Chromaline Chroma/Wet iSC – Professional Wetting Agent & Degreaser for Capillary Film Screens

Dual-Action: Degreaser + Wetting Agent in One Step

Most screen degreasers do one thing: remove contamination. Chroma/Wet iSC does two: it removes oils, residues, and contaminants just like a standard degreaser, and it simultaneously lowers the surface tension of water on the mesh through its wetting agent chemistry. That combination makes it the only single-product step needed for complete mesh prep — no separate degreaser plus separate wetting agent application required.

Eliminates Blisters and Dry Spots on Capillary Film

Capillary film bonds to mesh through a wet contact process: the film is pressed onto a wet screen and bonds as it dries. Any dry spot on the mesh — anywhere water has beaded instead of sheeting uniformly — becomes a point where the film never bonded. These unbonded areas cure as white blisters: weak, fragile areas that fail on press. Chroma/Wet’s wetting agent prevents this by ensuring water sheets across the entire mesh surface uniformly, guaranteeing film contact from edge to edge.

Eliminates Fisheyes and Streaks in Emulsion Coating

The same surface tension reduction that benefits capillary film application also dramatically improves liquid emulsion coating. When emulsion is applied over a mesh with beading water or uneven surface wetting, it flows unevenly around fiber intersections, producing fisheyes (circular voids) and streaks in the dried coat. A mesh treated with Chroma/Wet sheets emulsion evenly across and through the mesh structure, producing a smoother, more consistent coating with fewer defects.

The Blue Tint Is a Built-In Rinse Indicator

Chroma/Wet iSC is formulated with a distinctive blue tint. This isn’t just appearance — it’s a functional tool. During rinsing, watch the color of the water draining from the screen. Blue color still present = product still present. Rinse water runs completely clear = all product removed, screen is ready. This eliminates the single most common degreasing mistake: insufficient rinsing that leaves product residue on the mesh.

Chromaline’s Most Popular Degreaser

Among Chromaline’s three iSC degreasers — Chroma/Wet, Degreaser LF, and Degreaser 260 — Chroma/Wet iSC is identified as the most popular by Chromaline themselves. The dual-action formula (degreaser + wetting agent) in a ready-to-use format solves the most common screen prep problems with the least workflow complexity, which is why it’s the go-to choice for most production shops.

Promotes Adhesion for Both Film and Emulsion Stencils

Chroma/Wet iSC is not exclusively a capillary film product. Chromaline specifically lists it as promoting adhesion for both capillary film and direct liquid emulsion stencils. Shops running a mix of film and emulsion screens can use a single degreaser for all their mesh prep work. The adhesion promotion benefit carries to both stencil types.

pH Balanced — Will Not Settle or Clog Mesh

Chroma/Wet iSC is pH-balanced and formulated to be free of impurities that can settle out over time. It rinses cleanly without leaving residue in mesh openings. A degreaser that leaves residue in the mesh defeats its own purpose — the mesh would need to be cleaned of the degreaser itself before coating. Chroma/Wet rinses completely clean, as confirmed by the blue color indicator.

Ready to Use — No Dilution Required

Unlike concentrate-based degreasers that require measuring and mixing before use, Chroma/Wet iSC is ready to use directly from the container. Open, apply, scrub, rinse. The quart comes with a push/pull squeeze nozzle for direct application. A spray nozzle is available separately for spray application, and Chromaline’s Drum Dispensing Unit (DDU) program is available for high-volume shops.

Blue TintRinse Indicator

Clear rinse = clean screen

DilutionRTU

No mixing required

Stencil TypesFilm + Emulsion

Both stencil formats

Shelf Life2 Years

Sealed, cool storage

🧪 Why the Wetting Agent Matters

Plain degreasers clean contamination from mesh fibers but leave the surface tension of water unchanged. Polyester mesh fibers are naturally smooth — water tends to bead on them rather than spread, which means when you press capillary film onto the mesh, dry spots form wherever water hasn’t sheeted evenly. Those dry spots become blisters: areas where the film never bonded to the mesh.

Chroma/Wet’s wetting agent (surfactant) dramatically lowers water’s surface tension. The result: water sheets uniformly across every fiber instead of beading. No dry spots. No blisters. Consistent capillary film adhesion from edge to edge.

🔵 The Blue Color Is a Feature

Chroma/Wet iSC is formulated with a blue tint that serves a specific practical purpose: it acts as a built-in rinse indicator. As you rinse the screen after scrubbing, watch the rinse water. While blue color is still draining from the mesh, product is still present. When the rinse water runs completely clear, all traces of Chroma/Wet have been removed.

This eliminates the guesswork of “is this screen rinsed enough?” that causes fisheyes from degreaser residue. Clear rinse = clean screen. Simple, visual, reliable.