# Cover my platen when printing, or leave it naked?



## SystemVoid (Dec 18, 2007)

Should I be putting something over my platen before printing with it, like teflon or embroidery backing material?

If so, how? just use adhesive to paste it on, and then put adhesive on the material to keep the shirts down?


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

what type of platens do you have, metal or wood or..?
you don't need to put anything on a platen except adhesive spray to hold down the shirt when printing.
They do however sell platen tape, giant adhesive strips that you place over the platen, this is used to make cleaning the platens take but a few seconds (usually have to clean them with a solvent and a scraper).


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Backing for what purpose? Clean up? I don't. The more stuff you put on your platen the harder it is to position your garments. Plus clean up is a lot easier on an uncovered laminated platen than one with tape or some other cover.


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## Flagrant-T (Nov 11, 2009)

They sell Platen Tape, which is basically 16 or 20" wide masking tape. It's a little expensive and certainly not required, but it makes cleanup easy. When you are using spray adheasive, it pulls lint off of every shirt and eventually the platen is totally gummed up with lint & adheasive. You just pull of the platen tape and replace it and you're good to go. If you don't use tape, it just takes some screen cleaner and elbow grease. No problem, just more time.

Good luck,
Nick


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## SystemVoid (Dec 18, 2007)

red514 said:


> what type of platens do you have, metal or wood or..?


wood platens. was just wondering because after only about 200 shirts the platen is totally black and "gummed up" with lint and adhesive. guess i'll just have to scrap it off  bummer, lol.

as for platen tape, i would image using just plain ol' masking tape would work just as well?..


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

SystemVoid said:


> wood platens. was just wondering because after only about 200 shirts the platen is totally black and "gummed up" with lint and adhesive. guess i'll just have to scrap it off  bummer, lol.
> 
> as for platen tape, i would image using just plain ol' masking tape would work just as well?..


the platen tape is just that basically, very wide masking tape. you do not want to just use basic masking tape and tile stripes down your platen, you will be creating a stripe texture where the tapes over lap or have a gap (that could be kind of cool, textured platen to create random effects... hmmm...). also a lot of time to do that, just not worth it. When tables get gummed up like that, your prints are effected. it's standard practice to clean the platens when they get like that. For big production runs they use the platen tape to save time, that makes a very big difference on productivity.


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

I wonder if you can use vinyl transfer tape?


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## SystemVoid (Dec 18, 2007)

red514 said:


> you do not want to just use basic masking tape and tile stripes down your platen, you will be creating a stripe texture where the tapes over lap or have a gap.


yeah, that crossed my mind after I sent that last post... time consuming and probably expensive..



red514 said:


> (that could be kind of cool, textured platen to create random effects... hmmm...)


I might give that a try


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

MotoskinGraphix said:


> I wonder if you can use vinyl transfer tape?


possibly, but wouldn't that be even more expensive the the wide masking tape?


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## SystemVoid (Dec 18, 2007)

With the price of platen tape...

Pallet Tape For Platen Masking 16" x 100' Roll

I'm thinking using embroidery backing with adhesive would just be cheaper. We own an embroidery shop, so we've got plenty of rolls of backing as it is. Just a thought..

I'm still new at screen printing, so whatever..


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## wonubee (Oct 2, 2007)

I just spray my pallet with some screen wash, you know that stuff that smells like oranges, let it sit for a few seconds and wipe off the glue and lint with one swipe of a paper towel and then wipe the screen wash residue off with another paper towel and it's clean. Takes about 30 seconds. I don't quite understand why you would need to tape the pallet. I know from videos that some people do but not sure as to why.


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

wonubee said:


> I just spray my pallet with some screen wash, you know that stuff that smells like oranges, let it sit for a few seconds and wipe off the glue and lint with one swipe of a paper towel and then wipe the screen wash residue off with another paper towel and it's clean. Takes about 30 seconds. I don't quite understand why you would need to tape the pallet. I know from videos that some people do but not sure as to why.


Using platen tape makes this take even less time, probably all of 10sec. On a production run this is a big difference and that's probably the only place this makes cents.


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## wonubee (Oct 2, 2007)

red514 said:


> Using platen tape makes this take even less time, probably all of 10sec. On a production run this is a big difference and that's probably the only place this makes cents.


Yes but it also probably takes 20 seconds to apply the tape so it's a wash. Just sayin


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

I think I will use transfer tape as we have rolls of it.


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

Another vote for vinyl transfer tape here. It's not that expensive.....It's probably more expensive for the time and chemicals you use to clean off the glue and lint.


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## 13Graphics (Jul 20, 2009)

I use textac water based adhesive on mine. 

When it starts to get fuzzed up, I spray some water on it, and wipe it off with paper towels. Throw the flash over it for a few seconds, and good to go again.

I did over 100 4 color prints yesterday without cleaning, or reapplying.

When I do clean it up I pour out some press wash, wipe it around, wait a minute, and wipe off the rest. 2 minutes to get back to a clean platen maybe.


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## m_short (Nov 3, 2009)

Pallet Tape is geared towards the rubber coated aluminium pallets. Chemicals can really attack and pit the rubber over time, so the tape acts like a protective guard against chemical wear. Also, it's super easy to clean up the pallets. When it's time to change the tape you just heat up the pallets with the flash unit and it peels right off. The last thing you would want your staff to do is try to take the time to clean the fuzz off a 16 station auto with screen cleaner.


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## 13Graphics (Jul 20, 2009)

This is true. 

I tend to forget about the big machines.


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## taterman08 (Aug 28, 2015)

Only a 5 and half years later, but i have a response for future readers. Laying strips of tape on the platen will cause stripes on your print. Im pretty new to screen printing but that is one thing that i have learned. I also use the big 16" roll of platen tape. Sticks great at first and may work better with plastisol but i had some issues. After a few shirts the tape started to bubble, whether from heat or the water in the water based ink, off the platen causing my shirts to not lay flat. I bought the tape through ryonet if that means anything to you... My experience


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## WiggleButtz (Jan 5, 2015)

I always use a Teflon sheet


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## djque (Feb 5, 2013)

I been using decal vinyl masking tape for 2 yrs. it the same tape AT60 or AT65. you have to get the stickier one RTape Conform Series 4076-RLA - High-Tack Application Tape RLA 100yd.


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## gerry (Oct 4, 2006)

MotoskinGraphix said:


> I wonder if you can use vinyl transfer tape?


Thats what we use


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## ozzyinmyhead (Oct 6, 2010)

I've always used a roll of cheap transfer tape from us cutter. I keep an 18" roll just for screen printing. cleanup is a breeze and I draw center and left chest marks on it too.


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## Eloshclothing (Oct 6, 2015)

if its not wood I would use teflon sheet to keep it clean


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## FiveOneSix (Sep 10, 2014)

djque said:


> I been using decal vinyl masking tape for 2 yrs. it the same tape AT60 or AT65. you have to get the stickier one RTape Conform Series 4076-RLA - High-Tack Application Tape RLA 100yd.


I was just about to suggest that. My plate a are gonna be aluminum with rubber...crap! That's bad right? A hard flat surface is better correct?!?
Thanks all!!!


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

FiveOneSix said:


> I was just about to suggest that. My plate a are gonna be aluminum with rubber...crap! That's bad right? A hard flat surface is better correct?!?
> Thanks all!!!


No the rubber coated platens allow for more ink deposit and if there is a small debris on the platen it will allow ink to be deposited in that area. Without the rubber a small peice of lint on the platen will leave a very light to no ink deposit in that area. 


I use the same medium tack transfer tape I use for vinyl. When printing water base and discharge I use a small amount of stray tack to apply the tape to platen. Then put a good amount of the water base adhesive on tape. This way if the ink get though the shirt on to the tape it won't bubble. I tried the high tack and this seems to work better, most of the time I print plastisol and can apply tape to platen directly and last a long time. On my 6 station press I'm over 2000 shirts with only reapplying adhesive 2 time and a wipe with water to remove lint about every 200 shirts.


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## FiveOneSix (Sep 10, 2014)

The spray tack (which I rarely use), water base glue, discharge, etc. won't hurt the rubber? Or is it good practice to put tape over them?


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

The solvent used in spray tack will attack the rubber eventually. I personally cover my platens and like easy cleaning. The water base stuff is tougher then spray to get off using the chemicals I use for cleaning.


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## FiveOneSix (Sep 10, 2014)

The adhesive on the tape won't hurt the rubber? You have rubber on your platens?
Thanks for all the help guys 

I'm a HUGE fan of easy clean ups lol


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