What is the best ink to use for silk screening?
Plastisol ink
The most commonly used inks for silk screening are oil-based Plastisol ink, water-based suede, discharge, and expanding ink. People interested in more eco-friendly ink can use PVC and Phthalate-free types.
Can I add water to my screen printing ink?
Yup- it’s totally ok to add some water. Get it to the consistency you like. Be careful not to add so much that you dilute the binding chemicals in it though.
What is the difference between plastisol and water based inks?
Plastisol ink is thicker than water-based ink. It will raise up above the shirt a little more than water-based ink will, creating more dimension to the print. Plastisol ink also is more rigid compared to water-based ink. If you scrunch up a garment, plastisol ink will feel more stiff.
Is water based ink permanent?
With water based markers, you’re able to dip a brush in water and use the brush to apply or smooth out more color using the markers. Basically, water based markers are just a form of watercolors. If you add water, the color can easily be diluted or washed off. Alcohol markers are different because the ink is permanent.
Can you mix water based and plastisol ink?
For what it’s worth, Union Ink’s Plasticharge base is a waterbased base into which you mix plastisol inks 50/50, then add the activator. All the activator does is discharge the dye from the shirts, and in fact, Union says that you can still use the ink after the activator has crapped out.
Is water based ink waterproof?
Because fountain pen inks are water based most are not waterproof and don’t do well when they get wet. There are many fountain pen inks that are either waterproof or water resistant. They are made from various components that make them waterproof.
What is the oldest ink?
black carbon ink
The earliest ink, from around 2500 BCE, was black carbon ink. This was a suspension of carbon, water and gum. Later, from around 3rd century CE, brown iron-gall ink was used. This was obtained from oak galls.
What does drawing fluid do for a silk screen?
Drawing fluid is a commercial product that artists use when creating silk screens. Silk screens operate like stencils, allowing ink to pass through a design and blocking it from passing through elsewhere. Drawing fluid serves as a resist to block the ink.
Why are water based inks used in screen printing?
Water based inks are literally any ink that has water as its key component. That tends to throw people off! Traditional water based and discharge inks don’t sit on top of the shirt like plastisol does. Instead, the actual fibers of the shirt are altered. This makes for a long-lasting print that’s as soft as the shirt is.
Which is the best water based screen printer?
Water Based Screen Printing Inks Ryonet is proud to offer environmentally friendly Green Galaxy Water Based Ink. The CMS pigments afford screen printers the ability to mix any color (including the Pantone color range) as needed with just 14 basic pigment colors.
How to choose the best ink for screen printing?
1. Choose your screen mesh to suit. Water based inks have a lower viscosity (that is, they are generally thinner) than plastisol inks so that they soak effectively into your fabric of choice, so you will want to choose a finer mesh than you might otherwise. Most screen printers use a mesh size of between 150 and 160 with water based inks.