Screen Printing for Dummies

Press Wash vs Screen Wash

October 07, 2019 1 Comment

Ok guys listen up, this one is a is a head scratcher. A lot of us get confused when these two products get brought up. So we are going to make it super short and simple so that you guys get the point and don’t get confused.

Which Emulsion to use?

September 23, 2019

One of the most frustrating things when you start printing is emulsions, but it’s not emulsion exposure times. It is the type of emulsion you are using. You have no idea how many times people contact us and say I need to buy more emulsion. Ok cool not a problem which one do you normally use to make sure you use the same one if you are comfortable with it. Guess what they say next…. “I use the blue one” “pink” “I need the pink one.” Oh ok awesome you guys really didn’t help by blurting out a color.

Drying your Screen

September 03, 2019

Drying a screen once it's been coated is much more critical than most think. After you are done degreasing and have coated your screen you need to place it to dry horizontally with the print side down. The reason that drying a screen is so important is because it is going to determine the outcome of how your emulsion cures which affects it breaking down prematurely on the press. Gravity can help you out by making a thicker stencil for your design.

Low Temp Inks for Dummies

August 26, 2019

So here’s a quick one to think about. Low temperature cure inks, ok big deal why would I need a low temperature ink, my inks work fine.

Ok and that may be true for what you are currently printing on which is most likely a run of the mill cotton shirt.

What is Curable Reducer ?

August 05, 2019

So this one definitely goes out to all the noobs and so-called screen printing know it all’s.

When printing plastisol ink it’s obvious you are going to get a thicker deposit of ink on the shirt. That should be expected when printing plastisol compared to water based inks.

How long to expose emulsion

July 23, 2019

This is one that literally gets asked all the time! What is my exposure time with this emulsion and this light? How long should I expose this emulsion? Why wont my light work for exposing? Or the funniest one is "this is crap" "your emulsion sucks, I'm going to leave a bad review"

Screen Printing Emulsion Trouble!

July 08, 2019

Let’s talk about some common problems that you may encounter when coating you screens with emulsion. This can be one of the most frustrating things when you start printing because it looks so simple and easy on the YouTube video you just saw.

Platen Adhesive, Which to use ?

June 24, 2019

Let’s take a minute and talk about platen adhesive, this is an item that is normally overlooked since its not a product like emulsion that you really need to get one specific to your use.

To Degrease or not Degrease your screens

May 27, 2019

Alright guys degreasing a silkscreen is something that if you ask around some printers do, and some printers don’t do and that’s ok. Degreasing is not always necessary, but!!! It is recommended and being a printer myself I can say that I am guilty of not degreasing screens.

Dip Tank for Dummies

May 23, 2019

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to using a dip tank. How long do you leave the screens in for developing vs reclaiming, what chemicals to use, this guy told me this, but I’ve been trying this? Let’s try and answer this as simple as possible in this Dip Tanks for Dummies post.

Liquid Tape for Dummies!

May 07, 2019

Ok guys so tape is something that all screen printers use at one point or another and they all use something different. So lets go ahead and try and figure out what makes more sense for you to use next time you need to buy new supplies.

Blurred Prints - For Dummies

April 23, 2019

One thing printers may encounter when learning to print is the image bleeding, it’s super frustrating but we are going to give you a list of things to look out for when this happens.