Water Slide Decals have been used by decorators and hobbyists to add unique, detailed graphics to a large variety of items. Customers often inquire how to screen print the decals, so we have created this instruction sheet with the key steps.
Step 1 Create the Carrier:
Screen print a flood coat of DL170 Clear Gloss solvent-based screen ink straight from the container using 110-137 tpi mesh (43-54 tpcm) onto water slide decal paper/transfer paper. Use a slightly rounded squeegee to obtain a heavy ink deposit. The printed image shape should conform roughly to the decal's overall shape, but should be approximately 1/16" to 1/8" larger than the actual colors printed subsequently.
DL170 Clear Gloss air dries in 10-15 minutes at normal room temperature. Force drying is achieved in 40-60 seconds at 90°-150°F (32°-66°C). It is important to have good air flow to help remove solvents and accelerate drying. If the temperature is too high without good air flow, blocking may occur when the sheets are stacked warm.
Step 2 Print the Design:
Print the design using 7200 Series Lacquer Screen Ink colors. A 230 tpi mesh (90 tpcm) is recommended for this application. Reference the 7200 Series Technical Data Sheet (TDS).
7200 Series ink air dries in 10-15 minutes at normal room temperature. Force drying is achieved in 40-60 seconds at 90°-150°F (32°-66°C). It is important to have good air flow to help remove solvents and accelerate drying. If the temperature is too high without good air flow, blocking may occur when the sheets are stacked warm. Multiple layers of ink may require longer drying times than a single layer.
Step 3 Optional Top Coat:
Print a final coat of DL170 Clear Gloss solvent-based screen ink using the same screen and drying conditions as in Step 1. This step is optional, but an additional layer of ink will assure a tougher decal which may be adhered without distortion.
Step 4 Ready for Application:
Typically, the printed decal is submerged in water which softens a coating on the water slide decal paper/transfer paper. The printed decal is slid off the paper and onto the final application surface. Once dried, the coating from the water slide decal paper/transfer paper acts as an adhesive to hold the printed decal in place; drying conditions are determined by the application. To add surface durability, the printed decal can be over-sprayed with a clear varnish; you would need to determine the appropriate over spray varnish for you application's requirements.