[WesB]

I've been trying to master the plastisol print.

At first i was getting bare spots and learned all about "Off Contact" which helped solve that problem.

However I am getting thick ink buildups on parts of my design on the shirt, where it seems too much ink is going through the screen.

I am using a thick Blue Ink in a 110 and 156 mesh screen. Could the problem simply be using too much ink? I am not sure exactly how much to use, its so thick it seems like you don't need much but it takes a lot to spread over the screen before squeegee-ing it in.

Please Help

 

[tman07]

Off contact is important, also make sure that the screen is level, not 1/8 inch off contact on the left and 1/2 inch on the right, that could result in uneven deposit.

If you could thin your ink some, that might help.
there are thinners and reducers for that purpose.

Other things that help for a good ink deposit are:
sharp squeegee, reasonable tension on frame, proper mesh count.

Squeege angle, pressure and speed of stroke are things you have to experiment with to get the desired deposit too.

Hope that helps.

 

[WesB]

Thanks tman,

What are typical squeegee angles, and stroke speeds?

 

[tman07]

When you pull the squeegee you want to apply enough pressure to shear the ink through the screen, not "roll" it on.

There should not be any ink on the screen behind the squeegee stroke.

I accuse people of the "hurricane stroke" - one so fast that the ink doesn't have a chance to go through the screen.

I try to teach the "gentle breeze" stroke to my new workers.

Angle is hard to explain, you want the edge of the blade on the screen, so about a 45 degree angle.

I hope this helps, it is hard to explain it, but with practice and experimentation you will find what works best for you.

 

[WesB]

Thanks again,

As soon as people heard I was making shirts I started getting orders, when all I had was one screen and a table in my basement. So now I'm trying to learn as I go, and its tough because a lot of it is experimentation. But at the same time I'm trying to get product out.

This forum and cool dudes like you have been a big help though. So please feel free to pass on your knowledge on my continuing newb question posts.