r/SCREENPRINTING

Fuck red ink.

Edit: printing with it is fine, shit just gets everywhere and stains your hands like a sunuvabitch.

When I got into screen printing, it got me thinking it would be pretty easy to come up with a design, burn it onto screen, add some ink, and print. That was the idea in my head, at least. But once I actually started doing it, I got to realise there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface.

Getting a clean, sharp print isn’t just about having a good design. There are so many small factors that can make or break the final result, things like mesh count, how thick or thin your ink is, the amount of pressure you apply with the squeegee, and even how well the print is cured afterward. The tricky part is that even a tiny adjustment to one of these can completely change how the print turns out.

I’ve been trying different setups and approaches, and honestly, it still feels like a learning process every single time. Some days everything comes together perfectly, and other days, well, not quite. It’s one of those crafts where hands on experience really counts more than you might expect at the beginning.

At one point, I got curious about how the professionals do it that I ended up dicing deep into different machine setups. I even found myself scrolling through manufacturing lists just to understand how commercial screen printing equipment is built. That alone gave me a whole new approach for things like precise registration, stable platens, and how consistency is maintained when producing at scale.

I’m still figuring things out as I go but that is a part of what makes it enjoyable. If you’re just starting like me, it’s worth knowing that it’s not as easy as it seems but when everything finally clicks, it’s incredibly satisfying.

Hi all! I’m an artist interested in expanding my mediums! I just took my first workshop this week, figured I should test the waters before committing. I’m mostly interested in being able to take over shirt production for my partner’s trade business, and be able to make a part time income selling shirts/totes/prints at local markets, inside local artisan gift shops, and possibly taking on jobs for other small business in my community. I have such little experience at this point and would be learning as I go since there are no local classes in my area, so I don’t have any idea right now on how much and how efficiently I could actually produce. I don’t have equipment yet as I’m still trying to decide what to do. I’m hoping to be able to make around 30k/yr (US) from this venture. Is that a crazy goal or doable? Can a one man show with a small manual set up be profitable without working to the bone and crazy hours per week? I’m currently a “creative” working in finance and hating it so hoping to find an option that suits my personality and skills better.

I'm just curious what mesh size other people use on an automatic press.

My coworker insists on using a 110 for an underprint, regardless of artwork, unless it's a Sim process job. I feel like a higher mesh size would work fine for normal jobs as well since it's an automatic doing the work of pushing ink thru the screen.

I get that white ink is thicker so using a 110 is easier when printing manually but am I wrong it thinking that he should use higher meshes in general on an auto? I see people on IG using a 230 for an underprint where I know we would use a 110 and their final prints look great

So just kinda curious what other people in here do since I know IG isn't a great representation of what people are actually doing

Hey yall — can you share with me what your reclaiming routine is? Do you use a high-power pressure washer as well?

I came from a fully automated shop with M&R stuff to an upstart shop where I consult (mostly printing) that constantly pops holes and tears screens. They’re constantly spraying out these screens full blast. I am interested in how everyone else does it.

Also, This shop reclaims 30+ screens a day. They do a lot of work.

Hey homies!
So I am brand new to screen printing and I am so frustrated. I have done this countless times it feels like now. I am having trouble trying to get my design to burn into the screen. I have tried everything. I have tried doing 10 second, 30 second, and 1min 30 second interval calculator tests. I have been trying to follow all the right steps but it never seems to work. I have the uv lights turned on and the design can clearly be seen as you can tell but the second I go into the light the design isn’t there and I can’t see it. The mesh is a 110 mesh and I am using blue and red tex emulsion with the uv lights tagged below. Please help me. Thanks guys!

I and curious how others have felt about S&S after the alphabroader buyout. With it being a private equity firm, with the profit above all mentality, I am really just waiting for it all to go to shit. But have you noticed any changes good or bad?

I have recently been getting missing items and defective products in my order. American Apparel going exclusive to S&S has been terrible for me because I tend to use sanmar whenever I can since they are the last survivor of private equity and the longer we can hold off that take over the better.

What are your thoughts?

I ordered a quart of AP blue 6 months ago and just opened it. I coated a screen and let it dry for 12 hours. I exposed with a 30w UV led speedball lamp for 20 seconds as the AP blue package said. My screen is large 20x24. The lamp is the height of the diagonal of the screen. When I went to rinse out all the emulsion came off the screen. Also while coating the emulsion was dripping. And clumping up some places. Is my emulsion bad? Should I just buy new one and save myself the headache of switching out factors with bad emulsion?