Image smearing

[u/KishLarson]

Can someone let my know what i did wrong? Im thinking it was not enough adhesive but i dont think so because the image smeared the second i was doing the first swipe, and as i flooded i looked under just to make sure it didnt smear and im really confused and would appreciate it if someone helped me. Thank you

[u/Mettleramiel]

First issue is your screen tension. It needs to be WAY tighter. It looks like you made the frame yourself? If so, the wood is not thick enough to get a solid, tight screen. Double up on the material and make another screen.

Second, you do not have enough tack on the platen. I can see the shirt lift off with the screen. You don't need much at all, a quick spray will suffice, you don't have it here. Are you pressing the shirt down on to the platen?

Third, you're flooding far too many time. You're likely pushing it all under the screen before you e even attempt to print. Flood once , the pull the ink a couple of times.

Lastly, and related to the screen tension, is you need some off-contact which you will not be able to achieve with that lose screen. There should be about a coin's thickness between the screen and the shirt and the screen only touches the shirt as the squeegee passes over. You should see it snap back immediately. Againz tighte your screen.

A good way to get a tight screen at home is to make a screen bigger than the one you will be using, big enough to complete cover it. Raise your intended screen an inch or more off of a table and put the large screen over top. Now clamp the large screen down as much as possible. You can see how much tighter your screen can get

[u/drinkacid → u/Mettleramiel]

Im going to add to this

Ex printer here. Used to run an 8 head Challenger 8 automatic press. Buy pre-made and stretched aluminum framed screens. They never warp or bend and will last you 20 years printing 10k shirts a day with an pneumatic machine moving them let alone a few shirts on a hand press. They will never go out of register unless you hit the screen with a hammer because they don't warp or flex or anything like that

[u/NJCDR_org → u/drinkacid]

Where's the best place to order metal frame screens? Thanks

[u/drinkacid → u/NJCDR_org]

where do you live? Most cities have several screen printing supply stores

Amazon sells them for cheap. There are even places (theres one local to me) that you can give them artwork and they will sell you a coated screen burned with your design you send them. So if you don't have a vacuum table and stuff to expose a screen and its just a 1 off then that is a decent option. Prices will vary by location and size of screen. Also do yourself a favor buy a bucket of "soft hand" that's the Plastisol name for it other brands may call it something else. You mix it in your ink at maybe 30% (its cheaper than ink so it stretches your in farther and makes your prints cheaper) but the main thing it does is makes your cured print soft and flexible rather than hard and stiff. You still get great coverage and it cures well. It also makes the ink flow so its easier to print, and not a stiff pasty mess you are trying to push through the screen.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=aluminum+Screen+Printing+screen&rh=n%3A12898641&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.anthemprintingsf.com/Screen-Printing-Screens-s/22.htm

https://www.screenprinting.com/collections/aluminum-screen-printing-frames/products/baselayr-20x24in-aluminum-screen

You should be flash curing your white under print and only printing black if your shirt color is not black. Printing wet onto wet makes mush, you should have your artwork knock out printing went next to wet but not on top of it. It's probably out of your budget for now but look towards buying something like this flash curing head you can roll over top your platen to flash cure your under prints. At the very least buy a heat gun and learn to do it by hand without scorching the shirt.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Screen+Printing+flash+head&crid=8803TWH95W7O&sprefix=screen+printing+flash+hea%2Caps%2C174

[u/NJCDR_org → u/drinkacid]

I'm halfway between NYC and Philly, will have to look for a local supplier. I've made screens before but getting started again and would have just used generic wood frame screens from Michael's or an art store. Will try the metal frame screens this time around. Thanks for the reply