The most important thing when choosing the right screen ink is knowing your customers and what they need. Screen printing is a complex category and customers often need assistance making the right choices. Do you have mainly professional printers, novice, or both? Are they printing primarily on paper, fabric or vinyl? Is the main concern cost, durability, color selection, or…? Jacquard offers two lines of screen printing inks that cover all the bases. Below is a great reference guide for understanding the differences between Jacquard Professional Screen Printing Ink and Versatex Ink.
Jacquard Professional Screen Printing Ink
Professional quality and unlike any other ink on the market. For virtually any surface from posters to t-shirts to bumper stickers, these water-based inks simulate many characteristics of solvent-based inks, making them a great option for the old-school professional. Jacquard Screen Printing Inks air cure in 72 hours after printing or can be heat set for added permanence and durability.
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- Great on paper – no buckling due to high solids
- Prints on vinyl, glass, wood, metal, paper, fabric, acrylic (plexi) and paper
- Extra-long open time in screen
- Superb wash fastness on textiles, etc.
- Heavier bodied than Versatex, excellent for super fine detail.
- Extensive palette:
- Transparent colors
- Opaques
- Metallics
- CMY Process Color System
- Available in 5 sizes
- 3-day cure time with no heat setting needed, which saves time and money
- True opaque colors for dark garments
- Professional Grade with unparalleled versatility
- Heavy body and heavily pigmented makes these inks easy to dilute with water to get more for your money
- Will not clog your screen even though very heavy body
- Unparalleled coverage and opacity
Versatex
A water-based screen printing ink ideal for screening, stenciling and/or block printing on fabric with a wonderfully creamy rheology. The colors are intermixable and can be thinned with water. Versatex printed fabric must be heat set for permanence and washability (or use the Versatex Fixer Additive). Beautiful, transparent overlays can be achieved when mixing colors with the Clear Extender.
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- Great on paper – can buckle light weight stock, best on heavier paper
- Not recommended for non- absorbent surfaces
- Good open time, easily increased with the Screen Life Additive
- Great wash fastness on textiles, now sets at a lower temperature
- Unrivaled SOFT HAND
- Large palette:
- Transparent colors
- Fluorescent colors
- Metallics
- Available in 3 sizes plus 2.25 oz sets
- Cures with heat setting, OR mix the Versatex Fixer with the ink and there is no need to heat set
- Softer body than JSI
- Performance far surpasses comparably priced screen inks. Professional quality textile ink
- Printers rave about its smooth and creamy consistency and texture
- Beautifully transparent