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INTRODUCTION TO ART - FILMS & OUTPUT - SCREEN ROOM & PREP

JOB SET UP - CURING - BREAKDOWN - TIPS & TRICKS - TROUBLE SHOOTING

C DEMYSCREEN PRINTING ACADEMYSCREEN PRINTING

C lass M anual

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Ryonet

Ryonet

www.SilkScreeningSupplies.com

www.ScreenPrintingVideo.com

www.RyonetBlog.com

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C DEMYSCREEN PRINTING ACADEMYSCREEN PRINTING

CONTRIBUTING INSTRUCTORSRyan Moor, Mark Berryman, Marvin Guillot,

Nick Wood, TJ Stepper, Don Garrison.

Edited by Leesa Leilani

C

o n t e n t s

Intro

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Screen Printing (An Introduct ion)

Introduction to Art

Films & Output

Screen Room & Screen Prep

Setting Up a Print Job

Curing Parameters

3-10

11-26

27-30

31-47

48-62

63-67

Chapter 2

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 8

Breaking Down a Job

Production Tracking

Addi ti onal Tips & Advice

Troubleshooting Tips

Marketing Tips

Production Charts

68-69

70-72

73-85

86-89

90-95

96-98

Chapter 7

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WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SCREEN PRINTING! An in troduction

Screen printing (also referred to as silk screening, screen process printing and serigraphy) isa unique method of transferring or printing graphic images, and is considered by many to beone of the oldest methods of printing. It was first used by the Chinese and the Japanese todecorate clothing, reproduce artwork and publish posters with the latest words of wisdom ofthe emperor. Over 1000 years ago it was discovered that woven silk stretched on a woodframe, with a stencil image attached to the bottom with glue, could be used to reproduce thesame image over and over on different materials by forcing ink or paints through the openingin the stencil. That's screen printing!

Today, screen printing is a multi billion dollar a year industry. It integrates exciting industrieslike fashion, design, sports, music, education, corporate America and much more! There arethousands of niche markets to go after and lots of profit potential for anyone who desires it inthis industry. There's nothing like creating a concept from initial design and seeing the firstprint come off the press! You're entering a fun, exciting, and rewarding industry! Welcome toscreen printing!

The following basic components of Screen Printing will be discussed:

- Art Or Design- Frame And The Mesh- Stencil Carrying The Image- Ink- Squeegee- Press System- Substrate (material) To Be Printed

There have been many advancements over the years in materials, techniques, and equipmentthat allow today's screen printer to use the process to print almost anything anywhere. Thiscourse is intended to cover some of these advances in screen printing, and helping tointegrate the new ideas into your printing efforts. You will develop your ability to recognize andreduce variables and problems within the process to achieve 'the perfect print'.

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(A DEEPER INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN PRINTING)

The basic idea in silk screening is to create a screen through which ink can form designs on alarge number of duplicates. You create a positive image (film) in a black ink which is placedonto a UV light sensitive emulsion coated screen that is tightly stretched over a wood or metal

frame. When the emulsion is exposed, the part that is exposed to light "cures" (hardens),while the unexposed portion blocked out by the black positive image (film) remains soft.

When washed out, the soft emulsion is simply washed away, leaving a "negative" image of thedesign. The mesh of the screen (synthetic silk these days) is open (like fine screen wire;hence, the name "screen") so that ink can pass through the unexposed (where the emulsionwas washed away) portions only -- like a stencil. The frame holding the designed silk is placedagainst the object to be printed, ink is applied and a squeegee is pulled across to force a

small amount of ink from the top, through the screen, onto thereceiving item (T-shirt, sign, etc.).

The screen printed object is removed and set out to dry and thenext object is inserted. Obviously, literally thousands of printscan be made from a single screen at a very economical price.When additional colors are desired, a separate screen isprepared for each color (the artwork has to be color separatedin order to split it for multiple screens). Most screen printershave drying racks or commercial dryers designed for the sizeand type objects the operator does most.

The biggest (and most costly) job is setting up the design orcopy on the screens. This is why a job of 24 t-shirts can costup to $200. The first t-shirt bears the cost of setting up; the

rest represent only the receiving item's cost, overhead plusa fraction of a cent for the ink. Some printer's store "used"screens when they expect additional orders of the same designs (like real-estate

signs); otherwise, they wash them out when the job is completed and use them again for thenext job -- one screen will often last for years.

Usually, customers are charged a set-up fee and a price per item. Example: $50 set-up, pluscost of printed garment. Since printers are not required to tell customers when they save ascreen, they can charge a new set-up fee even if they don't have to set up the next order. Thisfee is also an incentive for the customer to order as many items as possible at one time. Ofcourse, there are many different levels and variations of screen printing -- from a small hobbyoperations, to an "octopus" looking machine, where up to four, six and eight different colorscan be applied in rapid fashion, using plastisol inks (Used mainly in t-shirt printing).

It is easy to find very expensive equipment for this business: However, it's also just as easy tofind a company that offers an affordable start-up and training package solution. The total costto set up a small silk screening studio should be in the neighborhood of $500 to $2,000,depending on the size of the operation and the amount of equipment.

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What should you expect to make? This varies depending on the type of jobs you print, thequantity, and how many colors. With efficient equipment, streamlined operating procedures,and good sales efforts, you can maximize profit, taking on larger and more complex jobs. Amanual screen printer can literally make more then a lawyer or doctor per hour fairly easily!There are numerous screen printing jobs available. T-shirts, hats, printing name tags (onplastic or metal holders), bumper stickers (on self-stick paper), banners (buy them blank),

designs on flags or ensigns (also purchased blank), political posters, (paper or plastic), streetsigns (for the city) and truck signs (fleets), souvenirs,advertising stands -- and thousands of other possibilities.

Some screen printers specialize in one or two phases of the art(depending on the market), allowing them to keep mostly onesize of screens, holders and drying racks. As a screen printer,you will be able to judge which jobs in your area could bemost economically produced by screening by simplyshowing potential customers how you can save them moneyand give them a better product! It's better to find a niche,because if you don't, you could be niched!

To get started in the screen printing business, accumulateyour equipment, learn to operate it efficiently (ruin somematerials), read about the art and most importantly, investin training! When you are ready, know exactly what youcan and cannot do (DO NOT experiment on yourcustomers -- there is too much to lose) and seek onlythose that you can do well. Start contacting businesses that could use yourservices -- show them samples and prices. Tell them how long it will take (since you are local,this will be one of your strongest selling points), Be sure to deliver when you promise! Placeads in the local paper, and always leave a business card so people can call you to bid on jobs.

Keep accurate business records. Most importantly, keep a copy of what the customerapproves to go on his order. Have the customer review AND INITIAL the order sheet showingexactly (spelling, layout, color) how the products are to appear. Ask the customer to pleasecheck carefully for any errors BEFORE you run off 100 or 1000 shirts! This attention to detailwill save you time, money and many headaches.

In screen printing; there are projects you can complete instead of commercial jobs, or inaddition to, or between jobs. Buying and printing your own objects for resale is agreat way to increase profits. Ceramic mugs with the school or town emblem,ceramic tiles with scenes, fancy keep off the grass signs, or even something to hangon a small suction cup in the car (BABY ON BOARD), are just a few examples.

THAT MEANS MORE PROFIT -- IS THAT OK WITH YOU?

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Printing

Inks

Color

Other

squeegee sideflood strokeprint stroke

off contactbleedhalomoire pattern

PlastisolWater baseSolventUVviscosityhigh density inkcurable reducer

color separationopaquetransparentprocess colorsduotone

squeegeesqueegee sharpener durometer flood coatRubylithCoroplasttable adhesiveblockoutscoop coater photo emulsiontable adhesivesolvent resist tape

ghost imagehazeextender/soft hand basePlastisol basetinting compoundspuff additivestretch additive

Screens

Printing

Photo Processes

Print Terms

degreasingscreen frametri loc registration

static frameroller framescreen fabricmeshmesh countmesh tensionvacuum framereclaiming

squeegee sideshirt sideflood strokeprint strokeoff contacton contactbleedhalomoire patternoff-contact

EmulsionRegistrationImage alignmentexposure unitoverexposurediazobridgingdotdot gainopaquingresolutionright-reading

sensitizer

silk screen/serigraphy/screenprintingeditionmonoprintmonotypechopproof solidsubstrate

Photographic and DarkroomTerms

Registration

Stencils

Clean up

film positive/transparencywater proof film

film negativecontinuous tonehalftonespot color

stroketrappingregistration markscenter marksmaskingtensionpre registration templatetri loc systemColor color separation

direct photo emulsion stencilblock outpaper cut stencilsdirect screen filler stencildrawing fluid stencilshandcut film stencilscapillary filmpositive stencilnegative stencilwatermarksizing

pressure washer surfactantshaze remover

solventstripper screen reclaimer /tri sodiumphosphate (TSP)degrease

SCREEN PRINT TERMINOLOGY

LEARN IT WELL!

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SCREEN PRINTING STEP BY STEP:

It ALL Starts with Artwork:

2. Film Positives:

3. Screen Making:

Whether you create it or a customer brings it to you, this is where it all starts. Sinceeverything starts with artwork, its very important that you make sure you start with GOOD

ARTWORK. If you dont, its garbage = garbage out, and you dont want to be printing

garbage. You can create artwork in an artwork program, receive it electronically, clean it up ifneeded, and even out source it to a third party.

Time is money. If you are not a brilliant artist it is wise to use a vector artprogram or plugin, which is a Corel Draw supplementary program. Thesequick and easy tools ensure that you will have high quality artwork in the end in lessthan half the time. Corel Draw is an optimal program for screen printers because it iseasy to use, it can vector and resize images, and there are lots of different additionsavailable for it. Photoshop can be used as well, but this is more for full color printinglike simulated process or four color process, etc., which is not good to start out withsince there are special techniques to master before moving into this realm. Illustratoris another program often used by screen printers who have graphic experience. Similar toCorel Draw, it is vector although a little harder to learn as you begin for the novice screenprinter and graphic artist.In order to prepare your print properly you need to use one of the programs above to colorseparate the artwork if the artwork is multiple color.

Your screen emulsion / stencil exposes to light. The goal of a film positive is to block the lightfrom reaching the area of the screen under the image area. Since the goal of the film positiveis to block light, primarily you would want to achieve the blackest print possible. There areseveral types of printers and films you can use. Optimally it is best to use an inkjet (Epson)printer with a water proof film that retains and holds the BLACKEST ink (R-Film WP).

For every color you have, you will print it out as a black plate on a separate film.For example, if you have a logo that is Red & Black, you would separate thetwo colors from themselves and print each out, changing the red to blackfor printing and then printing the black. Each of these would be printedon their own film by a printer. This is simply known as art separation. Ifthe colors are touching in the final version of the logo, you need tohave what is called trap or choke. Basically, it's overlapping theartwork by a small margin, just enough so you can register the colors withno space between them. On the films, you will also place registration marks. Thesemarks usually are a circle with a vertical and horizontal line passing through it. These markswill be on the same spot on each film. This will help you register your colors later, it's also agood idea to include center marks so the design will be accurately centered on the platen.

Screen printing was originally referred to as silk screen printing because the screen meshused to be made from silk. As this is no longer the case (now they are made from a polyesterweave), the name changed. Most screens are basically a wood a aluminum frame (aluminumbeing more popular because they last longer) with a polyester mesh stretched across them ata very high tension and glued onto the frame with an epoxy or cyanoacrylate glue. Mesh ismeasured by how many threads cross per square inch, some examples that are used onscreens would be 24, 36, 60, 86, 110, 156, 200, 230, 280, and 305. The lower the meshcount, the more ink that is laid down, the higher, less ink but more detail is retained.

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SCREEN PRINTING STEP BY STEP (CONT.)

Choosing the proper mesh for the job is important and with help from this book andexperience in time you'll learn through testing and results. It's always a good idea to keepproduction records for consistency from the beginning of every job. Before you apply yourstencil to your screen, it is important to clean it or degrease it. This takes all the dust and

grease particles off the screen mesh, allowing the emulsion to adhere.Emulsion is a light sensitive liquid about the consistency of molasses. Since it is lightsensitive it is important that you use it in a light safe environment. To coat the screen wihtemulsion you will use a tool called a scoop coater. This trough holds the emulsion and allowsit to be placed onto the mesh. Its important that you get a even coat of emulsion on thescreen mesh, you do this by using both hands and a fair amount of pressure to press againsta propped screen and ensure both sides are being coated evenly. TIP, emulsion thicknessEQUALS ink thickness. For thicker stencils it's a good idea to dry between coatings otherwiseit will drip off the mesh. .

You have to let the emulsion dry before you can expose the screen. This bookexplains the proper process to do so. When you are ready to expose, a goodlight source is needed for this process. The exposure unit is basically a box witha glass top, a compression lid or rubber blanket, and a vacuum frame. The lightsource is contained in this box. To expose a screen, take the film positive youcreated and place it on the glass top with the right reading face up. Take thedried screen and place it on the glass top with the film positive under it. Thescreen mesh will be touching the film positive. As the lid is closed, the

compression lid presses the foam against the screen and the positive providing contact. The length of time is dependent on your emulsion and light source. Most manufacturers haverecommended exposure times for their emulsions. Ryonet has recommended exposure times

for our emulsions and for all of the light units we sell. Keep in mind, these are allRECOMMENDED times, this means its always good to know that sometimes things may varyslightly. An exposure calculator and testing can help determine the optional time to expose ascreen at.

Once your image is exposed its time to wash your screen out. Keep in mind that your filmpositive blocked the light from reaching this area of the screen so your screen is leftunexposed. This means that you need to keep your screen in a light safe area until after itswashed out. To wash your screen out, set it in a tub or preferably a washout sink. Spray itdown with cool clean water for and allow to soak for 1-2 minutes. After it has been allowed tosoak you will see the image appear as the unexposed emulsion begins to loosen. Once thishappens you can spray your screen with medium pressure (a strong garden hose or pressurewasher) and blow out your image. During washout its important to be careful not to apply toomuch water or pressure to you emulsion, if the emulsion soaks up too much water even theexposed areas of the screen will begin to washout, the same thing applies to using excessivepressure. After your screen is washed out you can now hold it up to light to ensure that yourentire image is washed out. Next you need to dry your screen.

To dry a screen, lay out newsprint and pat the inside (squeegee side) with one sheet, DONOT rub the screen, let the screen(s) dry naturally, you can use a fan or even set the screenoutside in the sun to dry. You will want to check for pinholes (little holes caused by dust, dirt)and block out with emulsion or a commercial blocking agent, then dry. After the screen hascompletely dried expose again (post hardening) for a longer lasting stencil. This can be done

in your exposure unit or out in the bright sun. 8

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SCREEN PRINTING STEP BY STEP (CONT.):The Printing Press (where the magic happens):

Ink Options:

Preparing to Print:

Screen printing your f irst shirt!

Choosing a printing press is something you should put some thought into.Remember, your screen printing press prints t-shirts, t-shirts = money, the fasterand more concise you print those shirts, the more money you make! If you arelooking for a space saving option, the LowRider dryer is actually a high production

space saving press/ dryer combo system that puts the traditional all in one unit toshame and even out performs other manual presses and dryers in the space!What to look for in a press is a solid frame, joystick or micro registration ifpossible, a quality construction that will last a long time, a proven track recordin the industry, and rotating platens and screens that spin quickly. Being able toquickly register a press is almost as important as how it prints. Remember, the fasteryour press works for you, the less you have to work!

Most screen printer prefer to use plastisol ink for garment printing althoughrecently environmental and fashion trends have made discharge and waterbased inks very popular. Inks are made with a base (either plastisol /petroleum or water) and colored with pigment. The consistency of the ink isdirectly correspondent to how much pigment is needed in the ink. Brightcolors + dark garments = higher pigment load in the ink = a lower ink viscosity.For instance, black ink will always be thinner than white ink because white ink is typicallymeant for printing on darker colors. Thus white ink needs a higher pigment load for it to showup on dark.

Its time to line things up and get ready to print! To save you time as yousetup your press its important to remember how much simpler center linescan make your life! If you use center lines in your artwork, center your

films on your screen prior to exposure, and draw center lines on your printingplatens, then making sure your screen is centered in the press is easy. Simple onecolor prints may only need center lines where as multiple color prints would benefit fromadditional registration marks surrounding the print. You want to place your screens in theapprox spot there are going to sit in your press.

Before you register its also important to adjust the off contact of the screen. Off contact = thedistance between the screen mesh and the shirt. Youd typically want about 1/16th-1/8th inchof off contact evenly throughout the screen and platen. This allows the mesh a small amountof space to release the ink onto the garment. Once off contact is set and the screen iscentered you can register your screen to either the film positives or the print itself by liningeach color to the most encompassing/prominant color. During registration youre getting closeto production and at this point in the game its a good idea to fire up your heaters so they haveample time to warm up. After your screens are aligned, fill your ink reserve with the desiredcolor of ink and get ready to print! Before you start production, its always important to doseveral test prints to ensure consistency of registrations and that the shirt is curing properly.

Now its time to print. It may have seamed like it took a long time to prepare and thats thetruth, most of the time youre going to spend 60-70% of your time preparing for the job and ifyouve done a good job preparing, actually printing the job should go fairly quickly.

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SCREEN PRINTING STEP BY STEP (CONT.):

Curing the Ink:

Curing Options.

Helpful Information:

www.ryonetblog.com

.

In order for in for water base and plastisol ink to cure it needs to reach 320 degrees. If the inkis thick, the entire ink film needs to reach 320 degrees. This means that if the ink is thicker of

if you are printing ink on top of other ink, youll need to cure it longer so that the BASE of theink reaches 320 degrees. Its simple, if the ink is not cured, it washes off, so its in your bestinterest to ensure that the ink is effectively cured.

There are several different ways to cure a shirt the main objective in curing is for theink to reach a temperature of 320 degrees. Some of the more basic ways to cure ashirt include an oven, heat gun, or even an iron. Though these ways work, they areslow and very hard to predict. More traditional ways include using a flash dryer andconveyor dryer to achieve a cure. A flash dryer in comprised of a heating element that isattached to a stand. The heating element rotates above the shirt radiating heat onto theinks surface. A flash dryers main purpose is to set or gel the ink if you are printingink on top of other ink. A flash can also be used to achieve a final cure as well,achieving a final cure with a flash typically takes about 30-45 seconds. Thequickest and most consistent way to cure a shirt is a conveyor dryer is . Aconveyor has a heating element enclosed in a chamber/tunnel and a belt thatrotates through the tunnel. The shirt is placed on the belt and the belt sends theshirt through the oven, much like a pizza oven. The belt can be speed up orslowed down depending on how long the shirt needs to stay in the oven to reach320 degrees.

Whether you are using a flash dryer or a conveyor dryer you need to ensure that the inkreaches curing temp. A laser temp gun is a great way to ensure that the ink is

completely cured. This heat measurement device works by shining a laser beamon the ink surface while it is under a flash dryer or as it comes out of aconveyor dryer. The laser gun reads the temperature of the ink while it is hot.If your ink hits 320 degrees, its cured. Remember for a thicker coat of ink youwant the base of the ink to reach 320 degrees so the surface typically is a littlehotter in the 330-340 range. To increase your output a conveyer dryer is neededto increase your production. When you finish printing a shirt, you pull it off of your platen andplace it on the conveyer dryer. Basically, it's a dryer that has a belt on it that goes through atunnel of heat. When it comes out the other side, it is cured. Again, use a temp gun when theshirt is about to come out, you point the laser beam at the ink and it will give you atemperature reading. Remember, 320 is the magic number!

Complete resource for Q&A and How To Guides & Videos.

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO ART

Explanation Of Jpeg, Gif, And Bmp, Spot Color,Separations With Photoshop, 4 Color Process,Corel, Spot Process Separations Studio, and

Assorted Graphic Programs

(Don't let this section overwhelm you as it's for learning purposes.)

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GRADIENT IMAGES

FULL COLOR IMAGES

A gradient image refers to an image that has tones or shades in it. It is not aspot color or one block of color, but rather, it has depth. Gradient imaging canbe accomplished with screen printing by using halftones to emulate thegradient. In order to output halftones you need a half tone compatible printer,

also known as a post script printer. The easiest way to print half tones is tocombine a 3rd party RIP (Raster Image Processor) Software to an inkjet Epsonprinter. The RIP converts the printer into a post script printer which can printoptimal positive films with halftones and opaque black ink.

For screen printing purposes there are 3 different types of full color images. Four colorprocess, simulated process, and index. Today, four color process and simulated process arethe most popular and what we will be covering in this book.

If you are working in any of the file types above, understand high resolution is key. Remembergarbage in, garbage out. Avoid low resolution images unless you covert them into vectorformat (explanation later). An optimal resolution is 300dpi.

RESOLUTION - RESOLUTION!

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4 COLOR PROCESS (A BRIEF EXPLANATION)

Screening Inks To Create Lighter And Darker Shades

Process Separations From L - R: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and Composed

Different combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and black can create millions of differentcolors, but only a fraction of colors that the human eye can see. Take green, as an example: Ifwe add 25% magenta to it, it will become forest green. If we take out half the cyan, it willbecome lime green. If we take out half the yellow, it will become turquoise. Even adding or

subtracting as little as 1 or 2 percent of one of the inks can change the color dramatically.

When colors are screened, as in the 50% screen of cyan in BROWN, above, the same ink isused as 100% cyan. To make it appear lighter, it is reduced to a pattern of dots. Smaller dotsmake the ink appear lighter, larger dots make it appear darker. Process screen printing istypically done in a few different ways. Offset halftone angles and single line halftone angleknown as the Flamenco method. Do to the variables involved with the screen and shirt fabric,we recommend using a single line halftone angle (61 degrees or 22.5 Degrees). Using theflamenco method is much easier to accomplish and looks just as good on t-shirts!

All professional graphics applications will separate a color document at the click of a button.For example, let's look at a photo of a model on a boat, both in its separated state, and as itwould be composed, or combined, on the press:

Each of the four colors you see below will be output to a separate positive, burned ontoseparate screens, and inked on the press (wet on wet) so the colors can print on top of eachother. After the substrate has been impressed with each inked screen, the composed imagewill appear, in full color. Four color process inks are transparent so they only work on lightgarments. Since they have to mix wet on wet, it is difficult to achieve a quality four colorprocess print on a white underbase.

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ONLY GRAPHIC PROGRAMS CAN SEPARATE COLORS

CORELDRAW AND THE ANATOMY OF A VECTORILLUSTRATION

HIRE A DESIGNER?OUTSOURCE MY DESIGN NEEDS?BUY PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS DESIGN SOFTWARE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOWTO BE AN ARTIST?

Someone could continually create color documents in Microsoft Word but those documentsshould never be printed on a printing press. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, andMicrosoft PowerPoint are NOT professional graphics programs. They cannot separate colorsinto their component CMYK colors. They don't even know what CMYK colors are, because

they are RGB applications. If you want a color document printed on a printing press and don'thave professional graphics software like Corel Draw or Adobe Photoshop, then you must havea Service Bureau or a professional graphic artist lay out your document.

Illustrations created in all major vector drawing programs have a definite anatomy and share acommon pattern. Whether you use CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator, you will find that thispattern exists even though each program may define the parts differently. This section takes

apart a vector drawing so you can see how it is put together and you are able to understand it.The illustration section will better help you translate the terms from one application to another.The pattern of vector illustrations is best viewed or represented as a hierarchy or "tree". Theillustration itself would be at the top and its various parts would descend below it:

1. An ILLUSTRATION is composed of vector objects2. OBJECTS each have one or more paths3. PATHS are composed of line segments4. LINE SEGMENTS contain anchor points5. ANCHOR POINTS at each existing end. The biggest hurdle for most art departments is simplifying the processwithout having to hire a Corel genius to do it. Artists tend to losecreativity when saddled with the laborious tasks of breaking down avector along with being creative. Adobe Illustrator is even more labor intensive although overthe years artists have had to adapt and tend to like this program for graphics.

CorelDRAW has the same capabilities as Illustrator but in a more user friendly format. Yet itstill takes time to edit graphics, fit text to paths, group objects and effectively completemultiple assorted tasks in a reasonable amount of time. Art, and screens for the most part arebreak-even items in a screen print shop. I've never made profit on art or screens, but wasusually quite happy if they at least paid for themselves.

We don't think these are the best options for managing your graphics needs. We offer a betterway to control the design process.

As you may soon find, graphic design can be a source of tremendous business opportunity ora source of frustration, bottlenecks, and a competitive disadvantage. The right graphic designtools and training resources are the keys to your graphic design success.

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GRAPHIC DESIGN SOFTWARE:CORELDRAW OR ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR?

This is likely one of the most common questions we receive regarding which graphics designproducts are best. We argue that the two are so similar in features that it doesn't make adifference. So we look at other factors such as pricing and availability of training. The victor?CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a 'suite' of two products:CorelDRAW and CorelPhoto Paint. CorelDRAW is primarily atool for 'vector' design and editing. CorelPhoto Paint is for'photo' or 'digital' designs and manipulation. That's right; the'suite' contains two products in one for $489. In contrast,

Adobe Illustrator is $599 and Adobe Photoshop is $699(Adobe Photoshop Extended is $999). Yes, that's right $1,299for both Illustrator and Photoshop.Beyond price, what are the other compelling reasons for

CorelDRAW? You will find that Corel is more widely used inthe 'imprinting' industry, whereas Adobe is more used in theprofessional design industry. This means there are moreindustry specific resources for Corel users and imprinters. Forexample, www.freecoreldrawtraining.com is an excellentsource of FREE training tutorials on CorelDRAW Graphic Suiteand imprinting specific design processes.

Last, we think that Corel's user interface (UI) is much easier tonavigate. We love the 'hints docker' which provides anexplanation of each tool in addition to visual examples.

Additionally, there are training resources built right in.

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CLIPART, STOCK PROFESSIONAL DESIGN TEMPLATES

Quick 'proto typing' and idea generation:

Give your cli ents options:

Production ready:

Proactive sales & marketing approach.

The second most important graphic design consideration is: Professional stock designs, or aswe call them Professional starting points. Can you draw a world-class design with pencil andpaper? Can you do the same virtually in design software? Most respond NO. Those that havethese skills will agree that manual designing results in downtime and lost productivityplus,

clients won't pay for custom graphic design. We strongly advocate using stock designs tobypass these potential challenges. In doing so, you get to enjoy these benefits:

translate your client's vision into a professionalresult. Using a 'template' based professional starting point you can quickly generate samplesand prototype designs. For example: Using one theme, you can present three variations of adesign: Colors, font styles, effects and clipart variations. Rule: Get the client excited about thegraphics and you are definitely more likely to get the job.

We offer free design services if you select from our professionaldesign theme or we offer custom design services at $50 per hour.

Stock art content offered by the Ryonet Corporation is 'production ready'.Not all art content is created equally. We take tremendous care to ensure that the content weoffer is suitable for imprinting processes. This reduces the time and skills need to preparedesigns for output. Sure, you can get vector 'camera ready art work', anywhere. However,these graphics generally have hundreds of colors, minuscule complexities (like phantomobjects), open paths, and too many nodes. You will spend more time fighting these designs tomake them usable than its worth. Art work is NOT the place to try to cut corners or savemoney.

What's the best way to gain attention of your clientsand prospects? Personalized designs! We call these 'virtual samples'. What's more effective:

Dropping off a product catalog or dropping off personalized graphic samples on products?

Easily Create Themes, Variations, Ideas and Virtual Samples

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THE INKSOFT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

This all started with three simple questions:

What we discovered:

Strategy to Reality

1. Why arent imprinters more successful selling online?2. What are the biggest opportunities for imprinters to grow their business?3. What are the greatest challenges/problems that imprinters face?

Q: Why arent imprinters more successful selling online?

A: The right eCommerce tools had not been developed yet. Nor, was there an industry specificeCommerce solution to solve ALL of the problems imprinters face. Good isnt the best way togrow, run and manage your businessyou need great.

Q: What are the biggest opportunities for imprinters to grow their business?

A: Simpleselling online. eCommerce sales have increased year after year since the advent ofthe internet. eCommerce forecasts show continued growth. Of course, we also found that allgrowth opportunities require great marketing tools.

Q: What are the greatest challenges/problems that imprinters face?

A: All imprinters have the same basic challenges and bottlenecks: Graphic design and Sales &Marketing, the two most important components to any imprinting business. These are the truekeys to either failing or succeeding.

Every business bookevery business guru..they all say the same thing: To grow your businessyou must develop new clients, cut costs and find better ways to do things than your competition.This of course, is true. Great business strategy however is worthless unless you have the righttools required to make strategy become reality.

InkSoft is the easiest, most complete web-based eCommerce solution which allows our clientsto sell online in a revolutionary way. Of course, InkSoft didnt stop there. InkSoft makes graphicsdesign and sales & marketing simple.

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InkSoft includes a virtual store front. This is your opportunity to have a professional, easy-to-use company website. More importantly, you can use your web site to allow prospects andclients to search products, design templates and clipart and then construct their very owndesign.

Your InkSoft store front is easy to set-up. You can customize the look of your site includinglogo, colors, advertisements and banners. Already have a web site? Integrating InkSoft into aweb site is easy!

Easy to Customize, Professional Web Sites

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The greatest challenge to any imprinter is graphic design. It is a bottleneck and a continuoussource of frustration. Yet graphic design is a tremendous source of opportunity. If you havebetter art work than your competition you will win new clients! Let art work be your competitivesuper secret weapon.

Your InkSoft solution is loaded with graphics in all styles and categories. Sell to any event ororganization with the right graphics.

Professional Design Starting Points, and Clip Art Designs

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Easy to Customize, Professional Web Sites

InkSofts Design Studio is where the magic happens. Your clients or prospects can easily edit aprofessional design template in the system, construct a design using supplied clip art, or acustom theme can be created by uploading content such as a picture or corporate logo.

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Sales & Marketing Tools

Lets face it: Sales & Marketing is hard business. Its hard for large and small business alike.Sales & Marketing is the key to growing a profitable business. InkSoft provides some reallyamazing marketing tools including: Search engine optimization (SEO), Social Network Sharing,and the ability to create custom web stores for your clients and prospects.

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Manage, Run and Grow Your Online Business

InkSoft has an easy-to-use backend. Control everything about your InkSoft here. You can alsomanage inventory, products, orders, web stores, advertising and marketing. Its one central hubto run your business.

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PHOTOSHOP VS. SEPARATION PROGRAMS

WHAT IS A SPOT PROCESS SEPARATION JOB?

DYNAMIC UNDER-BASE

3 BLACK OPTIONS

TOP WHITE

COLOR MERGING

COLOR ENHANCEMENT

APPLY FEATURE

SAVE AND LOAD COLOR CORRECTIONS

COLOR PREVIEW

Spot Process Separation Studio is the industries finest, most accurate and easiest to usecolor separation and adjustment software. First developed for in-house use to speed up theprocess of color separating high-end, tonal images. Spot Process was later released in 1996as a Photoshop Plug-in dramatically speeding up the color separation process and improving

the quality of halftone printing for users around the world. Artists, production managers andowners agree that Spot Process is one of the most valuable tools in a screen print facility.Currently shipping is our most powerful industry specific software to date - SpotProcess Professional Suite. Spot Process is now a stand alone applicationoffering more screen print specific features. Profit from a FREE, 30-day, fullyfunctional trial that is available for download right now.Since Spot Process Professional can separate any .tif image your options areseemingly endless.

Use Spot Process Professional to separate and adjust tonal images quickly andeasily. Take a look at the samples of tonal images (next page) representative of a SpotProcess job. Users that may be new to the industry or are expanding their shop's abilities willquickly learn when Spot Process is the program to choose and when to separate files fromillustration programs alone.

An under-base, the foundation of all screen printing on color garments, based on the colordynamics of the original image allowing for smooth color transitions and fades.

3 levels of black giving users options with this critical element in color reproduction. Theseblack options are NOT taken from limited cmyk conversions (an antiquated method) but in fact

are built directly from the original RGB color data. An over-print white, critical in creating secondary and tertiary colors

"click of the mouse" color-merging features allowing you to further reduce the already lownumber of channels when desired.

Orange and brown enhancement features for harder to reach spectral values.

An "APPLY" feature that allows the user to move and combine separation data acrosschannels to enhance a color channel (separation) or to create a special effect.

The ability to save your color corrections and load them again later or into another file.

A color preview built on screen print ink values.

Separation programs like Spot Process will take any prepared image and separate it into 4 to17 colors, base output on your capabilities. Fast, efficient and powerful this program will haveyou printing, Rock Star quality prints on any color shirt imaginable. Simply output, burn, set-upthen ROCK & ROLL!!

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CHAPTER 2

FILMS AND OUTPUT

Why an ink jet printer?Inkjet RIP, Plotters, Density Requirements And Mesh Selections

What is the goal of your positive film?

To portray the positive image perfectly to you and to block out100% of the UV light during exposure for optimal exposing and washout results!

Question:

Answer:

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WHAT KIND OF PRINTER SHOULD I USE?

Gradient images

Inkjet printer technology has evolved tremendously in the past 10 years. The quality, clarityand density of the film that an inkjet printer outputs is by far better than even the highest endlaser printers.Laser printers use thermal heat to create the film, this causes problems with shrinking and

density. Even with higher end laser printers the density can be an issue. Because thepositive film is supposed to block out as much of the exposure light as possible, it is VERYimportant for it to be opaque and for the black image to be dense.

An inkjet printer sprays ink onto an inkjet receptive film. Since it sprays the ink, shrinking is notan issue. As it sprays ink, you can tell it to spray more for a denser image. The optimal type ofink to use for inkjet printers is a dye-base ink because dye base is more opaque than pigmentbase. Unfortunately, most printers come with a pigment based ink.There are after market cartridges with dye ink in them made specifically for the printers thatwork best for film output. Epson makes the best printers for film output. Why? BecauseEpson printers are meant for printing photographs, they can really lay down the ink. They canalso accept after market black DYE ink cartridges which will make a darker film positive.

Most printers print in a gradient line format, meaning that when you see agradient image like the example below, it slowly fades out to gray. There is no way a gradientline can expose to a screen because there is no contrast in the line, the image will simply stopexposing when the gradient is not black enough to block the exposure light. In order toscreen print gradients you need to convert the gradient into an image the screen can read.The most common method for printing gradients is called post script or halftones.Halftones are dots that range from 100% to 1%, the blacker the image area, the larger the dot,the lighter the image area the smaller the dot. See below.

Most inkjet and laser printers cannot print halftone dots. In order to print post script you needa post script compatible printer which unfortunately is very expensive and hard to come by.Fortunately there IS an affordable solution!

.

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ACCURIP

TYPES OF FILM

Water Proof

Standard Inkjet

Laser Film

DENSITY REQUIREMENTS

AccuRip is a PostScript interpreter which is called a Raster Image Processor or RIP. WithoutPostScript it is impossible to print high-quality halftone dots on a "non-PostScript" inkjet printersuch as an Epson 1400 and 4880. Even if your printer has PostScript, it may not be able toprint halftone dots because PostScript is often just used to calibrate and balance colors on an

inkjet. The Epson "RIP" does not print halftone dots! AccuRIP does! AccuRIP only workswith the Epson line of printers.

An Epson Inkjet does NOT contain Adobe PostScript Chips and thereforecan't read/translate a graphics application that contains PostScript data. Forexample: tools and effects (such as blends and tints) that print as halftones. ARIPs job is to do the translation so you have full use of the PostScriptfeatures of your graphics application and can accurately output films from theinkjet.

Accurip in conjunction with Blackmax inks not only allow you to print halftones but maximizethe use of your printer for printing film output. When making films you only use BLACK ink;color carts are a waste of money. AccuRIP is the only software developed to use ALL slots.Blackmax users simply turn on the multi-black option in the AccuRIP Setup and load theBlackmax carts in their designated slots to dedicate the inkjet to producing films.

This is your best option for inkjet printing, a water proof film has a special coating on it thatretains the ink and allows the film to hold more ink then a standard film. More ink = darkerimage, this coating also sucks the ink into the center of the film and holds it there so it staysdarker longer, doesn't scratch as easy, and resists water spills.

Older styles of Epson printers can take standard inkjet film. Some printers try to use this filmbecause it is cheaper, however unless you have a specific style of printer that the film worksgood with, it will be hard to get a good looking dense positive with standard film on any of thenewer printers.

Specifically for laser printers, this is a thicker film with a haze. Its built to resist heat andminimize shrinking.

Simply put? Positive (Transparency) density achieves a crisp, clean screen image, alsonegates problems with washing out the image from an exposed screen.Most inkjet film has a specially developed coating that is designed to workwith the standard Epson inks or for much higher density and clarity usingBlackmax high density black ink. The ink dries in seconds and givessuperior performance for screen printing and plate burning applications forpad printers.

Ryonet leading film !supplier in the industry

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With a positive that is not opaque enough you're not blocking 100% of the light. Instead yourecutting down the amount of light by 50, 30%, etc. This in turn will LOOK like your image hasbeen burned onto the emulsion when in fact it will not wash. You are over exposed at thispoint. If you use a pressure washer to remove the half exposed emulsion you weaken theability of your design to withstand a good production run, or it may not wash out at all.

You will sacrifice clarity, longevity and stencil strength, not to mention the excessive pinholesand premature stencil breakdown. Reclamation problems will also be a factor as you will likelylock in the emulsion from improper processing.

A plotter is a vector graphics plotting device that connects to a computer. Plotters draw or cuttheir output by moving a pen/knife across the surface of a piece of paper or film. This meansthat plotters are restricted to line art, rather than raster graphics as with other printers. Theycan draw complex line art, including text, but do so very slowly because of the mechanicalmovement of the pen/knife. (Plotters are incapable of creating a solid region of color by pen)

When computer memory was very expensive, and processor power was very slow, this wasoften the fastest way to produce color high-resolution vector-based artwork, or very largedrawings efficiently. Plotters coupled with a hand-cut water solublefilm that is weeded out in a negative form works great as a stencil.Simply cut, weed and water apply the film to the screen mesh.

PLOTTERS

GOODFILM

GOODFILM

DFILMBAD

FILM

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CHAPTER 3

SCREEN ROOM &SCREEN PREPARATION

Setting up a Screen room, Theory, Conditions , Ventilation,

Lighting and Diagram, Screen Prep New, Premature Breakdown

And Pinholes

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SCREEN ROOM

A clean working envi ronment

SCREEN STORAGE

Previously the theory was to have a darkroom that was light safe, painted black with red lightand dust free, used for photography and storing screens in them followed suit. Today thesame requirements hold true with a few minor changes. The light in the room can now beyellow, using either a yellow bug light or fluorescent tubes with yellow sleeves. Screens aren't

as sensitive to light as photographic films and the yellowlight safe bulb allows better visual inspection of yourcoating and workspace.

Concerning the color of the walls - Black was used to keepany light from reflecting and exposing film; a good idea but veryhard to work in with a red safe light. Paint the walls in a semi-gloss latex using a pink or rosecolor, allowing for greater visibility. Pink walls will reflect a pink light versus a white light and iscompletely safe for screens. Your darkroom should still remain tightly sealed from outside lightand dust.

Ventilation is VERY important, as a sealed room with wet screens will never dry, placing a fanin the room will circulate air but it's still wet air and will kick up dust onto your screens. Themost effective system is a dehumidifier to pull any moisture from the air and dry the screenscompletely and quickly, however do not place the unit IN the darkroom because the water willbe gathered in the room. Measure the face of the unit and cut a hole in the wall to mount thedehumidifier into the opening, you will then seal the edges to prevent light and dust fromcoming in and keeping moisture out.

Now youre pulling the moist air out, your water is collected outside the darkroom and notbeing re-circulated, your screens will dry more quickly and completely. All this effort leads tolonger print runs without breaking down, better edge definition and you have the beginnings ofthe perfect screen room. By all means keep the screen drying and the exposure/washout

rooms separate and safe lit.The optimal humidity level of a darkroom should be under 40% humidity and ideally 30-35%!The drier your room is, the quicker your screens will dry and the faster you can produce/ print.

Cleanliness in the screen room is likely to be the most neglected aspect of production. Even ifcleanliness isn't neglected, it's still very difficult to maintain the dust-free, lint-free environmentyou need, especially when the screen room is often so close to the production area.

You want to produce screens and get them quickly into production, so on one hand, havingyour screen making area set up conveniently near to the pressroom makes sense. On theother hand, vast amounts of dust and lint invariably end up on your screens. It's impractical tomove the department far enough away to escape all the lint and dust, so you must take stepsto keep contaminants from getting into the screen making department.

Great care should be given to screen storage. You have made an investment in purchasingscreens. Storing screens on the floor can result in undesirable effects before and aftercoating. Dust and airborne contaminants will find a way onto the screens when stored nearthe ground level! Raising them off the ground will prevent several issues.

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Screen Frame Racks

Degreasing steps

1. Provides a safe area as both storage and dry rack directly after coating.2. Provides further protection against ripping the mesh.3. Easy access, screens can be labeled and ready to go.4. Most racks have wheels for greater mobility.

Additional storage may be needed for those who chose to library screens forreturn customers or repeat jobs. It is recommended that the racks be builtinto a wall at eye level, screens may labeled for quick reference. Overagescreens can be stored as well. Live or coated screens must be protectedfrom regular white light. Ready to use or coated screens should be put intoproduction as soon as possible, storing live screens for long periods of time isnot recommended and there is no guarantee that they will be useable whenneeded. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!

There are also drying cabinets that are enclosed with fans and vents in

them to suck out the water. The optimal screen drying cabinet has adehumidifier built into it and can dry a screen in a matter of minutes.

Degreasing the screen is the most understated procedure involved in screen preparation.Proper degreasing and rinsing of the screen is critical because it influences how well thestencil material will adhere to the mesh. With complete adhesion, you'll achieve better imageresolution, accuracy and greater stencil durability during production.

After application of a degreasing agent, both sides of the screen require degreaser and a

thorough rinsing prior to stencil application. Rinsing is particularly important because anyresidual degreasing agent will also deter from the emulsion's ability to adhere to the mesh. Besure to rinse your screen and ensure that the water and degreaser being rinsed off does notsplash back into the frame which will contaminate it again. Also ensure that you rinse theframe itself, not just the mesh.

Printers experience problems from improper degreasing because it is an easy process to"skimp" on. Because the process is relatively unexciting and repetitive, screen roompersonnel can easily miss areas of the screen or frame during rinsing. Frame rinsing is also important because any residual chemicals left on the frames will mixwith the emulsion on the screen and cause the stencil to break down during production. Onceyou have to stop the presses to correct such screen defects, the time, effort, and expense youinvested to prepare the screen are lost, as is the profitability of an uninterrupted productionrun.

1. Wet both sides of the screen.2. Spray a small amount of degreasing solution on the backside of the screen (shirt side)3. Scrub from left to right with scrub brush until a slight lather is formed.5. Turn screen and repeat steps 2 and 3.

DEGREASING

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6. Rinse from the top of the frame sweeping side to side in a downward fashion until the entirescreen is free of degreaser.7. Place on screen frame rack on the top position with the inside of the frame facingdownward, this will allow the excess water to drain off and prevent pooling.8. Turn fans on and allow to dry (dry times will vary from region to region) Make sure to dryscreens in a CLEAN area!

Those of you who have only one drying rack and are drying coated screens while preppingdegreased ones need to move coated screens to the top of the rack and stack the wetdegreased screens underneath the coated screens to ensure water does not drip onto thecoated screens.

Tip

TYPES OF EMULSIONS

Emulsion for Plastisol

Emulsion for signs and solvent inks

Emulsion for water based inks

Dual Cure Diazo emulsions need to be mixed before use. The diazo is the light sensitiveagent mixed into the emulsion to activate it. Once mixed, these emulsions have a shelf life of

2-3 months.Pre-sensitized emulsions are ready to go right out of the gate. Typically these emulsions willexpose much faster than the dual diazo emulsions, they also have a longer shelf life. Thedrawback to a fast exposure is the exposure latitude, this is the level of forgiveness that theprinter has for over/under exposure. Pre-sensitized emulsions have a very short window orlatitude to expose within. We recommend using dual cure emulsions which expose longer buthave a much wider exposure latitude and level of forgiveness.

When doing signs you will need an emulsion that will stand up the harsh solvents andcleaners used in the process! They are offered as dual diazo and pre-sensitized formats however they are much tougher and can withstandthe washout with chemicals or water which may otherwise cause thescreen to breakdown prematurely.

CCI Dxp Diazo-photopolymer Dual Cure Direct EmulsionUlano Qtx Pre-sensatized EmulsionRyonet Pre Sensatized Emulsion

CCI Dcm Dual Cue Graphic Emulsions

CCI Swr Water Resist Dual Cure Emulsion

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SCREEN-COATING AND DRYING

THE SCREEN EMULSION COATER

SCREEN PREPARATION(NEW AND RECLAIMED SCREENS)

WORKING WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC EMULSION

As with so many other aspects of textile screen-printing, there are no rulesor standards that spell out the right way to coat and process a screen. Manytextile printers use the 2-1 coating method, which means they coat the printside of the screen twice, and then finish with a third coat on the squeegee

side of the screen.There are also easy to use coating stands available which help the screenstay in place against the wall so you can use TWO hands during coating forthe most even coat and consistent results.

After the initial coating dry the screen with the print side down. This process may varysomewhat from shop to shop, but the actual coating method is really not the key issue. Moreimportant is that each of your screens be coated the same way to deliver consistent andpredictable results. In many shops, coating technique varies with every individual in thescreen making department.

The care you take in preparing and maintaining screens not only impact the quality of yourprints, it also influences the productivity of your operation. So, make sure screens meet yourperformance and quality requirements, standardize your screen making, cleaning, andreclaiming procedures.

The screen printing scoop coater is an aluminum tool used to coat the screen. It holds theemulsion and has a critical sharp edge which applies it to the screen mesh evenly. The besttype of scoop coater to have is a DUAL EDGE scoop coater like shown below. The dual edgescoop coater has both a thin edge for standard emulsion application and a round edge forthicker coats of emulsion and thus thicker inkapplications.

Applying Photographic Emulsion to your Screen

1. Make sure screen is degreased and dry.2. Prepare screen room for coating, clean area.3. Lay newspaper on floor or table, have tools and damp paper towels ready.4. Under safe light conditions (yellow or red), open emulsion container.5. Remove rubber blade guard or dust cover from the scoop coater.6. Pour emulsion into the scoop coater, wipe edge of container if any drips occurred.7. Use the scoop to coat emulsion onto both sides of screen.8. Use a plastic scraper to clean up edges where emulsion may be thick.9. Place screen in cabinet to dry. Turn on fan.

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EXPOSING A SCREEN

Preparing Work Area

Line up artwork Pre registration

Clean glass on exposure unit with window cleaner (a razor blade may be required to removedried photo emulsion).

Pre-registering your design is important for multiple color designs and even single colordesigns. If your designs are not properly exposed onto the screen, they will be very hard toregister or line up when you get onto the press. A simple but not very efficient way to preregister your artwork to your screen is to measure the placement of the screen and theartwork against the edge of your frame, ensure that it is centered in the frame and typicallyabout 8-10 down from the top of a manual frame / or in the appropriate spot for exposure formultiple colors.Measuring takes time and is not very accurate because your parameters are never equal andsometimes the films move during the taping process. We recommend using a pre registrationtemplate in order to easily and quicklyalign your films.

Pre-registration Template Instructions:1. When generating artwork make sure you havecenter marks on your film positive. Place artworkon board in relation to where you want the printon the shirt.

2. Align registration marks to center line on thegraph. Tape positive down then place coatedscreen onto O.D. markings.

3. Mark screen on the inside with a fine pointmarker to match targets on the positive. Write thecolor in the upper left hand corner to keepscreens separate and avoid double exposures.

4. After marking the screen(s) tape the positivesto each color marked and expose tomanufacturers recommendation.

We also have a video online on how to burna job using this pre registration template

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EXPOSING A SCREEN

Positive Contact

Vacuum Frame and or Positive pressure.

Table maintenance

EXPOSURE UNITS

Positive pressure or contact between your screen and film is extremely important in creating acrisp image on your screen. If your positive film and positive image are not pressed extremelytight against your screen, then light will work its way around the edge of your image and

expose a soft line instead of a crisp line. Without positive pressure, you can throw the idea ofa high quality screen out the window! Positive pressure can be achieved one of two ways.

The easiest and most convenient is a vacuum exposure unit. The vacuum blanket sucks thescreen down to the glass with about 60-70 lbs of pressure and sandwiches the film betweenthe glass and the screen creating a very good positive pressure.

You can also create positive pressure more affordable by using a dense 2 foam and placingweight on top of the foam or compressing the foam with a compression lid. As you putpressure via weight or compression on the foam, the foam distributes this weight and pressesthe screen mesh into the glass which sandwiches the film in between creating a positivepressure. You want to use between 50-60 lbs of pressure or weight using this method. If youuse less, you will not put enough pressure on the screen in order to create a good positivecontact.

- Open latch, raise top (vacuum and compression lids)- Position transparency on glass, right reading - optimally taped to screen- Place screen over transparency, film emulsion to screen emulsion- Lower top, close latch or place foam and weights (open top units)

Dust and scratches on the vacuum-frame and open glass units can easily appear as defects in your stencil. Oneof the easiest ways to avoid this type of problem is to keep the glass clean and exercise care when placing itemson the glass. Clean the glass on one side first thing in the morning and then throughout the day as needed, cleanboth sides at least once a week. Use a soft cloth and a good quality glass-cleaning product.

The second precaution is to use care whenever you lay a screen onto the glass. Metal screen frames can easilyscratch the glass, especially if you slide them around while positioning them for exposure. Once a scratch isintroduced to the surface of the glass, it will be reproduced on any stencil that is laid over that particular area ofthe glass.

These units range from the sun (barbaric but it works), Metal Halide to HUV (black light)

systems. Ryonets low cost UV units that can expose 55 line half tones on 305 meshes whenusing a dual-cure emulsion for about 4 minutes. There arevacuum tables and units with compression lids aswell as open faced units utilizing a weight tomaintain screen to art contact (VERY criticalfor sharp images).

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EXPOSURE METER/ LIGHT SOURCE

After Exposure

Washout

EXPOSURE:

UNDER EXPOSURE:

Light integrators compensate for the aging of your exposure lamps and power fluctuationsduring their operation. While these are optimal for use on an exposure unit they are typicallyonly on the higher end units. They ensure that your stencil receives the dose of light youintended it to get. Shops that do not have light integrators sometimes run regular exposure

tests to determine how long to expose their screens. Not doing this leads to all sorts ofproblems in production, from pinholes and stencil breakdown to difficulties in reclaiming thescreen. Ryonet has simple exposure calculators available that help you pin point yourexposure time.

Turn off vacuumOpen value (to release pressure of suction)Open latch, slowing raise topTransport screen to Washout station (avoid light)

Immediately spray both sides with cold/luke warm water until completely wet. Soak for 30seconds until complete.Using a garden spray nozzle, rinse the design completely out, change settings for strongerwashout, then give a final rinse.Lay out old newsprint and lay screen down. Then using one sheet, blot the inside but DONOT RUB.Block out pinholes and edges, leave registration marks openDry with fan or hotbox.

As discussed before proper exposure is paramount in a screens life and quality.If you get slime on the squeegee side of the screen your exposure time is too low, as the light

isn't reaching all the way through the mesh. Increase your time in increments of 30 secondsuntil that scumming disappears. Underexposing will lead to reclaiming issues, it's nearimpossible to get a screen reclaimed if it's been underexposed.

If your screen is under exposed several things may happen. You maynotice a fair amount of slime or residue on the inside of your screen during washout, thisresidue will drip back into your screen and possibly block your open image. The other sign ofunder exposure is your image blowing out as you try to washout your screen. If an emulsion isnot exposed to light long enough, it will not correctly harden and will not hold up under water.

An under exposed screen can be hard to washout, hard to print with, and hard to reclaim(reclaiming problems come from the soft/under exposed emulsion receiving ink and chemicalsduring the printing process and locking the emulsion into the screen).

A DARK FILM POSITIVE : This is probably the most important, with a good film positive youcan expose your screen longer and the light will not affect the image area.

CORRECT POSITIVE CONTACT : This accompanies the dark film positive hand in hand, youhave to ensure that you have a good positive contact.

DRY EMULSION : Your emulsion must be dried onto the screen before you expose it. If youremulsion is not dry, it will not properly expose. The emulsion on your screen should feelsmooth like plastic, not sticky or wet. Having a well ventilated and dry darkroom will helptremendously to dry screens.

Simple tips to avoid under exposure.

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FRESH EXPOSURE BULBS : Keep in mind, all exposure unit bulbs have a shelf life. If yourexposure unit bulbs are old, they will not expose a screen in the same amount of time as anew bulb. If you notice that your screens are starting to under expose, increase your exposuretime by 10-15%. If you continually have to increase your exposure times, its probably time toreplace your exposure bulbs.EXPOSURE CALCULATOR (Pictured below): An exposure calculator is a simple way togauge your exposure. This simple step wedge calculator helps you dial in your exposuretimes and gives you recommendations on increasing or decreasingyour exposure for optimal results. This is an inexpensive toolimportant to ANY darkroom and is available from our website.

WASHOUT:

BLOCKOUT:

POST HARDENING:

Here is something most printers don't think about, youneed to realize the washout is a gentle process as the emulsion is inits most tender state. No pressure washer or forceful water pressureis needed UNLESS you over exposed as I'll explain in a moment.You'll liberally wet both sides of the screen using a garden hose withan adjustable nozzle. One that has several settings works well, (ex; shower, jet, fan, etc) aftergetting it wet completely, let it soak for 30 seconds.

Using a soft soaking spray you'll rinse both sides again then start yourfinal wash from the SHIRT side, as this is the side that received themost light and is stronger. If needed use the flat setting on the nozzleand wash side to side until everything is cleared out, then use theshower setting to give a final rinse all over. Now if you do need to usemore pressure, use a wide fan spray and yes, a pressure washer isacceptable. But again set the nozzle at a fan setting and use only at adistance (1-2 feet) on the shirt (flat) side of the screen.

After you're happy with the results you can layout some old newspapers and lay your screenflat on top of the newsprint. Lay one sheet on the inside and SMOOTH it out over the insidequickly and semi firmly but DO NOT RUB. This will ensure you remove the water from theimage and will allow you to go to your next step quicker.

There are several methods for blocking out and what has been found as a fast,reliable and tested way of doing this for production. After you've papered the screen fromexcess water, ball up a sheet of newsprint and wipe the shirt side gently (yes you can,remember this is the stronger side). Taking the bucket of emulsion and with a plasticapplicator (2 putty plastic knife) coat ALL around the design, covering next to the frame andas close to the design without getting anything into it. If you accidentally do that just take adamp rag and wipe it out till clear.

After coating everything possible put the screen on a light table where you can use white

Plexiglas to diffuse the light and make it easier to touch up inside the design. For this you canuse a small artists brush and a little emulsion diluted 50% with water for ease of application.Touch up the pinholes in the design carefully and when finished place in the rack with a fan todry completely.

Most printers overlook this important step and end up with prematurebreakdown. When you initially expose your screen you're just trying to get the image on therewithout over or under exposing. The emulsion is basically soft and pliable until this last step(which is known as post hardening) and this is done to finish exposing ANY emulsion andsolidifying the screen for production. You wait for the screen to dry for a couple of reasons; as

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the emulsion dries it shrinks, the moisture is removed and the emulsion increases in density. Ifyou try to post harden while the screen is wet they actually work against each other, thescreen is hardening and solidifying while the moisture is still there, this will lead to pinholes aswell. Using emulsion to block out will initially allow for a stronger bond to the screen since it'sthe same material and it can be hardened with the rest of the screen. Usually 10 minutes inyour exposure unit will do (or 5 minutes in the noonday sun is better), and then you have ascreen as good as the professionals make. If you happen to get a small pinhole duringproduction use a commercial block out as they are designed to dry quicker for on press.

Removing Emulsion f rom Screen (after print ing and cleaning ink)

Reclaim or inventory?

Removing the stencil

Using a pressure washer

This is called reclaiming a screen- Place screen in pressure washer unit.- Using hose on low pressure, wet screen with water.- With spray bottle, spray on reclaimer solution on both sides of screen.- Scrub one minute on both sides; wash with pressure washer using high pressure.(Do not let reclaimer dry in screen. This will permanently harden the emulsion).- Squeegee off excess water.- Air dry or sun dry screen

Unless you are going to be reprinting this particular job in the very near future, it makes senseto reclaim the screen as soon as your print run is finished. If you keep the positive on file, youcan simply shoot a new screen whenever the job comes up. Another argument in favor of de-coating a screen promptly is that the longer a stencil remains in the screen the more difficult itcan be to remove. On the other hand, when you reprint a job on a regular basis, it can savetime and money if you simply inventory the screen. In that case, your ink clean-up has to be

especially careful.If you're going to inventory your screen make sure that you clean then degrease your screen. After it dries block out any pinholes, dry again and number the screen with a correspondingnumber and customer name listed alphabetically in a Rolodex. This takes some time but whena customer re-orders you'll spend less time setting up and producing the order.

Stencil removers come in the form of liquids, gels, or powders. The powdered typeshave to be mixed with water before use, and so can be considered to belong to theliquid category. Liquid stencil removers a.k.a. emulsion remover are often the easiest touse and most cost effective.One solution is to use a pump spray or a squeeze bottle to apply the stencil remover alittle at a time. A long-handled brush also comes in handy for catching the stencilremover as it runs down the screen and working it into the emulsion. Be sure to followthe instructions for using your stencil remover. A botched reclaiming attempt can resultin a stencil that's permanently locked into the mesh.

Virtually no stencil remover will give good results without a pressure washer to blast away theloosened emulsion. The screen should be positioned in the wash tank with the top edgeleaned against the back wall at an angle that provides solid support. It has to be able to standup to the blast of the pressure washer without being knocked over.

WARNINGReclaimers and dehazers are forms of high concentrated bleach.

Avoid contact with skin apply with brush rather then spray bottle.

Working with reclaimer and haze removers:

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Be sure the print side of the screen is facing you. A high-pressure spray directed at thesqueegee side of the screen can hit the inside edges of the frame and ricochet right back atyou. The point where the mesh meets the inside edge of the frame is also one of the mostvulnerable points on your screen, really the last place that ought to be hit with a high-pressure

jet of water.

On most pressure washers both the power and the width of the spray can be adjusted. Youdon't want to concentrate a lot of power in a small area so a fairly broad spray works best.Sometimes it's hard to remember how the spray was adjusted the last time the pressurewasher was used, so get into the habit of aiming the wand away from the screen when youpull the trigger. A very narrow spray delivered at full power can blast right through finemeshes.

Once all traces of the stencil have been removed, the screen still needs to be degreasedbefore it can be dried and recoated with new emulsion. Degreasing removes oil orcontaminants that may have come into contact with the mesh during the reclaiming process.Even a handprint can deposit enough oil to interfere with the new stencil's ability to adhere tothe screen, so be careful not to touch the screen after you degrease it.

Most screens are ready for recoating at this stage, but sometimes screens will have toundergo a further step in the reclaiming process called dehazing. This additionalstep removes haze or ghost images left behind in the screen once the stencil hasbeen removed. These hangers-on tend to faintly outline the open areas of previousstencils, hence the name ghosts. They are the result of ink residue trapped in themesh, often in the knuckles of the mesh, those points where threads overlap.

Dehazing is not something you do automatically every time a screen is reclaimed. Infact, it probably isn't necessary unless the ghosts have become so prominent theyare likely to interfere with exposing a new stencil. The best way to avoid having todehaze your screens is to prevent ghosts from forming in the first place. Sinceghosts are formed by ink, doing a good job of ink clean-up can help keep them away.But even that may not be enough to prevent your screens from becoming haunted ifyou are printing with certain types of ink, especially those containing dark pigments.

After dehazing a screen, it's usually not necessary to degrease it. Most dehazers doan excellent job of removing oils from the mesh. Just be sure to rinse the screen wellafterwards. You don't want any traces of dehazer left behind.

Most reclaiming problems can be avoided by following a few simple rules:

Environmental regulations differ widely from region to region, and violations can carry stiffpenalties. Know and obey the rules in your area. Making sure your shop complies when youfirst set it up can be a lot cheaper than trying to retrofit it later.

Don't try to cut corners. Trying to reclaim screens with chemicals never intended for thepurpose can ruin mesh and cost you time and money and don't try to skimp on essentialequipment like a good pressure washer.

The importance of dehazing!

RECLAIMING PROBLEMS

Make sure you are in compl iance with all environmental regulations .

Buy the best materials and equipment you can afford.

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Follow instructions.

Under Exposure & Chemical Lock

Trouble-shooting tips

FRAMES

.

Not even the best reclaiming chemicals and equipment can do a good job when usedimproperly. This seems so obvious that it hardly seems necessary to point it out. Still, everyyear many screens are ruined by simple failure to do the obvious.

It is never a good idea to print with under exposedscreens, when a screen is under exposed it is left soft. If a soft screen is exposed to ink andchemical it could chemically lock which will make the reclaiming process extremely difficult!

Another thing that could chemically lock a screen is if you were to leave the emulsion removeron it and not wash it out long enough, this will lock the screen because the emulsion removerdries into the emulsion. It is always best to have properly exposed screens in order for them tolast the longest on the press and reclaim the best.

There are a lot of addit ional tips, tricks , and videos for fr ee on www.ryonetblog.com

The longer a stencil remains in a screen the harder the emulsion is likely to become. Get inthe habit of reclaiming your screens as soon as you are finished with them. Emulsions can

also become excessively hardened through contact with certain strong solvents. If yourexposures are bang on and you're still running into reclaiming problems, try switching to adifferent wash-up or screen-opener.

Many reclaiming problems result from mistakes made earlier, during the stencil-makingprocess. Chief among these is underexposing the emulsion. Underexposed emulsion can bevirtually locked to the threads of the mesh and may resist all efforts to reclaim it. The solutionis to buy and learn how to use an exposure calculator.

Sometimes stubborn bits of stencil hang on despite your best efforts. Try reapplying thestencil remover or dehazer to that spot. Wait a few minutes and spray with your pressurewasher. Adjust the nozzle to deliver a more finely focused spray. Remember that as the water

jet becomes narrower its power increases. Don't let it stay aimed at one small area. Keep itmoving.

With these tips in mind, reclaiming your screens should take less time and your screensshould last longer, two factors that can make a big impact on your bottom line.

Making good screens is not rocket science. It isn't difficult or outrageously expensive, thoughsometimes, a screen maker's shortcuts can make it very time consuming and costly. I canalmost guarantee that focusing attention on these areas will result in more consistent andpredictable results, better image quality, and longer lasting screens. Those improvements addup to cost savings as well.

When choosing a screen printing frame there are a few things to consider. Construction, meshtype and color, tension of the mesh, and durability. There are two types of screens, static androller.

A static sc reen means that the mesh is stretched to a frame and does not move once it isstretched. A screen is actually stretched by a pneumatic ram that pulls the mesh extremelytight across the frame, once it is stretch it is glued down and locked chemically to the frame.

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The other type of screen is a roller frame . A roller frame moves and creates its own tensionby tightening the mesh as the roller moves away from the mesh. The mesh is locked into theroller frame using locking strips. In our classes and with our beginning screen printingpackages we typically discuss static frames. Static frames cost a lot less and they are veryeasy to use. Roller frames give you a high tension screen and give you the ability to restretchthe screen manually. However they are more expensive and you have to learn how to properlystretch them. They both have their place!

Wood screens are naturally made, since wood is less then aluminumthey also cost less. However, during the screen printing process there is a lot of moisture anddifferent products involved. Degreasing with water, printing with wet ink, cleaning the screenwith chemical, reclaiming and dehazing. When wood gets wet, it warps. The advantage of analuminum frame is that it does not warp, it will remain stronger longer and is worth the extracost!

: The advantage of an aluminum screen printing frame is thedurability and longevity it retains. Unlike wood silk screen printing frames, when exposingframes to water in a dip tank or washout sink aluminum frames will not warp. This will ensurea flat frame through thousands of prints to come. Aluminum frames can also be stretched andre-stretched many times. The mesh and glue are simply removed from the frame using aprofessional tool that doesn't damage the aluminum. Once cleaned, the frames can then bere-stretched which will give you the ability to use that frame for years of hard work in yourshop.

Aluminum frames are also light weight which makes shipping less expensive and saves youmoney in the long run. If you're looking to maximize performance in your shop, aluminumframes are a great item to add to your screen printing equipment.

Wood vs. Aluminum

More about aluminum f rames

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What Is Tension?The tension of your mesh is how tightly it is stretched across your frame. Having tension onyour mesh is important during the printing process for registration, ink transfer, ink deposit,speed, and consistency. Tension is measured in a measurement unit called a NEWTON. Mostmanual screens have a tension somewhere between 15-20 Newtons, typically in the 20 rangeas they are new. As your screen is used, exposed, and printed with, it starts to loose tension.Though a average stretched frame can withstand thousands of print impressions, every printadversely affects the tension in a minute way. After 5000 prints, your screen my have droppedfrom 20 Newtons to 13-14. Optimally for manually printing you should not print with screensunder 14 or 15 Newtons.

LUMINUMALUMINUM WOODWOOD

STATICSTATIC ROLLERROLLER

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How do you measure tension?

High Tension vs. Low Tension

How does tension relate to different types of screens?

Mesh/ Thread Count

A Newton meter measures the bi-directional tension of your screenmesh. They are a handy but expensive tool to have in your shop. Youdont have to have a Newton meter starting out, however as youprogress and accumulate more screens and start printing higherdetailed work, then a tension meter is something you DEFINITELYwant to invest in.

Most manual frames and standard mesh print around 18 Newtonswhich excerpts about 350 to 400 pounds of Total Mesh Force to work with to try and transferthe ink. A Newman Roller Frame with Roller Mesh at 50 Newtons is giving you approximately1,500 pounds of Total Mesh Force to work with to make the ink transfer properly. It is the forceof the mesh that is doing the work for the printer or working against the printer if the meshforce is low.

High tension enables you to expose HIGHER DETAIL and transfer maximum ink coverageto the substrate.

High tension = BETTER REGISTRATION because the mesh movement is minimized andthe off contact needed is minimal.

High tension increases PRINT SPEED because the mesh force helps the squeegee transferink and the minimal off contact means the squeegee doesn't have to press as hard whileprinting. This enables the squeegee to move faster which in turn increases production speedtremendously.

Manually stretched and stapled wood frames = NO TENSION

Professionally stretched wood frames = Average Tension, lower life span.

Professionally stretched aluminum frames = Average/Good Tension, medium life span. Newman Roller Frames = High Tension, Maximum life span. YOU CONTROL YOUR OWNTENSION!

Different mesh sizes are used for different applications in the screen printing process. Meshsize is measured by how many threads of mesh there are crossing per square inch. Forinstance, a 110 mesh screen has 110 threads crossing per square inch. The higher the meshcount, the finer the threads and holes are in the screen. The size of the mesh has a lot to dowith how detailed your image is and how thick the ink you are using is. If you have an imagewith extremely high detail, a lower mesh screen won't hold the high detail. The fine lines ordots in the image will simply fall through the holes in the mesh not giving you a