| Screen drying cabinet | Screens | Max screen size | Key features | Best for | Web price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vastex Dri-Cab VDC-2331 | 10 | 23" x 31" | Filtered air, light-tight; dries in as little as an hour; unassembled; 120V/200V/240V | Small shops and first screen rooms | $1,400.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253610 | 10 | 25" x 36" | Heated, pressurized cabin; as little as 20 minutes; 120V or 240V | Busy manual or automatic shops | $2,750.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253810 | 10 | 25" x 38" | Same as above for 38" tall frames; 120V or 240V | Shops on 25" x 38" frames | $2,875.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253610-DHO | 10 | 25" x 36" | Digital controller + (2) 1000W heaters; 240V only | Fastest 10-screen drying | $3,750.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253824 | 24 | 25" x 38" | Two sealed doors, two blowers | High-volume screen rooms | $5,950.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253624 | 24 | 25" x 36" | Digital controller + (3) 1000W heaters; 240V only | High-volume screen rooms | $6,095.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault VDC-253624-DHO | 24 | 25" x 36" | High-output heat option | Production shops burning all day | $6,750.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault Wide VDC-513810 | 10 wide / 20 | 51" x 38" | Wide cabinet for oversized frames | Oversized and all-over print screens | $5,050.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault Wide VDC-513610 | 10 wide / 20 | 51" x 36" | Wide cabinet for oversized frames | Oversized frames or two screens per shelf | $5,088.00 |
| Vastex Dri-Vault Wide VDC-513610-DHO | 10 wide / 20 | 51" x 36" | Wide cabinet, high-output heat option | Oversized frames, fastest drying | $5,800.00 |
Prices are today's bucketsofink.com web prices; cabinets ship by freight, quoted separately. Dri-Cab assembly and crating is available for $400.00 (add-on). Already own a Vastex UC-1000? The Dri-Cab conversion kit is $653.00.
| Open drying rack | Drying cabinet | |
|---|---|---|
| Light protection | Only if the room is dark | Light-tight by design |
| Dust protection | None | Filtered air intake |
| Drying time | Hours to overnight | About 20–60 minutes (model dependent) |
| Best for | Hobby, a few screens a week | Any shop that coats screens every day |
A DIY screen drying rack (shelves or a box with a fan in a dark room) works when you burn a few screens a week. Keep screens flat and print-side down, use a small fan for air movement, keep humidity low, and never use direct high heat on wet emulsion. Once screens are holding up your presses, a cabinet pays for itself in time and remakes.
Coat with a scoop coater ($10.00) and Ulano TRIFECTA emulsion ($70.00), dry in the cabinet, expose on a Vastex E20 ($995.00) or E200-2128 ($2,590.00), then wash out in an Easiway washout booth. Ask about the screen room package — cabinet, exposure unit, booth and supplies quoted together, with great financing available.
See it before you buy: equipment is on display at our Tempe showroom, 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281 (Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:00 PM). Call 480-229-7806 to book a demo, ask about setup and training, or talk through the right size for your shop.
Related guides: screen printing exposure units · exposure time · washout booths · screen printing machine for beginners · all screen printing equipment
A light-tight, filtered cabinet that dries emulsion-coated and reclaimed screens quickly and keeps dust and UV light off the coating until you expose them.
Vastex rates the Dri-Cab at as little as an hour and the heated Dri-Vault at as little as 20 minutes, depending on coating thickness, humidity and the emulsion used.
At bucketsofink.com the Vastex Dri-Cab (10 screens, 23" x 31") is $1,400.00, the Dri-Vault 10-screen 25" x 36" is $2,750.00, and 24-screen Dri-Vault models start at $5,950.00. Freight is quoted separately.
Yes, if the room is dark, clean and not humid. A rack is fine for a few screens a week; a cabinet is faster and protects fresh emulsion from light and dust.
Use shelves or a box in a dark room, keep screens flat and print-side down, add a small fan for air movement and keep humidity low. Avoid direct high heat on wet emulsion.
Buckets of Ink, 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281 (Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:00 PM). Call 480-229-7806.
