Professional Screen Printing Solutions
Screen Colour Systems
Textile Special Effects
Textile Binders
We offer a comprehensive range of specialised screen ink binders meticulously crafted for the water-based textile printer. These binders are engineered to deliver exceptional print quality when combined with our vibrant colourants and your exceptional craftsmanship. Please refer to the detailed descriptions provided below to gain insights into the diverse effects you can achieve. If you have any questions about using these products, please phone us; we are always happy to help.
Textile Colourants
Colourants are concentrated pigment dispersions used to colour water-based products. The pigments are ground to a fine powder and dispersed into water, passing through the finest meshes without clogging. These dispersions can be added to our screen binders to achieve the desired colours and effects. They can be added singly or in multiples to create an infinite range of colours, shades and effects. For colour matching, please email your Pantone reference. If we have previously matched it, we will provide you with our formula
Shop For
Liquid Colourants
Black CL 101
White CL 102
Lemon CL 104
Golden CL 105
Orange CL 108
Deep Red CL 112
Crimson CL 113
Green CL 116
Green CL 120
Blue CL 124
Pink CL 132
Brown CL 137
Fluorescent Powders
Fluorescent pigments, frequently referred to as Day-Glo, are finely milled dry powders suitable for integration into both aqueous and non-aqueous screen printing media. For maximum visibility, a mesh count between 43 and 62 is recommended. To maintain the fluorescent properties, it is essential to avoid blending these pigments with other colourants. It should be noted that fluorescent pigments exhibit reduced longevity compared with standard water-based pigments under prolonged exposure to intense sunlight. In contrast to the aforementioned textile colourants, these powders are prone to spillage and require careful handling.
Fluorescent Pigments In Dark Under Black UV Light
Shop For Fluorescent Powder
Blue CL 260
Yellow CL 261
Orange CL 263
Green CL 264
Red CL 265
Pink CL 267
Magenta CL 268
Metallic Binder AS 206
Our Metallic Binder is a water-based screen printing medium that can be enhanced with metallic colourants (Pure Metallic Powders). The binder can accommodate up to 15% of metallic powder or paste. It exhibits exceptional transparency and a glossy finish, and the incorporation of metallic colourants generates a captivating metallic effect. For optimal results, metallic powders should be mixed directly into the binder on the day of printing. Any remaining ink can still be utilised, although its brightness will gradually diminish over time. The smoothness of the fabric significantly impacts the metallic effect. The resulting inks are suitable for both natural and synthetic fabrics, as well as those with white and dark colours. Aqua Cool Cure Additive is not recommended as it may react with the added metallic powders.
Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 62T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Pearl Binder AS 207
The Pearl Binder is a translucent water-based screen printing medium that enables the creation of pearlescent colours and metallic effects by adding small quantities of our colourants. The resulting inks are suitable for both natural, synthetic, white, and dark-coloured fabrics. However, it is important to note that the base fabric colour may influence the final outcome. Additionally, the Pearl Binder can be printed without the incorporation of colourants to achieve a shimmer effect. Once printed, the fabric becomes wash-fast and resistant to dry-cleaning when subjected to heat or undergoing a chemical cure. (Refer to AS 1234 Aqua Cool Cure Additive for further information.)
Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 62T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Opaque Binder AP 100
The Opaque Binder is a water-based screen printing medium that enables screen printers to print water-based colours onto dark grounds and maintain vibrant colours. By adding our colourants to the binder screen printers can achieve custom colours and shades. We recommend a pigment loading of 6% to 10% of our colourants. Our Aquapaque range of colours is based on this binder. The resulting inks are suitable for both natural and synthetic, white and dark-coloured fabrics. The prints become wash-fast and resistant to dry-cleaning when heat or chemically cured. (Refer to AS 1234 Aqua Cool Cure Additive for further details.)
Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 62T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Puff Binder AS 600
The Puff Binder is an opaque water-based 3D screen printing medium. It can be coloured by adding small quantities of colourants resulting in pastel shades due to the binder’s inherent white colour. When used without colourants it produces a matt white finish. The 3D effect on fabric is achieved through heat application during curing. Optimal results are achieved by controlling dwell and temperature. Insufficient heat or time prevents the ink from raising while excessive heat causes it to flatten and lose the 3D effect. The maximum dwell is 3 minutes at 165°C. The Puff Binder performs best with coarser mesh counts (32-43). The resulting inks are suitable for both natural and synthetic white and dark-coloured fabrics. The best results are achieved when the textile is cured through a tunnel dryer as this facilitates temperature and dwell time control.
Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 43T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Suede Binder AS 700
Our Suede Binder is a versatile water-based printing paste that enables the creation of a suede/mock flock effect on textiles. It possesses a soft hand and excellent wash and dry cleaning fastness. The binder can be coloured up to 6% with our colourants. The maximum dwell time is 3 minutes at 165°C. Suede Binder performs optimally with coarser mesh counts (32-43).
Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 43T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Gloss Binder AS 800
The Gloss Binder is a highly transparent water-based screen printing medium. It can be used to produce coloured glossy prints by adding colourants to the binder. The gloss level can be enhanced by printing through coarser mesh counts (21-43). Additionally, the Gloss Binder can be used as an overprint varnish to impart gloss effects to matt prints.
Furthermore, the Gloss Binder can be employed to achieve high-build prints using a Hi Build stencil. It offers flexibility and can be printed onto stretchy textiles such as lycra. The resulting coloured Gloss inks are suitable for both natural and synthetic, white and light-coloured fabrics. However, it is important to note that opaque colours cannot be mixed with this binder.
High-build Gloss inks, due to their dense print, can be applied to dark fabrics to achieve remarkable effects. To maintain the gloss effect, it is crucial to heat-cure the prints as soon as possible after printing. The optimal results are achieved when the textile is cured using a tunnel drier. High-build prints may require a longer curing time.
Additionally, the Gloss Binder can be transformed into a glitter binder by adding glitter flakes (sometimes referred to as metal jewels). When glitter flakes are incorporated, they produce a visually appealing and sparkling effect. The mesh count required for the glitter flakes will depend on their size. Typically, a 10 mesh is sufficient. The resulting inks are suitable for both natural and synthetic, white and dark-coloured fabrics. The prints become wash-fast after heat-curing.
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Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 43T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Textile Printable Adhesive (AS 1773)
This printable adhesive enables the printing of the adhesive onto the textile, semi-curing it and then attaching flock papers or metallic foils using heat. The design is screen printed onto the fabric and subsequently the foil adhesive is semi-cured at 120°C for two minutes or touch dry. The fabric is then placed in a transfer press and the foil is positioned over the printed area followed by a heat-pressing operation. Prior to using the transfer press ensure the temperature has reached 180°C. The dwell time for the press is between 5 and 15 seconds. Allow the transfer and fabric to cool before weeding the unwanted foil, leaving the printed design covered in foil.
We currently stock foils on rolls measuring 300mm x 25m. However, we have encountered difficulties in sourcing coloured foils. Nevertheless, gold and silver foils are still available in stock.
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Quick Reference
Mesh Count
31T to 43T
Stencil
Easy Coat CT 2018
Squeegee
75ºshore Green
Cure Schedule
2 to 3 minutes @ 160º
Aqua Cool Cure (AS 1234)
The Aqua Cool Cure Additive facilitates ink curing within seven days without a complete heat-cure cycle. A dosage of 20 g per kilogram of ink is recommended. A wash test should be conducted prior to production. The catalyst requires thermal activation, which may be achieved via ironing or brief tumble drying; prolonged heat exposure may shorten the curing period to less than seven days. Once incorporated, the additive remains effective for approximately eight hours. Residual ink may be reused with an additional catalyst dose; however, a maximum of three additions is permissible. Exceeding this limit results in saturation, rendering cool curing ineffective and requiring a full heat-cure cycle.
