to print in a single
design will ultimately determine whether or not you will require
a 1, 2, 4 or 6 Colour Press.
What are you printing on?
Textiles
Are you printing T-Shirts, sweatshirts, hooded pocket tops or
vests? All of our kits/carousels/presses (except the paper &
board kit) are sold with either an adult or child sized t-shirt
printing platen for printing onto t-shirts, sweatshirts and
hooded tops.
Skip: see alternative platen sizes
(page 12), ink (page 23) and
mesh counts (page 15).
If you are unsure how many colours you want to print in
your design and want to keep to a low budget to begin with,
an upgradeable version of the press which you can add
additional arms to when your ready, meaning you can print
extra colours in a single design.
Paper Stocks
For printing onto paper, board, card, boxes (flat), canvas, caps
(transfers), transfers and other flat objects, we recommend
printing with the WPS vacuum board. The vacuum board has
a suction attachment to hold the substrate in place whilst
printing as using Hi Tak spray adhesive to keep them in place
will damage them. Why not check out our short video on the
Wicked vacuum board.
six colour carousel
Watch: vacuum board
The vacuum board
The vacuum board can be purchased as an additional item in
conjunction with one of our printing presses under the ‘platens’
section on the website. We also sell paper & board kits which
include a vacuum board.
For printing onto caps, you will need to produce plastisol
transfers and have a cap press for transferring the transfer
onto the cap.
cap press
We sell a range of high quality Heat Presses made in the UK
including the WPS 1000 Cap Press, we also sell the papers
and adhesive you will need.
the buyers guide
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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Sizing up
Platens
The size of your design and what you want to print it onto, will
determine the size of the printing platen you require as well as
the size of screen and squeegee needed.
Size guide
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your work
inches
Baby T-shirt platen
12 x 9
Child T-shirt platen
22.5 x 10
Adult T-shirt platen
22.5 x 15.5
Large front print platen
29 x 17
Mega ‘all over’ print platen 33 x 20
Sleeve platen
23 x 5
screen
12 x 16
screen
16 x 20
screen
20 x 24
screen
23 x 31
squeegee
8
squeegee
12
squeegee
15
squeegee
18
trough
8
trough
12
trough
15
trough
18
A4 paper size
11.7 x 8.27
A3 paper size
16.5 x 11.7
A2 paper size
23.4 x 16.5
the buyers guide
millimeters
304.8 x 228.6
571.5 x 254
571.5 x 393.7
736.6 x 431.8
838.2 x 508
584.2 x 127
304.8 x 406.4
406.4 x 508
508 x 609.6
584.2 x 787.4
203.2
304.8
381
457.2
203.2
304.8
381
457.2
297 x 210
420 x 297
594 x 420
Note: Squeegees are available
in custom sizes.
Note: Vacuum boards suit
most standard sizes of paper
and boards.
ScreenS
squeegeeS
TroughS
Image Size
Set up sizes
Example standard sizes
to give you an idea of
what you will need:
A4
A3
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
A2
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your work
Screen Sizes
See: Mesh
We supply 12”x16”, 16”x20”, 20”x24” and 23”x 31”. Wicked
Screen measurements are the outside frame dimensions.
Printable areas are minus 3 inches from the width and length..
Which Mesh Count?
The mesh counts range from 15t which would be used for
glitter printing, or highly absorbent surfaces, to a 200t which
would be used for extremely fine and intricate lines, hand
drawing and photographic work. The most popular textile
mesh count for either Waterbased or Plastisol Ink is between
32t and 65t, and a mesh 77t / 90t upwards would be advised
for paper and card printing with a water based ink.
the buyers guide
mesh count guide
count typeideal uses
10t
coarse
glitter
15t
coarse
glitter
21t
coarse
glitter
32t
textile
maximum opacity on dark fabrics
43t
textile
bolder graphics
55t
textile
finer detail
61t
textile
finer detail
77t textile
finer fabrics, halftone graphics
80t textile
finer fabrics, halftone graphics
90t
textile
extreemly light material, general graphics
110t
textile
extreemly light material, general graphics
120t
paper
general process
140t
paper
general process
160t
paper
photographic detail
When selecting your screen size you will need to take into
account the size of your artwork, what size screens your press
will take as well as any storage issues you may have in your
working area.
Once you have selected your screen you will need to select
a mesh count. The mesh count will depend what substrate
you are printing onto, what ink you are printing with and how
detailed your artwork is.
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The mesh count is the
amount of holes per inch
in a screen. The lower the
count the coarser the
screen, the higher the
count the finer.
Our kits are sold with 32t and 43t mesh counts on the screens,
these are best for general textile designs with no halftones,
shadows or very fine detail. If producing finer detailed or glitter
print, halftones or photographic work, you will need to read
the following guide in order to select the correct mesh count.
We can alter the mesh on the screens for you (there may be
a small fee to pay for the difference in cost) or, you can order
additional screens alongside your kit.
A popular question is ‘What is the difference between white
and yellow mesh?’ generally speaking there is very little
difference in the performance of the mesh unless you are
using 90t upwards. The yellow mesh will help absorb the light
when exposing the screens, this will help expose those very
fine lines and intricate detail in the photographic designs and
hand drawings.
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SETTING UP
BUDGET
See: kits
Your budget and screen printing needs will determine what
type of kit or carousel is right for you. Obviously, the higher
your budget, the more diverse you can be in your printing.
The WPS kit range starts at around £52.50, ideal for beginners
and hobbyists, they go up to the 6 colour professional kit
range which is suited for the more experienced professional
printer as it is ideal for complex multi colour designs and
includes the WPS Tunnel Dryer.
Remember:
Our kits are sold with both 32t
and 43t screens but we can alter
the mesh on the screens for you
(prices may vary).
WICKED KITS
If you are a beginner or need enough equipment and
consumables to produce one-off / samples or want to try out
screen printing without spending too much money then check
out these fantastic kits, ‘1 Colour Beginners Kit’, ‘So Easy Kit’,
‘UU Clamp Kit’ and the ‘UU Clamp Advanced Kit’.
1 – 6 COLOUR KITS
See: kits for beginners
If you have a limited budget, don’t worry, we have various kits
especially for beginners.
Plastisol is a chemical
based ink and specific
chemicals are needed in
the clean up prosess which
aren’t required with waterbased inks which are also
better for the environment.
More on page 24.
The beginner kits are suitable for simple text designs ideal
for a hobby. These affordable kits are not for producing photo
sensitive stencils, but are great for the ‘craft hand cut out’
stencil method.
Great for screen printers with limited space but want to
produce professional garments. The kits include the Press,
Exposure Unit, Consumables and a selection of either plastisol
inks or waterbased inks.
UPGRADEABLE KITS
Ideal if you are unsure how complex the designs will be that
you will print. So you can add more arms to the carousel when
you are ready. You can start with the upgradeable 2 or 4 colour
kits and add more arms when required to make it up to a 6
colour carousel.
As your budget increases so does the ability of the equipment
to enable you to do more complex designs when printing.
We have a variety of complete kit packages, which include
everything you will need to start printing professional screen
printed garments.
PROFESSIONAL SCREEN PRINTING KITS
Weiss floor standing carousel
Perfect for those wanting to start their own screen printing
business. Kits includes the Wicked Tunnel Dryer.
PAPER AND BOARD KITS
Amazing for printing posters, paper or flat surfaces that are
not suitable for gluing or sticking to a platen i.e. delicate
substrates and sheets of fabric. This kit includes inks suitable
for printing onto paper/card. It can also be converted to print
onto t-shirts/sweatshirts other textiles/transfers if you alter the
consumables.
Upgradable carousel
UU clamp with screen
the buyers guide
Ideal for professionals.
Built to last, adjustable
and easy to operate.
Upgradable from the
4 Colour 4 Station to the 6 Colour 6 Station press.
WEISS RANGE - FLOOR STANDING CAROUSELS
The small floor standing carousels are built using high quality
components, with a very precise and rigid construction
providing the basis for high quality prints. The registration
forks are factory set and require no lubrication or adjustment.
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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Setting up
Exposure units
Squeegees
To transfer your image onto your screen you will need to use
an exposure unit. There are many different exposure unit set
ups on the market. Each having different light sources. UV,
halide and Halogen are very popular in the UK. Our Wicked
exposure unit has a 1000 watt halogen light source and is
provided will all waterbased and plastisol kits.
We sell both aluminium and wooden squeegees in a variety
of sizes (8,12,15,18 inches) with either a D cut or square
cut blade. Depending on the ink you plan to use, the type
of surface you are printing onto and the effect you want to
achieve will determine what you choose.
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the handles
A very large part of your decision if you are new to screen
printing will be your budget and space. Exposure units vary
dramatically in price. The WPS unit is small and compact, it’s
a great popular starter piece of equipment.
See: exposing equiptment
Aluminium squeegees: are hard wearing, non absorbent,
easy to clean (using screenwash) and allows you to increase
pressure when printing.
Wooden squeegees: are moisture resistant and have
been treated to prolong the life of the handle. Designed for
maximum comfort, for easy pull and push when printing.
The yoke of the hand takes all of the pressure, so printing is
less strenuous on the fingers and thumb. Wooden squeegees
are cheaper than aluminium but can be prone to warping
the blades
Our squeegees use the WPS range of Flow Print Squeegee
blades - we sell both D (aka V) and Square Cut Blades.
D Cut blades are ideal for Textile Printing and using Plastisol
Ink. It is suitable for absorbent materials as the D cut blades
lay down a heavier deposit of ink. Great when printing light
coloured inks onto dark garments.
The Square Cut is available with different level of Shores
(hardness of the blade) ranging from soft to very hard. The
blades are manufactured to exhibit minimal swelling whilst
maintaining hardness, resilience and abrasion resistance.
the buyers guide
www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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setting up
21
work space
Wicked carousels and printing presses are tabletop, they
are designed to be space saving and suitable for those with
limited space. Great for small workshops, shops, schools and
colleges where multiple printing presses are required and
those working from home.
We also sell the Weiss range of Floor standing carousels,
made in Denmark they are high quality carousels designed
for commercial screen printers. These carousels require
more space than the tabletop units.
Small:
The exposure unit can also be sat on a table and depending
on the size of the screen you are exposing takes up only
1 meter square of space.
Work space
100cm
The maximum area needed, say if you were printing with our
6 colour carousel set up with our largest 23” x 31” screens is
a comfortable spinning circle of 6 foot. Smaller screens require
a smaller spinning circle.
Carousel space
200cm
Small carousel’s
max screen width:
4 colour = 90cm
6 colour = 50cm
90cm
The table size required for the printing press base must be big
enough to cover the base size of our presses. We recommend
a table of no less than 130cm in length / 65cm width.
medium:
Work space
100cm
The measurements for our 2,4, and 6 colour presses are:
Without Platen = length 120cm /47”, Width 46cm / 18”
With Platen fully extended = length 140cm /55.5”
Carousel space
280cm
Medium carousel’s
max screen width:
4 colour = 115cm
6 colour = 62cm
90cm
Weiss floor standing carousel
the buyers guide
Small dryers such as the
WPS Tunnel Dryer and the
Panther 700 Texitunnel
can be used with Single
Phase electrical supplies.
Bigger dryers are mainly
three phase.
If you are looking to purchase a tunnel dryer, depending on
what size dryer you are looking for you will need between 2.5m
– 4m in length by approx 1m length. Also check that you have
adequate electrical power.
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printing
Emulsion
inks & medium
There are many emulsions on the market and every printer will
have their preferred type and brand. Some emulsions come
pre sensitised and ready for use and some will need mixing.
How much ink will you need?
Our emulsion is a 2 part emulsion, its comes with sensitizer
which when pre-sensitized both parts can last between 12-24
months. Once mixed the emulsion lasts 6-8 weeks (its life can
be prolonged slightly if it is stored in a cold place, like the
fridge). It is possible to mix half sensitizer with half emulsion
which will prolong shelf life.
Watch: Step by step screen
printing video tutorial [04:13s
for coating your screen].
Tip: avoid exposing your
emulsion to light when mixing
and coating.
Some printers prefer readymade capillary film. WPS are a
supplier of Ulano emulsions and we are continually expanding
the range.
This depends on the size of your print and how many
prints you need to produce per colour. As an approximate
example, a 1 litre tub of ink will produce 200-300 prints A4
size, depending on how heavy the deposit of ink is on your
garment. This should help you calculate your requirement.
If you are using specialist inks such as ‘all night glow inks’
typically a 1 litre tub will give you between 60-100 prints for an
A5/A4 logo.
the three main types of ink we sell
Plastisol inks: Widely used in garment printing because
they are easy to print, do not dry on the screen, can be
opaque on dark garments, and adhere to most textiles.
Perfect all rounder
Ulano proclaim emulsion: An all purpose textile
and graphic emulsion. Prints a wide variety of inks and
Note: 925 requires a longer
substrates. Provides excellent definition and resolution and
exposure time when using the
sharp durable stencils. A true multi-purpose emulsion for
WPS exposure unit
textiles and graphics. For use with Plastisol, solvent based and
short runs on Waterbased inks
Great for long print runs
Ulano 925WR (Water Resistant) Emulsion
(28oz/0.82ltr): Stencils produced with 925WR are
completely water resistant and very durable. The 925 Emulsion
is highly recommended for long print runs and large designs
when using water based inks.
best for textiles
Ulano EZ-Film Capillary film: Intended for standard
textile printing using non-aqueous plastisol inks 31-61t Mesh
count. Adheres perfectly, dry’s quickly and exposes quickly.
Consistent stencil with no mess.
the buyers guide
Waterbased inks: A range of solvent free air-dry
waterbased inks, widely used in schools and colleges and is
perfect for printing onto fabric as well as paper, card board.
And Solvent based inks: A range for use on substrates
such as nylon, vinyl, plastic, correx, aluminium and rubber. You
will find Mercury Gloss, Catalysed, Correx, Nylo Bag, Paper &
Board and Vinyl inks in our range.
PLASTISOL INKS
Plastisol inks are most commonly used in screen printing
because they are not ‘air-dry’ inks and when producing longer
print runs they will not dry up on the screen. There is more
choice when choosing your plastisol inks, more colours,
plus additives can be added to your plastisol ink to produce
special effects such as puffer/raised effect, suede effect, Lycra
additive, glitters and metallic’s. We also sell specialist Plastisol
inks such as the ‘All Night Glow’ inks which glow in the dark for
several hours.
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24
printing
categories of plastisol inks we sell are:
See: Plastisol ink guide.
Union Max-Opake inks: High Opacity Direct Print.
the most opaque plastisol colours available, they can be
printed, quickly flash-cured and printed again to achieve
extremely bright prints on garments that contain polyester.
Ideal for dark garments as they have great opacity. Cotton or
cotton polyester blends. Wet on wet direct printing. Special
low bleed version for polyester and bleeding cotton/poly
fabrics. Manual or automatic printing. Easy to print - soft
creamy consistency and ready to use.
Union Mix-Opake inks: High-Speed High Opacity.
Similar to Max-Opake, but is a system to mix standard Pantone
and Union colours to order. Union’s Mix-Opake inks provide
you with the opportunity to simulate almost any colour in the
PANTONE® Gloss Colour Selector (Coated). The Mix-Opake
inks are an excellent choice for standard colours when color
matching is not required. With MIXE plastisols, you won’t have
to slow your production with additional flash curing stations
between colours or to clean excessive build-up under the
screens. Extremely opaque prints. Prints cleanly at maximum
press speeds with virtually no build-up. Colours easily mixed by
hand. Excellent for everyday printing, prints easily by hand.
No white underlay needed. High speed wet on wet production
with virtually no build up.
Fluorescent inks: Neon (fluorescent) colours are the
latest addition to the Max-Opake colour line.
Metallic inks: Metallic Plastisol Inks are formulated for
direct screen applications on textiles they are 100% solventfree and cannot be air-dried.
Glitter inks: High deposit lead-free plastisol glitter inks
with excellent opacity. These inks will heat cure to a glittering
textured metallic finish.
Under base inks: These are for direct printing or overprint
for transfers.
See: Plastisol with additives.
Plastisol inks cannot be
ironed and must be heat
cured at 150°C.
Plastisol inks MUST be fully heat cured before washing to
avoid the print coming off in the wash. Plastisol inks wrap
around the fibres in the fabric, sitting on top of the fabric
producing a more ‘dense’ appearance and have a rubbery
feel to them. You can change the appearance and feel
of the plastisol ink by using an extender base or a super
smooth base so as it feels and looks like the water based
or sublimation ink.
Plastisol inks cannot be ironed directly over, due to the
plastisizer in the ink. Plastisol inks must be cured at a
temperature of 150 °C. Plastisol inks require screenwash
to clean them off your screen.
Tru-tone process inks: Union Ink’s Tru-Tone (PRPL)
plastisol inks are the premier inks for process colour printing
on textiles. Tru-Tone inks have extremely accurate, consistent
colours, very low dot gain, and are ready to print with.
Glow in the dark inks: Full range of colours by day
and night. Vivid fluorescent colours by day with a range of glow
colours by night.
the buyers guide
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www.wickedprintingstuff.com
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printing
WATERBASED INKS
Solvent Based Ink and Additives
Waterbased ink is an air dry ink and with the use of an air dry
catalyst the drying can be accelerated in order to achieve a
quicker drying reaction/bond with the fabric. Various factors
can determine a ‘fully cure’ of the print and so WPS always
recommends the use of heat curing equipment in order to fully
cure the print and guarantee wash fastness.
We have listed below the type of ink that should be used
when printing onto other types of materials. Solvent based
inks require screenwash to remove them when cleaning
them off your screen:
The waterbased ink is like a dye that changes the colour of
the fabric and has a sublimation appearance. Waterbased
inks have a softer feel as the ink dyes the fabric as opposed to
‘sitting on top’ of the fibres; it has an almost non-existent feel
to it.
Waterbased inks are widely used in schools, colleges and
on babies clothing. If you are printing an all-over print on to a
garment that needs to be ironed such as a cotton shirt then a
waterbased ink would be more suitable as you can iron over
the print. Waterbased inks require water when cleaning them
off your screen.
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Paper/Board/Card: This type of print requires an AIR
DRY ink. You can use either a solvent free waterbased ink,
or for a permanent outdoor ink you will need a paper & board
solvent based ink.
Transfers: Plastisol ink
Nylon bags: Nylobag ink (Solvent Based). Nylon Fabric
cannot be heat cured.
Vinyl products: Vinyl ink (Solvent Based)
Correx/Plastic: Polyplast ink or Correx ink (Solvent
Based)
Waterbased inks come in standard colours (except the
opaque white) and are not ideal for printing onto dark
garments, unless a white under base is printed first, flash
dried and then overprinted with the required colour. This is
one of the many reasons plastisol inks in the maxopake range
are widely used and are the first choice when printing onto
black garments.
Catalysed: Metals, ceramics, glass, phenolics, ureas/
melamines, acrylics, stoved enamels, treated polyethylene,
polypropylene and some polyesters.
When printing breast size logos (9cm x 9cm approx),
waterbased or plastisols can be used but you cannot iron
directly over a plastisol print as it will re-melt the plastisol
and smudge.
Please note: There are health and safety regulations that come
with using all solvent based types of ink.
the buyers guide
Mercury Gloss: Paper, board, corrugated board, wood,
hardboard, polyart, metal, fake leather, metal foils and
polyesters which have been top coated.
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printing
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drying & curing fabrics
Tunnel Dryers
If you are printing more than one coat of ink for the same
image, or printing a multi-colour image, you will need to flash
cure your ink by using a flash dryer or heat gun between each
print. Once your print is dry to the touch you can apply your
second coat or next colour.
We manufacture the most comprehensive range of Tunnel
Dryers in Europe ranging from the brilliant WPS Tunnel Dryer
ideal for the smaller workshop using a tabletop or small
standalone carousel up to the top of the range Panther Dryers
which are ideal for Screen Printers with automatic presses or
Digital printers.
Flash dryer
See: heat curing.
Once you have finished your print, you will need to fully cure
your garment. Simply drying the print does not mean that your
garment is machine washable. In other words – The print will
come out in the wash!
for Fabrics printed with Plastisol inks
Heat gun
If in doubt, test it out
Cure at 153°C
All plastisol inks are not air dry and will therefore need to be
dried by heat equipment. Plastisol inks will also need to be
fully cured at 153 degrees, which is drying them to the correct
temperature and length of time, in order for the ink to not
come off in the wash. A flash dryer will dry and cure the inks
in 60 seconds and for longer print runs or larger set ups, a
tunnel dryer is recommended. We sell Flash dryers and Tunnel
dryers separately and our Mega kits include a Flash dryer, the
Professional Kit ranges also include the WPS Tunnel Dryer.
for Fabrics printed with waterbased inks
WPS waterbased inks need to be cured at 180 degrees.
To cure your inks, you have a number of options. You can use
a flash dryer, heat press or tunnel conveyor dryer for this.
If you are using a WPS flash dryer to cure your print, we
recommend you measure the temperature of your print with
a digital laser thermometer until it reaches the required
temperature. Depending on the nature of your fabric it
is recommended that you break this up into intervals of
approximately 10-15 seconds and repeat 3-5 times as most
garments cannot withstand such continuous heat in one go.
If you are a busy printer, you will find that a conveyor tunnel
dryer is a much quicker, more efficient and reliable way of
curing prints.
the buyers guide
Wash Fastness
We always say here at WPS, the only definitive test to
determine if inks are fully cured is a wash test. That is washing
the garment in hot water with a strong detergent. Of course,
don’t ignore the washing instructions of your garment. If the
print is under cured, the print will show deterioration after only
1-3 washes.
Textitunnel 8220 Tunnel Dryer
Cure at 180°C
WPS tunnel dryer
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Cleaning
Cleaning your screen
health & safety
for Waterbased ink
It is important to consider the environment that you are working
in, in order for you to select the correct type of ink to use.
If working in a well ventilated garage or workshop environment,
then plastisol inks or solvent based inks are fine to use. They
contain an odour and require a solvent screenwash to remove
them from your screens.
As waterbased inks dry on the screen, you must clean it down
straight away, or your mesh will clog. For this simply use water.
for Plastisol ink
To clean plastisol ink from your screen, you will need a dry
cotton cloth and some screen wash. Apply a generous amount
of screen wash to the cloth and rub with pressure. The screen
wash will dissolve the ink. You must be in a well ventilated
room to use high strength screen wash.
Prefer to use Biodegradeable solutions?
You could also try dilutable biodegradable screen wash
that has a low odour and contains less harmful chemicals
to the printer and environment. WPS supply a range of
environmentally friendly products, which are drain safe.
Ghosting
If you have any ghosting left on your screen which is common
when using waterbased inks as they dye the mesh, Haze
Paste remover is a good solution. However its nasty stuff and
is extremely harmful to the skin and the environment. Make
sure you wear gloves when handling the remover. Your screen
can be used over and over again if stored safely.
See: screen cleaning kit.
If working in your home or in schools and colleges, you will
need to select a solvent free ink such as a waterbased ink in
order for there to be no fumes emitted and also for ease of
cleaning down. e.g. if using a bath or shower and only water
to remove the ink from your screen. It is not advisable to use,
keep or store any inks and chemicals in an area where there
are persons under 18 years of age.
See: biodegradable cleaning
products.
environmental printing
See: Haze paste remover.
See: WPS gone green.
If you want to do your bit for the environment, choosing
biodegradable platens, cleaning products and water
based inks.
reclaiming your screen
‘Reclaiming’ is the act of striping the stencil from your screen
in order to create a new strencil and start the printing process
over again. The main ingredient for reclaiming is stencil
remover or ‘strip’. If you dont remove the stencil properly it
can interfere with your next piece of artwork.
the buyers guide
See: page 09 for the cleaning
section of the basics.
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GLOSSARY
C
Carousel
Consumables
Curing
E
Emulsion
Exposure
F
H
Flood
Halftone
Halogen
Halide
M
Medium
Mesh
the buyers guide
A rotating device which holds screens in place for printing.
A commodity that is intended to be used up relatively quickly.
ie: inks and tapes.
To set or fix printed matter.
A light-sensitive coating for photographic use, containing
crystals of a silver compound dispersed in a medium such
as gelatin.
To transfer artwork onto the screen by allowing the light
sensitive emulsion to come into contact with an extreme
light source for a set period of time.
P
Platen
R
Reclaiming
Registration
Removing an existing stencil from a screen.
The positioning and alignment of the print area to the substrate
being printed.
S
Screen
Sensitised
Solvent
Squeegee
Stencil
Strip
Sublimation
The taught mesh across a frame, used for printing.
Reactive or reacted substance.
A substance which is dialutable, usually harmful.
A scraping implement with a rubber-edged blade set on
a handle.
A defined area, allowing for repetitive identical prints.
Liquid used from breaking down emusion on a screen.
A change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without
Substrate
becoming liquid.
A surface or material.
To cover the screen in ink.
A reproduction of an image in which the various tones of gray
or colour are produced by dots of ink.
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an
incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within
an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine
or bromine.
A high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp, produce high light
output for their size, making them a compact, powerful, and
efficient light source.
A thick neutral liquid which is combined with waterbased inks
for both paper and textiles to prolong the drying time of the
ink, increase coverage without diluting colour and helps the
ink bond to the surface more successfully.
Material made of a network of wire or thread.
T
U
Positive
Transparent
Trough
UV
A flat surface which allows the screen to be pressed against
and make contact with a substrate such as fabric or paper.
The visual which is intended to be transferred on to an
unexposed emulsion coated screen.
Allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be
distinctly seen.
Long, narrow container used for applying a thin coat of
emulsion to a screen.
Ultra violet light form.
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www.wickedprintingstuff.com
T: 01474 709009
F: 01474 709200
E: [email protected]
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