Screen Printing Inks and Emulsions

Source: buythis.co.za/screen-printing-inks

• published: 2023-11-22 15:29:45
• modified: 2026-06-23 17:23:30

Links on the live page

The live page is a heading, a video search link and tiles that link to the other screen printing sections:

• Screen Printing Videos
• Single-Station
• Multi-Station
• Curved-Surface
• Flash Dryers
• Consumables
• Frames & Meshes

What this page is

buythis.co.za/screen-printing-inks is the screen printing inks and emulsions section of Buythis, AM.CO.ZA's online shop. On the live page it is only a heading, a link to screen printing videos and tiles to single-station, multi-station and curved-surface screen printers, flash dryers, consumables, and frames and meshes. This knowledge base page is an ink buyer's guide: it explains the two ink families Buythis sells for textile screen printing, which mesh, emulsion and curing each one needs, how to mix colours and how to clean up, and lists the inks and the supplies that go with them (34 products in total). For the full screen making workflow see the screen printing consumables page.

Water-based or plastisol: the quick answer

If you only buy one set, choose by your shirts: mostly white and light colours suits water-based ink; mostly black and dark colours needs plastisol with a white base layer.

Water-based screen printing inks

These are creamy water-based pastes made for about 120 mesh and natural air drying. Because the ink dries when exposed to air, work steadily, keep the screen flooded with ink between prints and do not leave a screen standing with ink in it, or the open mesh will block. The clear base has no colour of its own: stir it into a colour to thin the ink so it flows more easily, or to make a lighter, more see-through shade without adding white.

Plastisol inks: main colours

Plastisol is a PVC-based ink that does not air dry, so it can stay in the screen for a long session and is forgiving for new printers. It is made for about 250 mesh. On dark garments print white first, flash it until the surface is dry to the touch, then print the colours on top. The print is only finished after a full cure: the whole ink layer must reach about 170°C for about 60 seconds. Under-cured plastisol looks fine at first but cracks or washes off later, so check with a stretch test after the shirt cools.

Plastisol inks: process and special colours

Cyan, magenta, yellow and black let you mix a wider range of shades and print simple process-colour images. Purple, neon yellow, gold and silver are ready-made special colours for logos and lettering that should stand out. Fluorescent and metallic inks are less opaque than white, so on dark garments print them over a flashed white base for the brightest result.

Stencil and emulsion supplies for both inks

The SP-EMULSION/SOLVENT photo emulsion is mixed with its diazo sensitiser, coated on the mesh with the scoop coater, dried in the dark and exposed to UV through a film positive printed in solid black. It resists both water-based and plastisol ink and suits meshes up to 250. After the job, the mesh cleaner removes both ink types and the emulsion so the screen can be coated again. For simple designs a cut vinyl stencil on the mesh also works with both inks, as shown in the videos below.

Mesh, squeegee and curing to match the ink

Use 120 mesh screens for water-based ink and 250 mesh screens for plastisol so the right amount of ink goes through. The squeegee pulls the ink through the mesh: hold it at a steady angle and use even pressure in one pass. The flash dryer sits over the printing pallet to gel plastisol between colours and can cure the final print; a heat press also works for curing flat garments.

Prices are current Buythis prices including VAT from the product dump dated 2026-10-20. Some prices come from slightly older dump entries (2026-10-17, 2026-10-18, 2026-10-19). Check the product page before ordering, since prices change.

How to choose and use your inks

1. Start from the garment. Light cotton suits water-based ink. Dark shirts or polyester need plastisol, usually with a white base.
2. Match the mesh. About 120 mesh for water-based ink and about 250 mesh for plastisol. The wrong mesh gives too thin or too heavy a print.
3. Buy a combo to start. The water-based combo (seven colours including clear) and the plastisol combo (six colours) cover the basic colours, then add single bottles of what you use most, usually white and black.
4. Mix small batches. Mix colours in a separate cup, write down the ratio and test on a scrap shirt before the run.
5. Cure properly. Let water-based prints dry fully. Bring plastisol to about 170°C for about 60 seconds and test a sample by stretching and washing.
6. Clean the screen straight away. Wash water-based ink out with water before it dries in the mesh. Scrape plastisol back into its container, then clean with mesh cleaner.
7. Close the bottles. Keep the lids tight and store inks away from heat and direct sun, so water-based ink does not dry out and plastisol does not thicken.

Videos

The live page links to a search for screen printing videos on the AM.CO.ZA YouTube channel. Videos about screen printing inks, stencils and printing:

• Screen Printing Machines, Screen Printing Inks and Accessories Walkthrough (2024-08-24)
• 4 Stations and 6 Stations Screen Printer, Screen Printing Accessories and Consumables (2020-08-30)
• BusinessNow S1E4 - Start a Business with Screen Printer, How Screen Printing Works Explained (2020-12-13)
• MakersLAB.TV S2E20 - Screen Printing Tutorial for Beginners Demo on ScreenMaster Carousel Printer (2021-02-14)
• Four Colour Micky Image Screenprinted on a 4 Station Rotating Screen Printer Demonstrated (2021-01-06)
• Bleed-over Method Multiple Colour Screen Printing by Vinyl and Self-Tensioning Screen Frame Revisit (2021-01-31)
• Screen Print One Colour Yin Yang Fish Image on T-Shirt by Vinyl on Self-Tension Frame with 250 Mesh (2021-02-06)
• Screen Print Multi-Colour Strips on T-Shirt by Using Vinyl as Screen Pattern Cut on Vinyl Cutter (2021-02-28)
• Desktop Single Station Screen Printer SP-S1 Setup and Basic Printing Functions (2024-08-05)

Related pages in this knowledge base

• Screen Printing Consumables
• Screen Printing Frames and Meshes
• Screen Printer Accessories
• Screen Printers Flush Dryers
• Screen Printers
• Screen Printers Single-Station
• Screen Printers Multi-Station
• Screen Printing Curved Surface
• MeshMaster Self-tensioning Screen Printing Frames from AM.CO.ZA for Easy Mesh Stretch & Tightening
• The Process of Screen Printing, How The Industrial Screen Printers Works (Part 2)
• Types of Screen Printing Applications, Screen Printing Process for Industrial Users (Part 3)
• The Self-Tensioning Screenprinting Frame From AM.CO.ZA Makes Screenprinting Easy!
• Screen Printing Machines, Screen Printing Inks and Accessories Walkthrough
• Screenprinting is Still The Cheapest Way to Mass Produce Printed Clothing!
• Understanding the Differences Between UV DTF and Traditional Screen Printing