[DoItCauseIWant]

Ok heres the problem. I use the pull flood, push stroke method. When I pull my ink to flood the ink gathers on the back of my squeegee, facing me, then I push to print and some of the ink that's gathered behind my squeegee forms little streaks/trickles of ink on my screen that end up showing on the garmate as line on my print. How can I stop this? I need a smooth finish on my prints. Not this crap I'm getting now. Also it was a high res. ink if that explans anything.

 

[TYGERON]

As tight a screen as possible. Slight off contact. Watch how much ink you pull toward you. And not all at to the end toward you. Just beyond the image and enough to get a good clean coverage.

 

[wormil]

What Tygeron said. It sounds like you don't have enough off contact or your screen is loose.

 

[ScreenFoo]

I've had this problem with good tight screens before--I 'hop' the ink twice--i.e. pull your flood, 'hop' the squeegee on the other side, push it just a little, rock the squeegee down (to stick more ink on the screen,) and 'hop' the little bit from the face of the squeegee that's stuck there. Seems to only happen to me with thicker inks...

 

[DoItCauseIWant]

I think it was a bit of all of what you guys said. I was working with thick ink, pulled way too much ink for my flood and wasn't hopping. This is the best forum. Thanks to people willing to help out.

 

[selanac]

After I hop the squeege over the ink, I kind of Roll my wrist so the ink comes off the squeege and on the screen, then push the ink back down with my stroke.

 

[Ferris]

For thick inks, I rarely flood when printing manual. It all depends on your stroke, but it can be done.

 

[DoItCauseIWant]

yea I've seen others do that. I'm worried that I will have bad ink coverage if I do that but I will try. Everyone seems to print faster than me so maybe that will help speed me up. They work fast but they don't stay on task. I work steady and only stop to eat. Hope the boss sees that.

 

[wormil]

Hope the boss sees that.

At my first screenprint job not working for myself, the owner hired several people with the intention of only keeping one (we didn't know that). One day he fired a guy then came to me and said he originally planned to fire me because it appeared I spent too much time prepping and organizing but luckily he had kept track of mistakes and output and I was blowing everyone else away. The other guys looked busier but getting less done and making more mistakes. The difference was I mentally walked myself through every job before even setting up which meant fewer mistakes and my setups were very fast. Sometimes thoughtful and steady win the race.

 

[BroJames]

In some respect, like the tortoise that focused on the race and proceeded at a slower albeit steadier pace.

 

[selanac]

That's why I don't work for someone else.

Problem is, I don't have anyone too boss around either.

 

[DoItCauseIWant]

"...thick inks, I rarely flood..." + Teach Me

For thick inks, I rarely flood when printing manual. It all depends on your stroke, but it can be done.

Can you explain this process better. Perhaps if needed on another thread if need be. I dont know how to do that, but where you lead, Ill follow.

 

[DoItCauseIWant]

Lol thats funny because although I started screen printing as my own side business, I never worked for someone who never stopped demanding more and more. At first the ppl who would fold the garments were upset n giving me looks. Then they were amazed by me. I could go steady at a faster pace and screw up less.

They treated me like a machine and thats what I became. As long as I could have two 10 min breaks (usually one) and a 1/2hr lunch. This was too much for them.

This is also the same company that asked me if I were sure I was a citizen and told how easy it is for someone to print up the documents I was showing them on their home computer. My social security card, Birth Certificate and ID is what I was showing him.


And they fired ME.

Oh and I happen to be Chicanna which means not only am I NOT from MEXICO, NEITHER are my PARENTS. I dont even have a damn accent. LOL

 

[selanac]

Victoria,

If you contact Ryonet, ask them about their training classes. They're in Seattle I believe.

 

[20vK]

I get this too, on occasion. It's very frustrating.

I push and use ergoforce squeegies. SOmetimes I have to push the empty screen 4 times to get rid of the streaks.

I never did get to the bottom, but it seems to happen when my room (and therefor ink) gets really hot. (the wall temps can get up to 130 - tough printing conditions). If you reduce the amount of ink in your well (screen) this helps reduce the possibility of ink behind the squeegee and running off it, leaving trails.

The ink runs appear to be transferred whilst the squeegie is on the platen, so off contact doesn't seem to help. I'm running 40n of tension on my screen. I originally thought my blade must be deformed, but think a lot is down to ink clinging to the nearside of the squeegie and dropping off

 

[porkchopharry]

I get this with the ergonomic squeegees too. My solution is to just turn them around and stroke with the other side of the squeegee for a bit, it always stops the streaks. I have it down to ink build up on the squeegee as well.

 

[sben763]

Here is how I prevent trailing as I call it. As I flood as the end of stroke just past the image I tilt the squeegee down and wipe off excess. Then lift the squeegee and start just before the ink. This is to fix trailing.

Streaking as I would call it seems to be an uneven flood and usually happen when hot. It when the ink is smooth but has streaks though it where ink seems to be light in areas. I flood with less ink but 1 hard flood every 3 flood strokes.

 

[20vK]

This is what's great about this place - we've all had this weird issue, and all fixed it in our own ways. But none of us have even mentioned it until someone else says they have the same problem!

Makes me feel like we are on the frontier of screen printing and carving our own way though with the adoption of the latest equipment and techniques! It kinda tickles me!

Sean - digging out that document for you so we can both evaluate that concept I mentioned.

 

[20vK]

Here is how I prevent trailing as I call it. As I flood as the end of stroke just past the image I tilt the squeegee down and wipe off excess. Then lift the squeegee and start just before the ink. This is to fix trailing.

Streaking as I would call it seems to be an uneven flood and usually happen when hot. It when the ink is smooth but has streaks though it where ink seems to be light in areas. I flood with less ink but 1 hard flood every 3 flood strokes.

I sometimes get uneven ink laydown with the same description. For me, it looks like uneven patches and that the ink has been pushed into the shirt, rather than the rest of the ink that is sitting ontop. YOu can even feel when the squeegee gets extra purchase on the screen and drives it in in those areas. I have tended to do another stroke without flooding, but with a little ink infront of the squeegee to "fill" in those areas. Again - it seems to happen when the ink is warm, especially with large solid underbase designs. Sometimes I will just leave it and do my second stroke after the flash, and it comes out fine too

 

[sben763]

I named the 2 issues cause I think there are 2 different issues. I read this post a few days ago and then reread it. It just seemed to me that's what was happening. The trailing is what I think Larry was talking about where Richie and the OP may have been having streaking.

What I call trailing is a line of ink due to the squeegee build up on the back side. I may try Larry's technique. Does the ergo print much differently backwards though. Plus I have almost changed all my blades to the 64a blades and all the previous problems have almost gone away and almost no print flash print anymore I bought 144" roll and am placing another 144" roll order next week. If anyone wants to know how to get some ergo's on the cheap PM me.

Looking forward to checking out that concept.