Our immersive workshop for profitably producing garments on an automatic screenprinting press. From Pre-Press, On-Press to Post-Press, this course covers ALL the fundamental skills and variables that an automatic screen printer needs to master to take their shop to the Next Level.
This course is designed for the press operator to the production manager looking to minimize downtime and print defects while improving the quality of prints and boosting productivity by controlling the variables that contribute to day-to-day production headaches.
We cover industry standard practices to advanced techniques, in our state-of-the-art classroom with $350,000 in classroom equipment.
Not running a ROQ? No worries, most of the information, tools, features, etc. Are easily transferred from one brand of press to another.
During the 3 day course, we cover all the critical variables and how to utilize automation in Pre-press making screens, to set up and print more efficiently On Press, breakdown, and reclamation post-press to overall increase quality, plus troubleshooting to lower defects while minimizing downtime and ultimately increase profitability!
We will help your shop tackle creating bright smooth vivid images, in various forms, PFP, Wet on wet and wet on wet over UB on a variety of substrates. From various forms of Vector to high-end process graphics that 80% of textile screen printers struggle to do successfully.
Plus, mixed genres as we occasionally add specialty inks to prints.
Fundamentals to bright and smooth vector images
Print Flash Print white on dark garments
Wet on Wet with and underbase on dark garments
Wet on wet on light garments
Overview of process
Primary Variables to control in Pre-press
*Hands-on Press Overview Functionality & Features
Mesh Variables
Standard VS “S” thread
Mesh Selection
Understanding Technical specs
Tension and its role in printing
* Walk thru Press features via Control panel
Setting up on press
Adjusting off contact
Squeegee - Speed, Angle, Pressure & stroke length / placement
Flood - Speed, Angle and Pressure & stroke length / placement
Difference between Hard and Soft flood
*Head Controls In-depth Functions
Squeegee
Understanding durometer and its impact
Single Durometer vs double and triple durometer
Pro‘s and Cons of Double Squeegee’s
Print with All types of squeegees to see differences
*Squeege & Flood install, remove, clean and fine-tune the settings
Registration
Comparison Micro Registration vs Pre-Registration system
Set up print using Micro Registration
*Print head controls for micro registration, off-contact
Adjusting Print Parameters
Print Order
Squeegee adjustments
Flood Bar adjustments
Flashing
Types of Flash cures available
Setting base time and temp to match TDS of ink used
Adjusting Flash time for cold and hot pallets
Avoiding Overflash
Cooling Fan
*Flash Operation and controls, plus control panel of flash for cold and hot platens
Smoothing Screen
What is it?
How and when to use it for best results
Set up job with smoothing screen
Screen print 3 Vector image jobs on Volt automatic
Wet on wet onto light substrate
Print Flash Print onto dark garment
Wet on wet over a flashed underbase
*Hands-on practice setting up, registering, printing, flashing, curing and tearing down of 3 jobs
Day Two
Screenprinting High-Resolution 80 lpi Images
Simulated Process - wet on wet with and without a flashed UB
Overview of process
Primary Variable to control On press
Difference between Sim & 4 color process
Variable to control to avoid dot gain and dot distortion
Moire pattern and how to avoid it
Variables to control color gamut on press
How to avoid and correct color shift
Speed Up Pre-Press
Coating Room
Understanding the technical aspects of emulsion
Manual vs automatic screen coating
EOM and its impact
Minimizing RZ value
Discuss variables in coating manual
Humidity and its hidden headaches
Demonstrate Coating Screen with Fully Automatic Screen Coater
Expose screens using ARME Pre-registration system
Cube Screen drying Cabinet
Pre-Press Environment
*Controls, features, benefits plus hands-on use
Pre-press
Preferred dot shapes
Frequency and its impact
Exposure calculator and its critical role in high-resolution screen making
Critical Job information to include on Film positives
Mesh selection
Measuring to control variables
Measuring Emulsion over mesh - Use a Positector to measure EOM
Measuring humidity - TQM Aqua check to measure humidity in emulsion stencil
Measuring screen tension—use a tension meter
On-Press
Setup Multi-color jobs using a Pre-Registration system
Adjust On Press settings Sim Process
Fine-tune Squeegee and Flood bar, Speed, Angle and pressure for ink viscosity
Set Up Mobile Forge in head iron
Dryers
Electric vs Gas
Setting base Temp and time to TDS
Measuring temp with a donut probe
Mapping Dryer with a donut probe
Screen print 2 Simulated process jobs on Volt automatic
Wet on wet onto light substrate
Wet on wet over a flashed under base
*Hands-on practice setting up, registering, printing, flashing, curing and tearing down of 2 jobs
Day THREE
4 color Process with & without UB at 75lpi and Tonal Image at 100lpi
Plus Specialty Inks and substrates
Specialty ink multi-color, mixed genre print on dark and light garments
Pre-Press Screens
Create a Photo screen with CTS Spyder 2
Create a Photo screen with Goccopro DTS printer
Pre-Press Ink Management
Using a Formulator Ink Mixer
Modifying viscosity
Understanding Ink Rheology
Types of Fabrics
Cotton, Poly, Poly Blends & Nylon
Printing characteristics
Inks and printing characteristics
On Press
Setup multiple jobs on press using CTS Pre-Registered Screens
Adjusting Squeegee and Flood bar settings for ink and mesh selections
Frames
Static Frames vs Retionsable
Value and benefits of each
Demonstrate ECO Frame panel replacement
We will be printing with both types of frames
Workflow
Staging
Carts
Production loops
Automation
Clean Press is a Profitable Press
Basic Press Maintenance
Platen Options
Discuss specialty platens and profitability of niche markets
Post Press
Main Variables to minimize fluctuations in quality
Various methods to use a DIP Tank
Benefits of Water Filtration Systems
Automate Post Press
Inpro Tigerclean TC-110 Screen Reclaiming Unit
Overview of benefits of automating pre-press
Demonstration of reclaiming screen
Discuss Auto Developers and their benefits
Additional profit from Packaging
Dekken Auto Folder Demonstration
Cost and Benefits
Discuss auto baggers and high-production models
Key Performance Indicators
Why they are important
Screen print 3 High-resolution image jobs on Volt automatic
Four-color process Wet on wet on to a light substrate
Four-color process Wet on wet over a flashed under base
100LPI Tonal Image
*Hands-on practice setting up, registering, printing, flashing, curing and tearing down of 3 jobs
