PRINTING

1. Spray adhesive to the surface or platen that the substrate will be positioned on, and then position the substrate. If the substrate starts to lift, spray more.
2. Select a squeegee. Check the technical data for the ink used to determine the correct squeegee durometer. Water-based inks usually require a 60 durometer. Tape the upper edges of the squeegee blade to ease in clean-up later.
3. Register the screens and place in position over the substrate. Each colour must fall into its correct position and alignment in relation to the others, and the registration marks you have made will indicate this position. Once you have registered the screens, you tape up the registration marks so they will not print through when the ink is applied.
4. With the screen lifted off-contact, add ink to the screen, away from the image.
5. With the screen still off-contact, flood the ink across the entire image area. This stroke requires very little pressure, not much more than the weight of the squeegee itself. This step is especially important with air-drying inks to prevent them from drying in the screen.
6. Lower the screen onto the substrate, and applying slightly more pressure, clear the ink away from the image area by bringing the squeegee towards you. Keep the squeegee almost vertical. This forces the ink through the openings in the mesh through to the substrate. More than one pass may be necessary to make a satisfactory print, depending on the ink and the substrate used.
7. Continue printing, establishing a rhythm of flooding and printing. If you have a 4 color printer, it holds 4 screens. You simply swing the next screen around over to your station which holds your substrate, and it automatically will register into the right position to print your next color.
8. After printing, scoop up all excess ink with a piece of cardboard and return it to the can (except when using ink/catalyst mixtures, as these have a limited shelf life).
9. Remove all the tape and proceed with reclaimed the screen. The screen should be cleaned as soon as possible as the inks will harden and be more difficult to remove.

FLOOD STROKE Flooding ink across the entire image area before every print is necessary to stop air-drying inks from drying in the screen. This is done with the screen raised. PRINT STROKE The screen is lowered, but is not actually touching the substrate (off-contact) because the edges have been slightly built up. The print stroke requires slightly firmer pressure on the squeegee than the flood stroke, to push the ink through the open mesh to the substrate. As the squeegee passes over the screen moves down and then lifts, and is again off-contact.