Screen Stain & Haze Removal | Screen Printing Guide

Using dirty, stained screens can lead to low quality prints and expensive stencil breakdown. To help you get the cleanest screen possible, CPS manufactures a complete range of haze removers to cover all your screen cleaning needs. Screen stains can be caused by dried-in inks, fused (locked-in) stencils and/or Diazo stains. Screen printers don’t all use the same inks and stencils so there is no ‘universal haze remover’ for all screen stains. It is important to choose a haze remover that is right for your shop. This guide answers many commonly asked questions about which haze remover to use: How to prevent ink stains Most inks can be removed completely without staining the mesh if they are cleaned immediately after printing with CPS ink cleaners. The CPS range of screen cleaning solvents are specially formulated by CPS to combine cleaning power with low evaporation so they work efficiently and stay longer on the screen. You can use a CPS Screen Wash or CPS Aquawash immediately after printing for ink cleaning, or as a haze remover to clean off any ink stains after stencil decoating. We recommend the CPS Blue Brush to apply CPS Screen Wash or CPS Aquawash directly onto the screen. This ergonomically designed brush has soft chemically resistant fibres that help hold the solvent without dripping and will not damage even the finest mesh fibres. How to use CPS screen cleaning solvents Brush CPS Screen Wash or CPS Aquawash thoroughly into both sides of the screen until all the ink is dissolved and then rinse with cold water before using a High Pressure Gun. How to remove difficult ink stains Some inks simply stain the mesh fibres worse than others, so when you need a bit more cleaning power than CPS Screen Wash or CPS Aquawash alone, use CPS Quick Haze. This exceptionally powerful solvent blend also has a low caustic content to increase its cleaning efficiency. CPS Quick Haze is especially good on water based and UV ink stains. How to use Quick Clean Use the Red CPS Brush to work CPS Quick Haze into both sides of the screen, ensuring all the stain is covered, wait five minutes and then rinse with cold water before using a High Pressure Gun. How to remove difficult ink stains Some inks simply stain the mesh fibres worse than others, so when you need a bit more cleaning power than CPS Screen Wash or CPS Aquawash alone, use CPS Quick Haze. This exceptionally powerful solvent blend also has a low caustic content to increase its cleaning efficiency. CPS Quick Haze is especially good on water based and UV ink stains. How to remove everyday ink & stencil stains – for regular use CPS Haze Remover HV is the perfect answer, this low caustic, general purpose haze remover is ideal for everyday use. How to use CPS Haze Remover HV Simply apply this thickened liquid to both sides of the dry screen using either the Red CPS Brush, or an old coating trough. For optimum results with CPS Haze Remover HV, it is best to allow the screen to dry overnight and then activate it in the morning by brushing on CPS Sceen Wash A6 or CPS Activator with the Blue CPS Brush. Rinse well with cold water and then finish off with a High Pressure Gun. This method is ideal if you have a number of screens that need to be de-hazed at one time. For quicker haze removal, the CPS Haze Remover HV coated screen can be force dried with a cold air fan and then ‘activated’ with CPS Screen Wash A6 or CPS Activator G immediately before rinsing off and then blasting with the gun. For very light stains when a quick result is required, try brushing on CPS Haze Remover HV and then immediately apply CPS Screen Wash A6 or CPS Activator G and mix them together on the mesh with the CPS Blue Brush. Wait Five minutes and then rinse off. How to remove stubborn ink & stencil stains – for occasional use CPS Haze Hunter is a highly effective screen haze remover that quickly removes most ghost images and stubborn screen stains. The blend of strong caustic and powerful solvents is highly effective against most common screen stains and screens are ‘like new again’ in under 10 minutes. Supplied as a thickened liquid, CPS Haze Hunter is easier to brush onto the screen than a conventional paste and it will not run, unlike some non-thickened haze removers. For really stubborn stains, CPS Haze Hunter can be activated with CPS Screen Wash A6 or CPS Activator G screen cleaning solvent immediately before rinsing. Use CPS Haze Hunter to remove stains left by the following inks: Plastisol, water based textile, discharge, UV, vinyl, electronics, ceramics and many more. Autohaze Extra also quickly removes stencil and Diazo stains in under 10 minutes. How to use CPS Haze Hunter Use the Red CPS Brush or an old coating trough to apply CPS Haze Hunter to both sides of the dry mesh. Leave on the screen for up to 10 minutes and then rinse off with a low pressure water spray. Finally blast the entire screen with a High Pressure Gun. How to remove very difficult ink & stencil stains – for occasional use CPS Fast Acting Haze Remover is a very strong caustic and solvent paste that is designed for occasional use on very stubborn stains. When nothing else works, it’s time to try CPS Fast Acting Haze Remover. How to use CPS Fast Acting Haze Remover CPS Fast Acting Haze Remover is most effective when it is applied to both sides of a wet mesh using the CPS Red Brush. After brushing CPS Fast Acting Haze Remover on the screen let it stand for a maximum of 8 minutes before rinsing off with a cold water spray, then use a High Pressure Gun. Important: Always wear the recommended PPE safety equipment when using any haze remover and be aware that all caustic haze removers will discolour aluminium frames or coating troughs. Also, always use a low pressure cold water spray to rinse the screens before using a High Pressure Gun.

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