Screen Printing Forum

Hello
I'm new to printing. I am using acrylic inks and printing to various colored artists papers. The screens I'm using are 110 mesh- The ink is from Dick Blick.

THE PROBLEM: When I first begin a new project the first 10 or so prints look perfect...then they slowly degrade. I'm printing j-cards for cassette tapes. First the guide lines (very fine lines) seem to start printing blotchy then the smaller text starts fading.....Usually by the 20th print they are unusable. It almost seems like an ink issue???? After messing around after 20-30 I usually give up and wash the ink out with water then put it away to dry.....Then the next night using the same exact screen the same thing happens = 10 good ones then some bad ones etc..SOMETIMES after the initial 10 good then 20 bad prints they will start to turn around and begin printing good again (usually if i wipe it w/ a damp rag) but then water gets in the ink and does funky things....I find it's best to just wash it out and let it dry naturally overnight then start again the next night BUT this is very time consuming......It almost seems like the ink is clogging in the screen, but after only 10 prints?.....maybe if i upgraded to a higher quality acrylic ink w/ a longer dry time?.....I would appreciate any advice tips etc.THANKS!
-tm

Exactly. The ink is drying in the screen.
Are you doing a flood stroke?

Since I'm not familiar with Dick Blick inks,
check and see if they offer a retarder.
This will slow the drying and let you use
the ink stock you already have on hand.

Does the ink feel thick or sticky to you.

Maybe the addition of a little, and I mean VERY
little water to the mix will slow down the drying.

What run numbers (How many?) were you trying
to obtain?

It may not be possible with "Art Class" inks.
Most are intended for VERY short runs
in serigraphy classes.