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It is Called “SCREEN” Printing, Focus on Your Screens

By Rick Roth

We recently visited Anderson Studios in Nashville, TN. He has won more screenprinting awards than all of you readers put together. For printing the proof is not measuring dots or holding some line screen, the proof is what the prints look like. Andy Anderson’s prints are phenomenal and we’ll get into that in future posts. Today we’ll just show you one of Garth Brooks to establish that Andy knows what he is doing, and then get into the screens. It is after all called “screen” printing and yet many of us don’t spend enough time on making good screens.

A great print, to establish going into this screen discussion that Anderson Studios knows a thing or two.
A great print, to establish going into this screen discussion that Anderson Studios knows a thing or two.
What we see here is lots of screens ready to go. This was a Saturday and yet they were ready to go for the next week. You can't run your shop if you don't have enough screens that are all the proper meshes you need, well tensioned, coated properly, and dried properly.
What we see here is lots of screens ready to go. This was a Saturday and yet they were ready to go for the next week. You can’t run your shop if you don’t have enough screens that are all the proper meshes you need, well tensioned, coated properly, and dried properly.
Store your coated screens in a cool, dark, non-humid environment. If you dry the screen and then put it in a humid environment it will re-absorb water and give you problems.
Store your coated screens in a cool, dark, non-humid environment. If you dry the screen and then put it in a humid environment it will re-absorb water and give you problems.
First line of defense shown here. Air condition your screen to keep the heat under 80 degrees and have air flow (fan or fans.) AC also lowers the humidity.
First line of defense shown here. Air condition your screen to keep the heat under 80 degrees and have air flow (fan or fans.) AC also lowers the humidity.
This is a screen room worker where humidity is just controlled by AC. During times of peak humidity you try and keep your screen room humidity down only with the AC it will be so cold that you will not be able to work in there.
This is a screen room worker where humidity is just controlled by AC. During times of peak humidity you try and keep your screen room humidity down only with the AC it will be so cold that you will not be able to work in there.
Second line of defense in keeping your humidity down is a duh, dehumidifier. Get one or even two in a big screen room. They remove moisture but do not lower the temperature of the room.
Second line of defense in keeping your humidity down is a duh, dehumidifier. Get one or even two in a big screen room. They remove moisture but do not lower the temperature of the room.
A Newman Roller Frame stretching table. Note that is it is well used. I don't think Andy goes crazy about super high tension, but he has consistent reasonable tensions on his screens. Hence the table looks worn, he uses it!
A Newman Roller Frame stretching table. Note that is it is well used. I don’t think Andy goes crazy about super high tension, but he has consistent reasonable tensions on his screens. Hence the table looks worn, he actually uses it!
One more point about roller frames. I use them in my shop and Andy uses them. You either want to use them and use them correctly. The only other legit way to screenprint well is to either get a great screen stretcher or else return your screens to a company that has a great screen stretcher. Most of you don't have the intestinal fortitude to stop using a screen that still has mesh on it but has bad tension, that's why Andy and I use Newman Roller Frames (and retension them.)
One more point about roller frames. I use them in my shop and Andy uses them. You want to use them and use them correctly. The only other legit way to screenprint well is to either get a great screen stretcher or else return your screens to a company that has a great screen stretcher. Most of you don’t have the intestinal fortitude to stop using a screen that still has mesh on it but has bad tension. That’s why Andy and I use Newman Roller Frames (and retension them.)

 

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