TOUR SHIRT WALKTHROUGH - Part 6 - Setting up on press

This section is for issues relating to setting up print jobs on automatic, manual rotary or fixed station printing presses. Topics like registration, off contact, micro registration and how to use a manual textile press with the flash cure on multiple color print jobs. Automatic press set up, usage and auto features may also be discussed here.

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upperhandprinting
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TOUR SHIRT WALKTHROUGH - Part 6 - Setting up on press

Post by upperhandprinting »

Because my image took up nearly all of my pallet, I quickly drew a center vertical line on the pallet and that's it. I didn't need any horizontal lines because it would reach from top to bottom.

I started with my underbase screen and placed it on the press. I lined it up to my vertical line, zeroed out my micro-reg, and set my off contact.

*off contact tip*
Depending on the press you have, there are a couple different ways I do off contact. For this Walkthrough, I'm talking about a Ranar Vista 6-6 press. If you aren't familiar with it, watch a few of Jonathan's videos as he explains it pretty well. On the back of the print head, there are 2 bolts and nuts that you use to change off contact. There is also one long bolt on your print arm that can raise and lower your print head. Because this job was using nearly every print head I had, I decided to use the 2 nuts on the back and leave the print arm bolt out of it. To do that, I just screwed it all the way down so it wouldn't hit the print head.

I got a tip from a printer at a convention in Orlando about off contact. I was having trouble using a ruler and getting it right. So here's what I do now and it has worked beautifully for me.

Take 4 quarters and place one in each corner of your pallet. Then all you have to do is set your off contact so your screen is barely touching each quarter. This will guarantee your off contact is not only the right height for most printing, but that it's parallel all across the pallet. This has truly been life saving tip for me and has saved hours in set up.

When I'm printing something different and need a higher off contact, I simply use the print arm bolt to raise it up a bit, again using the quarters as a guide. But placing the screen a bit higher than the quarters, judging from whatever garment I'm going to be printing on. Okay, back to the job at hand*

I then added each screen in the print order I had decided earlier. I lined it up to the line, used the 2 bolts to set the off contact and moved on to the next.

Once all of my screens were on the press, I taped the screens off and put my ink on them and prepared to do a test print.



The Walkthrough continues under "Printing the shirts".
Craig
Upper Hand Printing - Custom band merch
http://www.upperhandprinting.com
Trumpet The Harlot - My band
http://www.trumpettheharlot.com
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Catspit Productions
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Re: TOUR SHIRT WALKTHROUGH - Part 6 - Setting up on press

Post by Catspit Productions »

This is great. People often ask me why I put lines on some of my pallets. That is for lining up screens as you pointed out but I actually will normally start with the black printer. But since you didn’t have one here the white under base was an excellent choice to start with.

I don’t use the bolt on the print arm for off contact at all. I use the head alone. Your technique for setting off contact is cool too. Nice description. I tend to use a special piece of card board I set on the pallet and then adjust off contact while the screen is resting on the cardboard between it and the pallet. Basically the same principle as what you did. But I do like your idea of using the bolts on the arms to adjust for different garments. Nice work.

Excellent post. On to the next part!

Thanks much for the killer posts.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
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