Do you use multiple flashes?

[Underbase37]

Style of art.
The type of ink.
Style/make-up of garment/substrate.

Giveing them the benefit of the doubt....but maybe lack of all the other things listed above.

Murphy

[jvanick]

we have been running multiple flashes on our press lately a lot to avoid revolver mode....

sometimes it's just easier and faster to flash between 2 touching colors than to try to get everything perfectly dialed to run WoW.

also. anytime we're working with bright transparent colors (102C, 109C, Neons, etc), the prints look so much better when there's 2 white plates and then the top colors.

for digital camo as well as hsa work... bleed blocker black, flash, followed by white, flash followed by colors, it's nice to have that 2nd flash as well.

[Admiral]

Yes we very often use 2 flashes, sometimes 3.  We can print wet on wet fine but often prefer more ink to go down (for PMS matching) or have halftone work that we want to keep consistent print run to print run.  Also sometimes we do glitter inks or glow in the dark, that's more flashing...

It may be a band aid with 'standard' or sim process printing but it sure helps consistency and keeping the same prints going longer without needed to wipe screens or whatnot.

This is on a 12 color.  We will do up to 7 or 8 colors depending on artwork.

I think a 14 color 28 station Stryker would be pretty sweet for our next press...may get into HSA also.

[Printficient]

Simple answer is yes and no.  Multiple flashing is a cheat to help achieve the desired result.  Other cheats would include mesh selection, ink additives, squeegee selection, print order, off contact, flood depth, flood speed, print speed, etc.  The first rule of screen printing is there are exceptions to every rule. These are some the of many things I will make shop specific training videos on.

[AntonySharples]

We run 2 a lot on process jobs, after base and usually after red because reds peak more than other colors.  We will usually flash before HL white and black as well.  Sometimes it sucks if we have to run it around multi print, but the results are what counts.

[Maxie]

We have two automatics and each one has 2 flashes, always one after the base and then with a print with a lot of colors we put the outline/detailed screen last and flash before it.
Sometimes for speed we will have two short flashes instead of one long one.

[mt_signex]

Seems to be the norm, I use 2 flashes as well, always after the base and then after a Red or before a highlight or outline screen.

[ZooCity]

For plastisol over plastisol ub, absolutely.  My preference is to flash base, cool it, then print 3 colors wow, flash, cool, repeat. 

WOW plastisol printing is primarily for blending in sim/pro work in my opinion.  If I could efficiently print, flash, cool, all spot colors I probably would.   The only downside would be ambient heat and energy usage, which would probably be worth it have every job run 100% consistent, crisp and clean. 

I agree that most shop owners, production managers and other like minded people could certainly setup most of their jobs to print all wow after the base, hell I've printed spot colors over a wet plastisol ub once, but the pre-flight work needed to get there can be extreme and, most importantly, in my area I simply do not have printers at that skill level or even workers willing to get there.  I have to think about what is plausible on a daily basis v. what is possible- it's paramount that every job is setup to run simply and consistently here and consistent use of flashes helps make that happen.

Plasti over DC UB is a different story.  That's almost exclusively all wow after the flashed DC base and there doesn't seem to be much of a limit on how many wow colors we can put on top, we've done up to 8 with great results.

[Dottonedan]

I agree. I just started to 2nd guess myself and had to get reminded.  It's a shame really that so much waste goes on. You can multi flash for the right reasons.

[tonypep]

Discharge here (no surprise) no flash.

[jsheridan]

2nd flash is another tool in my toolbox. Don't need it but good to know its there for when I need it.

[3Deep]

I don't care about cheating I just want to get the job done and look good for my customers, I'll cheat my butt off

[screenprintguy]

Plastisol, even if we don't really need the second flash, the Red Chili D's both stay on. We tend to like to have the whole deal flashed before pulling when we start hauling arse just to be sure a flapping shirt doesn't get jacked up. I almost wish I had a 16 color so I could have a 3rd in there. I'd use it when I could.

[bimmridder]

"I almost wish I had a 16 color so I could have a 3rd in there. I'd use it when I could."

 

[Doug S]

I don't care about cheating I just want to get the job don't and look good for my customers, I'll cheat my butt off

I agree, I use 1 when possible but there are times that second flash just gives a cleaner edge when colors are right next to 1 another on nice big blocky prints.  I never have to use the second flash on a simulated job though.