News

Best Practices to Keep Your Screen Printing Platens in Great Shape

Jacelyn WedmanMar 23, 2023

When you take care of your platens, you’ll be able to keep them around longer without having to replace them. Platens can be expensive, so you’ll want to replace them as little as possible. So how do you take care of those precious platens? Here are a few best practices to get the most life out of your platens.

Should You Go Auto or Hire Another Printer?

Jacelyn WedmanMar 16, 2023

Boxes of shirts are stacked from the floor to the ceiling. You’re covered with pallet adhesive and ink. Your wrists ache with pain, your legs are numb, fingers are stiff. You pause, staring at the 716th shirt you printed that day. You stare at the stack of t-shirts behind the press, printing 1,500 to be exact. The clock reads 11:17 PM. This order is due tomorrow. You look down and sigh, staring at your cracked, callous hands. This is the 12th time you’ve had to work late to finish a high-volume order this month. You can’t take it anymore. Something has got to change.

So, you, the printer, have two options. Hire another printer or go auto. But which should you do? Let’s explore these options so you can decide which is best for your growing shop.

What is Minimum Order Quantity and Why Does it Matter?

Jacelyn WedmanMar 15, 2023

Every printer wants to make money. You don’t want to lose profit on a job, but don’t want to turn potential customers away. So what do you do? Set a minimum order quantity. A minimum order quantity will ensure that you are putting in the effort that isn’t going to waste. It also can help weed out customers who aren’t committed to quality like you are. Get your calculators out; this is going to take a bit of math. Don’t worry though. Here’s everything you need to find your minimum order quantity for every job.

How Boyd Creative Print Shop’s commitment to Quality Produces Booming Business

Jacelyn WedmanMar 03, 2023

Garage shops are the bread and butter of the manual screen printing industry. They’re perfect for printers interested in working close to home or making their real estate investment do double duty. One such shop is Boyd Creative Print Shop. Owners Andrew and Chantel Boyd opened the shop in 2020, running it out of their garage in Des Moines, Iowa. Their commitment to quality has made them a big hit in the print community.

How Do You Know it's Time to Upgrade to an Automatic Screen Printing Press?

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 24, 2023

Should you screen print on a manual or automatic press? That’s the million-dollar question. Some printers swear by a manual press, while others have goals to jump to automation as soon as possible. So when do you know it’s time to upgrade to an automatic screen printing press? Here are three questions to ask yourself before you make the jump to a new press.

Live Screen Printing with Munch from Love Yourself Clothing | Screenprinting.com

3 Highlights from the Love Yourself Clothing Live Stream

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 22, 2023

You’ve probably heard it said that the best time to try something new is to try it live on camera. Haven’t heard that? Well for Maher Hachem (or Munch for short), trying new things during a live stream is the perfect time. So when the YouTube community suggested that he print a fountain print on a tote bag, Munch was up for the challenge.

“I get hype,” he said throughout the live stream.

Munch is the owner of Love Yourself Clothing. As a creative individual, he loves to try new things, all while jamming to original music written by himself and friends. Missed all the fun? Here are three highlights from the stream.

What is a Laser Guiding System and How Does it Improve Screen Printing Performance?

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 15, 2023

It’s no secret that lasers are cool. They’re not just for laser tag or entertaining cats. Screen printers can take advantage of laser precision using a laser guiding system to line up prints on press. Why is this system a game-changer for printers? Let’s find out.

How Moving Shops Helped Abi-Saad Print & Design Work Toward Goals and Create Community

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 10, 2023

Moving to a new shop space is exciting but also intimidating. The process can be riddled with challenges or go smoothly. Anthony Abi-Saad found both when he moved his shop, Abi-Saad Print & Design, to a new location in Taunton, Massachusetts. It wasn’t the first time he’d moved, but it was a big new challenge. One main challenge: creating a darkroom from scratch. With a bit of creativity and some expert help, he was able to make it all happen.

WTF is DTF: Comparing Screen Printing and DTF for DIY Screen Printers

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 08, 2023

So you want to decorate garments. There are so many ways of doing that. Do you want to use transfers? Interested in direct-to-garment printing? Want to try out screen printing? With so many options to start, it can be overwhelming for a DIY printer to decide. Let’s compare two popular methods: DTF and screen printing.

How To Dial In Exposure Times Using An Exposure Calculator

Jacelyn WedmanFeb 01, 2023

Figuring out exposure times is one of the most difficult tasks in screen printing. If you're struggling, you're not alone. The best thing you can do is invest in a 21-Step Exposure Calculator. How does it work? Let's dive in.

Calculate Screen Printing Profits for a DIY Printer in 4 Steps

Jacelyn WedmanJan 13, 2023

One of the scariest parts of screen printing is turning a profit. Printers want to make a profit and stay competitive, but not price too high or too low. How do you make a profit in DIY screen printing? Let’s follow the blog “A Guide to Pricing Screen Printed Garments and Turning a Profit” and take a look at four steps to turning DIY screen printing into a profit.

What Is Water Based Ink in Screen Printing?

Jacelyn WedmanJan 06, 2023

What is water-based ink? What makes it a desirable ink for screen printers? The basic answer is that water-based ink uses water as a base. Seems pretty self-explanatory, right? There’s a lot more to know about water-based ink than just the base itself. Let’s dive in and talk about what water-based ink is and how printers can get the most out of it.