print texture

[sport]

When I print on some fabrics my results will be smooth and glossy, and , when i print on other fabrics the results will not be smooth and also aomewhat dull. How can I get consistant results on tee shirts and dryfit???

[Catspit Productions]

There could be a few reasons for this varied result. Here are a few tips:

- use new tightly stretched mesh
- use some off contact
- use a sharp and perhaps harder squeegee
- the garment itself may be causing some fibrillation
- use a high quality ink
- try to be consistent with your flood and stroke
- use a higher mesh count
- use the hit/flash/hit method

Upload a picture if you can. Give us a close up of the varying prints and we’ll see if we could help further. Use the tab below the dialogue box to “upload attachment.” What type of ink are you using?

[she]

for me one simple tip to get consistent prints is by investing on high quality inks.. i do not feel bad or think twice on buying expensive inks because i get great results from it.. meaning, i get what i pay for in the first place.. so money is not wasted but i actually saved more..

[cggraphx]

Jonathan,

I have been have some trouble with my prints as well. When I print and cure the ink I get a rough feeling shirt and not smooth. I know i always have my off contact set at least 1/4 or 1/8 off. Here are some of the things i use . I only print on T-shirt 100% cotton (4.5 oz, 5.3 oz and 6.0 oz.) Gildan , Anvil , and Hanes. I also use Union Ink (Ultra Soft) and I have bought one ink from Rutland. I keep getting the same result on new or old screens. I am using 110, 156 mesh. I do have 230 and 305 but i don't have that problem with these screen. Since I usally print on dark color shirts. I use the 110 or 156 and print ,flash,print. Let me know what you think the problem might be.

I appreciate your help and thank you for your videos you post on youtube. Subscriber since 2011

[Shamax]

You say you're getting the same results with bot the Union Ultrasoft and the Rutland ink, and from both new and old screens. Once thing that jumps out at me is that you say you've got your off-contact always set to 1/8 or 1/4". As I learned the hard way my first time up to bat: With off-contact, less is usually more. With that much off-contact, I wouldn't be surprised if you're pushing hard on the squeegee and laying down a thicker, spottier deposit of ink in the process lending to the hard hand feel. Maybe try a shirt or three with only 1/16" of off-contact and be wary or the amount of pressure you're using.

Also, in the future, it helps if you post a new topic for new questions. That way folks who come along later with a similar issue can find the different threads easier and they're more self-contained, having problem and solution both easy to find

[Catspit Productions]

Jonathan,

I have been have some trouble with my prints as well. When I print and cure the ink I get a rough feeling shirt and not smooth. I know i always have my off contact set at least 1/4 or 1/8 off. Here are some of the things i use . I only print on T-shirt 100% cotton (4.5 oz, 5.3 oz and 6.0 oz.) Gildan , Anvil , and Hanes. I also use Union Ink (Ultra Soft) and I have bought one ink from Rutland. I keep getting the same result on new or old screens. I am using 110, 156 mesh. I do have 230 and 305 but i don't have that problem with these screen. Since I usally print on dark color shirts. I use the 110 or 156 and print ,flash,print. Let me know what you think the problem might be.

I appreciate your help and thank you for your videos you post on youtube. Subscriber since 2011

First of all thanks much for subscribing and watching my videos for so long. I’m very happy to hear you enjoy them. Thanks.
If you are sure you have all of the points I mentioned above under control then we need to look at this further.

I would agree with Shamax in that you never want 1/4 inch of off contact. The ideal off contact would be around 1/16th of an inch. This can be very difficult to adjust on press so you may need a piece of cardboard or other material to set on the pallet between the screen and the pallet. Now sometime a rear mount press will sag some at the end near the printer so if the press has a screen angle adjustment you can slightly tip the end near the printer up just some to compensate for sag. You might do this after you load the screen with ink and a squeegee as the added weight is often the culprit of screen sag. The condition of the press will dictate this as well.

The other thing you’ll need to watch for is ink shear. When you do the print stroke you need to make sure the ink is sheared from the mesh. The print stroke must clear the ink from the mesh completely and the off contact will help achieve the correct ink shear. So if you do the print stroke and the screen is in contact with the ink and ink is in the mesh when you pull the screen up then you will get an uneven surface texture.

Also make sure that after you do the print stroke there are no strands or strings of ink left behind the squeegee stretching across the stencil. This too may cause imperfections in the print surface.

I hope that helps some. Feel free to upload some photos if you still have this trouble.

[Rmbracinginc]

I have also had this problem but mine is mostly on sweat shirts or hoodies. I am glad to know I was using more off contact than I needed. Another issue that goes with this is I often get a "ghost outline on my images. I am going to upload a photo later today to see if you have any ideas. By the way your catspit videos are great. Thanks in advance.

[Rmbracinginc]

Well I can't upload the photos because they are to big and all I have is my iPad right now. Any suggestions? I have also noticed that I get some ink on the bottom of my screen around the stencil. How can I not get that?

[ApeShirt]

Could be too much off contact. What are you setting it at?

[Rmbracinginc]

I also had been doing it at 1/8 to 1/4 inch but I wa not sure it that alone was my sole problem.