Under Pressure!

John Levocz, our North-East Regional Sales Manager, is another one of our screen print experts, and we asked him what common mistakes he sees out in the field that he could address:  “One of the most common mistakes screen printers make is using too much pressure. When I am visiting various printers, I get continually asked why their garments cannot get good coverage, especially when printing white ink on a dark garment. After looking at the prints, I always seem to find ink on the inside of the shirt and on the pallet. Unless you can charge for printing the inside of the shirts and the pallets, don’t print them.  The ink should sit on top of the garment when printing. Using excessive squeegee pressure will drive the ink through the weave of the garment to the inside of the shirt and onto the pallet. Use just enough squeegee pressure to clear the screen and get a good sharp print.  If you think you are using too much pressure, check the off-contact, mesh tension, squeegee angle and printing speed. These other variables can greatly affect the coverage of the ink onto the garment. By adjusting these variables you will achieve better print results while having less screen breakdown due to pressure issues. Your squeegees will also last longer.  Remember, apply just enough pressure to clear the screen and lay the ink on top of the garment.”