Printing

Vocabulary

Vellum – Tracing paper used for making exposures.

Squeegee – A rubber blade in a plastic handle used to print.

Ink knife – A rounded spatula used to scoop ink from a can.

Screen printing press – A press used for printing on fabrics and other materials.

Heat setting equipment – A device that heats ink to make it set permanently.

Photopolymer emulsion – A light sensitive chemical used to create stencil.

Scoop coater – A special tool used to coat emulsion onto a screen.

Right reading – Placing an image so that it is the same way it will appear on the t-shirt.

Screen wash – A solvent that removes plastisol ink.

Plastisol ink – A specially formulated ink used for printing on fabric.

Reclaimer – A special chemical used to dissolve dried photo emulsion.

Degreaser and haze reducer – Chemical used to prepare screens for coating.

Adhesive remover – Chemical used to dissolve adhesive spray.

Reclaiming – Removing emulsion to reuse a screen. 

Printing set up

1. Use the 3 inch blue tape to block off the outside edge of your screen. This needs to be done after the screen has dried.

Get your original artwork that you used for the exposure.

2. Use masking tape and tape the art to the printing board upside down. Make sure it is centered side to side and about one hand width from the top.

3.     Position your screen so that the stencil lines up exactly with the art. Clamp the screen into the screen clamp. Lock down the printing board.

4.     Carefully place some ink on the screen. Use an ink knife with rounded edges. Be careful not to drip ink anywhere.

5.     Place a squeegee in the screen and lift the screen.

Printing

1.     Turn on the heat setter and put the belt speed at 40. It takes about 10 minute for this unit to warm up. DANGER! This unit gets hot!

2.     Spray a small amount of web adhesive on the printing board.

3.     Place the shirt or test square onto the printing board.

4.     Lower the screen onto the printing board.

5.     Pull the ink over the stencil with the squeegee at about a 45 degree angle.

6.     Push the ink back over the stencil for a second run. If your shirt has moved, this will create a double print.

7.     Remove the shirt from the printing

board and place it ink side up on the heat setter.

Clean up

1.     Use a piece of cardboard and scrape as much ink off the screen as you can.

2.     Carefully remove blue tape making sure not to fling or drip ink.

3.     On the clean up table, spread old newspapers.

4.     Place your screen on the newspapers and sprinkle a small amount of screen wash onto the screen.

5.     Use rags to remove all ink from the screen.

6.     Use rags and more screen wash to clean ink knives squeegees and anything else that needs it.

7.     Place the solvent soaked rags and newspaper in a covered can only!