Take the Guesswork out of Printing the Correct Color No printer sets out to print an image with the incorrect color match, to make two or more squeegee strokes to achieve opacity or in the case of printing on a textile substrate having to use a...
You Can Increase the Amount of Detail with Some Knowledge I receive a great number of questions, some of which need a more thorough explanation. This is one of those questions. If you need a question answered, there is a link at the bottom of this...
Don't Put Off These Inexpensive Safety Measures Safety should always a priority in any business to protect personnel and equipment. And, safety sleeve spring covers may be one of the least expensive solutions, but often overlooked until a spring breakage sends a staff member to the...
The Durometer is Not What You Think! In almost every class I have taught, or seminar I have given about screenprinting, someone will ask a question regarding squeegee hardness and ask if they need to invest in a durometer. And, as an avid researcher, I often...
There are many misunderstandings about why plastisol ink fails. The injudicious passing along of widely held but false beliefs and ideas, misrepresentation of the truth, and exaggerated or idealized conceptions of ill-conceived thoughts of plastisol inks on social media are among the most rampant of...
Are you currently offering no art charges, no setup fees, and free shipping and thinking that the public actually believes you? If so, you could actually lower your prices, build trust, and increase your sales and revenue. Today, as I begin my research for this article,...
For decades screenprinters have used a 5 to 10 power folding loupe for inspecting and analyzing their prints, the quality of the stencil, the edge definition of the print, the surface of the ink deposit, registration and other details that need magnification. The loupe was...
Academy of Screen and Digital Printing Technologies The next time you are at an industry trade show, look closely at the lapels of other attendees and you might notice a small lapel pin with the letters ASDPT. Those who wear this pin are a very prestigious group...
Stop Buying Pressure Washers When What You Need is a Better Pump Let’s face it, it seems that most pressure washers only last so long. The reason is that most screenprinters buy non-industrial type pressure washers at the local hardware store. These pressure washers are not...
I am often asked about the true purpose of degreasing and if it will really eliminate pinholes. It seems that there are a number of individuals who, perhaps, on a budget-minded philosophy have eliminated degreasing entirely from their screenmaking process. Their thinking is that the...
Apparently lots of people think that starting a business is easy. In the U.S. alone, some 800,000 individuals start a new business each year, and 80-percent fail within a year. The ratio of failures in the screenprinting technologies is even higher, perhaps due to the...
Quite often, we find items with a thickness that looks like high-density screenprinting, but with extremely fine detail that belies the process of high-density printing. We can find this process used on clothing, shoes, caps, phone cases, purses, and thousands of other mass-produced items. Look...
In this simple tutorial you will learn how to increase the resolution of a 72-dpi gif that is only 2.75-inches to a clean illustration that is 300-dpi and 8-inches. Watch this video!...
For those who can never seem to get the very best detail out of their stencils, have to constantly block out pinholes, have stencils that breakdown on the press, and are thinking that there must be a better way. There is! This article describes a...
I am a serial entrepreneur, having started more businesses than most. It helps that I am a serious workaholic, arising as early as 4:30 a.m. and often working until 1:00 a.m. the following morning. At present, I own and operate ten businesses and all are...
If you are among the many who have problems exposing stencils, this article will explain how to put an end to the stress that you are going through. Become a fly on the wall as we walk a printer through the correct exposure time before...
Choose your squeegee wisely. Your choice of the squeegee can have a big impact on your printing - make sure you're using the right one for the job! Efficient and effective screenprinting requires the proper tools, and the squeegee is very near the top of...
The curing process of plastisol ink is simple. During the curing process, the plastic resin is heated and opens up to absorb the liquid plasticizer. As the resin cools it once again retains its plastic form, with the plasticizer inside. However, curing has to be...
Creating beautiful prints is an art that can be learned. It becomes more difficult if one does not invest in the right software, and lose the enthusiasm for attempting to save a few dollars upfront. And, we need the right tools and knowledge to produce...
This article is for those who must work in hot climates with high humidity and have to deal with the discomfort of chafing. Having lived in five of the hottest cities in the USA and working in the others on the Top Ten List, I am...
