Washing about the screen printing, when it comes that indicates two of the washing, one is press wash and another is screen wash.
Depending on your next intention you will give your screen printing exactly what type of wash.
If you want to know the complete details about press wash and screen wash, you are now in the right place.
In this article, I am going to describe press wash and screen wash. Besides that, also will discuss the chemical components of those washing and finally, we will know about the difference between press wash and screen wash.
Let’s get started.
What is press washing?
Press washing can be defined as the washing method where the change isn’t permanent. Press washing is necessary because of changing the color of the screen for further use. Screen printing squeegee, flood bars, and frame are included here as washing parts for press washing.
When you go to press wash, keep in mind that all the elements that were needed for the pressing are well washed just to change the color. You can use these things again by washing them and then using them for different colors or other chemicals.
Not necessary to use any degradation chemical for that, but you can use some mild chemical solvent which can dilute the ink chemical from screen printing and allow you to clean from printing pressing elements and reuse them again for a different color.
Depending on the chemical ink used for printing, the press washing chemical might be changing.
Note: For press washing, be aware that the emulsion shouldn’t get harmed. You can just give a clean wash to them. Emulsion and mesh rely on the on-screen part category of screen printing.
Why press washing is important?
The pressing elements of screen printing are generally considered external equipment.
These elements participate directly in the painting in which we press the ink on the screen. After a while, the parts change differently so we have to use this equipment permanently for a long time.
This process is quite simple if you want to integrate and do screen printing of the same design, even if you do not make this effort.
How to use press wash for screen printing
Since press washing is an external type of washing, we can easily wash it using two simple steps
Step 01# Put a paper board under the screen mesh and frame
So long you have been doing screen printing with one type of color, now you will do screen printing with another type of color, so you have to remove the color on top of it first. And will be possible to clean through this system.
After replacing the paper board below, you take a cloth and rub the cloth with the chemical of press washing. Scrub the different sides of your screen printing well.
In this way, your ink will not split out on another surface.
Step 02# Give a water bath to your equipment that isn’t made of metal
After that wash your frame and screen mash with water. Let them dry gently. The ink used in printing is heavy type plastisol ink.
So, it contains lubricant and another oily chemical. After giving press washing chemical and water bath, those will remove from the top surface of the screen.
Some parts like contact and stabilizers are made of iron or metallic body. Using water is not wise there. Instead, you can wash with oil or distill water mixing chemicals.
What is Screen wash?
Screen wash can be defined as the way you can remove the screens from previous uses. Screen wash is kind of a permanent wash. In screen wash, we use degradation chemicals to remove and clear past emulsion.
Besides, the screen mesh and frame are also washed with ink remover. Screen wash is designed basically to reclaim the screen for printing.
You shouldn’t wash the screen just for the same design of different colors. Because screen wash will change the emulsion completely.
Where press wash is used only for the color change, screen wash is used for full-screen change with emulsion break and mesh change.
How to use screen wash for screen printing
Well here is the discussion of some easy steps of processing screen printing
Step 1# Use ink degradation chemicals
The fluid of the development, which is valuable in tackling a wide range of cleaning issues in the printing and screen printing industry without the utilization of removing substances, is portrayed as comprising of an anhydrous combination including ink removing degradation.
Washout booth and screen printing ink from the printing surface need to erase for the screen washing method. Chemically that substance should be strong and have the strength of ink erasing properties.
From a saved screen with UV ink or plastisol ink, it is necessary to bring change permanently.
Step 2# Scrab the emulsion and use emulsion remover
Using emulsion remover means the liquid form of chemical agent which is used for removing the emulsion from the screen.
Screen wash put a permanent impact on screen printing mesh to start and develop new designs. Not only color but also the pattern surface of the emulsion is affected.
Take a squirt bottle and put Diazo photo emulsion removers into it. Spray and scrub your mesh to eliminate the emulsion. After a while, you should use a press water wash to clear the emulsion.
Some international coating is relevant in this field to use as removal of emulsion. Those are used as the first layer before creating the screen printing.
Difference between press wash and screen wash
Here is a quick and a glance data of press wash vs screen wash:
| Factors | Press Wash | Screen wash |
| Define as | Temporary change for changing color. Give treatment only external equipment for screen printing | It is known because it will change your emulsion and dissolve the ink |
| Chemical uses | Distill water, normal water | Stain remover, emulsion remover, ink, and water-based ink degradation chemical, etc. |
| Change | Temporary, for re-use with different color | Permanent for emulsion. Should be aware when using a mesh screen |
| Uses for | Squeegees, mesh surface and wash for color replacement | Mesh screen |
| Time-consuming | Relatively less time consuming | It takes more time than press washing because of precautions and mixing chemical solution |
Conclusion
These two washing methods are usually used in the washing of screen printing. Press wash and screen wash both have important roles. You just have to keep in mind that when you are going to give a screen wash it is permanently costing some chemicals and precautions.
While on the other hand when it is press wash you have to work through a continuous process to clean the screen, in fact, mesh, squeegees for changing color. Screen washing is done for reclaim of mesh and new screen.
This article already described in detail how you will do press wash and screen wash and also discussed the differences between these two methods. Hopefully, this article was a convenient language for you.
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