How to Guide to choosing the right screen product

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How to Guide to choosing the right screen product

Synopsis...

This simple How to Guide has been developed to help you select the most appropiate screen making products to help you optimise your first surface screen printing process.

• Screens that are quick and easy to use
• Good print reproduction and minimal static generation
• Stencils that have no surface tack and have good durability - zero colour bleed
• Stencils that are easy to de-coat or suitable for archiving for repeat jobs

Recommendations:

We have specifically formulated a range of screen making products to work harmoniously with our industrial range of first surface printable lacquers, Fototex, Windotex and Print and Peel. The colour coded tables below will help guide you to select the most appropiate products for each screen making stage.

Which Degreaser?

A well degreased screen is critical for long print runs. A few minutes spent preparing the screen will dramatically improve the durability of that screen and prevent costly remakes.

 Degreasers
  Universal Mesh Prep Auto Degreaser Concentrate 1:10 Auto Degreaser Concentrate 1:25
Format Ready to use Dilute with 10 parts water Dilute with 25 parts water
Degreaser Yes Yes Yes
Wetting Agent Yes No No
Hazard Label free Warning Warning

Which Stencil?

The stencil is the heart of the process and a good quality stencil can literally make the difference between a profit and a loss. Select the best stencil for your application based on the inks you are using and the type of printing you do.

 EmulsionCapillary Film
  PLUS 1-SR PLUS 7000 Capillex 25 Capillex 35
Compatibility
Fototex 6 6 6 9
Fototex 3D 6 6 8 8
Print and Peel 1 8 1 1
Windotex 8 7 9 9
Emulsion colour Blue Blue Purple Blue
Chemistry Photopolymer Dual Cure Diazo Dual Cure
Solids Medium 32% Medium 35% Film Film
Mesh range 43 - 120/cm 43 - 120/cm 90 - 120/cm 62 - 100/cm
Exposure Fast Medium Medium Medium
Decoating Easy Medium Easy Easy
Hazard label Warning Warning Label free Warning

Which Solvents?

No two printers are identical and so we manufacture a wide range of screen cleaning solvents to meet your needs. Selecting the right solvent will help speed up your screen cleaning whilst making sure you are in full compliance with legislation.

 Screen OpenerPress washWater Washable Solvent
  Autosolve
Press Wash
AF
Autosolve
Press Wash
AF40
Autosolve
Press Wash
AF55
Autosolve
Aqua 2
Autosolve
Industrial AF
  Compatibility
Fototex 10 10 10 1 10
Fototex 3D 10 10 10 1 10
Print and Peel 1 1 1 10 1
Windotex 10 10 10 1 10
Water dilutable No No No 1:5 No
Evaporation (BuAC = 100) 5 25 1 <1 1
Odour Low Low Low Low Low
VOC 870g/litre 940g/litre 320g/litre 25g/litre 870g/litre
Flash Point 32°C 44°C 57°C >100°C 67°C
Biodegradable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hazard label Flammable Flammable Flammable Label free Warning

Which Stencil Stripper?

Remove Capillex films and PLUS emulsion stencils quickly and easily with one of our Autostrip products. Choose from a powder, gel or concentrate to meet your needs.

 Autostrip PowderAutostrip GelAutostrip Concentrate 1:20
Format Powder Gel Liquid
Processing Mix 100g with 5L water Ready-to-use Dilute with 20 parts water
Stencils PLUS and Capillex PLUS and Capillex PLUS and Capillex
Hazard label Oxidiser Label free Corrosive

Which Haze Remover?

A good haze remover is an essential tool for reusing screens many times and there are not many stains that cannot be removed with one of the Autotype Haze Removers.

 Autokleen PlusQuick CleanAutohaze
Format Used with Autosolve Ready-to-use liquid Ready-to-use paste
  Type of stains
Ink stains 9 8 10
Stencil stains 8 4 10
Diazo stains 8 4 10
Application Overnight Immediate Immediate
Hazard label Corrosive Danger Highly corrosive

Key

Use this key to help determine which is the best product for your needs

                   1 - 3                                       4 - 7                                       8 - 10                   
Not recommended/Caution Can be suitable Recommended

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