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There are a range of printing inks which have been developed
specifically for printing on silk screens. It is also possible
to use commercial dyes combined with a thickener, making the
consistency similar to syrup.
Silk Screenprinting with Fibre Reactive Procion MX
dyes
Fibre
Reactive Procion MX dyes are best used for cellulose
fibres such as cotton, linen, sisal. They can also be used
to dye silk using a simple cold water process and wool using
hot water and vinegar, although protein fibres give stronger,
brighter colours with the Acid dyes.
These dyes can be used in screen and block printing with
the addition of a sodium alginate thickener (Carrageenan)
or Manutex.
Manutex F has a low viscosity and works well when overprinting
colours or for when fine line detail is required. Manutex
RS is the best thickener for reactive dye when used for screen
printing, painting or to control spreading. RS has a low solid
content and is used primarily for prints on thicker fabrics
or for single prints. Use 45gm to 1 litre of cold water and
add 10gm Calgon
Printing paste recipe:
- Make the dye solution by mixing 2 parts by weight of Urea
in 9 parts water heated to 65°C.
- Dissolve 1 to 5 parts of dye (depending on the desired
shade and tone) in the solution.
- Make the paste separately by adding 1 part Calgon in 14
parts of water at 40°C.
- Stir in 16 parts cold water and 1 part Manutex RS.
- Combine the dye/urea solution with 40 parts of the paste
and exactly 1.5 parts Sodium Bicarbonate.
- To fix the print, dry steam for 5-10 minutes at 140°C
and then rinse the fabric thoroughly until the water runs
clear.
- Add ½ teaspoon of Synthrapol (a mild detergent)
to each 5 litres of water and boil the fabric. This will
remove any dye that has not combined with the fabric and
give the high level of wash resistance associated with Procion
MX dye.
Silk Screenprinting with Acid dyes
Acid
dyes provide a simple system for use with wool,
animal fibres and nylon, and give a brighter colour with silk
than Procion MX Fibre Reactive Dyes.
A paste of 1 part Indalca PA3R powder to 10 parts water can
be combined with these dyes to create the correct consistency
for printing. Take care to add the powder to the water, using
a food mixer to help with the process.
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Before dyeing, it is important to check whether the
item is 'Prepared for Dyeing' (PFD) or requires scouring
to remove any grease, oil or starch. Run a few droplets
of cold water onto the fabric. If they soak in quickly,
no scour is necessary. To remove starches, size and oils,
add 5mls of Synthrapol (a non-ionic detergent) along with
2-3 litres of water for each 100gms of material. Stir
gently over a 15 min period, and then rinse thoroughly
in warm water. It is possible to use household detergent,
but the alkaline residue may affect the final colour or
wash fastness.
- We recommend that fabric is tested prior to starting
on a large project
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