The best Squeegee for screen printing

The best screen printing squeegee will help you get better prints for your business. You can use these tools to produce a lot of different kinds of printed materials including t-shirts, posters, bags, and more!

• TOP Rated Squeegee
• FAQ
• How to Use a screen printing Squeegee?
• How to Choose the Best Squeegees?
• Types of screen printing Squeegees

They are very versatile so no matter what kind of design you need on something they are usually the first go-to choice in most cases. Using them is also quite simple once you learn how to apply pressure evenly across both sides without leaving any type of marks or smudges behind on each pass.

The best types of a squeegee for screen printing

Image	Product	Rated
Best Wooden Ink Scraper Kit for Screen Printing	Caydo 2 pieces 2 sizes Screen Printing Squeegee 9.4 and 5.9 inch 75 Durometer Wooden Check Price	Check Price
Best Screen Printing Squeegee Kit	Worown 6 Pieces 6 Sizes Screen Printing Squeegee 6 Sizes 75 Durometer Wooden and plastic Check Price	Check Price
Best Aluminum Screen Printing Squeegee	Worown Aluminum Handle Squeegee 13.7 Inch 75 Durometer Aluminum Check Price	Check Price
Best Speedball Squeegee	Speedball Nitrile Squeegee 12-Inch 65 Durometer Wooden Check Price	Check Price
Best Cheap Screen Printing Squeegee	NTBUYING Screen Printing Squeegee 6.3 inches 75 Durometer Wooden Check Price	Check Price

Read More:

The Best Wooden Ink Scraper Kit for Screen Printing

75 Durometer Wooden Ink Scraper 9.4 and 5.9 inch

You won’t have to worry about getting ink on your hands or clothes anymore with this two-piece screen printing squeegee set. These tools are perfect for transferring ink onto specific areas of your t-shirt design, without needing to touch the fabric surface or do any messy work right before you move to the next step in production! With a choice between an XL size and a smaller S/M size, you can choose which one suits what you’re looking for best.

Size

The large end is great for bigger screens that will need more liquid print material – it can cover up to 24 cm (9.4 inches) by 11 cm (4.3 inches). Our scalloped shape avoids disrupting small details with its flat edge

Material

Made of rubber blade and wooden handle. The wooden handle is the most popular material. The wooden handle is easy to clean from paint.

This 75-Durometer screen printing squeegee is perfect for any screen printer’s workstation. The rubber blade is tightly attached to the sturdy, durable wood handle and there are 7 different colors to choose from. For textile applications, use it with a hand or mechanical screening process. Durable and reusable many times over, this squeegee is great for mixing pigments together!

Pros

• Easy to use and easy to clean.
• The squeegee is very smooth when running the ink across the screen.
• Two popular sizes are included.

Cons

• The rubber part is pretty stiff but it does the job.

The Best Screen Printing Squeegee Kit

6 Pieces 6 Sizes Squeegee 75 Durometer

You may not be an art professional, but when push comes to shove you could easily use the Worown 6 Pieces 6 Sizes Screen Printing Squeegee, 3 Sizes 75 Durometer Wooden In for any print job. It has all of the qualities that will meet your needs. The wooden scraper is made of a rubber blade and a comfortable wooden handle designed just for any occasion.

It offers a variety of screenprinting sizes ranging from 13.7 x 11 inches to 5.9 x 4.3 inches which are perfect for hand printing or machine application! So whether you want it so get busy with your hands or you need this to get done quickly, it works great in either case!

Pros

• Set of 6 pieces.

• Sizes from 2.3″ to 13.7″.

• Best for home use.

Cons

• Not suitable for the professional workshop.

The Best Aluminum Screen Printing Squeegee 

13.7 Inch Aluminum 75 Durometer Ink Scraper

This authoritative screen printing squeegee is perfect for artistic professionals with its long length of 13.7 inches (35 cm) and 4.3 inches (11cm) width, which provides clear visibility of workspace during use.

The rubber can be replaced, making it more durable than wooden counterparts, so the undue stress caused by continuous operation will not affect your work process. It also features a large pen cavity that allows the paint to enter you into during operation; however, this problem is tackled with the handy duct tape that is provided in your purchase!

Pros

• Lighter than wood.

• Optimal size.

• Sturdy construction.

• Replaceable rubber blade.

• Excellent abrasion and solvent resistance.

Cons

• Paint goes into the handle cavity.

• Wrap tape around the handle.

The Best Speedball Squeegee

Speedball 12-Inch Nitrile Squeegee 65 Durometer

The Speedball 12-inch Nitrile Squeegee is a durable and sensible tool perfect for beginners. Made of durable, resilient nitrile material with a 65-degree blade made from softer rubber to protect your prints when they’re coolest.

The squeegee comes in an easy-to-grip handle with comfortable gripping so you can maintain precision control when working on finer points. For added durability, the blades are securely set in place without sacrificing comfort, and it’s proudly made by American engineers who take pride in their craftsmanship.

Not recommended for work with plastisol paints or high-density printing.

Pros

• Soft nitrile blade.

• Made in the USA.

• Well-known brand.

Cons

• Not suitable for plastisol paints.

The Best Cheap Screen Printing Squeegee

6.3 inches Long Wooden Ink Scraper 75 Durometer

The handle of this screen printing squeegee is quite thin to ensure lots of comfort. Made of an ergonomic design with a straight comfortable handle, the perfect size for just about anyone! You can choose from three sizes that are within a range not too short or too tall for any size hand, or you can flexibly adjust by squeezing them in between two hands without worry.

Our blade height is small, which ensures no dripping on your work surface during use.

Pros

• The cheapest squeegee.

• Three popular sizes available.

• Product quality meets price.

Cons

• Short rubber.

• Slim handle.

FAQ

What is a screen printing squeegee ?

A screen printing squeegee is a tool that helps transfer ink from the screen onto fabric or other materials during the screen printing process. In this article, we will discuss many things related to it including.

What is an expanded screen printing squeegee?

The expanded screen printing squeegee is the most commonly used type of squeegee. It has a rubber blade to transfer ink onto your material, and it can be made with or without an aluminum frame.

When should I use a screen printing squeegee

An expanded screen printing squeegee should only ever be used on open mesh screens where there isn’t any tension pulling against the mesh.

When should I not use a screen printing squeegee?

One should never try to print with an expanded screen printing squeegee on a flatbed printer where there isn’t any tension pulling against the mesh, as it can destroy your screens and ruin prints. It is also important to note that you shouldn’t ever let go of the handle while using a lever-style screen printing squeegee due to safety concerns regarding sharp blades and hands flying everywhere!

Why do I need a screen printing squeegee?

Screen Printing Squeegees are vital tools for every serious silk screener or t-shirt customizer who wants to be able to produce quality work in their own home without having to spend thousands of dollars outfitting their studio with the latest and greatest screen printing equipment.

How to Use a screen printing Squeegee?

For those who are new to the silkscreening process, it is important to take your time and make sure you’ve got things right. It’s better to go slow than risk ruining an expensive shirt or other material with a less-than-perfect printing job.

When should you not use a screen printing squeegee? – common mistakes and problems associated with using them

One of the most common issues we see when beginners pick up their first screen printing squeegees is that they will try to print without having any tension pulling against the mesh. This can lead to disaster as your screens won’t stay put, ink starts spilling everywhere, and prints come out less than desirable. It’s important to make sure there is always some sort of tension keeping your silk screening in place (and it doesn’t matter if this tension is on the mesh or on your squeegee).

Screen Printing Squeegee Tip:

An expanded screen printing squeegee works best on open mesh screens where there isn’t any tension pulling against the mesh. If you’re trying to print onto a flatbed printer, never let go of the handle while using a lever-style screen printing squeegee due to safety concerns regarding sharp blades and hands flying everywhere!

How to clean screen printing squeegee

The best way to clean an expanded screen printing squeegee is by using mild soap and warm water. It’s also important not to leave the rubber blade in soapy water for more than about 15 minutes, as it could cause your rubber blade to start deteriorating much faster than usual. Otherwise, if you do happen to let go of the handle while using a lever-style screen printing squeegee due to safety concerns regarding sharp blades and hands flying everywhere!

How to Choose the Best Squeegees?

There are many different factors that should go into choosing which type of squeegee is best for you, but here’s what we think is most important:             

  • Durable Construction – You want something durable so it doesn’t wear out on you too quickly and lose its shape or become unbalanced while in use. Look for one made from quality rubber material if possible because they tend not to warp as much over time compared with other types like plastic or metal.

• Grip Length – Squeegees usually come in a variety of handle lengths ranging anywhere from 12″  to 24″ or longer. You’ll need to consider how much movement you’re going to be doing with the squeegee and choose one that doesn’t strain your arm too much if at all.

• Blade Size – The blade size is usually what determines its stiffness so look for something around 12-14 inches long, but no more than 16″. Anything 18+ inches may be difficult to control in smaller screens because they are already heavy enough as it is. This can also cause excess wear over time which will result in needing replacement sooner than later.

What size squeegee for screen printing

The three factors to consider when choosing a size of squeegee is your hand size, your personal preference, and how big you want your artwork printed on the material you’re using.             

If you’ve got small hands then something like an 18″ or 20″ width may be best suited for you because it will provide better pressure distribution across its broad surface area. If however, you have larger hands then a 12″, 14″, 16″, or even 18″-wide might work out better since those sizes allow more of your hand to be wrapped around the entire length of the squeegee.

Shape of squeegee

This can be a personal preference, but some people prefer to hold the screen printing squeegee by its blade as opposed to around its handle. This is due in part because you’ll have more control over where and how hard it presses against the mesh when holding onto just that instead of both, particularly if you’ve got smaller hands or weaker grip strength. Squeegees with rounded corners work best for this since they allow your fingers to easily slide up and down while smoothly gliding back and forth along the surface area of whatever material you’re using. The blades on these types are usually curved downward too making them ideal for applying pressure from top-down so your artwork doesn’t get smudged or bled through before being pressed.

Rigidity of squeegee

The stiffness of the squeegee is what determines how much pressure it will be able to distribute and just like with its size, your hand strength plays a role in this too. The more rigid blades are better for applying higher pressures while softer ones allow you to press down on an area without damage or distortion that might otherwise occur if using something made from a harder rubber material.

Screen printing squeegee handle

Your personal preference also comes into play when choosing whether to go with a longer handle so you don’t have to bend over as far or shorter one which allows you more freedom of movement around smaller screens. Get yourself something at least 12″ long because anything less won’t provide enough leverage against the surface area you’re working on unless.

best Materials  for screen printing squeegee

The best material to go within general is one made from quality rubber because they don’t warp as easily over time compared with plastic or metal squeegees. They typically last much longer too so you won’t have to worry about needing replacements every couple of months like you might need to otherwise.

Durometer Choices 

The squeegee’s durometer is a rubber hardness rating that allows you to decide how soft or hard it’ll be. The higher the number, the harder it will be just like with anything else in life while lower numbers are typically softer and more flexible.

Squeegees used for printing have an average Durometer of 65-75 which makes them good enough for most purposes without being too stiff so you don’t need excessive pressure to get results out of them. Since they’re usually applied from top-down though, extra stiffness isn’t needed either because there’s no downward force being placed on your artwork otherwise.

Durometers can also help determine if a material is safe for lamination when using solvent-based adhesives by checking their shore hardness. Anything with a durometer of 70 or higher can be safely laminated without causing any damage, warping, or curling to the screen printing squeegee blades which would otherwise occur if using something softer.

– 50-60 hardness scrapers are usually used in situations where more ink is needed. Softer squeegees tend to print more ink the harder of the two. This allows the printer to print more ink for higher opacity and coverage. Use this hardness to print white on black T-shirts or print any high opacity color ink on dark clothing.

– 60 squeegee blades are the softest hardness available and are used for finer prints. The softer blade bends the harder blade and works best with thinner inks. 60 squeegees are also hardest for high-density printing, as they allow more ink to roll through the stencil.

– 70/75 scrapers are medium hardness, and the most commonly used. A 70 durometer mop blade works well with almost any screen printing application and is a great starter option for screen printing starts.

– The 80 scrubber hardness is very stiff and is great for more demanding printing jobs. 80 screen print hardness scrapers are great for printing with thicker screen printing inks such as squirrels and other opaque plastisols.

Types of screen printing Squeegees

There are several different kinds of squeegees available on the market today and they all have their own unique qualities. Let’s go over them briefly so you can get an idea about what your options are if you need one for your business.             

• V-Grip Squeegee – This type has been around for decades and provides adequate performance at a low-cost point. It features a handle with grip grooves allowing for better control when applying pressure while pulling the squeegee across the screen.

• U-Grip Squeegee – This type is similar to the V-grip except that it features an inverted grip, which allows for more ergonomic positioning of your hands while printing. The downside with this one is that you can’t push as hard because there isn’t any back support like in a traditional handle situation.             

• Straight Edge Squeegees – These are flat and rigid pieces of rubber attached to handles at either end allowing for better pressure application when moving them across the surface of the screen (flat side down). You will need both hands applying even amounts of downward force on each side so they do take some getting used to before mastering their use completely.

• Double Edge Squeegees – These are the same as straight edge squeegees except that they have two very sharp edges allowing for quick ink spreading.

Rubber squeegee for screen printing 

• Squeegee Cards – This type work similarly to the straight edge squeegee with a few key differences. They are small and thin, which makes them ideal for stenciling t-shirts or other objects that have smaller surface areas that need coverage.

Price Range of Rubber Screen Printing Squeegee

Typically you can purchase rubber screen printing squeegees in most craft stores like Michael’s Crafts for around $15-$20 dollars each depending on size and quality of course so they’re not too expensive if you only need one for occasional use at home or your business. Just be aware that high prices don’t always mean higher performance though because there is such thing as overpriced items sometimes when it comes to tools like these.

Wood or Aluminum Squeegee?

It is better to choose an aluminum handle because it is more durable. The wooden handle gets wet with frequent use.

Proper Care No Matter What  Type of Squeegee You Have

Squeegees are simple tools so there isn’t too much to worry about when it comes to taking care of them. Just make sure you don’t leave any water or ink on the blade for extended periods of time because they can rust and begin peeling if that happens. Also, avoid hitting your squeegees against hard surfaces (like concrete) during storage because this can cause damage as well rendering them useless in the end.

Many people wonder if they should clean their squeegees after each use or just wait until the job is done. Well, it’s up to you but some experts say that leaving ink on a screen printing squeegee blade for an extended period of time can cause damage so cleaning them as often as possible will help prolong the life of your tool and save money in the long run.

Read More: