# Screen printing ink is coming out blotchy, or like the screen is leaving it's marks.



## Dima276 (Oct 24, 2008)

I've finally done some successful white on black prints. I even successfully printed some t-shirt a few days ago. But yesterday, trying a new design but using essentially the same ink I stumbled upon a weird pattern emerging. The white ink is looking like blotches, or as if you could see the screen actually leaving it's mark on the ink... I'm posting some pictures to see if someone can help me identify what is happening differently...


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## dougie54 (Jul 28, 2010)

Is your image on your screen clear of ink after you push the ink? If yes, How many strokes are you doing? What is your mesh count? You may need to flood 2 or 3 pushes(strokes), flash and then push again but do not flood your screen and flash. This should make your white pop!
Another problem maybe your of off contact is too high and you are pushing the ink into the fibers of the shirt. If this is the case you need to lower the off contact so you will not need to push so hard. Off contact needs to be about a 1/16 of an inch.
Hope this will help you.


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## Dima276 (Oct 24, 2008)

Thank you Doug. Yeah the ink is clearing... I'm using 155 mesh count. I usually do a flood stroke, and then I push it, then flood it again and push it again. I currently have 3 (stacked) pennies taped on the platen as a separator. I thought maybe a little higher off contact would help with clearing the screen...

After that screen I tried a 110 mesh count with another design but also white on black, and it's not clearing all that great. After I do the usual 2 floods, 2 strokes, I noticed the image on the screen still has some ink left... Could this be from the off contact being too high?


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## Dima276 (Oct 24, 2008)

What are some of the negative aspects that may result from having the off contact too high?


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## inkwerks (Jun 29, 2008)

You can distort the image. From the pics your not getting good coverage. Stay with the 156. If you have to stroke more than twice before the flash your doing something wrong. Going to a low mesh is not always the answer. Using a low mesh screen is just masking the problem. Try pulling the squeegee. I have never been a fan of the push stroke. With proper technique you can clear the screen and get a great print with minimal effort. You might want to look at reducing your ink a bit. What brand of ink are you using?


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## gerryppg (Jan 29, 2010)

I have found a bit of reducer (not much) or softhand base on a 156 mesh 2 strokes flash and 1 fast stroke should get you a nice bright white.


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## dougie54 (Jul 28, 2010)

Just flood once and then push with 2 or 3 strokes. Flash it and do another push stroke or two, then flash it. You may need to use 2 pennies for your off contact. If your shirts are sticking to the screen you need more tack and less pressure pushing down on the screen. If you screen is old it has lost alot of tension. You may need to replace your screen. A old screen that has lost it tension will not pop off the shirt after the squeegee passes over it.


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## Dima276 (Oct 24, 2008)

Thank you guys for the replies. The ink I'm using is made by a local supplier. It's worked great before. It might be that my technique is slightly off due to not been able to work for a few months. Plus I was stirring the ink with a kitchen hand mixer, but today I stirred it with my drill, and it seems a lot creamier.

I've read about the reducer since I started (and I have some), but for some reason I'm inclined to leave that as a very last resort. My screens are not very old (maybe 6 months to a year), so I'm thinking that maybe with the ink having sat in the garage for a while, it might have changed somewhat... I do remember the first time I used it prior to encountering these issues using my drill to stir it well (since I knew it had sat there for a few months), and it worked pretty good. Then it sat there for maybe a week, and I stirred it with the hand mixer, thinking it might not need that much stirring. Anyway, I'm gonna try again today, and I'm gonna take everything you guys have said into consideration. If I see that stirring it with the drill is not enough, I guess I'll have to try and reduce it a bit. Plus, I believe maybe I am pushing it a bit too hard into the shirt... 

Gotta get it right... Thanks again!


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