Table of Contents
- Importance of Screen Cleaning
- Equipment Needed for Screen Cleaning
- Screen Cleaning Procedure (with Images)
- Screen Cleaning Solvent Used in This Article
- Importance of Screen Printing Screen Cleaning
Importance of Screen Cleaning
The first thing to do after screen printing is screen cleaning.
Properly maintained screens result in better printing effects, longer lifespans, and stable usage. Conversely, leaving used screens unattended for extended periods can damage them. Especially, if the paste dries and clogs the pattern openings, not cleaning it promptly can lead to defects in the pattern and render the screen unusable.
Even acquiring a single small screen can be quite expensive—it’s by no means a cheap purchase. Properly cleaning screens is essential not only for improving printing effects but also for cost reduction.
Equipment Needed for Screen Cleaning
In simple terms, screen cleaning involves using:
- A solvent-soaked cloth to
- Wash away the paste stuck to the mesh and emulsion side of the screen, and
- Dry any residual solvent on the screen.
The equipment needed for screen cleaning includes:
- Screen Cleaning Solvent
⇒ Here, we’ll use an environmentally friendly, low-odor screen cleaning agent called “Washerman.“ - IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol)
⇒ Used as a substitute for Washerman. - Cloth
⇒ Used to wipe off the paste after soaking it with solvent. - Squeegee
⇒ Used to scrape off and collect the paste.
⇒ Be careful not to use anything sharp that could tear the mesh or damage the screen when touching it. - Air Gun
⇒ Used to dry the solvent. - Solvent-resistant Gloves
⇒ Protects hands from harmful solvents or paste.
Printing related materials
‘Paint and wipe’.
Including the best-selling Micro Squeegee.
and a wide range of other products.
Screen Cleaning Procedure
We’ll introduce the screen cleaning method using the screen shown here.
The gray substance in the middle is silver paste.
Step 1: Use a squeegee to scrape off and collect the residual paste on the screen.
★Work Point★
If there’s a lot of residual paste, valuable paste that could be reused might be washed away.
Try to collect it as cleanly as possible!
Step 2: Soak a cloth with Washerman.
Ensure the cloth is thoroughly soaked with solvent.
Step 3: Use the cloth to wipe off the surface paste.
★Work Point★
To prevent clogging, wipe the pattern area first!
Once the pattern area is relatively clean, wipe the outer areas.
Step 4: Lightly tap the pattern from the back to release any trapped paste.
Here’s how your hand should move.
※Never rub the backside vigorously!!!
Wipe off any paste that has seeped out.
Repeat the above steps until no paste comes out of the pattern openings.
Step 5: Use IPA to wipe the screen again.
Since Washerman dries slowly, use volatile IPA to evaporate the solvent.
Similar to Step 4, thoroughly soak the cloth with IPA and wipe both sides of the screen.
Tap the backside lightly without rubbing:
Step 6: Lightly wipe the backside with IPA to finish.
Just a light wipe!
Be careful not to rub the emulsion side! (It could damage the pattern.)
Step 7: Use an air gun to blow away any remaining solvent (IPA) on the screen.
IPA is volatile, so blowing air will dry it quickly. Blow air on both sides of the screen.
Step 8: Once the solvent is completely dry, it’s done.
Check again for any remaining paste on the pattern, and if there is any, repeat Steps 2 to 7.
Screen Cleaning Solvent Used in This Article
Environmentally friendly “low-odor screen cleaning agent”
– Washerman –
A screen cleaning solvent that complies with the PRTR Law and the Organic Solvent Guidelines of the Labor Safety and Health Act.
※Contains no ethylbenzene, a designated chemical substance due to concerns about carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity.
Printing related materials
‘Paint and wipe’.
Including the best-selling Micro Squeegee.
and a wide range of other products.
Translation by GPT.