Description
Derivan Screen Ink is a water-based silk screen printing ink. It is a safe, non-toxic ink for fabric. Once heat-set, it has excellent rub resistance and lightfastness. However, washes up in the water before it is heat set.
Colour Mixing
All the colours may be intermixed to form bright secondary and tertiary colours. White (Opaque) may be mixed if pale pastel opaque prints are desired on dark coloured fabrics.
Screen Reducer
is a thick milky coloured paste that dries colourless and transparent. It is used for intermixing with standard printing colours in order to extend deep colours into pale or lighter transparent shades (Red into transparent pink, etc.). Mainly for White or pale fabrics.
Mesh Size
Generally speaking, the best mesh size for fabric printing is 10T to 25T (monofilament). A coarser mesh screen is required for fabric than for paper; more ink is required as fabric tends to be more absorbent.
Heat fixing prints is necessary to heat fix the image if it is to be wash proof.
Tie-Dyeing
Derivan Screen Ink is also the perfect choice to create wonderful patterns using the Tie Dye technique by adding 1 heaped teaspoon of table salt to a 250ml of Screen Ink of a colour of your choice and stir - it takes quite a bit of stirring - the mixture should become as thin as water - which is great for painting on fabric. Of course, to dye with, you will need to add water, how much water will depend on the choice of colour you are using and how strong you want it to be, start with 1 part of mixed Screen Ink to 10 parts water for a strong dye colour - or reduce the colour strength as desired by adding more water. Once it is heat fixed, it will last longer than the fabric it is put on! (NB this process does not work with White or Fluoro colours)