Squeegee/Platen marks

[jvanick]

I round the edges of the squeegees with a bench grinder with a fine grit wheel on it.

[Printficient]

I hear beer works

[Screen Dan]

On problem garments we use a water soaked sponge and rub all the way down the sides in one swipe before unloading.  It has worked surprisingly well for us.

As usual, all shops are different and your mileage may vary.

[BP]

no one has asked if he is running a squeegee roller??

[Joe Clarke]

I have tried misting before and after running through the oven. Squeegees are rounded. Printing on rubber top M&R platens. Keep 'em coming

Hey Dave!

Unless this is Common Core math...let's say your blade is 16" with radiused ends ~15.5" contact length and your platens are 17" wide. Unless the surface of the platens is an extreme dish [concave], I don't see how the screen is compressing the garment at the edges of the platens since there would be ~3/4" between the end of the blade and the edge of the platen. If your roller-screens are reasonably tight [and I already know they are] then how can we consider the platen-edges as the cause of the problem? With ANY level of off-contact gap, the mesh between blade and the roller runs uphill--low at the end of the blade and higher 3/4" away.

So if this is the case I would try raising the off-contact gap to reduce the net pressure on the platens. If you have a dial indicator handy you could read the residual pressure as the distance of any platen deflection. Reducing the force on the blade might help but not unless the gap is sufficient. And if somehow beyond the realm of natural phenomena the edges are the cause, increasing the gap may still help.

You might put a 4" long blade centered in the standard holder, it will be much easier to achieve zero or near zero net pressure. Make a print and inspect for edge-flaws. If they are due to the blade, you will have a racing stripe in the center only. If the swath is 17" wide due to the edges let me know in which case moisture may help re-orient the fibers.

JC

[DannyGruninger]

For long runs in my shop we take a thin piece of foam around 2mm thick and tape on the underside of the screen where the squeegees go...... This will cushion the blade on the garment surface enough to eliminate any marks and not cause any ink transfer problems.


It's an extra step/cost but this eliminates it 100%

[Spreading Ink]

For long runs in my shop we take a thin piece of foam around 2mm thick and tape on the underside of the screen where the squeegees go...... This will cushion the blade on the garment surface enough to eliminate any marks and not cause any ink transfer problems.


It's an extra step/cost but this eliminates it 100%

Hey Danny, this seems like a good idea where do you get the foam?  Is it like the self adhesive foam that is used to insulate a gaping door in the winter?  Curious minds want to know! 

[Underbase37]

Try under floor padding from home depot. Like the stuff you use under laminate flooring.

Murphy

[DannyGruninger]

You can pick up double sided foam tape from uline, Home Depot, etc. Put a regular piece of screen tape down then the foam tape so it's easy to remove. That or a local craft place will sell 2mm craft foam you can cut in stripes then tape over on the shirt side of screen. You just want the foam to be thin 1-2mm max. I have struggled with pallet marks on certain blanks/colors regardless of what I do so on long runs this is what I do and has seemed to work well for me. It was tonyp on here I believe that posted this and the last several jobs I've avoided pallet marks this way.

[Spreading Ink]

Awesome thanks Danny!

[GaryG]

I know what u mean on softstyle. It's like hoop burn w embroidery. Water refurbishes the fibers,  but seems like the underside absorbing tape, under sides of squeegee and where it lifts off is optimal.
Let us know your professional findings.

[Maxie]

Danny's solution sounds great, how soft is the foam?

[Inkworks]

I had one customer mention the marks, I told her it was from printing the shirts............... She seemed to understand that.

[Frog]

It is generally only an issue on shirts destined for retail.