M&R Saturn Platinum 2

[UnderPressureSP]

So I went a head and invested in my future in flat stock printing and bought a New 30x41 Saturn that arrives tomorrow.  I was going to build a registration system since I will only be printing 26x40 sheets of paper.  So far I have map out our new frames and just wanting on the press to see where the registration pop up tabs fall on the screen.  I was wondering if any one has advise on build a registration system for a large print like this?  I start the build on a new wash out  booth this week and will be having a drying box built to dry 2 to 3 frames at a time since the screen won't fit in our current drying closet.  I also will be focusing on special effects inks and am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve with all my new ink products.    Pictures to come....

[Ross_S]

Those are nice presses and will definately help production with higher volume.  But why build a reg. system?  Do you really want to print multiple colors on coroplast and paper.  It's kind of like printing transfers and building your art with traps and gutters is going to be way more important.

This machine would be your go to for 1 and 2 color prints but now a days the digital flat bed printers are the way to go for multiple color prints on flat stock.  Not that I don't think a reg sysytem is a good idea but building up the vaccuum table for substrate placement and your artwork are going to be far more time consuming in my opinion.

Check out flatbed printers and you will see what I mean if you haven't already.  I don't currently print any flat stock but have plenty of past experience if you want to talk.

[Ross_S]

Oh and one more thing to look at since I didn't see you mention it.  Get away from the air dry Corogloss inks and vinyl inks.  Get a UV dryer and go that route.  Much faster and less down time since you can then stack product like apparel versus using the leaf spring racks to air dry product.  The air dry inks do dry relatively fast these days but your going to need to let them sit for atleast an hour prior to adding the second color so it's just more time that way.

[mimosatexas]

First, i'm super jealous...

As for the regular system, I would copy something similar to what I use for shirts, just larger. It's the same basic idea as Alan's inverted triloc. It will make for easy pixel perfect registration of film on screen. For the press itself I would have to see it, but there are a few ways you could make a triloc style system for that as well.

When we move that press this weekend we can look at it and talk about how to upsize it for your frames.

[UnderPressureSP]

Awesome.  I think it will be easy since my placement does not change.  I wish I could digital print my posters but that is not what my clients want and that is not what i want.  Screen printed poster also wins hands down over any digital print.  I look into UV and till we move we don't have the space.  But I can rack up to 250 26x40 which give me 500 24x18 prints max for a run and I don't think I will go over that for a run.  As for ink I will be printing TW graphic ink 5500 series.  Trapping I already do 9 to 6 pixels so that is no problem.  The main thing I want is to make it super easy for any one to setup a screen.