# Ink smears under the screen



## chalkmaroon (Jun 29, 2010)

Hi there,

I make my first experiences with screen printing.
Today I've tried my first 1 color prints on T-shirts. I use water based ink and a 110 mesh.
Since the ink wasn't opaque enough with one print, I've cured the first print with a heat gun and printed again.
After the 2. time, it looked like this:









Has anyone an idea, what's the problem here ?
The ink felt really dry after I've printed again.

I've figured out, that I was able to see the ink coming through on the print side of the screen after the flood stroke.
My theory was, that either my flood stroke is too hard, or the my stencil is not thick enough.

My first question is now, how thick should the emulsion be on the print side ?
I've made 2 coatings (let the first dry over night) with a scoop coater with a sharp edge on the print side and one on the inside of the screen.
After the emulsion was dry, I was still able to feel the meshes slightly on the screen.
Is this ok ?

After a few prints, I've got better results with more detailed edges.
I think, I've put more pressure on the squeegee, but I'm not sure...

Can anybody help me with this ?

Thanks, 

Oli


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## torodesigns (Jun 24, 2007)

I am not a waterbased printer . . . but this happens to me when the ink is flooded through the screen before the shirt. When you flood stroke it should be a light stroke then use regular pressure when you actually print. Just me two cents.


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## Tj Ryonet Tech (Jul 28, 2008)

You really should be using at minimum a 156 mesh screen with water base inks. Also make sure you have at least 1/8th inch off contact. If the screen is touching the shirt you will smear because the screen can not pull off ht shirt to deposit the ink.


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## rudi (Mar 7, 2007)

Toro's right,you have flooded the screen with to much pressure and probably left it flooded for too long. 110 mesh isn't helping either.


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## chalkmaroon (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks for your answers, folks !

The ink manufacturer recommended the 110 mesh for this ink, so I thought I should trust him...

Well, I will try again and work on my flood and print stroke technique !
I'm also going to experiment with a bit more off contact next time.

Thanks again,

Oli


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## whimsywhit (May 25, 2009)

I just came on the forum to try to find an answer to the SAME question! That's pretty awesome! This is an issue we've had off and on for quite some time now, but only with four or five color jobs. Every now and then if we use a neon ink over an underbase it happens. Is the ink too thin? That neon ink is pretty runny. I know that when we use opaque Union inks it doesn't happen, but some of the others (mixopake, ultrasoft) do turn out like that. Yellows are the biggest problem. 
Now, my question is, how come after we clean the bottom of all the screens, we get two or three good prints before it starts bleeding out like that? Why don't it do it every time? Do you think it is just certain boards that need adjusting? We run a 6 head Javelin automatic with a flash on head one. We probably need to invest in another flash unit, but that will be another six or seven months down the road, since we just got a new dryer and washout tub.


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## Kime (Aug 1, 2008)

I have this problem if the ink gets too thick and I have to push too hard to flood the screen (waterbased gets thicker as you print because it dries out). If you look at the print side of the screen after you flood and you see the edge of the ink hanging lower than your emulsion then you will have this problem, especially printing a second layer after flashing. You will also have problems if your ink is too thin so don't thin it too much. Even if the ink is the right consistency you can have problems if you push too hard when you flood, you have to experiment to find the right pressure for the ink. 

You can try flooding with just barely enough pressure to get the ink to move so that you don't push so much ink through the screen. With the first stroke it isn't as much of a problem if there is some extra ink because the extra can move into the shirt, but after you flash there is no place for the extra ink to go except sideways.


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## jsf (Aug 4, 2009)

Do not use flood stroke. One way stroke is much better. Viscosity of ink will be a plus esp on dark cloth. Try printing without off-contact.


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## rudi (Mar 7, 2007)

jsf said:


> Do not use flood stroke. One way stroke is much better. Viscosity of ink will be a plus esp on dark cloth. Try printing without off-contact.


Wilth Plastisol yes but you need to flood when printing with waterbase.


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## jsf (Aug 4, 2009)

rudi said:


> Wilth Plastisol yes but you need to flood when printing with waterbase.



Sorry, I am no plastisol user. I am a waterbase inker.


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## cerithomas (Jan 22, 2010)

I found this mainly happens if you flood stroke a duration before the actual print stroke, only flood stroke just before your going to print, leaving the screen once flooded if for only a couple of seconds will cause this to happen when on a angle with some water based inks, if you do leave it too long and notice the ink has run outside the stencil underneath you can sometimes resolve it by rubbing clean with a waste t-shirt, annoying I know but screen printing is an age old art that takes time to get perfect....so I was told.


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## 1leonchen (May 10, 2010)

when i got my first screen printing kit i got water based inks. and i nearly gave me gray hairs i had simillar problems . now i am using pastsol inks one stroke with opaque inks.just my 2 cents


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