Screen Printing Forum

Hi all,

So I have been doing some printing and there were a few designs that I used quite a bit. problem is now when i have cleaned my screens there is a slight ghost image of the design left on the screen.

can I just recoat the screen and get back to it without any worry or do I need to get rid of this ghosted image?

thanks

Hello,

Ghost images can be caused by many factors. Some of the most common are improper cleaning, under exposure to just not having the right combination of chemicals that will work well together cleaning screens. There is however a great chemical called Haze remover. I have been using it for 10 years and have had a lot of sucess. There are two basic types, one is a one-part haze remover that usually can not be left on the screen for very long as it may eat through the mesh causing holes. The second is a Two-Part haze remover that usually requires leaving the Haze remover on the screen for a period of time and then a screen wash that is made to work in conjuction to it is applied to the screen. In either case you will need to invest in a power washer (wand) to have a lot of sucess.
Ghost images can be worked around as long as you are not having any blockage in the mesh opening. You will find that in most cases a ghost image will hinder the ink form psssing through the screen. I reccommend using a haze remover when it is necessary. If the ghost image is not affecting your printing the usage of the Haze remover can be less frequent.

Some of the most popular ones that I have used are from Kiwo (I have had a lot of sucess with their one part and two-part), Sericol and Inktech International. I am sure you can contact your local supplier to get more info on these.

Thanks Kevin, your help is much appreciated

Hi,
I frequently print new stencils and my water-based pigments leave ghost images but they never cause me any problems. I do though use haze remover twice a year to reclaim my screens- like a spring cleaning. The haze remover can be pretty toxic so I try to use it as little as possible.
The brand I use is called Envirotec.

Good luck.
Michelle
http://www.printcutsew.com

Much appreciated

A pretty toxic chemical - called Envirotech????