Kwelp68

Hello all, please help me!! I've finally cured my screen for my first printings. They look awesome, just the way I was hoping that they would. Anyway, when I went to print them down on shirt or paper, I got an inconsistant image. Either too much ink is pressed through the screen in areas or no ink comes through in areas. The images look perfect on the screen, so I'm not sure why this is happening. I'm using water based ink and a squeegee to push the ink through. The screen is lying flat on the shirt (is this good or bad) I've made it so far, and now I can't figure out why this isn't printing right. Please help?

 

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buzzbox

get that screen off the shirt. minimum distance 1/8". cut some cardboard squares and tape them to the edge of your screen to get the distance you need. (assuming your printing with a hand held screen)

 

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Kwelp68

Ok cool, it's a full size screen, maybe 2 ft x 2 ft. So you think lifting the screen up off the shirt a little will make a consistant print? Is there any special technique to squeegeeing the ink onto the shirt? Also, can I cure water based ink well with a hair dryer and then an iron? Any help would be so much appreciated.

 

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buzzbox

been long time since i have used waterbase. are you adding a curing agent?

 

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Kwelp68

Not that I know of. This is the first time, so it's just the ink itself. Do you know of the best "ghetto" way to cure shirts. I don't have any professional screen printing heating instruments. Also, I'm about to go try to repress the screen and see if I can get a consistant print. It's just words with very few "simple" graphics. Do you have any good tips to getting a consistant print?

 

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buzzbox

the only thing i can think of that is inconsistant is your printing pressure and angle you hold the sqeegee. assuming your screen doesnt move around when you print. there is no solution to that other than a lot of practice. you might try 2 med pressure strokes instead of 1 hard stroke. keep in mind the screen has to be held in place with some type of clamping system.

 

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Kwelp68

Ok, my screen wasn't being held in place by anything but me. So, I definitly need something to clamp it down with. Any suggestions on this?

 

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Ken Styles

Have you read any books or watched any videos about screenprinting?
If I were you, I would start there and keep practicing.

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Fluid

the bible - T-Shirts for Fun and Profit has a guide for building a press.
Essentially 2 hinge clamps and a good flat surface will work.

Also original question, what mesh are you using?

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Kwelp68

My mesh count is 160. I finally got the shirts to print and look pretty good, but it seemed to be a toss up between each one that I did. Some looked really good, some the ink bled through to much, and some didn't get enough ink in areas. I think maybe I need to practice my technique and get it consistant.

 

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Fluid

Quote: I think maybe I need to practice my technique and get it consistant.

Probably the case here.

Make sure you give a good flood before printing.

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Solmu

Off-contact is overrated. Waterbased ink can be cured with an iron (though it's not entirely reliable). If you're not doing a flood stroke before the print stroke, that is likely the source of your problem.

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