Eliminating threads/fuzzies/etc. on print side of screen

[ScreenPrinter123]

So I'm in the middle of printing a 1600 piece job front and back (automatic).  It is quite frustrating to constantly be having to stop printing during the job because some fuzzy piece of the garment now is blocking the stencil where the ink should be passing through.  Indeed, they are all over the screen, and some are covering the open space on the screen where the ink should be passing through.  Is there any solution?  This has always happened -- I've finally decided to take the time to ask if there is any work-around, chemical, etc. that can help.  ... On to the back prints...

[ebscreen]

From least to most involved:

Stack upside down and when loading give em a good snap.
Then a quick smooth over before it indexes.


Next, dummy screen in the first head, exposed emulsion, ink/base/whatever in it,
_light_ coat of spray tac on shirt side to pick up lint.

[ScreenFoo]

Both excellent techniques--I prefer #2, myself.  Make sure you're filtering your air if you're snapping shirts, or you'll end up with t-shirt nose goblins. 

The other option I push for but rarely happens--is better shirts.  On the average, cheap shirts have more stray threads and lint.

Isn't the forum forum the wrong place for this?

[Frog]

Both excellent techniques--I prefer #2, myself.  Make sure you're filtering your air if you're snapping shirts, or you'll end up with t-shirt nose goblins. 

The other option I push for but rarely happens--is better shirts.  On the average, cheap shirts have more stray threads and lint.

Isn't the forum forum the wrong place for this?

Very wrong. Not forum related in the least, hence its move to General Screen Printing

[mjrprint]

I expose a screen by itself then set it up in the first print station. I'll put some clear ink in there and lightly spray the bottom of the screen with a bit of tac. Heads prints, tac picks up fuzzies. Just be careful not to put to much tac on or it will pick up the shirt.

[Donnie]

Or blast your hand with some tack and swipe/smooth the shirts when you put them on the pallets. Works pretty good until you have to whiz.

[Frog]

threads and dust bunnies have always, and will always be around, but the worst is when contract accounts supply you with shirts even worse than the standard offerings.

I have seen this up close and personal when Joe Boxer contracted their own shirts  sewn, at apparently, a big discount over the Hanes we used at the time. (of course, in massive quantities, the discount doesn't have to be very large to make a difference on the bottom line)

At any rate, that was when we figured the sticky screen strategy. I don't even think that anyone in the shop was previously familiar with it, but, with a little experience, and observation of things already right there in front of one's eyes, it suddenly became the obvious fix as long as there is a spare head.

Now, rather than just patting the guys from that shop on the back, the point I had when I first started writing this was that if the particularly offending shirts are customer supplied, in an ideal world, one would be compensated for the extra work. (My boss wasn't)

On the other hand, with enough heads, this could become SOP.

[Get Shirts]

Holy cow, we're about to run 16k pieces and I think this is going to shave at least an two hours off of production.

[Frog]

Ain't it cool when a big problem can have a small solution! Makes you glad that you didn't toss all of that spray tack when you went roll-on waterbased. (fleece notwithstanding since many of us backslide there) 

[RICK STEFANICK]

Both excellent techniques--I prefer #2, myself.  Make sure you're filtering your air if you're snapping shirts, or you'll end up with t-shirt nose goblins. 

The other option I push for but rarely happens--is better shirts.  On the average, cheap shirts have more stray threads and lint.

Isn't the forum forum the wrong place for this?

PLEASE tell me how you are filtering your air in a screen print shop? seems to me that lint and threads are the norm snapping shirts or not..

[Chadwick]

Or blast your hand with some tack and swipe/smooth the shirts when you put them on the pallets. Works pretty good until you have to whiz.

Emoticons don't do justice to how hard I just laughed.
Thanks.

[Chadwick]

I run a manual, so..I don't trim my pinkie finger's nail as much as the others,
( as a bonus, it makes a good nose picker..erm )
and I get rid of stray lint that way..of course, that's when I see it.

When I load a shirt, I spend too much time smoothing it out ( I was once told by a kid )
...cept I'm not smoothing it out at all,
I'm trying to wipe all the dern fuzz off of the thing before printing.

The dummy screen is something I've heard many recommend over the years.
I heard use spray silicone, not tack.
Once again though, sparingly.

[Frog]

No Chad, you're confusing two different fix-its.

The silicone spray is to cut down on ink transfer to the screen when printing wet on wet.

[Chadwick]

Ah yes, I do recall that now that you mention it.
My apologies.
Throwin copper has it's hazards.

[Chadwick]

but ya know...Sprayin spray-tack on the shirt side of a screen?
Even a blank?
I don't know man...that just sounds plain-out down-right dumb from this printers perspective.
Much the same as the silicone fix, but at least that doesn't attempt to tear the shirt off the platten, let alone raise every fibre up..
Workarounds...they are interesting at times.
I suppose I should just shut up and go back to my cave.
Pick my nose and stuff, lol.

What happens to a platten you have coated with spray tack?
First few stick too well, then it eases off, then it doesn't hold anymore,
except, if you're running different colors of shirts, you notice you have green fibres tranferring
to the red shirts or blue, or whatever.
In a perfect situation you give it another mist and go, but there's never anything perfect about spray tack.
Now picture the 'blank' screen with tack on it, which rolls in much the same way.
And, you're applying ink overtop of this inconsistent thing.

I must disagree with this.
I'm doin it for the kid's sake.
And yes, I've got a zillion workarounds I shouldn't do either, but whatever.