Water Based Printing: Emulsion Best Practices with Saati | SGIA Water Based Printing Camp

Dave Makin from Saati discussed emulsion and screen printing mesh for water based printing. He gave us a simple rule of thumb for choosing mesh count for water based screen printing: 4x DPI of the image to be printed = minimum mesh count to use. A 50 DPI image needs (at least) a 200 mesh screen.
Hydro mesh (or S-mesh, depending on the company) offers a thinner mesh that yields a better quality print. It’s more delicate compared to thicker mesh screens, but the print quality is very high. This is because the threads in the mesh are much thinner - so more ink is deposited, sharper lines are possible, and smaller details can be printed.
Mesh preparation is incredibly important. Don’t just use degreaser and call it a day. Get your screens truly clean and prepared. This maximizes how well the emulsion adheres to the mesh.
Saati has seen shops get 10 to 50 thousand impressions per screen - even with the thinner mesh threads - because of properly applied and exposed emulsion. Saati recommends giving your emulsion 24 hours to fully harden before you begin printing (as well as post-exposing your screens). Remember: dry the screen with the squeegee side facing upward.
Dave also told us that scoop coating your screens for water based printing is totally fine! However, you’ll want to use a 1mm beveled edge on your scoop coater - not the “sharp” side.
Exposure is tremendously scientific. Did you know the color of the mesh you’re using can impact your exposure times? White meshes reflect more light than yellow meshes! The angle, distance, and type of light you’re using all impact exposure as well. Saati (and any other supplier of emulsion) can help you dial in your emulsion exposure times, either through an exposure kit or through an on-site visit.
You should reach out to your local Saati rep (or whichever supplier you prefer) for hands-on help if you’re struggling with emulsion, mesh, and water based screen printing!
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About SGIA’s Water Based Printing Summit
SGIA hosted an incredible two-day event about water based printing in Sacramento, CA in September 2019. Sponsored by M&R, Ryonet, MHM, Bella + Canvas, Virus Inks, Matsui Color and more - nearly 100 shops from across the world traveled to learn from world-class screen printers in a state-of-the-art contract printing facility.
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