# ink sticking to screen for wet on wet printing



## BlackPressGr (Jun 9, 2007)

I've had an occasional problem when printing a multicolor wet on wet print. Sometimes the ink transfer on the back of the 3rd or 4th screen will stick to the shirt when I print.

I've adjusted my off contact more and less with the same results. I've even tried adjust the angle of my squeegee but no luck.

It doesn't happen to every print but when it happens during a 5 or 6 color print, it tends to screw up the registration a little. Just enough to frustrate me.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong there or what I can do to avoid that happening?

-Nick


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

What kind of ink are you using?

Some inks are formulated for printing 'wet-on-wet', while others aren't.


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## BlackPressGr (Jun 9, 2007)

Mostly I'm using Wilflex Plastisol ink. But I also have some cheaper ink that I'm trying to use up (the brand name is slipping my mind right now). Both inks give me the same problem.

But I don't think either of them are specifically wet on wet inks.


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

personally im not a fan of wet on wet i rather flash between colors till plastisol is gelled not cured then continue printing with the next color.


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Wilflex makes quite a few different inks. You should find out which line you're using, or contact your vendor to ask which line is best for wet on wet.

You also might want to try to reduce your inks a bit. And make sure your off contact is set right.

Wet on Wet is the only way to print lights in my opinion. It's true, sometimes you will need to do a flash, like before printing black outlines, just to keep the image crisp. But with proper off contact, tight screens and a good press, wet on wet sure makes the job go a lot faster. It also tends to push the ink into the shirt a little more leaving a bit of a softer feel.


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

What mesh count are you using for the colors? You might want to try 180 or 230 for your wet on wet colors.


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## BlackPressGr (Jun 9, 2007)

tman07 said:


> What mesh count are you using for the colors? You might want to try 180 or 230 for your wet on wet colors.


I use 230 for all my colors and 156 for white underlays.

If I have no other option, I'll flash between each color. But when I'm running a 6 color job of 50 - 100 shirts, that's just too much time for each shirt.

I'll do some looking into the inks made for wet on wet printing but this time of year is when my budget is tight.


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

You really shouldn't be having that much trouble. Your mesh counts are ok. Try reducing your ink with some curable reducer or soft hand and make sure you have proper off contact. Also, after printing the underbase, make sure you flash it long enough and let it cool a bit. That's when 4 or more stations come in handy. That should do the trick.


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## BlackPressGr (Jun 9, 2007)

What would you say the ideal amount of off contact is?

Typically I keep it around 1/8 inch off the shirt surface. If thicker inks like white give me trouble, I'll bump the off contact up another 1/32 to 1/8 but I try to avoid that when possible.

I wish I had the 4 station going. But with the press I have, it would have caused more problems then helped. It's a Brown Mfg 6 color 2 station built on top of a conveyor dryer. It's great for working in a small space like I am but the 4 station would mean there was always a shirt in front and behind the conveyor belt.

To help cool after the flash I keep a pedestal fan blowing on my platten so it doesn't interfere with the flash dryer or conveyor dryer.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Nick, is that the Pony Xprs?


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## thestitchwitch (Apr 2, 2010)

BroJames,

The setup he's using IS the PonyXpress. That's the SP rig I have.


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## pyrophire (Jul 4, 2010)

BlackPressGr said:


> I'm running a 6 color job of 50 - 100 shirts, that's just too much time for each shirt.
> 
> I'll do some looking into the inks made for wet on wet printing but this time of year is when my budget is tight.


What kind of overhead do you have that you cant take some of the profit from the 50 - 100 shirts and invest it into something that will make you money...
Like everyone says "you gotta spend money to make money"


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