The attached image is one I printed last night, I did a few of them one different tshirts and the same thing seems to have happened on them all, albeit not in the same spots. I really do not know what is happening. It seems as though there is eitehr too much ink or not enough, im really frustrated. This ink was not reduced but even on other prints with a 10% reduced in I still get this a little bit.
I have noticed on the bumped up areas that when I lift the screen to flash... that all the ink is not removed from the screen in these spots.
Workings:
• Gold ink straight from the tin (not reduced)
• Print flash Print (on some others, which I will also post pics of ive done numerous passes with the squeege)
• Screens are brand spanking new (and when held to light dont seem to be clogged)
• Printed through a 70T Yellow mesh
If some one could please help me and help me to obtain a solid non patchy, bitty print I would be eternally greatful, as I love screen printing but this is making me think other wise.
raise your off contact and make sure your using the edge of the squeegee and not bending the blade too much.
Its also advisable to mix the ink real well before loading into your frame fro printing. Will help to loosen the ink and make it more manageable and consistent for printing
Looks like both, your either not using a high enough off contact (the print seems like it's pulling the ink back up when you raise your screen), and/or not clearing the screen well enough (blotty spots).
I went home last night before reading any of your replys and had another crack at it. I reduced the ink by 10% and it was better.... nowhere near perfect but better.
In regards to clearing my screen properly, does this mean between jobs or when I squeegee the ink through?
I originally thought that I wasnt cleaning the screen well enough so some of the hole may be blocked.... but these are new screens. Therefore they have never been used to block up. Also if this was the case then surelly the horrible patern would be the same on every print... but it isnt!!!
Im using a home made press so off contact is not as measurable as one would like. Its roughly about 4mm or two lolly pop stick stacked on top of one and other.
Do you think that the mesh count im using could be too high???
In regards to clearing my screen properly, does this mean between jobs or when I squeegee the ink through?
When your printing. You should clear the screen/stencil with every print
Quote:
I originally thought that I wasnt cleaning the screen well enough so some of the hole may be blocked.... but these are new screens. Therefore they have never been used to block up. Also if this was the case then surelly the horrible patern would be the same on every print... but it isnt!!!
New screens has nothing to do with clearing the ink from the stencil when printing. You just need some practice with higher viscosity inks when printing. Getting the right angle of the squeegee, the right pressure and off contac takes a little time and depending on the mesh and the job at hand will vary from job to job
A 110 mesh should work just fine for this ink. Also reducing this ink may not be the best option. Some inks should only be stirred before printing and not modified. Reducing lowers the opacity.
Being that this is a home made press this could be a big part of the issues. If your screen is not perfectly level and your printing on a flat and level palette you'll be fighting your prints quite often.
I know that a 110 works well for shimmer inks. But it almost looks like this could be a glitter ink with larger flakes. Maybe he needs to go down to an 80 mesh or lower.
I've never worked with anything but shimmer inks, so I'm not sure...
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I don't see any flakes. Usually with the glitters and metallic inks you can somewhat tell there are flakes added unlike the shimmers your used to using. IM looking at my ink card guides for Rutland and Wilflex and I can see the flakes on their normal glitter inks.
This lookes like maybe a specialty gold ink. Actually looks more copper than gold yet that could just be the scan or pic.
The print is already starting to fill in on the ®, going to a lower mesh might not be the best option. I bet with a good stirred ink before loading in the screen (as well as the other parameters mentioned above) will do the trick. Just need more practice printing the higher viscosity inks.
I could be wrong, its tough to say., So many variables come into play.
Its not a glitter ink as I do have a glitter ink and you can clearly see the flakes in it. It is just a gold plastisol. there are no flakes that I can see in it.
My press seems to be pretty acutar, i designed it myself and had a friend weldit together for me. It not a pro one but it seems to be ok.
I think the thing that is anoying me most is that as richard said... there are so many variables.
well get you printing tight in no time
Keep on plugging away.
One option which may yield more ink deposit yet should work would be to print as hard as you can the first time. Flash and print normally the second time. Might help to get a good smooth deposit of ink on the first pass.
when you flash make sure the print cools before printing the second pass. If you have a multi station make sure you rotate the carousel, by the time the first shirt comes back for print, it should be cool enough for the swcond pass.
PS I have noticed that sometimes when I lift my screen up the is still ink left in the stencil on certain spots. When I then look at th eplatern with the shirt and print on the patern that has formed in the stencil ie where the ink has been left mirrors that on the print.
If I could get all the ink out of the stencil before lifting up I think this would help... the question is why does it only come out in certain areas?
PS I have noticed that sometimes when I lift my screen up the is still ink left in the stencil on certain spots. When I then look at th eplatern with the shirt and print on the patern that has formed in the stencil ie where the ink has been left mirrors that on the print.
If I could get all the ink out of the stencil before lifting up I think this would help... the question is why does it only come out in certain areas?
Thanks once again
James
Squeegee technique angle and pressure. Pushing all the ink through before lifting the screen would not only help, it is the solution. It is only on certain areas, because of your technique and it looks like thick ink which makes it harder to push through. Try flooding, stroke, and than stroke again to clear the screen.
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