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Frequently Asked Questions
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What benefits does Screen Printing have over Heat Transfer? |
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- Screen Printing works out cheaper on longer runs
(For example, over 20
T-Shirts).
- Screen printing enables you to print directly onto
light as well as dark garments.
- Printed product not as hot to handle (e.g.. Head Presses require a product to be "Hot peeled")
- Increased productivity / Faster Printing (Especially when printing in single colours).
- Enables you to print non-textile products such as Signs and Stickers.
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How easy is it to Screen Print? |
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Screen Printing is fairly easy to master. The secret of screen printing is mainly in making a good quality screen and we show you how, step by step. |
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As screen printing uses inks, is it messy a process? |
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Screen Printing is actually not a messy process as your contact with the inks is minimal once you start to print. |
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Do I need to make a new screen for every job? |
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Yes. However, depending on the size of your design, you may be able to "burn" two images onto one screen
(i.e. Two different jobs). You would print the first job and then turn the screen around and print the second job! |
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How long does it take to make a
screen? |
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It takes about 30 minutes to make a screen. Unless you have a hot air method of drying the freshly coated screen, you would normally leave it to air dry overnight before exposing artwork to screen. |
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How long does a screen last? |
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Provided it has been looked after properly, you should be able to use the same screen for
up to 20 different jobs. |
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Does the cost of making a screen eat into my profits? |
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No - screen printers always charge the customer separately for making the screen. In the UK this charge is around £30.00 per screen (US$45.00) on top of the cost of printing. However, for multi-colour work (Several screens), you may wish to offer discounts. The cost of making a screen (In terms of materials used) is less than £1.00 (US$ 1.50) - therefore, there is also the potential to earn revenue from making screens for yourself and others! |
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How much does it cost to produce a single colour T-Shirt? |
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It has been estimated that is costs less than 2 pence (3 cents) to print a single colour T-Shirt. |
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How do you dry the inks once a garment has been printed? |
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Once printed, the garment is rotated (On a carousel system) under the Spot Curer/Flash Dryer and the ink is "Touch dry" within seconds - thereby preparing it for a second colour print etc. The Spot Curer can also be used to finally cure Plastisol inks within 30 to 40 seconds. Once fully cured, the print is ready to handle. |
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What is a Tunnel Dryer? |
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A Tunnel Dryer does the
same job as a Spot Curer but is used to dry larger runs
of printed garments. The Tunnel Dryer is also bulky and
takes up more space - therefore, many people tend to use
the Spot Curer to fully dry the inks on small to medium
runs |
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What types of inks are used for garment printing? |
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Plastisol inks are the most popular for printing T-Shirts. They don't clog up the screens as water based inks do. You could literally leave the inks on the screen and continue printing later or next day without worrying about cleaning the clogged up screen. |
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Do your machines make any noise? |
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No - they do not. Our machines are of high quality build and the centre console (Print Beds and Screen Holders) glide gently and quietly onto special steel ball bearings. |
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Do your machines incorporate Micro Adjustments? |
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Yes, all our Speedbase Carousel Systems incorporate Micro Adjustments as well as Screen Tilt Mechanisms. |
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Are screen printing inks widely available worldwide? |
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Yes, without doubt. Screen printing is a huge industry therefore there are likely to be suppliers in every country. |
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Where are your screen printing machines made? |
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Our machines are proudly made in the UK are available at highly affordable prices yet they are expertly made to very high standards. |
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Do your screen printing machines require any on-going servicing? |
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No, they are robust and virtually maintenance-free. |
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Do you have representatives in other countries? |
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No, we ship directly from the UK as this helps us to keep our prices down without employing middlemen. You will be purchasing directly from the
manufacturers. |
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Will you supply me with a list of materials I will need to get my screen printing business going? |
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Yes, we will. You can also purchase initial (and on-going) supplies directly from us. |
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How do I order your equipment? |
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Simply indicate what you are interested in purchasing on the Order Form and e-mail it to us. On receipt of your e-mail, we will work out the total costing (Including Packing and Shipping Charges) and notify you of the total costs. Payments can be accepted by Bank to Bank transfer and we can supply you with our Bank Details when you are ready to order. |
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After I have made my payment, how long will I have to wait for the goods? |
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As we make the machines to order, we work on a
4 to 5 weeks cycle. |
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