SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES

It’s a scenario straight from a screen printer’s worst nightmare: You send a full order of high-quality, crisp t-shirts out the door. Days pass or even weeks, and suddenly you have an unhappy customer demanding to return the order because your perfectly laid prints are now washing out of the garments.

The best screen printing results always begin with well-executed pre-press. It’s easy to think of your screen printing press as the backbone of your operation. But remember, a press can only deliver quality prints if it’s printing through quality screens. Your screens deserve as much attention as any other part of your setup, because no […]

Different jobs are suited to different printing methods – is screen printing or pad printing more suitable for your project? Screen printing is probably the most well-known process for imprinting logos and custom designs on everything from t-shirts and sports shirts to promotional coffee mugs. There’s another option for laying down ink for custom designs: […]

Looking for creative ways to break free from traditional screen prints? Give HD printing a try! High density screen printing can make any logoed or artistic print standout. Available in plastisol, gel and even water-based varieties, high density inks are laid down in a thick layer, and they cure with crisp, sharp edges to create […]

Offering customized jackets is a benefit to screen printers, but printing them has some challenges to consider! Jackets provide great opportunity for screen printers. Jackets are a popular choice to complete a work uniform, and fall, winter and spring sports teams love to have coordinating jackets to wear on the road and on the sidelines. […]

Creating and manipulating art can be one of the most time consuming parts of a screen printer’s day. Here’s how to make it easier! Where do you see a slowdown in your production process? If work isn’t flowing quickly through your screen printing shop, your business is losing time and money. While many screen printing […]

Exposure issues can create a lot of headaches in your screen printing shop, but fortunately there are some easy steps you can take to prevent them! Are your screens giving you problems? You know how important a great stencil is in creating a great screen print. For that reason, exposure problems can cause some of […]

A high quality multicolor screen print depends on tight registration – here are some ways to achieve it! This article was written for Printwearmag.com by Michael Jirasek Once upon a time… Some people viewed it as an art that could not be taught. To others it was a mystery that only a special few with “the eye” […]

If you’re not careful about keeping your shop clean, you might be costing yourself time and money! A dirty shop can cause a host of problems: Lint marks in the ink on finished prints, time lost searching for the right can of ink or the right screen, spills that can cause slips, boxes left out […]

While many factors determine the quality of your screen prints, it’s especially important not to overlook the condition of your pallets!  This article was written for Printwearmag.com by Michael Jirasek  It’s a part of the screen printing press that is known by many names – pallet, platen, shirtboard – to name a few of the more common descriptions. They’ve […]

When it comes to printing basic garments, most screen printers turn to 100-percent cotton substrates. More and more, however, customers are looking for alternatives. For that reason, cotton/polyester blends are becoming more common. These blended garments have plenty of advantages, but they also pose some of the same challenges that come with printing on fully […]

Jagged, blurry or fuzzy edges on screen prints can render products unsellable. If the edges of your screen prints aren’t clear and crisp, there could be several issues at work. Here are some ways you can prevent rough edges on your screen prints. Sawtoothing: Eliminating jagged edges A common screen printing problem, when it comes […]