Screen Printing for Dummies

Myths about Plastisol Ink Pt. 1

January 06, 2020

Lets go ahead and debunk some of the myths a lot of us printers have come across at some point or another. These all revolve around the well known plastisol inks, pay attention take some notes and you're welcome in advance.

Low Temperature Cure Plastisol inks

December 09, 2019

Tips and tricks about using low temperature cure plastisol inks.

Screen Coating for Dummies

November 25, 2019

Most entry level screen printing kits come with your basic supplies right? The screen, ink, emulsion some sort of squeegee type thing and maybe some hinges for the screen if it’s a nice kit. Well what about the scoop coater? How are you going to apply the emulsion to the screen?

White Ink for Dummies

November 04, 2019 1 Comment

With so many white plastisol inks out on the market how do you know which one to select? Screen Print Direct dives into the different types of white ink and the functions of each to make choosing ink a no brainer.

Choosing the right press for you.

October 28, 2019

When picking a press there is much more to consider then just how much it costs, what brand it is, tabletop or self-standing. When you are press shopping one of the most important thing to consider is what you are going to be printing most of the time.

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 1 Comment

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 1 Comment

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.