Smoothing Screen

[Inkworks]

"Then you could roll both ways."

They have a name for that I think.....

As a side note, I would think that a smoothing station could work as a cool-down station too, the direct contact with the ink may even help cool down things even faster. A small fan blowing on the top of the screen could help keep the screen/teflon from holding heat.

[Frog]

"Then you could roll both ways."

They have a name for that I think.....

As a side note, I would think that a smoothing station could work as a cool-down station too, the direct contact with the ink may even help cool down things even faster. A small fan blowing on the top of the screen could help keep the screen/teflon from holding heat.

On the other hand, you do want the ink still holding the heat for the rolling smoothing process, so not a lot of dwell by the fan before that.

[Inkworks]

Yes, absolutely. I was just think if I'd have to give up 2 heads after the flash and realized I wouldn't as the flattening head would serve as both. It doesn't really matter either way, that's why I bought a 12 colour even though I rarely print more than 6 colours.

[IntegrityShirts]

Anyone have close up pics of rolled and unrolled prints? And which white ink they used? I guess I'm still skeptical lol

[Action1]

Anyone have close up pics of rolled and unrolled prints? And which white ink they used? I guess I'm still skeptical lol

Action Engineering Roller Squeegee

Pause the video at exactly 6-7 seconds for the best before rolling picture.
Pause the video at exactly 1.23 for the best after rolling picture.

Do you see the difference?

[Action1]

Anyone have close up pics of rolled and unrolled prints? And which white ink they used? I guess I'm still skeptical lol

This video was done by a well known R&D person at a well known Ink manufacturer.

[Inkworks]

Action Engineering Roller Squeegee

Pause the video at exactly 6-7 seconds for the best before rolling picture.
Pause the video at exactly 1.23 for the best after rolling picture.

Do you see the difference?

Doesn't the 6-7 second shot show the quality after a single print of white (presumably after a flash) and 1:23 show the same pellon after a second print of white? I'd like to see a single hit of white after flash, with and without a smoothing roll.

I have little doubt that they work, but I really think it would be a much better to see a before and after of the same print with the only thing that changes is the use of the roller rather than trying to see the difference when one sample has 1 print and the other has PFP.

[JBLUE]

The fact of the matter is a smoothing screen makes a dramatic difference in the print quality. We have been running one for a while and the pic that will show the best results is a pic of the Highlight white with and without the smoothing screen. With the smoothing screen it is as smooth as using a heat press when done right. We use a hard squeegee and get great results. If I can on Monday I will take a few pics of before and after. For you guys with an auto it is really easy to try for your self on your next run of darks.

[alan802]

Is it worth trying if we already have a smooth ink deposit?  Just asking to see if those that are doing it do so because of a rough print or does it make an already smooth print that much better? I'll give anything a try but I'm hesitant because we rarely run into a need for a smoother print, only on sweats do we have an issue sometimes.  Blue, are you saying to run the smoothing screen after everything is printed or is everyone smoothing directly after the underbase?

[Screened Gear]

Is it worth trying if we already have a smooth ink deposit?  Just asking to see if those that are doing it do so because of a rough print or does it make an already smooth print that much better? I'll give anything a try but I'm hesitant because we rarely run into a need for a smoother print, only on sweats do we have an issue sometimes.  Blue, are you saying to run the smoothing screen after everything is printed or is everyone smoothing directly after the underbase?

I was thinking the same thing. I have very flat smooth prints. Cabn they be smoother by using a smoothy screen? Sure, but way. I feel the smoothing screen is a bandaid or a printer just being anal past the point of the customers vision. Is it an over kill? Is there benifits for us the printer? Does it make wow printing easier?

[ZooCity]

I'm with Al and Screened on this.  Unless there's some speciality application going on you shouldn't need anything like this. 

But I could see a smoothing screen doing us a favor after the first flash on some of those bastard fibrilating ringpuns we print on.  It might be enough to smoosh those few fibers into the ink that just seem to refuse to matt down all the way. 

[Frog]

To play a bit of a lil' devil's advocate here, besides the cost if one goes for the roller, what's the harm? If you're rolling on what otherwise would be a cool down station, not even any time is wasted.

Those problem prints that all of us have seen at some point notwithstanding, maybe even on good prints, there is smooth, and then there is smooooooooth!

[Get Shirts]

Alan, you should really give a smoothing screen a try.  It doesn't only make the print incredibly smooth, as if you heat pressed the print in the post, but it somehow makes the print feel much softer.