Screen Printing - June/July 2013 - (Page 14)
e xpe r t a p pa r e l
expert apparel
Standardization SecretS
for Screen Printing
thomas trimingham
Stand back and see what you can do
to organize your shop processes.
The
advantages of standardizing the screen-printing
process are enormous when looked at on a weekly and monthly
basis. All of the seemingly small time savings add up to big
rewards as the months go by. The hardest part can often be just
getting started, and then the challenge becomes focusing on
what to standardize within the printing process that will yield
the best results.
In addition to saving time by creating a more efficient
process, a screen printer can achieve higher levels of detail
by clearly understanding the variables inherent to the print,
no matter how complex. To achieve more detail and improve
print quality, think backwards instead of forwards in regards to
screen printing. In other words, it can be easier to work with a
shop’s existing process in printing, screens, and artwork than
trying to revamp the entire process from the beginning.
A careful review of a printed shirt with a specific test
image will tell you all the vital information you need to then go
backwards through your process and start to apply standardization techniques. Often, some simple tweaks to a couple of areas
can yield big advances in a print shop’s ability to control details
during a print run.
figure 1
test print a gradient selection
on your main
screen-mesh
types using a
specific dot pattern that is the
most common
for your shop.
14
screenprinting
Thomas Trimingham has worked in the screen-printing industry for
more than 15 years as an artist, art director, industry consultant, and head of R&D for some of the
nation’s largest screen printers. He is an awardwinning illustrator, designer, and author of more
than 45 articles on graphics for screen printing.
He can be reached at ttrimingham@yahoo.com.
A common barrier to this process is more about attitude
than shop processes. Printers, artists, and support staff reach a
level of comfort in knowledge and methods they use repeatedly,
and it can be an uphill battle to consider new techniques. Extra
steps, no matter how important, can be viewed as a burden
when the whole issue isn’t considered or when the department
in question is viewed as doing something wrong or less efficient
than ideal.
A good way to approach the implementation of higher
standards is to involve everyone in the overall process and
goal setting so that they understand how their effort will
help with overall print quality. One example of this is to show
how having the tension on every screen clearly marked after
reclamation aids the screenmaking department in choosing
the right screens for higher quality jobs. Everyone can
then understand the necessity of marking tension on
every screen.
If possible, show a visual example—one that presents
the difference between a print on a poorly tensioned screen
and the results on a properly tensioned one. such demonstrations are better motivators than simly talking about the issue.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - June/July 2013
Screen Printing - June/July 2013
Contents
Editorial Insights
New Products
Standardization Secrets for Screen Printing
Eliminating Variables in the Screenroom
Decorating Trends in Team Wear
T-Shirts to Medical Trays: An Intro to Ir Conveyor Dryers
Distributor/dealer Directory
Opportunity Exchange
Ad Index
Screen Printing - June/July 2013
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