glossary: What is a squeegee?

[Joe Clarke]

Most industries, including printing methods, other than screen-printing, have published standards. Of course standards are invaluable for; training, internal and external communication, growth & development, pricing ETC. Nonetheless before we can have standards we will need to have a common frame of reference for the parts and processes used in makeready and in production. This frame of reference can be established with a glossary.

I am hoping together we can begin to build a lucid, succinct, professional glossary of the elements included in our versatile manufacturing process by building consensus. To test my theory I want to begin with a component which is relatively simple but mission critical as well and invite any and all of you to post your best definition of...

What is a squeegee?

There is a cadre of purveyors and practitioners waiting to review the posts and then compile a working definition of "the squeegee".

The deadline is two weeks from today.

At great peril to ourselves we plan to post the composite definition of the squeegee on The Shirt Board.

Have at it my friends!
Joe

[blue moon]

Squeegee is a tool used to facilitate the transfer of ink through the mesh.

pierre

[abchung]

A squeegee is like a broom. Instead of a brush, it consist of a blade that is made out of rubber or some sort of polymer that moves liquid from one place to another with a swiping action.

[Orion]

A flexible polyurethane blade used in screenprinting. The function of which is to bring the screen into contact with the surface being printed and to shear the ink from the screen.

[BP]

Take a look at this.

http://www.screenprinting-aspa.com/screen-printing-glossary.html

[jvanick]

from that page:

Squeegee: Wooden or metal handled tool with a rubber blade used to drive ink through a stencil by pulling the squeegee across the screen.

I hate the description of 'driving' ink through the screen -- unless you're printing waterbase.

When printing plastisol, if you're driving ink through the screen, you're doing it wrong.

Orion's description seems pretty spot on to me.

[Underbase37]

A scraping tool with a rubber-edged blade set on a handle.

In screen printing used to move a fluid (Ink) through a stencil, shearing it to the substrate.

Murphy

[Underbase37]

I also like Orion's definition.

Murphy

[blue moon]

dos it have to be polyurethane? Could it be rubber? or PVC, or even metal?
Is it always shearing? jvanick just said it only shears when printing plastisol, but not when using it for waterbase. . . Or are we shearing waterbased inks, but also driving them in at the same time?

pierre

[tonypep]

In 16th century Asia the blade was often made of bamboo or wood

[blue moon]

In 16th century Asia the blade was often made of bamboo or wood

so only modern squeegees are mad of PU. . .

pierre

[Frog]

In 16th century Asia the blade was often made of bamboo or wood

so only modern squeegees are mad of PU. . .

pierre

My first squeegees were red or black rubber, and mesh was still silk, (but that's another topic)

[Orion]

dos it have to be polyurethane? Could it be rubber? or PVC, or even metal?
Is it always shearing? jvanick just said it only shears when printing plastisol, but not when using it for waterbase. . . Or are we shearing waterbased inks, but also driving them in at the same time?

pierre

You are right Pierre, it does not have to be PU, just as a fill blade (call it a flood blade if you like but don't tell Bill Hood I told you so) is not always metal. In fact on flip configured squeegee/fill I've only seen PU squeegee material used. I think the act of getting the ink through to the substrate is shear no matter what pressure is used. The squeegee marries together other more critical parameters of the process.  In point, Joe's bible does not specifically discuss squeegees but ink mesh and stencil are extensively covered.

[blue moon]

dos it have to be polyurethane? Could it be rubber? or PVC, or even metal?
Is it always shearing? jvanick just said it only shears when printing plastisol, but not when using it for waterbase. . . Or are we shearing waterbased inks, but also driving them in at the same time?

pierre

You are right Pierre, it does not have to be PU, just as a fill blade (call it a flood blade if you like but don't tell Bill Hood I told you so) is not always metal. In fact on flip configured squeegee/fill I've only seen PU squeegee material used. I think the act of getting the ink through to the substrate is shear no matter what pressure is used. The squeegee marries together other more critical parameters of the process.  In point, Joe's bible does not specifically discuss squeegees but ink mesh and stencil are extensively covered.

agreed, I think we are always shearing.

pierre

[Frog]

back in the '80's, I was actually shown a (questionable) technique of laying down more ink by more flood, less shear,  allowing the ink to transfer partially by a capillary action pulling it through the mesh.
I never mastered it, but saw it done on athletic prints.