News

Tips for Adjusting Dot Gain in Artwork in Adobe® Photoshop

Jacelyn WedmanJan 18, 2023

Imagine this: you separate halftone artwork in Photoshop and it looks great. When you go to screen print it onto a garment, the image looks oversaturated and areas that should “fade” are way too dark. Those halftone dots didn’t all work together to create the masterpiece you saw on your computer screen.

Sound familiar? It’s called dot gain and occurs whenever a squeegee is pulled across a screen, causing pressure. The good news is that there’s an easy way to adjust for dot gain within Adobe® Photoshop.

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.

The 4 Most Common Types of T-shirts for Screen Printing

Jacelyn WedmanJan 04, 2023

When choosing shirts for a job, there are tons of options available. Shirts might look the same to an untrained eye, but screen printers need to be choosy when selecting a garment for a job. The shirt type affects the print more than most customers realize. Here’s a guide to the most common t-shirt fabrics and what they mean to screen printers.

Everything You Need to Know About Printing with Plastisol Ink

Sage LarsonDec 28, 2022

New screen printers should start printing with plastisol ink. It's more forgiving than water-based ink and it's much easier to achieve proper cure. Even though printing plastisol is more straightforward, there are many techniques to print the ink for various processes. We've created a collection of videos and blogs that explain how to print with plastisol ink in different situations.

How to Use Adobe® Photoshop to Convert a Design into Halftones

Jacelyn WedmanDec 21, 2022

With Adobe® Photoshop, printers can convert any grayscale image into halftones. Don’t have R.I.P. software? Not a problem. By using a bitmap, printers can create a halftone pattern that will print images like a dream. Here’s how to do it.

How to Screen Print White FN-INK™ on a Black Shirt with a Smoothing Screen | Screenprinting.com

How to Print White Plastisol Ink on a Black Shirt with a Smoothing Screen

Sage LarsonDec 16, 2022

Printing white ink on black shirts is a popular design combination. For this design choice to be most effective, the ink needs to be clean and bright. For the best results, printers should use a smoothing screen. Want to learn how to do it? Print expert Colin Huggins has the answers.

The Screen Printing Equipment Every Water-Based Printer Needs

Jacelyn WedmanDec 14, 2022

Water-based printing takes a few different pieces of equipment and a bit of know-how. When printing with water-based ink, the water in the ink needs to evaporate in order for the ink to cure. This may seem challenging, but it’s a cinch with the proper tools. Let’s talk about the tools needed to print with water-based ink.

Switch to Water-Based Pallet Adhesive for These 4 Benefits

Jacelyn WedmanDec 09, 2022

Keeping a shop clean is essential. A clean shop not only keeps the space looking nice but keeps your equipment running at max capacity. If you’ve used aerosol adhesive, you’ll notice it gets everywhere. The adhesive might work, but also will stick to anything in its path. One way to keep a shop cleaner is to use water-based adhesive. Let’s talk about how to use the adhesive and the benefits of keeping it stocked in your shop.

A Walkthrough of Screen Printing on Zipper Hoodies

Jacelyn WedmanDec 02, 2022

Screen printing on zipper hoodies is a great way to diversify your printing options. Zipper hoodies can be a bit difficult to print on. A normal platen won’t cut it, and print placement is key. Don’t worry though: we’ve got you covered. In this video, Josh Wells walks through the basics of printing over zipper hoodies.

Want to Screen Print? Here’s How to Choose the Best Start Up Press for You

Jacelyn WedmanNov 25, 2022

The day has come: you're ready to jump into the screen printing world. A key factor needed to get started in this adventure is a screen printing press. With tons of press options, it may be difficult to choose the best press to get started with. Luckily, there’s a guide to choosing the best startup press for your shop. Keep reading.

Tips for Printing Puff Plastisol Ink Additive to Achieve High Detail Designs

Jacelyn WedmanNov 11, 2022

There’s no doubt that Puff ink is awesome. It’s a favorite for printers of all types because it can be added to so many different types of prints. Whether the design is block text or fine-line detail, Puff makes it stand out. How much detail can you achieve with Puff? Print expert Colin Huggins wants to find out.