Screen Printing Forum

Hi Everyone,

I have a project involving UV screen inks and since I do not have much experience printing I was hoping someone on here could offer me a little guidance regarding the curing process.

According to the documentations of the UV screen ink it cures between 300-400 millijoules.
I am screen printing the ink on white paper. So, I want the ink to cure fully but I do not want to over heat the paper and cause it to turn yellowish.

So, my first question would be. Since the ink is labeled UV screen ink, does this mean it has to be cured with UV light? or any heat source would do?
Secondly: What would be a cheap recommended curing unit. Like I said I am not a professional, and this is likely a one time project, so I am looking for something cheap I could put together at home.
I've heard of people using halogen lights with the protective glass removed to cure inks. Is this a viable solutions?
If so could you give me some guide lines as to what I would need to achieve 300-400 millijoules. (eg. 250W bulb for 1 min ?)

Thank you in advance for any help.

You need uv light, not heat.
Any uv source will work, it's just a matter of time, you will need to do cure tests.

Thanks tompaine for clarifying that for me.

A quick update:

I bought a 500W Halogen flood light, removed the protective glass and it worked. Cure time seems to be around 3 minutes.
-Thanks guys for the help.