How to make a Squeegee for screen printing?
The durometer is a measure of the hardness of materials such as polymers, elastomers, and rubber. Thus, higher numbers on the scale indicate greater indentation resistance, harder material has less resistance. It is important to note that the hardness or durometer of a squeegee can change over time when exposed to heat, chemicals and ink, so it is important to keep them clean after use and not let them sit with ink on them.
Step by Step on DIY squeegee for screen printing
The RUBBER for Squeege
Step two:
Squeegees have either three-layer blades with a softer outer edge and a stiffer center. This minimizes bending, allowing the blade to maintain the correct angle and curvature for optimal printing.
Step three:
The most appropriate tool for cutting rubber for squeegees are scissors, they do a great job cutting rubber for squeegees.
Cutting Squeegee Rubber
The next step is cutting. The most appropriate tool for cutting is a pair of scissors.
It does a great job of cutting the rubber of the squeegee.
Step four:
Installing the Rubber
It can be a little tricky, especially with all the metric and imperial stuff. Because some types of rubber are a little bit thicker than others. We used to use a hammer and hands, but switching to bench vise has made a difference. They make everything very smooth, very fast, and the fresh knife in the vise holds the tool perfectly while you grind the corners.
Here is a typical aluminum screen printing squeegee with the most common Wilbur 70 durometer blade. This is fine for thin inks, but for very thick plastisol inks, they are not stiff enough to push or pull the ink.
Higher 80 or 90 durometer hardness scrapers will push or pull to take the ink without bending, but they are too stiff to make good contact with the mesh screen and leave a proper ink deposit. They have both hardness for ink control and softness for good ink deposit.
But what if you don’t have those three-inch squeezers, or if you prefer soft squeezers, except in some cases. That’s when our squishy modification comes in handy. It’s quick and easy. All you need is a thin but hard steel plate.
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?
| Image | Product | Rated |
|---|---|---|
Best Wooden Ink Scraper Kit for Screen Printing  | Caydo Squeegee
| Check Price |
Best Screen Printing Squeegee Kit  | Worown Squeegee
| Check Price |
Best Aluminum Screen Printing Squeegee  | Worown Aluminum Handle Squeegee
| Check Price |
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
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.
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