SAATI LTS: Save Money and Speed Up Your Darkroom

Your darkroom is the heart of your print shop. When screens are backed up, your entire production line stalls and your automatic presses sit idle. Traditional screen prep has too many slow, moving parts, like printing film positives, managing vacuum blankets, and buying expensive consumables. Upgrading to the SAATI LTS computer-to-screen unit simplifies this entire process by burning perfect stencils directly from your computer. In this guide, you will see how this advanced laser system cuts out film and wax costs, cleans up your daily screen prep, and prints high-definition detail to keep your shop moving forward.

Watch the Direct-to-Screen Process in Action

At our Screen Fling workshop this summer, we saw how fast this equipment is to set up and run. The loading process shows how easily this fits into a daily shop routine. Watch the video below to see the three-point registration system and how fast this unit images a screen.

The frame locks into place with a simple three-point contact system. There is only one way to load it, which completely gets rid of human error and guesswork.

If your digital artwork layers are aligned in your software, they will line up perfectly on your press. The SAATI LTS exposes the entire screen, curing the emulsion everywhere except where your design image sits. Exposing takes less than five minutes for two screens, so you can go from raw screen to active printing fast.

RELATED: Laser to Screen Exposure: The Future of Screen Imaging with the SAATI LTS E70B

Eliminate Expensive Pre-Press Consumables and Save Cash

Every dollar you spend on pre-press supplies is money that should be going back into growing your print shop. Old-school exposure setups rely on transparent films or wax ink systems to block out light. These materials are expensive, and those monthly bills quickly stack up. At our recent Screen Fling workshop hosted at Pacific Sportswear in Tacoma, Washington, the team revealed they were spending over $1,200 per month just on wax consumables to image their screens. If you operate a high-volume production facility, you know how painful those recurring costs can be.

When you switch to the SAATI LTS, you eliminate those supply costs entirely. Because the machine uses direct-to-screen laser technology, you do not need film positives, physical ink, or wax. You simply coat your screens, load them into the machine, and let the lasers do the work. The moment your screen leaves the chamber, you are ready to wash it out. This clean process saves you thousands of dollars a year and drastically shortens your pre-press production cycle.

Compare the running costs of your current setup to a modern computer-to-screen workflow. The financial benefits of the SAATI LTS become obvious when you stop throwing away cash on single-use films and heavy wax bills. You keep your cash in your business instead of losing it in the darkroom.

RELATED: Darkroom Automation Guide: Exploring the Best Options for Screen Printers

Get Crisp Halftones and Sharp Details

Besides saving money on supplies, a computer-to-screen setup improves your print quality. This unit uses a planar array of 64 lasers with switchable resolution of 1270 and 2540 DPI. This precision lets you capture fine details that traditional film positives struggle to reproduce.

If you struggle to wash out tiny halftone dots, this laser system fixes that challenge. You will consistently hold incredibly small dots, resulting in clean, high-definition prints that look great on any garment. You do not have to worry about light creeping under physical films or dealing with dust trapped on a glass vacuum frame. The direct laser technology ensures perfectly crisp stencil edges every single time you expose a new screen.

If your business is growing, your darkroom equipment and supplies have to keep up. Busy manual and automatic presses cannot wait around for screens. A direct laser system like the SAATI LTS in your darkroom keeps your production moving. Because it images and exposes two screens at once, your pre-press operator can prepare dozens of screens daily without running into a logjam.

The unit has a vertical, glass-free design that fits comfortably inside tight darkrooms. It operates on standard 110V power and requires a minimal amount of compressed air for the pneumatic clamps. With a laser lifespan of over 10,000 hours, you can count on years of reliable, low-maintenance service. This system handles your volume demands while keeping operating expenses low.

Are You Ready to Upgrade Your Workflow?

If you want to scale your printing business and remove pre-press bottlenecks, investing in the SAATI LTS is the next logical step. This system simplifies screen preparation so you can focus on what really matters, which is printing high-quality custom apparel for your clients. This upgrade helps your production team stay ahead of schedule.