The Effects of Humidity on Screen Printing

Another recent article published in 'Printwear' by John Levocz. It's that time of year again when everything in your shop seems to be wet due to high humidity, and this humidity can cause several problems in your shop that you should be aware of. First, screens will take a lot longer to dry after degreasing and also after coating with emulsion. Do not rush the coated screens. Make sure they are dry all the way through the emulsion coating. If they are tacky to the touch, they need more drying time. Rushing the screens can cause pinhole and emulsion washout issues. Second, when using plastisol inks, the moisture in the garments need to be driven out before the curing process can start to take place. Shops with smaller dryers and very little airflow can expect to see their cure time increase, so it is important to re-check your cure before blaming the ink. John Levocz is North East regional sales manager for International Coatings. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog International Coatings manufactures a complete line of non-phthalate screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.