An issue many screen printers may encounter when learning how to silk screen is blurry or fuzzy lines. If you have ever wondered why your screen-printed image was not crisp and sharp, you are not alone. We know how frustrating it can be to end up with blurry artwork, so we’ve compiled a list of tips and techniques to help you avoid blurry prints. Let's clear up those blurred lines. I know you want it (if you know you know)
7 Tips for Crispy Clean Prints
1. Make sure you have enough adhesive down on the platen. This ensures the t shirt does not move during the printing process. If the shirt moves during the process it will creates blurred lines and potenial ruin the print. We recommend Ecotex Super Tack, this is a non permanent water-based glue.
2. When flooding your screen, make sure to only cover the design area with a film of ink. Flooding your screen is just lightly drawing ink across the screen but not pressing all the way through. This requires much less pressure than a normal pass when you are printing. Too much pressure can prematurely pass ink through the mesh.
3. Keep the number of times you pass the squeegee over the print to a minimum. Completing more passes than necessary can cause fuzzy un-crisp lines.
4. Push vs Pull – We do not favor one over another, but consistency is key. If you push one pass, push the next pass. Don’t switch between push and pull. Switching from push to pull on the same garment will cause blurred lines.
5. Keep your squeegee angle consistent. Be careful not to change the squeegee angle when printing. Just like the tipe above, consistency is key.
6. Be aware of how much ink builds up at the bottom of the screen. Ink buildup here can cause “ghosting” and can make the image appear 3D.
7. Make sure your screen was properly exposed. An improperly exposed screen can cause emulsion to break down sooner than it should, resulting in a loss of detail.
If you’re experiencing blurry un-crisp prints, you are not alone. Take a step back and assess your process. Did you put too much pressure down while flooding? Are you changing the squeegee technique from push to pull or are you holding it at different angles while doing that? It takes practice to master the skill, so take these tips and put them to work on your next print. Let us know if you have a related issue and we will try to troubleshoot for you.
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