I've been using water based inks for my tshirts and paper prints, but what I'd like to try is printing some one color patterns directly onto some 12" x 18" aluminum panels. From my supplier's description; "Our aluminum sign blanks are pre-coated with a high quality, baked on, high gloss white, wax free enamel." I use them for cut vinyl signs all the time, but it's getting to the point where I can't make them fast enough and I'd really like to move on to screen printing them. I'm pretty sure that my water based inks won't stick though - or if they do, I'm afraid that they'll scratch off pretty easily. Any recommendations for a noob? I figure once I know what ink I'm looking for, then I'll know what grade mesh I ought to be using.
-Erin

Erin,

You’ll need an enamel ink for printing onto a piece of metal coated with white enamel. This will be a solvent based ink that air dries. That means you will need an emulsion that is solvent resistant like the Graphic HU dual cure by Saati:

http://www.catspitproductionsllc.com/sa ... icals.html

There are a few manufacturers of such ink but I use Dubuit for stuff like this. They make decent inks and it would be similar to this ink:



I used a 200 mesh screen in this video. The ink in the video could even work as it is a multipurpose ink but you need to check with Dubuit to be sure. I can connect you with the US sales representative if you like. Just let me know.