# Manual press giving double images & rough looking white ink on 100% cotton royal blue shirts. HELP!



## edelweiss1 (Oct 11, 2010)

We have a manual screen printer and are printing fairly simple graphics onto 100% cotton, royal blue tees. The front image is text and the back is text and a graphic. Both are rather large images. The problem we're having is that both images are giving what looks to be "rough" print (like when you have lint or fuzz on the shirt). Additionally, the print is also (at times) coming out as a double image in places while not completely clearing the screen and sometimes sticking to the shirt.

We used ChromaBlue emulsion for our stencil and Triangle 1701 Phoenix White ink. We've used both these products for months on other jobs with no problems like this before. 

We are at our wits' end trying to figure out the problem! Any ideas out there what we did wrong? We keep cleaning the screens off but after we do one pull, the image is back looking rough again and we start seeing double. 

Thank you!!


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## schultzy1087 (Dec 13, 2009)

edelweiss1 said:


> We have a manual screen printer and are printing fairly simple graphics onto 100% cotton, royal blue tees. The front image is text and the back is text and a graphic. Both are rather large images. The problem we're having is that both images are giving what looks to be "rough" print (like when you have lint or fuzz on the shirt). Additionally, the print is also (at times) coming out as a double image in places while not completely clearing the screen and sometimes sticking to the shirt.
> 
> We used ChromaBlue emulsion for our stencil and Triangle 1701 Phoenix White ink. We've used both these products for months on other jobs with no problems like this before.
> 
> ...



Sounds like its coming out of registration. Move the screen to another bracket and see if it keeps happening.

As for the fuzz, try preheating your shirt just a little bit. I've noticed it helps a little bit. Its a pretty uncommon practice but if your using a little bit lower quality shirt like a gildan 2000 or something, you might be able to get around the fuzz problem


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

The one thing I've found that makes the most difference in printing white is to use a 156 screen if the detail will let you get away with it. It lays down enough ink to mat down the fuzz. As for the double image, either your printhead or your platen have some play in them somewhere, or you might have a screen that's a little slack in the mesh. I've noticed occasionally on a job I hold out some 260 mesh screens for that if I bear down a little too hard on the overprint second color, once in a while it'll be slightly out of registration. I know it's the screen, not my press, so I have to consciously pay attention to doing a flood and a light print stroke on that one screen.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2010)

For the fuzz I read somewhere on here where someone suggest spraying a very light spritz of water on the shirts before printing. Haven't tried it yet but let me know if you try it.


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## RespecttheCraft (Feb 19, 2010)

I find that if i press down too hard it will force the ink deep into the shirt and some fibers will pop up, even after the second coat. i try to only press down as hard as is necessary to transfer the ink completely. sometimes if i pull too hard it will stretch the screen causing it to print slightly out of registration, and if youre doing wet on wet thats probably causing your double vision. also, check to make sure your screens are tight and your platen unwarped.


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## JimGilbert (Jul 9, 2010)

schultzy1087 said:


> . . . but if your using a little bit lower quality shirt like a gildan 2000 or something . . .


What shirt do you prefer? I am new to screenprinting and so far have been using the Gildan 2000. Most of them seem ok to me but the black ones I used did have the fuzzing problem.


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## mountaingraphic (Sep 6, 2009)

I strickly use gildan 2000 just because it works great for heat pressing as well..Your shadow print is most def your screen tension and you pressing too much to try to push more ink to get a better coverage. 

Unfortunantly more pressure actually deposits less ink on the surface but more so into the fabric. 

Also white ink is a little thicker and may need to reduce for printing to get a better ink deposit to cover up the fuzzes


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

As far as the Double Image, are you spraying with a Tack on the Platen? 

When you print the first coat, than left up the screen, can you hear the screen pulling away from the t-shirt? If so, you're probably not putting enough spray tact. This keep the shirt still and doesn't allow for it to come out of registration even for a single color. 

You can buy a can from AC Moore or Michaels. Many artist use it too to keep their convas or paper down.


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## mountaingraphic (Sep 6, 2009)

Another good point..Can also pick up spray adhesive from walmart in a pinch in the craft section


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## kkleinert (Aug 23, 2010)

I have a manual press as well and I can tell you that with white being basically the consistency of peanut butter, it's tempting to really bear down on the screen to "get it through." Resist the temptation to bear down. A couple of things happen when you do this. One, you unwittingly change the blade angle on your squeegy and (2) because of this, you "mash" your ink into the fibers instead of cutting the ink from the screen and leaving a deposit on top of the shirt. Hitting it again just highlights the errant fibers (think women and their mascarra: more = longer lashes). Try giving your screens 2 or 3 coats of emulsion on the print side of the screen to deepen the ink well. This will help you leave a thicker deposit of white on your shirt without having to mash it down into the fibers. Also, be aware of your blade angle and make sure you're cutting and not mashing the ink. Hope this helps!


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

Keith, that is a very interesting anology. Mascara? You most be very observant. Good for you.


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## Illmatik Ind (Nov 28, 2016)

I was having the same problem when I watched a youtube video of a legit printer..

His suggestion was to flood off-contact and then set your screen on your shirt (or whatever substrate you're using) and print. 

Sometimes too much pressure is being applied when flooding which causes some ink to go through. I tried it and it seemed to help a bit. There are some great suggestions on here--looking forward to trying some of them.


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