THE DISRUPTIVE PERSONALITY

Let's take a look at one of the counterproductive personality types we find on our production floors, let's look at the person I call the intimidator.

“Don’t talk to me. Don’t approach me. Don’t invade my personal space. Don’t touch my tools… because you don’t know how I might react.”

Unlike the quiet instigator, or the underminer, the intimidator is loud and often obnoxious. The title implies physical intimidation, but more common is the confrontational intimidation. Other employees simply choose to sidestep the chance of this confrontation. Never knowing how this person may react and expecting at least a verbal tirade, other employees avoid the intimidator at all costs.

The result is that everyone’s job becomes more difficult to accomplish because the intimidator’s contribution to the process is neither requested nor desired. Your other employees tend to work around this person and try to make production work without having to speak to the intimidator. Not to mention the tension that encompasses the shop floor. Whether or not the person is a good worker, relative, friend, etc... you really need to remove that personality altogether.

Once that person is gone from said environment, you will notice an immediate change in employee morale & production. Plus a weight will be lifted from your shoulders. Good luck!

The Lowdown on Emulsion Issues

When coating your own screens with direct liquid emulsions, it is helpful to know what problems can arise and what can be done to solve those problems. Let's take a quick look at some common problems related to emulsions and things to check to correct these problems.

Pinholes - We all know that these pesky buggers are a pain to deal with. Dirt and dust can be one of the causes, so it is important to keep all areas and equipment clean. Improper mixing and coating of emulsion, improper mesh preparation, and underexposing your screen are a few more things to check.

Poor definition or rough edges - Look at your mesh count and use dyed mesh, make sure you coat properly and wash out well. During exposure, check your vacuum to ensure correct contact.

Stencil softness - Some culprits include humidity, underexposure, improper mixing of sensitizer, old emulsion, or the positives.

Hazy areas - Check the positive and the vacuum. Light scattering, as well as improper exposure and washout procedures should be considered.

Washout problems - Details wash away due to underexposure, improper mesh preparation, sensitizer mixing, old or wet emulsion, non-uniform coating, or excessive humidity. Details remain closed due to pre-exposure, overexposure, light source and positive issues, as well as old coated screens.

The Power of a One Color Design

Great looking designs for screen printed apparel don't need to be fancy. Sure, there is no denying that multiple colors are necessary in various ways, but keeping things simple doesn't mean that your screen printed apparel will look boring. Some of the best looking designs are one color (not including the underbase, if needed).

So, why go simple? Using a one color design has a few advantages:

It's fast, easy, and cheap. Artists and printers like easy jobs, and less resources are needed to print one color jobs versus multicolored. This saves you money. That's enough reasons right there!

It's BOLD. Multi-color designs are great, of course, but sometimes one color is all you need to catch a person's eye. Take the design below, for instance. Now that's a good looking T-shirt! (It looks even better in person, trust me)



Light Gray ink on a Purple garment.

Halftones can be used to work with the garment to create different shades of a color without actually using another color ink. Necessary if you want variation or depth in your image. Another possible money saver.

The garment itself can take the place of a color. Want black letters inside of a yellow rectangle, for example? No need for black ink, just use the yellow ink on a black garment.

There you go. Next time you think about design possibilities, keep the lone colors in mind. Not that we don't like multi-color jobs! Sometimes though, you just got to keep it simple!

Squeegee 101

Always important but seemingly always overlooked, squeegees are much more than just simple tools that screen printers like us use on a daily basis. Believe it or not, squeegees have a lot to do with how well images are transferred to the substrate (usually a T-shirt in our case).

If a squeegee isn't used, it just isn't screen printing! Let's take some time to go back to Squeegee 101. Whether you are a screen printing professional or just a curious individual, it's always a good idea to review the basics.

Wooden handles of manual squeegees
stained from ink.

Squeegees come in two basic types - ones for manual printing and ones for automatic printing. The handle of manual squeegees is made of wood, plastic, or aluminum. Wood is tried and true, and although it has its disadvantages, it is still a popular pick for today's screen printer. Plastic and aluminum handles are easy to clean, hold up better than wood, and many also have screws that attach the blade to the handle, which makes it easy to change blades if needed. Automatic squeegee "handles" are also made of aluminum, and are made to fit with automatic presses.

Squeegees for automatic presses.

The material of the squeegee blade can be made up of natural rubber, Neoprene, and Polyurethane. Natural rubber squeegee blades are the least expensive option, but their poor resistance to abrasion and chemical solvents do not make them ideal for professional screen printing. Neoprene, a synthetic rubber compound, costs slightly more than natural rubber, but offers better resistance to repeated use and cleaning. Polyurethane, a synthetic plastic material, is the most expensive option out of the three, but, as they say, you get what you pay for.

The size or length of the squeegee can vary. Popular sizes include 6 inch, 10 inch, and 16 inch, but there are many other options depending on the particular job.

The durometer of the squeegee refers to the hardness of the blade based on an arbitrary scale (reffered to as the Shore A Scale)- usually between 50A and 90A - with 50 being the softest and 90 being the hardest. Single, dual, and triple durometer squeegees have their own purposes and advantages, and it depends on what you want to use for the job, or if you want to spend the extra money on a nicer squeegee.

The profile of the squeegee refers to the shape of the edge of the blade. Popular profiles include, but are not limited to, straight edge, round edge, blunt, single bevel, and double bevel. Again, each has it's purpose.

The angle, the pressure, and the speed of the squeegee can vary depending on the job, and only true practice will you discover what works and what doesn't.

Proper squeegee care and maintenance is key to keep prints consistent and looking great. Clean them, sharpen them, do whatever you need to do to keep them in tip top shape. Don't neglect them, and your squeegees will be printing with you for years.

There is, of course, A LOT that isn't covered here, so don't be afraid to do some research if you're curious. Or, check back soon and see what we have going on!