[prem52k]

Hi All
I am totally new to this arena.
after several tumble downs i managed to get up and expose screens *yay*

but i am now faced with a new issue... the frame mesh I am using is 64t per SQ/CM, when i asked the store salesman he said this will be fit enough for plastisol..

but when i squeegeed my first print the ink penetrated to the fabric panel 95%, on my second attempt it penetrated less than the first attempt and on my third it was worse

I would like to know -
should i mix anything (water perhaps) to the plastisol ink? because i noticed as i completed my 3rd attempt most part of the stencil was clogged with plastisol.. preventing the ink from penetrating to the garment.

is my mesh 68t too small for plastisols? if yes, what is the best mesh size i should've used?

oh and i use a sharp edged squeegee. should i grind till it has a round edge? or can i use it the way it is?

this was my second experiment in screen printing.. and i am a little satisfied from the first... i hope you guys could help me have a flawless print on my 3rd experiment..

awaiting for you replies.. TIA

 

[n.signia]

well, first off, definately do not add water to your platisol inks. If you want to reduce it use a curable reducer made specificaly for platisol.

what does 68t translate to in LPI? it sounds like you mayjust have much too high od a mesh count.

try american equivolent of 110 or 156 mesh for normal art.

as for the sqeege you want a good sharp squeege, definately do not file it down.

I would need to know more about your set up to help further or to properly diagnose the clogging you mentioned.

but keep with it, you will get it!

 

[prem52k]

Hi n.signia
Thanks so much for the reply, noted i was wandering if it was right to mix with water, i shall ask my vendor for curable reducer for plastisol.

Also 68 (per sq/cm) was the mesh size in sq/inch i think it should be around 172. is this too fine for plastisol to penetrate?

They do have 48 (per sq/cm) but they recommended that for glitter - do you think this will be fit enough (if calculated in inches it sums up to 122 per sq/in.. the mesh here is very expensive for a starter like me, so i want to be careful when i'm buying the next mesh. don`t want to put the money on the wrong mesh and end up broke I will also check on the 110 and the 156. by the way my artwork was a big lion on the chest of the shirt.

as for the squeegee - i was planning to grind the edges this weekend, thank you for the heads up... these are very expensive here. planning to do my own squeegee the next time

As for the setup - i do not have hinges to fix the frame onto a table etc... all i did was cut out a pallet, applied some textile gum, placed my tshirt on the pallet, then placed the frame aligning to my best guess and squeegeed.. when i lifted the frame the result was what you are seeing in the image... i know.. this is very unprofessional but i followed the rules strictly when i printed... so i am confident it has nothing to do with the setup i had, never the less i maybe wrong.. i would love to know your feedback


Also how do you register a two color screen (frame on fabric)

TIA

 

[n.signia]

Ahhh,

the screen is clogging because there is no "off contact", off contact is the height off the shirt that the screen is. you want your screen to be about 1/8th of an inch above the garment, this allows the screen to "clear" after your squeege pass.

with your set up, you might tape coins to each corner of the screen to prop it up off the shirt.

as for multiple color registration with your set up, you will probebly just have to eye it and do not take on jobs that require tight registration.

 

[prem52k]

That was one valuable info n.signia. as for the multiple color registration, how would you normally go about aligning it at the right place mate? because normally (eventhough i place registration marks on the stencil) i won`t be printing the registration on the tshirt, when i reach to the second color how will i exactly know where to position the frame? cos, using my mental intelligence i cannot picture it properly

TIA