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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: ericheartsu on January 07, 2013, 03:12:27 PM

Title: labelling screens correctly
Post by: ericheartsu on January 07, 2013, 03:12:27 PM
I've searched the boards, i could have sworn this has been talked about before, but how do you guys label your m3s/mzxs correctly? i've tried everything from taping papers to the screens, making stickers, and writing on the mesh. But they all seem to come off eventually.

Any cool tips and tricks i should try?

oh and happy new years everyone!
Title: labelling screens correctly
Post by: sweetts on January 07, 2013, 03:19:22 PM
Industrial marker


RT Screen Designs
www.rtscreendesigns.com
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: ebscreen on January 07, 2013, 03:21:47 PM
Color coded zip ties.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: inkman996 on January 07, 2013, 03:25:57 PM
I've tried many ideas, color coded anything works great but hard to see any colors in our screen room. Next time I am at a hardware store I am going to look for number punches, simple hand held ones you tap with a hammer.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: screenprintguy on January 07, 2013, 03:38:13 PM
Inkman, change your lighting over to LED lighting. I just did our new imaging and screen room over to LED corn cobb style bulbs, it's bright like a stadium in there and no affect to the emulsion. I even left them all on with screens sitting out during Christmas on accident, 4 days and didn't mess with the emulsion at all. There is a seller on ebay called TopTom sells them really cheap. They are awesome man. I can actually see what I'm doing now in there instead of working around that ridiculous yellow light.

Mike
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: alan802 on January 07, 2013, 04:18:39 PM
I don't really understand why others don't do it the way we do it but to each their own.  I put a strip of white tape on the frame, write the mesh count clearly on that white tape, then put clear packing tape over that to protect the number from the dip tank and all the other stuff the screen has to stand up to and it's really very simple.  No trying to come up with a color code or writing on the corner of a screen or anything, it's just simple and it works like a charm.  If you put a different mesh in a frame you take the clear packing tape off, put some ink degradent on a paper towel, and the marker comes right off and you then put the new mesh count on it.  We have probably 15 different mesh counts here so this way makes the most sense.

(http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr211/alan802/SRI%20Pics/CBF36CEA-A297-4B59-B0FC-4E81F6F914F3.jpg)
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: inkman996 on January 07, 2013, 04:20:37 PM
I don't really understand why others don't do it the way we do it but to each their own.  I put a strip of white tape on the frame, write the mesh count clearly on that white tape, then put clear packing tape over that to protect the number from the dip tank and all the other stuff the screen has to stand up to and it's really very simple.  No trying to come up with a color code or writing on the corner of a screen or anything, it's just simple and it works like a charm.  If you put a different mesh in a frame you take the clear packing tape off, put some ink degradent on a paper towel, and the marker comes right off and you then put the new mesh count on it.  We have probably 15 different mesh counts here so this way makes the most sense.

([url]http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr211/alan802/SRI%20Pics/CBF36CEA-A297-4B59-B0FC-4E81F6F914F3.jpg[/url])


You have magic tape because when I do things like that in time the chems get under the tape and make a mess of it.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: alan802 on January 07, 2013, 04:24:42 PM
That is one of the original shurlocs I stretched almost 3 years ago so it's held up well.  It's just uline 2" packaging tape over the top, I don't use our special screen tape for this procedure.  I make sure there are no creases that water could seap into the area but I'm not doing anything special to it.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: IntegrityShirts on January 07, 2013, 04:29:17 PM
I used to cut sign vinyl for the static frames, clean alum with alcohol and stick, never had one come off.  Now I sharpie in the softened corners of the M3's and don't hit'em too hard with the pressure washer.  Probably should cut more vinyl stickers though.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: Mr Tees!! on January 07, 2013, 04:43:02 PM
..we do the cut-vinyl sticker thing too. We put ours on one side only and in the same spot, cuz we are OCD like that. Cover em with some HQ packing tape and they should be on there forever. If you are labeling the blue frame rollers, I would cut them from white vinyl.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: Mr Tees!! on January 07, 2013, 04:48:42 PM
..we do the cut-vinyl sticker thing too. We put ours on one side only and in the same spot, cuz we are OCD like that. Cover em with some HQ packing tape and they should be on there forever. If you are labeling the blue frame rollers, I would cut them from white vinyl.
...lets try the attachment again...
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: Mr Tees!! on January 07, 2013, 04:53:32 PM
...hey heres a great idea, lets see how badly I can clutter up a thread!! Good job, Mr Tees!!

...my bad guys, the attachment didnt show up immediatly in my first post, so I assumed I did it wrong. Can I claim newbie mistake? No? Eh, it was worth a shot... :-[
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: Inkworks on January 07, 2013, 04:58:20 PM
Vinyl cut here too, but we use Hix Retens, which are probably more suitable for the stickers than Newmans would be.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: jsheridan on January 07, 2013, 07:25:34 PM
Color coded zip ties.

Get this man a chicken dinner!

I've tried every method posted here and then some.. nothing works like the zip tie!

Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: mooseman on January 07, 2013, 07:56:45 PM
there are serveral ways the easiest is to completely clean the frame in the area to be marked use a sharpie to indicate the mesh and place clear packing tape over the the marked image we have some od these that are going on 3 + years.
A little more involved mark the mesh in the softened area of the corners with a typical sharpie and coat bothe sides with a brush dipped in quick set epoxy or fiberglass resin.
mooseman
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: tpitman on January 07, 2013, 08:13:41 PM
A lot of mine have cut vinyl numbers across the square bar, but to be honest, 3M blue painters tape and a sharpee seem to stay on as long as anything else.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: bimmridder on January 07, 2013, 08:16:56 PM
A little late here. If you go the zip tie route, make sure there are no sharp places, like where you trim it,  that might harm your blanket
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: Rockers on January 07, 2013, 09:35:27 PM
I don't really understand why others don't do it the way we do it but to each their own.  I put a strip of white tape on the frame, write the mesh count clearly on that white tape, then put clear packing tape over that to protect the number from the dip tank and all the other stuff the screen has to stand up to and it's really very simple.  No trying to come up with a color code or writing on the corner of a screen or anything, it's just simple and it works like a charm.  If you put a different mesh in a frame you take the clear packing tape off, put some ink degradent on a paper towel, and the marker comes right off and you then put the new mesh count on it.  We have probably 15 different mesh counts here so this way makes the most sense.

([url]http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr211/alan802/SRI%20Pics/CBF36CEA-A297-4B59-B0FC-4E81F6F914F3.jpg[/url])

Same here. Works perfect. We use yellow masking tape, write the mesh count on it and cover that with 2 inch clear tape. no problem at all.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: patfinn on January 07, 2013, 10:45:57 PM
we used different color duct tape on the screens. after taping our newmans we would then put a small strip of lets say black tape on each short end. then on the wall in our screen room there was a strip and written next to it was 150. so basically just color coding all of your screens. theres tons of different color duct tape out there.
super simple and idiot proof.
Title: Re: labelling screens correctly
Post by: ZooCity on January 07, 2013, 11:26:29 PM
Old school dymo labeler.  Color coded with mesh info.  Best thing ever for this. The labels hold very well but are still easy to remove.