Time is Money: Why You Shouldn’t Skimp on Tape for Your Screens

Here's a time-saving tip from Kieth Stevens, which recently published in Printwear:  Saving money is a constant challenge for screen printing shops of all sizes. However, in some areas of your budget, it’s worth spending a few extra dollars to avoid long-term headaches. This is certainly the case when it comes to sourcing tape for your screens. Although it may seem cheaper and more convenient to use plain old shipping tape found in office supply stores, this money-saving move might actually end up costing you more in the long run. These types of tape can be difficult to remove, often leaving a residue of the adhesive even after you finally get the tape off the screen. The time you spend cleaning all the residue off can definitely outweigh the savings. Plain brown masking tape can work but if it’s left on the screen too long it can absorb the liquids from the ink. I have found that the adhesives used on this type of tape can also react with the oils in the ink and break the adhesive down until it’s an oily mess. The best type of tape to use is one specifically designed for screen printing, which incorporates a rubber-based adhesive.  These adhesives will readily come off the screen leaving little or no residue behind.