Reclaiming Screens: Ink Removal
Reclaiming Screens: Ink Removal
Screen printing is a profitable venture. Yes, screen printing can earn you money, but you can get more money out of it by reclaiming screens. Instead of buying new screens, you can reclaim some to save money. But this process should be done right, otherwise you end up shelling out several more bucks than saving some.
Reclaiming screens are actually pretty easy. The trick here is to make use of the proper equipment. Others tend to cut costs by opting for a similar cheaper product that does not render the desired results. The first step in reclaiming screens is removing the ink. This process requires things with a hard enough edge (but not too hard to damage the mesh) to scrape off excess ink that can be used for future printing. An example of a hard-edged equipment that can be used for this task is a palette knife. When the ink gathered from your screen is still dirt-free, you can store it for future printing while inks that have already accumulated dirt should be dispensed with.
The next step is getting the remaining ink removed from your screen. In this step, you need something absorbent like a paper towel to soak up the leftover ink and a screen cleaning solvent that can dissolve the ink. It is important to use the right screen cleaning solvent because some alternatives, like thinner and other substandard solvents, don't do the job right. Instead of completely cleaning the screen, some residues might still be left, leaving you with a sort-of see-through haze.
Reclaiming Screens: Ink Removal