what kind of loupe should i buy?

[ericheartsu]

Something we've been needing for a while.

Should we get a loupe? or a digital microscope? any benefit to one or the other, or would it be best to have both?

[Frog]

digital microscopes are uber-cool, but not so handy on press.

[Dottonedan]

Digital is awesome and tells you tons of info. Would be very handy later, but first off, just get a 8-10 power of anything.  hech, stop at a show and sometimes venders give them out with their logo on it.  Doesn't take an expensive one.

[Screened Gear]

10x is all you need. I have a digital one that does something like 800x. Its fun to look at film and ink on the shirt but for registration I use the 10x cheap plastic loupe on press.

[TCT]

Here it's a great deal on one-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P8AUMU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_04Ehvb176TSX7

Go ahead and PM me your address if you don't want to buy one, I'll come over and kick your ass! For the price, that thing will handle 95% of what you could ever want.
Don't know if you guys remember, but maybe a year or so ago we had a "issue"(I an still not totally sold on the diagnosis from the ink company) with some neon orange discharge. I posted some real nice detailed pics of the pigments not adhering to the fabric. Now while I wanted everyone to think I have some $1k fancy microscope, truth is, it was a $10 one and a phone camera! Works killer on checking detail on screens too.

For $10 you can't afford not to have one!

[Screened Gear]

Alex,

60X to 100X that's too much magnification, unless the thing your looking at is much smaller then mine, lol...

That is a great deal and with prime its delivered for free, too. I will be buying one.


Nice bringing up the discharge orange job again. How did that one turn out. I still don't think not enough penetration could have done that.

So let me recap: you have very small things you need 60X-100X to see in your shop and you also have a penetration problem. Sorry its one of those days.

[mk162]

http://www.amazon.com/Carson-LumiLoupe-Power-Magnifier-LL-10/dp/B000CAHCQS/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1428066144&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=carson+loupe

I have a few of these around and they are perfect.  at $8 with free shipping(prime) it's worth it.

[sqslabs]

We have both 60-100x and 10x loupes in the shop.  The former being for looking mostly at mesh/emulsion and the latter for pre-reg/on press.  The 10x we use is really nice and comes with a case, handle, and large viewing glass for not much more than the one linked above:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230954766843

[ericheartsu]

Here it's a great deal on one-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P8AUMU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_04Ehvb176TSX7

Go ahead and PM me your address if you don't want to buy one, I'll come over and kick your ass! For the price, that thing will handle 95% of what you could ever want.
Don't know if you guys remember, but maybe a year or so ago we had a "issue"(I an still not totally sold on the diagnosis from the ink company) with some neon orange discharge. I posted some real nice detailed pics of the pigments not adhering to the fabric. Now while I wanted everyone to think I have some $1k fancy microscope, truth is, it was a $10 one and a phone camera! Works killer on checking detail on screens too.

For $10 you can't afford not to have one!

just bought this.

where do i send the check for the butt whoopin?

[jvanick]

we use the same carson ones as mk612 uses...  There's a bunch of them kicking around the shop.  Don't bother with the 11.5 or 17.5x ones... those are REALLY hard to focus, and is too detailed form most work.

for my bad eyes it helps immensely in checking registration on press, as well as determining what's going on with fine details...

we also have a usb microscope that's like 60x-200x, it's a lot of fun when dialing in emulsion to check for under cutting/etc.

[mk162]

that one is perfect for checking out emulsion or looking at screen threads.  I find the 10x is better for examining prints.  You get a much broader view of the print.

[blue moon]

get this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-PCS-10X-Magnifying-Magnifiers-Metal-folding-LED-Microscope-for-Jeweler-Loupe-/140827483971?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c9f8df43

you can thank me later.

pierre

p.s. now that I think about it, I am going to order two more. Thanx for bringing this up!

[Shanarchy]

Sometimes you just need someone to state the obvious. I have a 10x loupe at the shop. I got this a while back to use with pre-reging films. It never occurred to me to use this while registering screens to the press.

Thanks for making me feel like a big dummy guys.

[Screened Gear]

Sometimes you just need someone to state the obvious. I have a 10x loupe at the shop. I got this a while back to use with pre-reging films. It never occurred to me to use this while registering screens to the press.

Thanks for making me feel like a big dummy guys.

Now someone else is going to say: I never thought of using it for pre-reg films.

[Frog]

Doesn't help now, but 2014, M&R handed out some of these little guys at shows to help promote their screen-making goodies