Printing multiple colors with traditional water-based inks can be challenging for a number of reasons.
When printing an additional color on top of one that has just been flashed, the screen may stick to the shirt or print, requiring force to be removed — and potentially damaging the screen.
In order to avoid issues when printing multiple colors, ask yourself the following questions:
Is the ink on the shirt dry to the touch after flashing? If the ink is still wet or sticky, flash it once more, taking care not to leave it too long, which could scorch the underlying shirt.
Did you allow the ink to cool down before applying a second hit? Hot ink, even the water-based variety, can act like a glue when the components are in a molten state.
Did you use enough pallet adhesive? This is sort of a “no-brainer” question, but an important factor, nonetheless.
Finally, is the off contact set high enough? If the screen is too close to the shirt, too much of its surface may touch the shirt, causing it to stick.
Reviewing this checklist may help you prevent sticking when printing multiple colors using water-based and plastisol inks.
Ed Branigan is the print applications manager at International Coatings and has extensive experience in screen printing inks and technology. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog at internationalcoatingsblog.com.
