Screenprinting Store

Water based inks are suitable to silk print on fabric with the effect you need, I can suggest you Modatex ink. Modatex ink viscosity is suitable for 55 thread/cm frame but it`s really difficult planning the effect on the fabric without precise informations.

Does the problem arises printing big and regular areas? It could depends on the permeability of the paper that soaks up the ink, so the ink itself goes into the fibre without remain on the paper surface. A frame of 120 thread it`s too much for big areas, maybe it`s better a thicker 77 thread frame that allows to a higher quantity of ink to pass and deposit on the paper. You should also try to change paper and silk screenprint using a less absorbent and more compact one so the ink will dry before go into the fibre.

To screenprint on nylon we suggest you Nyloflex ink. This is a solvent based ink that dries with natural temperature or you can fasten the drying time by blowing warm air. If the screenprinting process is difficult you can add catalyst, it allows to improve the resistance of the ink without modifying the drying time.

After the screenprinting process the frame can be completely cleaned from the ink and stored for following printings or it`s also possible using a specific product to remore the emulsion and engrave again it. This is always possible with every kind of emulsion unless it has been catalized but this is really unusual.

The emulsion you are referring to is the Universal emulsion QLT ready to use, that doesn`t need a UV light but just a “cold” light as an alogen or neon. This emuslion lasts for about 100 water based ink printings, but with other inks (plastisol or solvent based) is the same as other emulsions. The frame engraved with the emulsion QLT can be recuperated and agraved again.

To dry the plastisol ink you can use both,  the heatpress and the flash dryer.  That's right, using the heatpress you  obtain a glossy effect. To get it, you have to put a sheet of glossy film between the hot head and the image. 

Elastic Modatex inks are available in Clear Base, White, Black, Yellow Europe, Magenta Europe, Cyan Europe (The last three used only in four colour printing).
If you print onto light coloured fabric I suggest that you add the Clear Base to the normal colours, to obtain the elasticity required.
If you print onto dark coloured fabric, it is better to print a base using Elastic White. Then you can print onto the base using the normal colours.
It is true that the elastic colours have less covering power than the normal ones.
The question about a drier is not important, because you have the same problem with plastisol inks.
Also in plastisol inks there is an elastic base. Usually people add the coloured pigments to the elastic base with good results.

It is a fact that the water based inks dry on the screen if you stop moving the squeege for more than three or four minutes.
However you do not get this problem with the plastisol inks, because they don't contain any solvent which evaporates.
These plastisol inks become strong only if you dry them at 150°C.
Even though there is the risk of drying on the screen, water based inks are frequently used, because they have good characteristiques:
1) - They don't need the drying oven.
2) - Many people prefere this kind of ink because the finished appearance is very good: the image is absorbed onto the fabric whereas the plastisol ink is laid on the surface.

When you print a light color on a dark fabric there is no difference between the two inks, however you must follow a special procedure: (you can choose one of these)
1) - Print a white base on the fabric and then print your final colour on top of this base
2) - Print your image, dry quickly using a hair drier (without lifting the t-shirt from the table) and then print the same colour again.

What is my advice?
If you can buy a good drier (cost about Euro 5,500.00) you can use both inks depending on the final image required.
Without a drier, water based inks are certainly better. And there are two tricks you can use to delay the drying time on the screen:
1- Add a ritardent to the ink (maximum 2-3%)
2- Moving the squeege in a particular way to ensure that the image on the screen is always covered by the ink. The image must always be loaded with ink.

To be honest there are some driers which, although not designed for this purpose, nevertheless can be used.
For example: a flash drier, which costs about Euro 1,300.00, or a thermal press, which costs about Euro 500.00.
The disadvantage is that it slows down the production time. If you work for love, you can do it; but if you work for business, that's not a good idea.
With regard to the emulsion: a good universal emulsion is suitable for both inks; you can find them at this address: http://www.screenprintingstore.net/universal-emulsions.html

The binding agent is normally referred to as "the catalyst" and of course we can supply this product.
However, you must remember that every ink needs its own kind of catalyst.
Consequently I need the technical data of your ink and this can be found on line or from your supplier.
The catalyst is not expensive, it costs approximately 3 euros per tin which is sufficient for 1 kilo of water based ink.

Regarding your final paragraph, I'm a little confused by your terminology because what you call "emulsion" I would call "catalyst" in the context of your enquiry.

If you need any other help or information, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

If you have to print on Polypropylene, the most suitable ink is our Seriprop, wich about I send you the technical information, as attachment.
The inks plastisol are not suitable at all for Polypropylene, because they dry only at 160°C, and this temperature damns the polypropylene.
The ink Seriprop, instead, drys at the room temperature.
In addition, the ink Seriprop doesn't need any varnish over.

You can find all the Seriprop inks at this address: http://www.cplfabbrika.com/seriprop-quasar.html
The cleaners that you need for this ink are:
290.15 (normal) and 290.23 (slow).

If you like, you can make an order by e-mail.
The cost of shipping for a small box (these products are inflammable) is euro 45,00, from our head office (Albissola - Savona - Italy) to Nice.
Maybe is cheaper for you to come here and get the box: you will be welcome. (It's 130 Km only).

If you would like any further information or help, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Best regards

If they were in cardboard box, the ink you need is Serigloss based solvent.

If, however, and how likely are plastic, then the ink must Seriprop.

The resistance of both is excellent, when used on suitable media, respectively. Both require the same extender 290.15 (regular) or 290.23 (slow).

The water based ink, like the Modatex, adheres very well to the paper fibres, but if it is used in a liquid form it could dimensionally alter the paper, making it swell up or expand. You can avoid this inconvenience by using a more suitable vinyl ink, like the Serigloss (gloss finish) or the Serimat (matt finish). These are solvent based and dry up more quickly compared to the water based inks, and therefore avoid the fabric deformation.

Generally speaking, the discharge is used on dyed fabrics in a "dischargeable" way. the fabrics are either cotton or mixed cotton.
The product consists of a colourless base, to which the discharge powder is added at the time of use within the due proportions; the concentrated dye can also be added, if you wish. Then it is printed just like a common ink. The drying process in the drying rack causes the whitening of the colour of the fabric and its pigmentation with the new colour. It is not possible to use the product without the drying rack, or at least without a source of heat of 150°C. Some people use the heat gun: the process is feasible, but it takes a long time and it is not very manageable.
The new water based colour, the Modatex, dries at room temperature just like the Texprint Mono. We have verified that, if used correctly, it is more wash resistant and lasts longer in the tin, without degrading. On the contrary, the Texprint Mono has a fairly good hold on fabrics which are not compatible with it (or at least in theory), such as certain synthetics; the Modatex on the other hand, has no hold at all; the Modatex develops all its adhesion on the fabrics it is meant for: cotton and mixed cotton.

The pearlescent powder is based on mica, and therefore has a neutral Ph: it cannot possibly badly react to the ink; either coloured or transparent (normally it is added to the transparent base).
The formation of clumps may depend on an unfinished mix or on an excessive proportion of powder dissolved in the base (max dosage 10 to 15% in weight).
Another guess: had the pearlescent powder, by any chance, been mixed with, or were there residues in the ink of metallic gold or silver powder? As these powders are not neutral, and as they easily develop reactions, they could form some clumps.

The two types of ink are not at all in competition, and one of these cannot replace the other. They are both used, choosing the most suitable one each time, according the result one wishes to achieve. As far as the hold is concerned, some water based inks like the Quasar Modatex are exceptionally good on natural fibres, and are better than the plastisols. With regards to the printability, the water based ink tends to dry on the frame and it is necessary to print by using some precautions, especially during the hot season, whereas the print of the plastisols causes less problems. The plastisols polymerize at a higher temperature compared to the water based inks, and not all fabrics can stand these temperatures. The plastisol ink passes well through the mesh of the screen printing frame: you can print it up to a 120 mesh count; the water based ink does not go beyond the 77 mesh count. The water based ink penetrates in the fabric's fibres and gives it a softer touch. The plastisol produces the typical plasticized surface, and it not transpiring: this is to be bore in mind when printing summer t-shirts. Things become more complicated as there are plastisols without pvc: there is a new era of inks which can do without the pvc and the phthalates, which are considered harmful to a certain degree, and are rejected by some fashion manufacturers. The outcome of the print in this case is very similar to the one of the water based inks, but the ink remains fresh on the frame for enough time.

The printing limitations of a t-shirt are due to the size of the platen on which the t-shirt is placed, its thickness and the hemming of the neck and the sleeves. The only way to obtain a design on the 100% of the surface is by screen printing the fabric before sowing the garment.

With regards to the ink for the glass and for the china, you need the Quasar Epoxery with a catalyst, which you can purchase on our web site.

Certainly, it is possible with both the aforementioned inks, and also the solvent based ones. However, it is worth noticing that the result of the mix is fairly empirical, and only the manufacturers have the formulas needed to obtain the exact inks in the Pantone scale or the RAL scale.