Impressions - August 2015 - 58
talking SHOP
Screen Printing Technique
The Right Tools for the Job
A closer look at squeegees and mesh, and how their
properties affect specific prints.
By Kieth Stevens, Contributing Writer
These prints samples show how different squeegee hardnesses affect ink deposit, with all else
being equal. The image was printed using 160 t/in (62 t/cm) mesh count, and the artwork consists of 45 lines
per inch, 61-degree ellipse halftones. Print samples courtesy of Fimor.
m
y father is a master carpenter,
and I learned early on that
doing the best job requires
not only skills and training, but also the
proper tools.
I first found this to be true when I was
off-road racing in the late '90s and had
to rebuild my car every three months to
meet the deadline for the next competition. To be as efficient as possible, I needed
the correct tools at the ready so that I not
only got the job done quickly, but also
wouldn't damage my parts.
I now reference this simple revelation
every time I conduct a screen-printing
seminar: To do the best possible job in
58
Impressions | August 2015
screen printing and - more importantly
- to be profitable, you must understand
the tools at your disposal. Screen printers
have many available tools; however, most
don't understand how one affects another,
or how prints easily can be improved using
simple adjustments.
There are many variables that can turn an
average print into a great one. Likewise, production speeds can go from sluggish to fast.
For example, two common screen-printing
tools - squeegees and mesh - affect how
ink gets deposited onto the substrate. Let's
first talk about squeegees, which are - in
my opinion - one of the most misunderstood tools in any printer's arsenal.
This chart shows the relationship
between squeegee hardness (durometer) and
mesh lines (per inch) and ink deposit. The softer
the squeegee durometer, the more ink gets
deposited. Similarly, the coarser (low mesh
count) the mesh, the more ink gets deposited.
ALL ABOUT SQUEEGEES
The squeegee is the screen printer's
must-have basic tool and comes in different
impressionsmag.com
http://www.impressionsmag.com
Impressions - August 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - August 2015
Impressions - August 2015
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conferences
On Design
FLEECE: Classy Comfort
Quality Control
Give ’Em What They Want
Niching Down
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Design & Digitizing
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Production
Screen Printing Technique
Digital Decorating
Classifieds
Online Directory
Ad Index
Impressions - August 2015 - CT1
Impressions - August 2015 - CT2
Impressions - August 2015 - Impressions - August 2015
Impressions - August 2015 - Cover2
Impressions - August 2015 - 1
Impressions - August 2015 - Contents
Impressions - August 2015 - 3
Impressions - August 2015 - First Impressions
Impressions - August 2015 - 5
Impressions - August 2015 - From the Show Director
Impressions - August 2015 - 7
Impressions - August 2015 - FYI
Impressions - August 2015 - 9
Impressions - August 2015 - 10
Impressions - August 2015 - 11
Impressions - August 2015 - 12
Impressions - August 2015 - 13
Impressions - August 2015 - 14
Impressions - August 2015 - 15
Impressions - August 2015 - Product Gallery
Impressions - August 2015 - 17
Impressions - August 2015 - 18
Impressions - August 2015 - 19
Impressions - August 2015 - 19a
Impressions - August 2015 - 19b
Impressions - August 2015 - ISS Conferences
Impressions - August 2015 - 21
Impressions - August 2015 - On Design
Impressions - August 2015 - 23
Impressions - August 2015 - FLEECE: Classy Comfort
Impressions - August 2015 - 25
Impressions - August 2015 - 26
Impressions - August 2015 - 27
Impressions - August 2015 - 28
Impressions - August 2015 - 29
Impressions - August 2015 - Quality Control
Impressions - August 2015 - 31
Impressions - August 2015 - 32
Impressions - August 2015 - 33
Impressions - August 2015 - 34
Impressions - August 2015 - 35
Impressions - August 2015 - Give ’Em What They Want
Impressions - August 2015 - 37
Impressions - August 2015 - 38
Impressions - August 2015 - 39
Impressions - August 2015 - Niching Down
Impressions - August 2015 - 41
Impressions - August 2015 - 42
Impressions - August 2015 - 43
Impressions - August 2015 - Shop Spotlight
Impressions - August 2015 - 45
Impressions - August 2015 - Embroidery Design & Digitizing
Impressions - August 2015 - 47
Impressions - August 2015 - 48
Impressions - August 2015 - 49
Impressions - August 2015 - Embroidery Production
Impressions - August 2015 - 51
Impressions - August 2015 - 52
Impressions - August 2015 - 53
Impressions - August 2015 - Screen Printing Production
Impressions - August 2015 - 55
Impressions - August 2015 - 56
Impressions - August 2015 - 57
Impressions - August 2015 - Screen Printing Technique
Impressions - August 2015 - 59
Impressions - August 2015 - 60
Impressions - August 2015 - 61
Impressions - August 2015 - Digital Decorating
Impressions - August 2015 - 63
Impressions - August 2015 - Classifieds
Impressions - August 2015 - Ad Index
Impressions - August 2015 - 66
Impressions - August 2015 - Cover3
Impressions - August 2015 - Cover4
Impressions - August 2015 - O1
Impressions - August 2015 - O2
Impressions - August 2015 - O3
Impressions - August 2015 - O4
Impressions - August 2015 - O5
Impressions - August 2015 - O6
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