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EverLastingGifts · July 21st, 2008

Okay, so we need a little help with this one... we are new, obviously, to screen printing. We have our cute little swing away/roll away dryer to dry between inks, and had a question... Is it better to dry close for less time or a couple of inches away for more time?

Our shirts and palate are getting very warm (and STAYING warm for quite a while) as it is now. We have the dryer about 3 inches from the garment and have to cook it for 20-30 seconds, (which seems like a very long time to me), but my partner thinks the shirts are getting too hot if we set it an inch away for like 10 seconds... Yeah, the shirt gets hot then too, but there is a difference of a couple a minutes per shirt... and time is money, right?

so if anyone can help with this debate, it would be greatly appreciated... it wont be the first time we have used the forum to settle a debate either! LOL. Have a great day everyone. --Amber

Rico Menor · July 21st, 2008

I have my flash unit about 4-5 inshes away from the shirt and between prints i leave it over the garment for about 30 seconds depending on the print and material I am using.
I relate it to a steak, yeah you can throw it on a hot fire and it will cook but the outside will burn faster than the inside will cook. that 10 seconds of real hot temps may be just long enough to scorch a garment. Time is money but errors are more expensive.
But thats just me...

out da box · July 22nd, 2008

I usually flash for only as long as it takes to print another color and spin the pallet, maybe 8-10 sec at the most. You're not trying to sure the ink when flashing, only "gel" the ink so the next colors will adhere and print cleanly. I run the temp on 100%

EverLastingGifts · July 23rd, 2008

Thank you for your input... but to be honest, it just proves that we are not the only ones caught up in this debate!

! LoL !

I agree with the "steak" theory when curing, but I think that in the interest of time, we are only trying to "gel" the ink so we can get the next layer on without making a mess... so that we can finish, add the final cure, and turn a quick shirt... Yeah, shirts are the most expensive variable in the equation... and while I have not scorched one yet (admittedly, I am new) I am going to keep a close eye out for it and adjust the temp/distance accordingly...

I was just trying to point out how much time can be wasted if you "cure" between each and every color....