Acrylic and vinyl inks dry faster (15 to 30 minutes) than enamel inks (4 to 6 hours), but remain vulnerable to solvents after drying, unlike enamel paints. Water-based inks dry more slowly (about 1 hour) and are used mainly on paper and cardboard, extendable to some textiles and some plastics. Exclusively water-based paints are considered the most environmentally friendly – they do not emit volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere – so there has been special interest in their development, but unfortunately the range of substrates covered by these paints is still limited, making solvent-based inks, such as multipurpose, acrylic, vinyl and enamel inks, the best choice for most substrates (metal, certain plastics, wood, glass, cardboard, aluminum, vinyl, etc.), despite their pollutants. ⓵ The first group of silkscreen ink refers to paints that dry in air, either through evaporation or oxidation (reaction to oxygen). Evaporation and oxidation (water-based and solvent-based, or mixed inks)ģ. Regarding inks, they can be divided into three main groups, according to the drying mode:ġ. The chemical characteristics (composition) and physical (shape and roughness) of the substrate, as well as the ambient temperature and humidity, define the type of ink to be used and any necessary prior procedures.įor example, in the case of printing on glass, if the air humidity is high, the glass may have to be heated before printing or for polypropylene or polyethylene substrates, it is natural to have to mix a specific additive into the ink or to opt for a pretreatment based on high-frequency discharges that optimize the surface properties so that it becomes more adherent. To ensure good ink adhesion and avoid clogging the screen holes, the substrates must be very clean and dry when printing. Substrate is the technical term that refers to the surface that is intended to be printed on, be it paper, plastic, fabric, glass, wood, tile, etc.
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This is an important theme for any printing or painting technique, the correct choice of ink largely interferes with a good result, both in the final product and in its durability.
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This article addresses the topic of silkscreen inks – inks used in screen printing and their relationship with the surface to be printed, taking into account other variables such as ambient temperature and air humidity.