Screen Making Table

[JeridHill]

Hey guys, I was curious as to how people register their films to screens. When I was screen printing, I made my own table that lined up with my press. I would put my film in position and with jiffy hinges, I brought my screen down and taped the film to the screen then burned.

I'm just curious if this is something that if inexpensive enough, people would purchase. It's nothing patentable, nor is it going to change the industry since people are already doing this anyway. I'm just wondering if it's marketable and if sold for under $200 if it's worth moving forward with as an offering.

Thoughts?

[Get Shirts]

How did it line up with the press?


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[Sbrem]

on our manual screens we do something similar but without the hinges. The frame is centered on the grid, so it can used on any manual press, with or without side clamps. Cost was a piece of scrap plywood and a magic marker to make the grid. Later, as the boards get old and messy, we made a screen to print the grid. Got the auto, an MHM, they supply a very nice FPU.

Steve

[JeridHill]

Sorry, looks like I wasn't subscribed to my own thread!

I made my table to line up with my press. It wasn't for pinpoint registration but more for placement of films etc. I was thinking of how to do this with various types of presses and I think I have a simple solution. Either way, each table would have grid lines for placement of images, left chest, full front, etc etc. It seems a lot of people have questions of best placement of graphics on a shirt when printing and I figured this could help people out. Not only that, but there are ways to make it more of a pinpoint registration system, but with patents currently issued, I'd want to be careful with something like this. I believe the overall cost could be aggressive, but with certain features to assist the user, it's hard to say what those cost are until I get to that point.

[mooseman]

our placement of films idea cost about 45 cents.....
simply a template sheet placed on the exposure unit.
Not for registration but for making sure all film placements are properly located and within close proximity for assured travel to register.
mooseman

[Sbrem]

Register pins, now we're traveling back in time. Some ideas are just always good.

Steve

[JeridHill]

The $200 mark was an over estimation. I was thinking more like under $100 but I'm not sure what all the costs involved would be just yet. I know people can make a registration sheet for less but the idea is to make more of an all in one table. Pin registration could be added, but the more features, the higher the price. I know for me, it was easier to do everything on a table as opposed to my light table, which was a clamshell. I didn't worry about tight registration, I always just did that on press, my use was more for placement of the graphics as well as taping the films to the screen in the correct location. Then you burn it while working on placing another film onto a screen.

[RICK STEFANICK]

m/r used to send a clear registration sheet with every new press. way back before trilock. We used to use that flat on a table and build the corners for placing the screen. Jerrid that would be a excellent reference for your projuect if someone has one to post. I honestly think that your idea would be worth buying in the 100-150 range.

[tonypep]

I have a brand new never used M&R grid. Don't need it. I-Image STE here.

[RICK STEFANICK]

I have a brand new never used M&R grid. Don't need it. I-Image STE here.

hey TP post a photo of that.

[screenxpress]

Re-posting my DIY on-press setup for film exposure and registration to print. 

I have remade some of my platens from MDF and coated with Formica so this only required making an extra large one with a cutout for the press clamp and is large enough where the screen frame sits on it on the sides and top and does not hang over.

Tape the film ever so lightly to the layout grid (taped firm to the platen).  Use double sided tape on top and bottom of film.  Set the screen against the 3 point pegs and press down on the screen to pick up the film.  Lift out, expose, wash out the films, tape up as needed, and mount on the press using the 3 point pegs.

These screen examples were not for multi-colors, but using the 3 point pegs to mount each screen into it's head produces extremely close, if not dead-on, print registration lineups.

[Northland]

Re-posting my DIY on-press setup for film exposure and registration to print. 
Tape the film ever so lightly to the layout grid (taped firm to the platen).  Use double sided tape on top and bottom of film.  Set the screen against the 3 point pegs and press down on the screen to pick up the film.  Lift out, expose, wash out the films, tape up as needed, and mount on the press using the 3 point pegs.

Hey Screenxpress.... got an idea for you to try (it's how I've been doing this).
Instead of lightly taping the film positive to your grid, try a drop of water between the film positive and the grid.
The water spreads out and provides enough surface tension between the film and the grid to hold it in place while you're setting your screen in place.

Of course, you still would need the double sided tape to bond the film positive to the screen.

[screenxpress]

That sounds too good to be true, lol

I will definitely try it.  I'm low volume so not sure how soon that will be. 

But I do follow the idea of using water as a capillary to hold the film in place.  Wonder why I never thought of that