Why White Ink Flooding Fails on Automatic Presses (and How to Fix It)

Lately, I’ve been hearing from more printers struggling with white ink not flooding properly on automatic presses. When white won’t flood smoothly, everything downstream suffers; inconsistent coverage, rough prints, and wasted time. Let’s break down the common culprits and the solutions that get you back to clean, consistent floods (Pssst….It’s probably not the ink).

The Culprits Behind Poor White Ink Floods

• Slow Flood Speed
  ​A sluggish flood stroke doesn’t push enough ink across the mesh, leaving dry spots and inconsistent coverage.
• Flood Bar Set Too High
  ​If your bar is riding too far above the mesh, it skims air instead of properly recharging the stencil.
• Too Slow of a Print Speed
  ​Once the ink warms up and thins out, running too slow allows it to settle and drag, instead of moving smoothly.
• Ink Not Properly Mixed
  ​White ink is dense and often settles. Dropping it straight from the bucket to press without thorough mixing almost guarantees flood problems.
• Cold Pallets
  ​Starting on a cold press slows ink rheology. Thick, cold ink resists moving and creates sluggish floods.

How to Fix White Ink Flooding Problems

• Speed Up the Flood Stroke
  ​Run flood speeds at least a 7–8. A quick stroke ensures full ink coverage and recharges the stencil properly.
• Dial in Flood Height
  ​Set your flood bar just above the mesh surface. It should “kiss” the screen, not hover.
• Increase Print Speed as Ink Warms
  ​As your white ink begins to loosen during the run, bump up your print speed to keep it flowing.
• Pre-Mix Your Ink Thoroughly
  ​Use a Turnabout or a variable speed drill (lowest setting) to blend your ink before loading. Mix enough to loosen it, but avoid friction heat.
• Warm Up Your Pallets
  ​Target around 120°F for best results. Warm pallets help the ink reach ideal rheology, which translates to faster floods, smoother prints, and fewer rejects.

Final Thoughts

Proper floods equal proper prints. If your white ink is fighting you, look first at mechanics (speed, height, pallets) before blaming the ink itself. Small adjustments in setup and prep create big improvements on press

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