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 Whether you are planning on creating custom t-shirts or producing a fine piece of art, silkscreen (a printing technique using a stencil) may be a viable option. Silkscreen equipment can be very expensive to purchase, especially if you are only planning on using it for a specified time or specific project. Renting the equipment can be a cheaper alternative, but finding a place that offers silkscreen equipment rentals can prove to be challenging. The following suggestions could save you both precious time and money by directing you in your search for rental silkscreen equipment.
 A question from Lucknow, India:
Assuming the t-shirt was printed with plastisol ink, the screen printed image should outlast the shirt itself. Plastisol ink is very durable. The image color may eventually fade, but the printing will not come off. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  Yes and no. If you want to make screen printed transfers for a cold peel application, you can use almost any standard plastisol ink. This is assuming that the plastisol ink that you want to use has a formulation that has enough opacity to give you a acceptable print result. Cold peel transfers have a thicker, rubbery feel that is O.K. for substrates like ball caps or non-apparel items like pennants, flags, etc. But cold peel transfers are less than ideal for t-shirts or other wearables because of the heavy ink deposit that many people find objectionable.
If you want a "direct screen printed" look with a "soft hand" feel, you will need to use a specially formulated hot split transfer plastisol ink. When applying a heat transfer using transfers printed with hot split plastisol ink, a portion of the ink remains on the paper and the remainder is transferred to the garment--thus the name the "hot-split." Hot split plastisol inks come in regular opacity as well as high opacity formulations. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  Here's a screen printing related question from Torreagüera, Murcia, Spain.
QUESTION: I'm new at screen printing. What are the mesh counts that I should use? Here is a practical chart for choosing mesh counts: MESH COUNT CHART (Common Mesh Counts and Typical Applications) (Your supplier may offer mesh counts that are slightly different that those indicated below. Small deviations from these numbers is not critical. Purchase the next closest size that is available.) 24 Mesh – Glitter inks 30 Mesh – Shimmer/Crystalina inks 60 Mesh – Team Wear, player numbers, puff inks, metallic inks. 83 Mesh – Cold Peel & Hot Split transfers, heavy white underbase. 109 Mesh – Regular artwork with average details, no very fine lines or halftones 125 Mesh – Regular artwork with average details, no very fine lines or halftones 140 Mesh – Regular artwork with average details, no very fine lines or halftones 162 Mesh – Semi-detailed artwork, large halftones. 200 Mesh – Underbase for detailed prints and artwork, halftones, index color. 230 Mesh – Very detailed artwork, halftones, index color 305 Mesh – 4 color process color printing, overprint colors for simulated-process, fine halftones, very detailed art. These mesh counts apply to textile and hard goods as well. For printing with solvent based inks on ad specialty products, mesh counts of 230-305 will usually produce desired results as a thin ink deposit is usually indicated. TIP: You do not need to have all of the mesh counts indicated on hand in your shop. If you are just starting out as a typical textile screen printer, a good starting point would be to order a mix of 83's, 109's, 162's, 200's and 305's. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  A question from Flagstaff, AZ.
QUESTION: How long do screens last for screen printing? ANSWER: If screens are taken care of properly, they can last a lifetime. This is especially true of retensionable screens. The mesh on retensionable screens can be tightened as necessary, essentially making them "new" again. Rigid frame screens (wooden and aluminum frames) can also last for a very long time if just a few simple precautions are taken with them. You should adopt the following practices to increase screen longevity:
Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  "Off-contact," for those who don't know, is the gap between the
bottom of the screen and the substrate (the item being printed), its purpose is to improve printability during screen printing process. For screen printing plastics, paper, and t-shirts (as well as other light weight apparel), the "thickness of a dime" is a good starting point for the off-contact gap. When you are printing thick apparel (like sweatshirts) start with an off-contact gap of the "thickness of a nickel" and increase or decrease as necessary. The goal of off-contact screen printing is to obtain a good "snap-off" when the squeegee passes over the stencil in the screen, resulting in a sharp printed image. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  A question from El Paso, TX.
QUESTION: How do I avoid undercured emulsion? ANSWER: Once your screens are coated with emulsion (or capillary film), allow ample time for the emulsion to fully dry. A period of 12 hours is usually sufficient. Dry your just coated screens in a warm, dark area to ensure proper drying. Screen drying cabinets can also be used to speed up the drying process. They are available from screen printing equipment suppliers. After you have exposed a screen and washed out the stencil, allow the screen to dry to for at least an hour before printing with it. Running a fan over the screen will speed up the drying process. Post exposing a newly-imaged screen on your exposure unit will harden the emulsion and make it more durable. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  A question from Beachwood, OH.
QUESTION: Do you know of any apprenticeship programs in screen printing? ANSWER: Many screen printing shops offer on-the-job screen printing training for new employees. In fact, many screen printers obtain their training by learning on the job. ASPA has business member print shops that use the ASPA Certified Screen Printer (CSP) certification program as part of their training for new hires. Being ASPA certified can strengthen your prospects of getting a screen printing job. Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers.  Typical settings for creating film positives separations for T-Shirt Screen Printing:
Simulated Process Screen Printing: Angle for all film positives: 22.5 Degrees @ 55 LPI. Recommended dot shape: Elliptical Mesh count: 305 Top Colors Mesh count: 200 White Underbase Mesh count: 230 Highlight White Screen Print Order: The print order usually follows a set pattern, however depending on the artwork it is sometimes useful to switch certain colors to achieve better results. The usual print order for simulated process jobs on white shirts is: lemon yellow, flesh, scarlet red, royal blue, light blue, green, purple, brown, gray, and black. On colored shirts, the recommend print order would be: white, lemon yellow, flesh, scarlet red, royal blue, light blue, green, purple, brown, gray, highlight white and black. Note that the highlight white is not flashed. Only the underbase white will require flash printing. CMYK Process Screen Printing: Angle for all film positives: 22.5 Degrees @ 55 LPI. Recommended dot shape: Elliptical Mesh count: 305 Top Colors Mesh count: 200 White Underbase Mesh count: 230 Highlight White Screen Print Order: White Underbase, Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black Have a question about screen printing or t-shirt printing? Ask ASPA! -- Get Answers. |
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