Frame Making Adhesives for Screen Printing

What to Look For in a Screen Printing Adhesive

Generally there are certain characteristics you should look for in a screen printing adhesive:

• Durability — The adhesive should create a semi-permanent bond of mesh to frame, as well as being abrasion resistant and able to stand up to daily wear and tear of reusing frames.
• Flexibility — The adhesive shouldn’t release from the frame under squeegee pressure.
• Low Odor — No one should be overwhelmed with odors.
• Long Pot Life — Ideally, you want days worth of pot life, rather than hours.
• A Selection of Viscosity — You need adhesives with different solids content for the different mesh counts you might be using.

Other Considerations for Adhesives

In addition to solvent-based adhesives, there are eco-friendly, water-based pallet adhesives, as well as UV-curable types. Here is a look at the advantages of each of these types of adhesives.

Solvent-based screen printing adhesive is inexpensive. It boasts good printability, quick drying properties, and water resistance. It's also easy to use with a short learning curve.

In contrast, water-based screen printing adhesive has excellent UV resistance, no VOCs, and high temperature and water resistance. It's pretty friendly to your health.

Finally, UV-curable screen printing adhesive lets you do high speed printing and curing. It has no VOCs, and is water resistant, health friendly, and easy to clean up.

There is More Than One Delivery Option

The type of delivery system you want to use is dependent on your needs.

• Spray or Mist Adhesive: The most common type, this adhesive is easy to store and use and perfect for low to medium-volume printing jobs.
• Web-Type Spray Adhesive: Designed to hold heavier fabrics like sweatshirts and fleece in place while printing, this adhesive is thicker than mist and sprays rather like a spider web from the can.
• Bulk Adhesive: Available in liquid form and meant to be brushed or sprayed with a special spray gun, bulk adhesive can help you save money.
• Roll or Sheet Adhesive: Similar to pallet tape except it has adhesive on both sides, roll adhesive is perfect for low-volume printers, due to its quick turnaround time.
• Water-Based Adhesive: This also comes in bulk containers and can be applied using a squeegee, brush, or spatula. This adhesive is long lasting, can be reactivated with a wet sponge, and is very economical.

These versatile adhesives can save you both time and money where you need it the most. To learn more about screen printing adhesive, look through our catalog or contact us directly at American Niagara.