Sign up for the newsletter and immediately receive a 5% discount coupon

Does your mesh tear a few days after cleaning the screen?

How to screen print opaque white without a screen printing oven or heat press.

After using my screenprinting screen with solvent-based screen printing ink, I clean it with a dedicated product. But after having left it to dry, I find that the screenprinting mesh has torn. Where am I going wrong?

Dedicated products used for cleaning screens, like any solvent, can “attack” the glue and/or the screen’s mesh.

But there is a solution.

During the cleaning process, work only on cleaning the design and stay away from the edges of the mesh and the frame, and make sure you only use just the right amount of product to dissolve and clean away the ink. Then, use a dry cloth to remove any remaining traces of solvent.

Please note: if the solvent isn’t completely removed, it will continue acting and therefore damage the screen.

Indeed, the solvent that’s used to clean the screen needs to have as little contact as possible with the glue.

This is also why the adhesive tape used to mask and protect the screen needs to adhere well to the edges, on the inner part of the screen, and needs to be removed after the cleaning process has been completed.

You may also like

Do you have a curiosity or a question to ask us?

Write here

Are those little cracks you sometimes see when screenprinting with water-based inks normal? Yes. But there is a way to...

It’s true: the black produced by an inkjet printer often leaves a little bit of pixelation. But it’s not poor...

As you’d expect, it depends on the type of ink. Here are some examples of how to properly dilute screen...

Using film isn't the only solution in screen printing. It’s also possible to achieve good results with stencils. Here are...

Hi, my wife and I have decided to turn our loft into a workshop for printing on T-shirts, caps, etc.We...

An indispensable screenprinting tool that all screen printers know how to use in many creative ways. Here we explain how...

Here's a quick run-down of the differences between digital transfer printing and sublimation printing, answering the many questions we get...

Those producing artistic prints often need to apply screen printing inks with a brush. It can be done and here...

I’d like to paint on T-shirts and sweatshirts by hand, and I’d like to create a paint colour from pigments....