Anatol Pre-Press Equipment — Equipment Catalog
Anatol's pre-press equipment is used to prepare screens for screen printing: applying emulsion, exposing the stencil, washing out, drying, and re-stretching mesh onto the frame. This preparatory stage directly determines how sharp and consistent your prints will be once the screen reaches the press.
Anatol equipment is a fit for print shops and manufacturers specializing in t-shirt printing, textiles, and promotional products — from small studios that need a compact exposure unit to large operations with a dedicated screen prep room and high daily stencil volume.
Anatol's key brand advantages in the pre-press segment include LED exposure technology with long-lasting bulbs and fast exposure times, automation of routine tasks (emulsion coating, ink mixing), and faster and more accurate job setups using the Anatol ARME pre-registration system across both your exposure unit and manual or automatic press.
Types of Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
Anatol's pre-press equipment lineup covers every stage of screen preparation — from re-meshing screens to applying emulsion to exposure, washout and drying.
Available types of Anatol pre-press equipment:
- Exposure units — the Aurora UV LED Exposure Unit and the Quick Light Pro UV LED Exposure Unit;
- Emulsion coating machine — the Quik-Kote Mini Automatic Emulsion Coating Machine;
- Ink mixers — the Formulator Mini, Formulator Large, and Formulator Double;
- Washout booths — the Screen Printing Washout Booth and the Washout Booth Double;
- Screen drying cabinet — the Cube Screen Drying Cabinet;
- Registration system — ARME (Anatol Registration Made Easy);
- Screen stretcher — the Screen Printing Screen Stretcher;
Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
Automating pre-press processes helps remove the variables from every stage of screen prep — from applying emulsion to exposing the stencil and more.
- Prep speed — LED exposure units like the Aurora expose a screen in seconds instead of the long exposure times required by fluorescent bulbs;
- Consistent quality — even exposure across the full screen area and precise emulsion coating eliminate stencil inconsistency from batch to batch;
- Throughput — the ability to process two screens at once (Aurora, Washout Booth Double) cuts prep time for high daily print volume.
Advantages of Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
| Parameter | What It Delivers |
|---|---|
| Exposure accuracy | Even LED exposure across the full screen area produces sharp detail and quality stencils, even for fine halftone work |
| Durability | Aurora LED bulbs last up to 50,000 hours with no warm-up or cool-down needed, lowering maintenance costs compared to fluorescent and metal halide systems |
| Modularity | Pre-press equipment available in configurations to accommodate a wide variety of screen sizes, or even multiple screens at the same time (Aurora, Washout Booth Double) |
| Serviceability | Designed to be user-friendly, like the touchscreen control panel that saves up to 8 job settings on the Aurora exposure unit, backed by a two-year warranty |
What Anatol Pre-Press Equipment Is Used For
Anatol's pre-press equipment is used at the screen prep stage before printing:
- T-shirt printing — preparing a stencil for any run, from a test print to full production;
- Textiles — preparing screens for complex multi-color designs on hoodies, sweatshirts, and other textile merch;
- Promotional products — fast exposure and stencil changeovers for frequent design changes for brands and events;
- Packaging/merch — preparing large-format screens (up to 50″×60″ on the Aurora) for banners, signage, and large textile products.
Specifications and Configurations (Pre-Press Equipment Only)
| Equipment Type | Key Parameter | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora UV LED Exposure Unit | Maximum screen size | 52"x36" or 50″×60″ (can expose two screens at once) |
| Aurora UV LED Exposure Unit | Exposure time / LED lifespan | Typically less than 10 seconds for many common emulsions / up to 50,000 hours of bulb life |
| Quick Light Pro UV LED Exposure Unit | Screen size | Compact configurations, compatible with a screen drying stand |
| Quik-Kote mini | Function | Automatic, even emulsion application onto the screen |
| Formulator Mini / Large / Double | Purpose | For quart and gallon containers (Mini), containers from quart up to 6-gallon (Large), or two containers from quart up to 6-gallon in parallel (Double) |
| Washout Booth / Washout Booth Double | Function | Washing out one or two screens at once |
| Cube Screen Drying Cabinet | Function | Temperature-controlled drying of screens after cleaning, emulsion coating and washout |
| ARME | Compatibility | Works with both Anatol automatic and manual presses |
How to Choose Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
- For small businesses — a compact exposure unit (Quick Light Pro) and the Formulator Mini for mixing ink in small batches;
- For manufacturing — the Aurora in a dual-screen exposure configuration, paired with the Washout Booth Double and the Formulator Large/Double for mixing larger volumes of ink;
- By volume — consider not just screen size but whether you need dual configurations: if the shop preps multiple screens at once, dual models (Aurora, Washout Booth Double) cut prep time;
- By budget — start with a basic setup (an exposure unit and washout booth) and add automation (Quik-Kote, Formulator) as volume grows.
Pricing for Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
The price of Anatol pre-press equipment depends on the equipment type (exposure unit, ink mixer, washout booth, etc.), compatible screen size, and whether a dual configuration is needed for handling two screens in parallel.
Pricing for pre-press equipment is set separately for each equipment type: compact solutions (Formulator Mini, Quick Light Pro) cost less than larger configurations (a 50″×60″ Aurora, or the Formulator Large or Double). An exact quote for a specific equipment set and budget is provided by an Anatol representative — you can submit a request through the "Get a Quote" form on the website.
Final configuration also depends on whether you're assembling a full pre-press setup (exposure + emulsion coating + washout + drying) or adding individual units to an existing screen prep room.
Delivery and Installation of Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
- Installation — most equipment (exposure units, washout booths, the Cube drying cabinet) ships ready for on-site setup without complex assembly;
- Startup — commissioning includes connecting to power, calibrating the touchscreen control panel (for the Aurora), and checking operation on a test screen;
Why Choose Anatol Pre-Press Equipment
Anatol Equipment Manufacturing Co. is a U.S.-based manufacturer of printing equipment whose Aurora LED exposure units use long-lasting bulbs rated for up to 50,000 hours and require no warm-up or cool-down time, unlike metal halide systems. The pre-press lineup covers the full screen-prep cycle, so a business can build a complete setup under a single brand.
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FAQ about Accessories
Each accessory impacts productivity in a different way. Anatol’s Cube screen drying cabinet greatly speeds up the drying time required after cleaning, coating and washing out screens. The Formulator series of ink mixers frees up valuable time that can be spent preparing screens, printing shirts or performing other tasks around the shop. The ARME pre-registration system reduces the setup time required when registering multi-color jobs, so you can get printing faster. The cooling fan attachment for Anatol automatic presses prevents ink buildup on the underside of screens, reducing downtime during print runs. Even a screen rack or ink cart can help improve productivity by keeping your screens and other supplies organized and easily movable around your shop.
The accessories that tend to provide the fastest return on investment are those that reduce waste and minimize downtime. Accessories like the Big Forge and Mobile Forge in-line heat presses, as well as the Double Roller Squeegee, reduce waste by preventing fibrillation which can discolor your prints. When it comes to minimizing downtime, one simple and cost-effective upgrade for an Anatol automatic press are winged flood bars, which keep ink collected in the image area and prevent it from being pushed out to the edges of the frame, so you don’t have to pause production to push ink back toward the middle of the screen. Ultimately, the accessory that will benefit you the most depends on your particular workflow.
Of course, Anatol’s lineup of screen printing accessories is designed to optimize your workflow, speed up job setup and changeover, as well as reduce misprints and ensure consistently high print quality.