Article 2: How To Screen Print With 9500 Series Waterbase Additives

The additives discussed below are the screen printing waterbase additives for Nazdar's 9500 Waterbase Series. These additives help most screen printers who regularly print with the 9500 Series. Read below to see what each additive has to offer to your next screen printing job. AQ51 Prepared Extender Base is an additive that can be mixed (about 5% per weight to the 9500 inks) to increase the amount of screen printing waterbase ink. When you over extend the ink by adding too much of the additive then your screen print will become too transparent. Depending on the look of the garment adding more or less of this base will give the different characteristics to the print. AQ53 Thickener is a liquid that increases the viscosity of the pigmented ink. Add small 0.5% increments to reach desired thickness. This additive will change the mesh count of some screen printing job. However, if your garment has ink that has bleed through the mesh then adding this thickener would solve that problem. AQ54 Aqualube is a gel that slows down the evaporation of water in your waterbase inks. In dryer states the rate at which your ink will dry out is considerably more, unless the Aqualube additive is added. When the ink dries on the screen it effects your image, and this additive helps to prevent that as well. Add 5-10% by weight without worrying about over jelling the ink.=

AQ55 Softener is a product that will impart a silky, soft feel to the screen printed textile. Add 2-5% when printing onto terry towels, which is a common screen printing job for this additive.

AQ56 Penetrant will help to aid in penetration to have a screen print on both sides of a textile (ex. golf towels). This additive works best when added at a level of 2-5% by weight and will help to print on difficult garments such as looped/sheared terry cloth towels. Note that the image of the print, where the ink was first in contact with the material will still be slightly brighter in color than the second image where the ink penetrated through.

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