Top Tips And Advice For Getting The Most Out of Screen Printing
Screen printing is an extremely easy technical process. It’s a process that will help you decorate anything- ranging from tees, hats, cups, sweatshirts, sweatpants, caps, etc. And if you consider screen printing as a business, you can some good income.
However, you need to understand each and every aspect of screen printing if you want to achieve the bet out of this process.
If you can achieve some good working order with all the pieces of equipments involved in screenwriting, and all the preparations processes involved, you’ll end up doing your job more easily and efficiently.
Below are some helpful tips to ensure you get the best out of screen printing- whether you it for fun or for business…
Tip #1: Pay Special Attention To Your Artwork
As you’ve heard time and again, the artwork is the most important step of coming up with a great-looking, high-quality print. If your artwork is not properly set up and prepared for screen printing, the print will not only look awful, but the printing job will also give you headaches.
Ensure you’ve enough knowledge on how a screen printing renders graphics and how you can successfully set up your art for easily printing anything you want.
Take enough time to work on your design and be sure of it before you even think of taking it to the screen. If you’re not sure of how to do the art, it’s important to seek a graphic artist with some experience in screen printing. This will save you a lot of materials as well as headache.
Tip #2: Eliminate All The Variables
This one is self-explanatory. If you are serious about the screen printing activity you’re undertaking, it will be a good idea to get rid of loose, old or wooden screens. Take time to get square, firm, and tightly stretched screen.
Avoid making costly mistakes or time consuming work-arounds by simply acquiring the proper equipment for the job from the word go. All the tools you need for the job don’t necessarily need to be professional grade; anything that’s reliable and works consistently will do.
Screen printing is more fun and easier when you’ve got the right equipment and some learning curve on its techniques.
Tip #3: Keep Your Ink under Control
Plastisol ink does not dry completely until you cure it using n oven. If it accidentally falls somewhere its not supposed to be, it will undoubtedly travel. Be much careful when handling this ink. One of the tell-tale signs of an experience screen printer is a clean working area.
Also ensure that your printer is entirely free of ink of any kind.
Avoid wiping excess ink off onto your garments. Always ensure you check your hands before you can handle the shirts in between the prints.
The need to have a clean working space cannot be overemphasized.
Tip #4: Abide by Local Environmental Rules and Regulations…
…on how to use and dispose all the chemicals and products you’re using throughout your screen printing process.
Most vendors of the screen printing products provide their customers with MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) – for hazardous materials information, chemical makeup, and even precautionary information for human use
While still on it, be sure to check the local zoning laws that might prohibit such materials such a semi industrial activity in the residential areas.
NOTE: this does not apply to at home screen printing business that you might doing for fun/hobby.
Tip #5: Who Should Design Your Artwork?
You ought to understand that not all screen printers understand how to create a design they require for screen printing (although they might know what needs to be done).
This is the same case for graphic designers. Not all of them can set up some artwork for screen printing- even when they know how to use the design software pretty well.
Therefore, ensure you be as much choosy as possible when selecting the graphic designer to work with. Ideally, your designer ought to have some knowledge/experience on screen printing.
Final Verdict
If you want to obtain a great looking t-shirt screen printing design that stands from the rest, you need to pay full attention to the printing process from the word go. Our pro tips above will guide you throughout your design. And your final product will absolutely rock!
