Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1488543
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 • G R A P H I C S P R O 4 3 S C R E E N P R I N T I N G I t may sound simplistic but screen printing is in fact all about the screens. If you get the screens right, you are 90% toward the goal of a perfectly decorated garment. So why do you see so many poor-quality prints out in the world? It's because most decorators get the screens wrong. Screens are consumables New decorators often categorize screens incorrectly, lumping them with equipment rather than consumables such as ink and emulsion. Frames stretched with mesh that are in use on your production floor will have a limited life expectancy, depending on the number of impressions. With every production run, a static (stretched and glued) frame will lose tension. If your business is a side hustle right now, you might get a year's use from your frame inventory. If your business is full- time, a stretched frame might have a lifespan of a few months. For frame inventory, it is recommended you have enough screens in stock for a week's production. is will be the most Having the right screens means likely success B Y T E R R Y C O M B S Terry Combs is a 40+ year veteran of the garment print- ing industry, and has managed production shops large and small across the United States. He has written hun- dreds of management and technical articles for garment printing publications and spoken at industry events worldwide. He is currently in DTG sales and training with Equipment Zone. SCREEN PRINTING IS ALL ABOUT THE Taping the inside of the screen will help avoid ink leaks and speed up the cleaning process after production.