Impressions - June/July 2013 - (Page 61)

Screen Printing Technique talking SHOP Tips for Screen Prep Though it may not be rocket science, prepping a screen for screen printing involves a few different variables. You must make special considerations for factors like mesh count, diameter and more if you want your printing efforts to yield acceptable results. Following are ﬁve considerations that are very important to effectively prep a screen that will enable maximum results when you’re printing. 1. Select the proper mesh count. The proper mesh count will help to determine the amount of ink that is deposited on the substrate onto which you are printing. Choose low mesh counts for special-effects inks such as glitter (25-40 mesh), reﬂective or puff-type inks (110-125 mesh). Choose high mesh counts (200-305) for more detailed or soft-hand prints. 2. Select the desired mesh thread diameter. A thinner thread diameter for any given mesh count will reduce the overall fabric thickness of the mesh and allow more ink to be deposited onto the substrate due to lower ﬂow resistance and larger open area. The thinner thread diameter results in larger mesh openings and, thus, makes printing easier. 3. Make sure your screen frames are clean, straight and level. Properly cleaned and leveled frames will help ensure that the printed image comes out crisp and clear. 4. Tension the mesh properly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the ideal tension recommended for the speciﬁc mesh being used. Make sure the tension is equal in both warp (lengthways) and weft (crossways) to achieve uniform mesh openings. Once the ideal tension is achieved (measured in Newtons with a tension meter), tension the mesh in the frame, let it sit and then retension again, if needed. 5. De-haze and degrease both sides of the mesh. De-hazing removes ghost images of previous designs, ink stains and other impurities that may have accumulated on reused mesh. Although it may not be necessary to de-haze each time a screen is reclaimed — depending on how much detail the next design requires — it is a good idea to de-haze periodically, perhaps after two or three jobs. Degreasing is an important step before applying emulsion to the screen to remove oils, dust, ﬁngerprints, and other grime that may have settled on the mesh. This step can improve the adhesion of the emulsion and prevent pinholes and other imperfections, which may show up if the emulsion is applied over dirty mesh. Source: International Coatings Co. and details like halftones, crisp resolution on edges, thickness and ink consumption while printing. Mesh count and thread diameter are the biggest factors in mesh geometry, but we can examine that concept at another time. Now that we know that ﬁne mesh enables ﬁne details and allows the printer to use less ink and coarse mesh enables coarse detail and more ink usage, what’s next? Screen printers need to determine what their design requires to look its best. For example, white prints work best with thin threads, low thread counts and maximum blade volume, but blues print best with low counts, thin threads and maximum blade speed. The list goes on and on, with different criteria being pertinent for different fabrics, impressionsmag.com ink colors, and mesh sizes and types. When designing for a garment, the artist should be trained on what criteria is important to the client for a crisp, clean print. Experience and practice are the only true ways to select the best mesh for your work. Just keep in mind the aforementioned basics. Darren Amato is a partner at AMBRO Mfg., dba Special T’s, in Flemington, N.J. He has been in the decorated apparel industry for 23 years. The company, founded in 1990, specializes in screen printing, embroidery, digital direct-to-garment printing, rhinestones, vinyl decoration and sublimation. For more information or to comment on this article, email Darren at Darren@special-ts. com or visit ambromanufacturing.com. Use Info•Action #28 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction June/July 2013 | Impressions 61 http://www.myrhinestonetransfers.com http://www.myrhinestonetransfers.com/sample http://www.ambromanufacturing.com http://www.impressionsmag.com/infoaction http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - June/July 2013

Impressions - June/July 2013
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conferences
Outfitting Tots & Teens
Is the Price Right?
Heat Printing for Friday Nights
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Design & Digitizing
Online Directory
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Production
Screen Printing Technique
Tech Tips
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - June/July 2013