New to Auto: how to print high on the back of youth shirts?

[Stinkhorn Press]

I would like to print HIGHER on the backs of youth sizes shirts than seems physically possible on my auto. Am I missing something obvious?

restrictions: squeegee must hit the platen, the floodbar must flood the print, the shirt physically cannot move any lower on the platen.

attached image is Youth XS. print waaaay too low for my tastes.
is there something I can be thinking about, trying, doing differently besides also burning the same thing for the manual?

[Prosperi-Tees]

Does your press have front stroke sensors?

[sqslabs]

Tilt your floodbar forward and your squeegee more upright.  This will allow you to place the image further out on the platen.  If all else fails, move the pallets in toward the machine.

[Stinkhorn Press]

Does your press have front stroke sensors?

not sure what that is/isn't. it's an RPM, the front and rear position of the stroke are digitally (or manually) set to stop where I want them to. (?)

[Stinkhorn Press]

Tilt your floodbar forward and your squeegee more upright.  This will allow you to place the image further out on the platen.

ah ha. good idea. would need to use no winged bars at that point, but that's not a big deal to get another inch.

If all else fails, move the pallets in toward the machine.

but the squeegee is already landing *very* close to the edge of the platen as it is. if i move the platens in and don't move the squeegee, my squeegee will land beyond the platen.

[jvanick]

sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and start your stroke off the edge of the platen.

put some tape on the top of the screen where the squeegee lands, and adjust your max stroke depth to not push deeper than the platen.

[Stinkhorn Press]

sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and start your stroke off the edge of the platen.

put some tape on the top of the screen where the squeegee lands, and adjust your max stroke depth to not push deeper than the platen.

oof. that will take some better learning of other variables. we're using stroke depth (too much) as our main way for getting the ink to clear. you're gonna force us to learn to do it better.

[bimmridder]

Smaller platens?

[Prosperi-Tees]

but the squeegee is already landing *very* close to the edge of the platen as it is. if i move the platens in and don't move the squeegee, my squeegee will land beyond the platen.
[/quote]
Move your platens in. Set the press to stop the front stroke where you need it. Not familiar on how that is done on RPMs but I am 99.9% sure that is possible, Alan802 or Zoocity should be able to tell you.

[Stinkhorn Press]

Everyone suggesting I move the platens in - are you also suggesting that I ALSO start my squeegee stroke beyond the outside edge of the platen?

If I move my platens in AND want to start the squeegee ON the platen, I would also have to move my squeegee start point in the same amount I've moved my platens and then nothing has really changed for me.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Yeah that was a bonehead thought. Can you burn your image any higher? Will youth platens work better?

[Frog]

Yeah that was a bonehead thought. Can you burn your image any higher? Will youth platens work better?

He showed us a youth XS(with a non-distorted image) as an example. He has to be using youth platens. Even Gildan XS's wouldn't stretch on most 14"-16" wide adult boards!

[sqslabs]

Everyone suggesting I move the platens in - are you also suggesting that I ALSO start my squeegee stroke beyond the outside edge of the platen?

If I move my platens in AND want to start the squeegee ON the platen, I would also have to move my squeegee start point in the same amount I've moved my platens and then nothing has really changed for me.

You should be able to get to at least 2" from the top of the platen using the flood/squeegee angle technique without printing off the pallet.  I also have an RPM, and we do this all the time.  You look to be about 4" from the collar in the pic you posted, so this would get you to 2" which should be acceptable.  If you need to go higher than that, then printing off the pallet is really not that big of a deal.  Just raise the squeegees a bit and keep your pressure lower than usual.  We've yet to run into any issues when doing this besides pallet marks.

Feel free to PM me if you need any RPM specific info related to the issue.

[3Deep]

That is strange, I can print pretty high on any shirt I toss on my platen I just pull the shirt down lower if I need to go higher hmmm, I'll have to go back and read all the post.

[Stinkhorn Press]

You should be able to get to at least 2" from the top of the platen using the flood/squeegee angle technique without printing off the pallet.  I also have an RPM, and we do this all the time.  You look to be about 4" from the collar in the pic you posted, so this would get you to 2" which should be acceptable.  If you need to go higher than that, then printing off the pallet is really not that big of a deal.  Just raise the squeegees a bit and keep your pressure lower than usual.  We've yet to run into any issues when doing this besides pallet marks.

I'll try that next time round. 4" off right now sounds about right. Getting down to 2" would cover 90% of what we need to do.

He showed us a youth XS(with a non-distorted image) as an example. He has to be using youth platens. Even Gildan XS's wouldn't stretch on most 14"-16" wide adult boards!

haha! jerzees 29M Youth XS printed on adult 16" platens. we don't have any youth platens yet, but that would help a bit just to be able to rotate the smaller shirts up and around the end of the platen towards the press a little bit.