# Why do I suck at everything? (Mainly off contact printing problems)



## sjaguar13 (Jul 19, 2006)

First, I cannot burn a screen. A couple years ago, I used the sun. That worked 50% of the time. Trying to guess how long I needed to wait based on how cloudy and where the sun was in the sky.

Now, I use a 500 watt light. I am still not getting very results. Almost always, the edges do not wash out. I was scrubbing the screens with a toothbrush. Now I use a garden hose with a jet nozzle. The edges never wash out.

So I gave up, and now I just cut vinyl and slap it on the screen. At least this way, I have a usable screen. I still have problems though.

I have three problems when I print. The ink is puffy, the ink isn't very opaque, and the screen sticks to the shirt and moves it (I can't do 2 or more colors).

I had the puffy problem before. With red ink, it would pull through the screen like I held the screen up high and just pushed ink straight through the screen. I was told to change from 110 to 158 mesh. It stopped making the edges look real hairy, but the ink is still raised up along the edges. I end up putting them in a heat press to help cure them with heavy pressure to smash the ink back down. Why is it still puffing up?

I just printed white ink on red shirts. It looks like I did pink ink on red shirts. I was using Union's cotton white designed for dark shirts. Am I supposed to print, flash, and then print again? 

If I am, I can't do it. The shirt sticks to the screen and moves. Actually, when I lift the screen up, I have to hold it for a few seconds while I wait for the shirt to quit sticking and fall back down.

I don't really do off contact printing. The screen touches the shirt, but the mesh is still slightly off it. Do I need to raise it higher? I was hoping that doing off contact would solve the shirt sticking and moving problem, especially if I used something to stick the shirt to the platen. I don't really know if it would solve the opacity problem. I am thinking it will make the puffy ink problem worse, though.

The more room there is to fill up with ink, the more puffy it can be. What should I do?


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## bingo360 (May 3, 2008)

try using plexiglass shims- 

about 1/8 inch thick between the shirtboard and the frame. One in front, one in back and if needed one on each side. This should give you the necessary off contact. 

Your print stroke might be to blame also.

For the hairy edges after exposing, try using a worn down scrub sponge (like the ones used for dishwashing) and LIGHTLY scrub around the edges until you get desired result. 

One last thing-get an exposure calculator.

Good luck!


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## tman07 (Nov 14, 2007)

The shirt sticking to the back of the screen is probably due to the ink being too hot after the flash. Take a piece of cardboard and fan it to help it cool faster.

How is your squeegee blade? New, old, sharp, dull? That can make a difference.


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## Steelheader100 (Jan 18, 2007)

You are using spray adhesive or some kind of table tack right? I agree with the off contact suggestions. You can use paint stir sticks taped to the underside of your screen too. What mesh are you using and are your screens tight? A sharp squeegee is a must. I like a 70 durometer blade for most things. Stir your ink well also. Good Luck.


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## sjaguar13 (Jul 19, 2006)

I don't flash anything. I only do one color prints, so it goes from being printed to being cured.

The screen and squeegee were brand new. It was the first time I used either one.

Currently, I don't use any kind of spray adhesive, which I think it part of the problem. Screen mesh is 158.


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## mmagdesigner (Apr 11, 2008)

oh honey.......you have to put adhesive on your platten......that is what keeps your shirt from moving around.....and when you flood your screen hold it up away from the shirt then lay it down to print your design.


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## mmagdesigner (Apr 11, 2008)

also you want to go sparingly on your adhesive less is more just add when your shirt fibers make it so it isn't tacky anymore.......and when you pull up your garment be careful not to pull cause you will distort your design


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## mmagdesigner (Apr 11, 2008)

easy does it!!


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## studog79 (Jul 13, 2006)

As for rinsing your screens out 95% of all screen printers under expose their screens. We use a 1500psi power washer to remove our burned out images. We also expose our screens with a 1000w new bulb for 6.5 minutes, yellow mesh we increase the time by 80%. 

And yes you will need some sort of tack to hold your shirt still to the platten. We use a liquid, I hate the spray, unless we are doing sweatshirts and then we use a web spray.

Also yes if you are printing white on red you should PFP so the red shirt is not making the white ink look pink.

And last you need to have good off contact if using plastisol inks.

As you are learning printing good shirts is not as easy as all the people selling these beginner packages say it is. Those work OK as a hobby but you can not run a true business using them. Printing is an acquired skill that is learned thru years of training and practice. What most people do not understand in a true business enviorment is to do what you do well and hire others to do what you do not do well but they can. You end up being a lot more profitable with less headaches.


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## sjaguar13 (Jul 19, 2006)

I am going 25-30 minutes with a 500 watt bulb. Is that too long?


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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

Get a metal-halide stadium light from hardware store. I use one-500 watts. Burn PERFECT screens in 20 seconds using Ulano QTX. 30 - 45 sec with Chromaline emulsion. Make sure your film is BLACK and you have good film/screen contact, ie vacuum- must!!!


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## EasyTeesK (Nov 28, 2007)

Jag, I know how you feel. I try things and it doesn't work. I try different things and it still doesn't work. I know how frustrating it is. AS the other poster says, screen printing doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and practice. I am by no means a seasoned professional. I am learning things every day. I've only been doing this for a little over a year. I started with a simple Speedball kit, just to try it out and get a feel for how it's done. I quickly learned that what I got was not going to do it.

We built our own exposure unit and screen dryer. We bought a one-color, one-station press and a flash dryer from a local retailer. We don't have a washout booth, yet. So, we're washing out our screens (ick) outside...quickly, though 
. All of this works well for us. It's not the best, and it took some time and experimentation to make it work. We still have occasional problems.

Here is what he have learned:
You can't use an industrial hair dryer to cure shirts. Maybe for a breast print, but not for a whole shirt.
You definitely need off-contact of about 1/8 inch above the shirt (not above the platen).
Definitely use tack to hold the shirt down. It's better to spray a little than a lot, since the tack (depending on the brand and strength) will either keep the shirt on the platen or nearly glue it on permanently.
Start by holding your squeegee at a 45-degree angle to make the print, then a higher angle (80 degrees) to clear the screen. You don't need to press down hard, but it does need to be firm.
We don't flash between prints when printing white (light) on dark, though we should. We generally make a soft-hard-soft-hard stroke and it comes out fine.
Our exposure unit is made up of 6 plant UV lights bought from Wal-Mart. They are mounted in the box about 6 inches from glass. We expose the pink dual-cure emulsion for 5 minutes. You don't need a lot of pressure to wash it out.
We print our stencils on a "cheap" HP laser printer. After printing, we spray the stencil with toner enhancer to make it dark.
When we expose, we put a very heavy weight on the screen (in lieu of a vacuum) to make sure the screen is tight against the glass. This may be the problem with your edges not washing out well: light may be getting to the edges of your stencil.
We built a stand to hold the shirt while it's being cured. This because the platen started to warp and the glass table we (stupidly) used broke. The flash unit (1800 watts) sits about 4 inches above the table and cures the shirt in about 1 minute 15 seconds.
Again, we're new and starting on a very limited budget. When we did our first job, the white ink cracked after the first wash. After we got the flash unit, those problems went away, but not at first. We had to test things. People told us to cure at 320 degrees for 2 minutes. That cooked the shirt. Eventually, we did our own tests and found that a little over a minute with our setup did well. We've done many experiments to make sure we knew what worked for us.

There are many videos on the Internet that show you how to print. We do only one color, until we can afford a multi-color press. And then, we will experiment to make sure we're doing it properly.


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

Kevin,

Can you post a couple of pics of the grow lights you purchased and your home made exposure system. I am going to build one and would like to see your set-up.


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## marcelolopez (Jul 16, 2007)

mmagdesigner said:


> oh honey.......you have to put adhesive on your platten......that is what keeps your shirt from moving around.....and when you flood your screen hold it up away from the shirt then lay it down to print your design.


I just finished a job last Friday, 1 color, and I didn't use adhesive, but I kept away the screen to flood it. Normally one FIRM stroke was enough.
All 35 t-shirts were printed without problems doing it this way.


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## marcelolopez (Jul 16, 2007)

sjaguar13 said:


> I am going 25-30 minutes with a 500 watt bulb. Is that too long?


I use a 500W halogen light from Home Depot too, and the time is 12 min.
at 16" from the table (about 14" 1/2 over the screen) and it works
perfectly.
Also as a member of the forums suggested I use a black piece of 
cardboard under the screen when it is been exposed. 
AND I firmly think a pressure washer is a MUST.
Good Luck and keep us updated about your progress.


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## EasyTeesK (Nov 28, 2007)

Here are a few pics of my exposure unit. I'm not sure of the exact wattage of the bulbs, but they are the plant bulbs. I think they are 40w.

The "glass" is both 1/4" plexiglass and a piece of 1/8" glass. Ideally, you would want to use 1/4" tempered glass, which you'll probably have to order or cut yourself.

Also, you'll need to make a heavy piece of wood to place inside the screen. Put this on top of a piece of black foam board.

I could not upload the other pictures because I'm new on the boards. Send me your email address and I'll send you the other 2 pictures.


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## bor3d123 (Apr 8, 2008)

marcelolopez said:


> I use a 500W halogen light from Home Depot too, and the time is 12 min.
> at 16" from the table (about 14" 1/2 over the screen) and it works
> perfectly.
> Also as a member of the forums suggested I use a black piece of
> ...



i use the same setup as you and if your positive is dark enough...you do not need a pressure washer to wash out the screen..usually if you need a pressure washer to wash it out, then the screen has been crosslinked in someway. yes the pressure washer will be faster..but not necessary...

i washed out a screen last night with the shower head in my bathroom...it wasn't a super strong shower head either..it was the one that came with the house that's attached to the wall..i had no problems...even the gardenhose attachment i bought for a dollar works fine


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## bor3d123 (Apr 8, 2008)

whoops..didn't know this was an old thread


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## micromaui-closed (Mar 9, 2010)

hey this is all good to know. I just bought the whole setup and did my first shirt yesterday. a complete mess and very distressing- I always thought I was a smart guy till this. screens didnt wash out completely, scrubbed an hour to get the design clean, then the other half was coming off. when I did print I got red ink all over my hands and squeege, the image was muddy and I got ink all over the bach side of the screen. I tried cleaning off the screen outside with the screen cleaner (smells like orange) and sorry it did not work. every video I watch makes this look so easy. is there a good video about beginner mistakes and how to avoid them? I am a perfectionist (except in spelling!) and yesterday brought me to tears...


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## JBYoungdahl (Apr 16, 2009)

out da box said:


> Get a metal-halide stadium light from hardware store. I use one-500 watts. Burn PERFECT screens in 20 seconds using Ulano QTX. 30 - 45 sec with Chromaline emulsion. Make sure your film is BLACK and you have good film/screen contact, ie vacuum- must!!!


Where to you get the light from?


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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

JBYoungdahl said:


> Where to you get the light from?


Actually I got my last one off Green street in High Point. It was some electrical supply place up there. ('06/'07)


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