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Silk Screen Printing Machine – Buyer’s Guide

What Should You Consider When Buying a Screen Printing Machine?

Automatic or Manual?

An automatic press is always a good choice when you need efficiency, fast printing, and less work. However, these machines are expensive and not all businesses can afford them. With an automatic machine, you can print more than 400 t-shirts every hour, depending on the parameters of the job. With a manual printer, you will print less t-shirts. These manual printers are ideal when you need an affordable screen printing press for a small business or for home use. However, they are slow, and you have to do most of the work.

Size

If you run a small business, a compact machine will be right for you. You may have a small workshop, or you may work from home where you have a small space. You need a machine that fits on the small space you have at home and is easy to move from one point to another. Most screen printing presses sport a stainless steel construction, but they are still light, and you can carry them from your home workshop to your business.

If you have the space, and you have large prints to create, however, a larger machine will come in handy. Note that larger machines will cost more than other machines.

Stations and Color Options

Screen printing machines have one, two, four, or six stations. A station is a platform where you place your shirt or any other item you want to print on. A machine with many stations comes in handy when you want to work on several t-shirts at the same time. Numerous stations come in handy when you have a batch of orders for your business. The stations help you work faster.

With small screen printing machines, you get only one color option. You can use them to print logos and names on your t-shirt. The machines may have several stations, but only one screen frame on top of the platens. You can change the screen frame for a different color, but that will take a lot of time and waste a lot of ink. Machines with multiple color options offer you several screen frame attachment options.

Flexibility

Most one-color screen printing machines do not offer flexibility. The part that holds the screen frame can move up and down, but it may not move sideways. When you are creating designs with a single color, a screen printing press that is less flexible will work just fine. However, when you need multiple colors, and you have several t-shirts to print for your business, a more flexible unit comes in handy.

Advanced machines have a top part that can rotate 360 degrees. With such flexibility, you can add different colors without changing the filters. This gives you the speed and flexibility to swivel the screen.

Complete Sets and Cost

Do you have other accessories or you’d rather buy them together with the machine? Buying a complete set comes in handy as you save some bucks. It is also a great way to get started. Depending on your budget, you can buy machines that are $100 or less or automatic machines that cost about $80,000.

FAQs

How do I use a screen printing machine?

To start using a screen printing machine, there are some accessories and materials you need. These include:

Screen printing ink
Photosensitive emulsion and sensitizer
Gloves
Squeegee
Screen frame
A plastic card
Item you need to print

The first step is to create the image you want to print. Note that, the idea behind these screen printers is to block light. As such, create a block image as it will be easier to print. After that, cut out the image on transparency film.

Wash your screen and apply emulsion and sensitizer. Cover both sides of your screen with the mixture and allow the screen to dry in a dark place. Attach your cut-out design to the screen and then expose it to light. Allow it to cure for about 15 minutes.

Remove the image and rinse the screen with clean cold water. When you clean the screen, your artwork will remain visible. Place the t-shirt or any other item to be printed on a flat surface to ensure there are no distortions. Hold the screen in place on the item to be printed (the screen printing press should help you do that). Pour some ink on the screen and spread it with the help of a squeegee.

How do you build screen printing machine?

You can build a single color or four color screen printing press at home with materials such as wood, metal bits, wood glue, welding glue, screws, hinges, and paper or cardstock. To do that, get tools such as an electric sander, a drill press, level, square, clamps, pencil, power drill, miter saw, table saw, and a measuring tape.

The first step is to make the table. Cut all the lumber so that you have the table stands and platform. Then cut out and attach the platen arm and the platen. You can also make a rotating aim or rotating printing press, which is even more versatile.

Check out the full instructions on this article.

How much is a t shirt screen printing machine?

Screen printing presses cost as low as $100. These are simple machinery that help you position your screen for the best prints. You can make one of these presses if you have handy skills in woodwork and save your 100 bucks. If you want an automatic screen printing machine, you will pay more. These machines cost a minimum of about $250 for the smallest machines and can cost as high as $80,000. However, the machines are faster and more accurate. The $80,000 screen printer is for large businesses.

What is screen printing machine?

A screen printing machine is a unit that artists use to transfer graphics, logos, and art on materials and articles such as t-shirts, pillowcases, ceramic tiles, bags, hats, and mouse pads among others. Screen printing is also known as silk screening. These machines work on metals, glass, fabric, paper, and plastics among other materials. However, some only print on fabric.

How does a screen printing machine work?

Screen printing machines work by blocking out the area one doesn’t need to print while leaving the area you want to print transparent. The artist needs to create the design – and there is a lot of software to help you do that. From there, you have to cut out the design on transparency paper. Coat the mesh screen with emulsion and sensitizer and leave the image in the dark to set. Expose the image by placing it a foot or two from a bulb.

Then remove the transparency film. You should be able to see some blue lines as a result of burning. Wash off the excess ink with water and cover the areas with no emulsion with masking tape. Place the substrate on a plain surface and line up the screen with the part where you want to print the image. Pour ink on the screen and spread it using a squeegee. Push the squeegee down hard to ensure that the ink penetrates the threads of the t-shirt.

How often does ink need to be changed in screen printing machine?

Your screen printing ink does not go bad. You can change the ink when you need to use a different color. You can also change the ink when you need to clean the machine, but there is no need to change it during normal operation. It only goes bad if it starts to cure inside the machine.

What is a good starter screen printing machine?

The Yudu Personal Screen Printer can be a great option if you need to start screen printing immediately. It is a complete screen printing kit with an advanced and versatile machine to accommodate all sorts of screen printing. You can use it for one color or for multiple color prints, and this makes it an ideal unit for beginners and professionals alike. It is also highly adjustable, so you never struggle to position the screen.

How do I assemble 4 color screen printing machine?

Every 4 color screen printing press is different. Luckily, most manufacturers offer detailed guides and instructional DVDs to show you how to assemble them. To assemble the unit, you need to follow the instructions as shown in the video. There may be so many nuts and screws, so be keen. Check out the instructional video for the SHZOND Screen Printing Press to understand how to do it.

What is the best screen printing machine for the industry?

We recommend the Provo Craft and Novelty Yudu Personal Screen Printer. It is an automatic machine with a display screen for you to set light, exposure, and time for the best results. While other machines have a conventional table-style design, Yudu sports an advanced digital design that makes your printing work easier.

What is the best screen printing machine for DIY?

The WANHUI Screen Printing Press is an ideal machine for DIY enthusiasts and people willing to learn how to screenprint. It is a one-color machine that sports a simple, but highly adjustable design. The over-printable design allows you to print several items such as pillowcases, bags, t-shirts, and many other items. It has a special t-shirt design pallet, but you can swap it for other pallets when you need to print something else at home or in your small business.

How can I make a bracket for a screen printing machine?

If you want to use a different size of a platen from the one provided by the manufacturer, you will need a platen bracket that accommodates the size of the larger or smaller platen. You can make a platen bracket from a piece of metal that you fold to fit the shape of a platen. You will need to drill the bracket so that you can attach it to the platen.

Instead of making one, you can buy platen brackets from a local store. These store-bought platen brackets are easy to use. If you make your own platens, you can make them in a way that they can use the brackets you already have.

Conclusion

Screen printing machines can be as simple as a pallet attached to a simple frame or complicated and advanced enough to have a digital display. The most advanced machines allow you to control factors such as lighting, time, and exposure and transfer your design with ease. The conventional screen printing presses allow more hands-on screen printing. Whichever machine you choose, you need a unit that allows you enough adjustment and control so that your print comes out perfect.