Specifications and Effects of Various Solvents

July 17,2026

Solvents and Printing: A Guide to Ink Drying Speed and Process Mixing for Pad & Screen Printing

In industrial printing processes, choosing the correct industrial solvents and printing auxiliaries is a key technology determining pad and screen printing quality. FINE CAUSE has compiled this "Guide to Specifications and Effects of Industrial Solvents and Printing Additives" to help technicians quickly cross-reference process settings such as screen cleaning, pad printing plate depth, ink dilution, and screen clogging prevention.

I. Specifications of Cleaning and Diluting Solvents for Screen/Pad Printing

Choose the corresponding specialized solvent based on the printing method, plate depth, and drying speed requirements:

Product Name	Application, Effect, and Technical Specifications
Cleaning Solvent	Suitable for screen and plate cleaning; quickly removes residual ink.
Wiping Solvent	Usually used for wiping product surfaces in case of defective printing. The key feature is that wiping will not damage plastic surfaces such as ABS, PC, and Acrylic.
Super Fast-Drying Solvent	Usually used for diluting pad printing inks. Significantly accelerates ink evaporation and enhances pad ink release effects.
Fast-Drying Solvent	Suitable for inkwell pad printing (open inkwell systems). Inkwell Pad Printing: Used with plate depths of 20µ ~ 28µ. Sealed Ink Cup Pad Printing: Used with plate (silicone plate) depths of approximately 18µ ~ 25µ.
Medium-Drying Solvent	Suitable for inkwell pad printing when the pad printing plate depth is between 15µ ~ 22µ.
Slow-Drying Solvent	Suitable for general screen printing, or halftone pad printing with a plate depth of approximately 15µ.
Super Slow-Drying (Anti-Clogging Agent)	Suitable for screen printing. Added when ink dries too quickly or when fine printing lines cause screen clogging.

II. High-End Functional Additives for Screen/Pad Printing Inks (Defoaming, Viscosity Reduction, Anti-Spreading)

For high-precision and fine-pattern printing, the physical properties of the ink can be adjusted using the following functional auxiliaries:

Product Name	Professional Mixing Guides and Technical Features
Slow-Drying Paste (Retarder Paste) Available in HM (Imported) and Taiwan-made types	A grease-like paste mainly used to prevent ink from spreading too quickly during the screen printing process. Mixing Ratio: Recommended addition of 10% ~ 20% into the ink. Core Effect: Slows down the evaporation and drying speed of ink during printing. Unlike general thinners, retarder paste does not make the ink spread or flow easily. Instead, it reduces fluidity, increases thixotropy, and lowers viscosity, ensuring extremely clear fine patterns and lines. Application Scope: Widely used for high-precision fine patterns, lines, halftones, and substrates with rough surfaces. Additional Advantage for Pad Printing: In pad printing applications, it lowers ink viscosity while increasing the solid content of the ink, significantly improving pad printing transfer results. Precautions: Excessive use will reduce ink color concentration and diminish surface gloss.
ST1 Viscosity Reducer	Suitable for both pad and screen printing. Mainly used to reduce ink viscosity to effectively prevent cobwebbing during printing. Mixing Ratio: Recommended ratio is approximately 10%.
VM1 Leveling Defoamer	Suitable for both pad and screen printing. Increases ink fluidity, making it difficult for ink to foam under high-speed printing or unfavorable weather conditions (such as high humidity and high temperature), and features self-defoaming capabilities. Core Effect: Formulates a smooth and glossy surface finish after printing, significantly reducing the occurrence of surface pinholes and white spots. Mixing Ratio: Must not exceed 5%. Excessive use will lead to high fluidity, causing adverse effects such as spreading or blurring of the printed pattern.