screen printing > Newbie

Tips and tricks for new auto user

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Prosperi-Tees:
I posted this in another forum and just want to post it here to get as much info as possible.

Well if the bank allows I will be a new auto owner in 4-6 weeks. I have heard that I will have to learn to print all over again so what should I expect.
 
Different mesh counts?
Printing wet on wet?
Squeegee pressure?
How about ink?
Should I change emulsion? I use a diazo dual cure
Printing on dark shirts?

What would be a good mix of mesh counts since I would have to buy new 23x31 frames? Mainly spot colors on light shirts. And of course the white ink on black.

Right now I like using 230s on light shirts and depending on design 86-156 on darks printing manually

I am sure there are more questions but I cant think of them right now.

Northland:
If you have enough money, space and electrical capacity.... you're good to go.
There's a learning curve to auto printing... don't let that stop you. You'll learn as you go.

Generally speaking, you can use a higher mesh counts and there's no need to stop using duel cure emulsion.

blue moon:
 'first thought, and most with auto's will agree, is that 6/8 is going to be too small. You will outgrow it pretty soon. On an auto, flash uses up a head and in some cases the head after it is used as a cooldown station. So on dark garments, you might print an underbase (1), flash (2), cooldown (3) and you have three colors left. On an auto the second hit of white is mostly on a separate screen so you don't have to spin it around twice. This now leaves you with only two useful colors.  Just something to think about . . .

few more thoughts . . . 99% of the work gets printed wet on wet. It is not a big deal once you have it down, but it does take some time to get used to it. Just like many others with a manual only experience (very limited at that) I wanted to print everything with 110's and 160's. On the white garments it is not a big deal as the extra ink gets absorbed by the cotton, but on an underbase this will cause the ink to smear. We use 305's for any color going on the underbase and are OK with 5-6 colors wet on wet.

as far as the screens, go for the 230's and 305's. Get few lower counts for a good measure, but your workhorse should be the 230. Use them for underbase and colors on the light shirts. 50/50's with white ink I still print with 110's. Heavy bleeders go on 160's pp/f/pp. There are occasions where we can get a decent white with one screen (thin art or lighter color shirt) and we'll use the lower mesh counts (with extra coat to get thicker stencil). While it makes sense, once you start printing on an auto, you'll keep chasing the thinner threads and forget that there is a time and place for the low count stuff. Thanx to Alan, we are fully utilizing those now.

You should strive to hit everything only once. Two hits reduces your production output. That means two white screens to print white on darks, but the time saved on everything but the shortest runs is worth it.

Pick a white that has all the characteristics you are looking for and then learn how to make it work on your auto. After you spend some time with it, and have a decent understanding of what it's doing, start testing few others.

The extra equipment will cost you dearly! From what other ppl are saying, $6k-$8k is what most ppl spend on a compressor, new electric and air lines and other misc equipment needed. Make sure you budget that in. After all is said an done, you should still have money in the bank to make first few payments.


sorry for the long rant . . . there is more, but I'll let somebody else chime in too!

pierre

3Deep:
Learn like I did if you mess up one shirt on an auto you just bet theres 8 more, 10 ,12 or how ever many station you have coming round.  Allways do a test print first on one shirt before you start a run, I know there are tons of people that have 6/8 autos and yep its a pain in the butt if you try and run 6 colors might as well do on a manual.  I have 7/8 and run six colors and yep I fight with it and its slow on dark shirts unless the art sep just right.  I,m with everyone else even if you only print 4 colors you still could use an 8 color machine 10 station.

Darryl

jsheridan:

--- Quote from: blue moon on July 04, 2011, 12:08:00 PM ---
You should strive to hit everything only once. Two hits reduces your production output. That means two white screens to print white on darks, but the time saved on everything but the shortest runs is worth it.


--- End quote ---

I don't want to de-rail to much here but this is the problem with US based production models. We are told we have to hit it once and move on.. go abroad and down south and it's not multiple hits, it's multiple high mesh screens of the same color and they flash everything so they don't get ink buildup. The 1-hit-wonder Americans are doing more to beat our selves in the head with a single screen than to think it through and simply add a screen. where do you think all the mid 90-s 12-16 color challengers went.. mexico. where are all the alpha 8's.. china

The biggest goal of a new auto is to get the best print you can no matter how long it takes.

When you go from a manual to a small auto, you still print the same, just raise your mesh counts. If your manual shop has been flashing between colors, using all low mesh screens then do the same thing in the beginning until you get comfortable and begin to understand what the machine can and can't do for you as you grow into it.

The best tip that will help with printing techniques.. use only as much squeegee pressure to print as you need. It's very easy to crank up the squeegee pressure on an auto making your prints start to look worse than when you printed by hand.

Good luck and congrats on the auto!!

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