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Aluminum Frames
These frames offer
long service and
excellent stability.
Frames accepts all
types of meshes &adhesives. They can
be made available in
different sections as
per market requirement. Aluminum frames are
definitely costly for cottage screen printer
wishes to deliver quality multicolour printing
then he must use aluminum frame. The pasting
can be done in-house by small stretching device
or can be done from shops which rovide
stretching service. |
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Frame Register guide
Frames are the most
important aspects of
printing. To make sure
that your frame lowers
at one single position;
every time this tool is
most effective.
Register Guide is a
metal piece with
specific shape. It has such that you can fit the
tool with the help of screws wherever you want.
Printers should use two pieces as shown below
when screen is in down position. This tool is
more effective when large size of frames are
used. |
Disappearing Pins
These pins replace existing registration guides.
To register the substrate pins should be used
as guides. When the screen is taken down, tension of screen lowers the guide. Spring
returns pins to original position so that printer
register the substrate after the screen is raised
Disappearing pins are to be inserted in base as
per indivisual equirement. This tool is most
effective while using 3-5 mm substrate.
(Sunpack, Acrylic, etc.) |
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Thick Feed Guide
These metal guides
accommodate heavier
paper stock and
cardboard. You can
use screws to fit these
pieces wherever you
want. |
SCREEN MAKING RELATED
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Degreasing Brush
Degreasing is required
to be done by soft hair
brush on newly made
screen. Printer should
use this brush to apply
degrasing solution to
avoid exposure failure & saving time. |
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Cleaning Brush
Cleaning requires
more harsh action
hence this brush
should be medium
hard and resistive to
bleaching powders & decoating products.
Also should have light
weight, long handle, effective pressure angle. Must for every screen
printer. |
Ink Removers
Screen printing inks after printing are removed
from the screen with its solvent. But even after
the cleaning printers observe that some of the
ink traces still remain on the screen. These
traces of inks can be effectively removed by
ink Removers. Use this solution after you clean
your screen with normal solvent. For
specialised inks, special removers are
recommended.
SCREEN CLAMPING RELATED
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Table Clamp
These ruggedly constructed clamps can hold screen upto 3” height. Fit these clamps directly to the printing base. The design offers built-in off contact distance. These clamps can replace normal hinged wooden bars. The clamping force is downwards. If you do not wish to have hinge some manufacturers give rod assembly inserted with table clamps for fitting on table.
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Height Adjustable Clamp
These are specifically
designed clamps with
heavy duty hinge.
Clamp can help you to
raise the position of
the frame to the
required height. Suppose you wish to print on
top of 1.5” flat object, then just raise the clamp
to required height and start printing. A very
useful tool to keep in stock by every screen
printer.
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SCREEN COATING RELATED
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Scoop Coaters
The name itself
suggests that this
product carries
coating emulsion &
helps to coat the
screen with ease & accuracy. The product is made with extreme
care so that emulsion can be applied on screen
with perfection. The application adge is
smoothened to apply uniform layer. Sizes upto
60”. Toady’s screen printer use high quality
direct emulsions. These emulsions should be through scoop coaters. |
Coater Patti
This product is available in the market in
different material. Some suppliers offer plastic
and others Aluminum. The use of this product
is multipurpose. It can be used for applying
blockout material, coating small screens,
removing ink from the screen, applying Vinyl
stickers. The standard sizes available are from
2” to 12”. Its a better product because all screen
printers generally use waste visiting cards for
applying blockout.
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Roller
Five star film
application, silicon
paper application are
two main functions of
this product. Its is a
must product as roller
can give uniform pressure for this application.
Roller is generally made up of neoprene rubber.
Printers should carefully select the product by
considering hardness & finess of rubber.
Sizes: 4”, 6” & 8”.
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Measuring Cups
Measuring tool is must
product for every
screen printer. Most of
the time we tend to
avoid measurement and
then land up in problem. Exact measurement is
needed for sensitive emulsions, chemicals.
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Exposing Calculator
You can determine the
best exposure time for
particular photostencil
material for given
conditions by making 5 exposures at once.
Always keep this tool in house. Product rated
as most popular in western countries. |
Troublesshooting Chart
Many years of research has made it possible to
pin point various complex problems faced
while doing exposing with direct emulsion &
this chart suggests how to avoid / overcome
these problems. |
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Plier
Plier is a hand held
tool which allows the
screen printer to
stretch the fabric at
ease with minimum
force. It is very light weight and has to have firm grip. The size of the jaw decides the length
of fabric you can pull in one stretch. This gool
gives results far better then hand stretching
method.
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Staple Gun
Stapling process was
introduced in screen
printing around 40
years go. This Gun
triggers staple pins
into wooden frames
thus fixing the fabric
firmly. Printers can
easily use this Gun to
give better bonding and finish to screens.
Also nailing requires lot of time and can
damage the frame. The wooden frame can be
reused if you use staple gun. Some printers
who has stretching unit can also use this
method. Use of Plier and staple Gun together
simplifies the job. |
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Staple Tape
Stapling process
requires staple tape for
two basic reasons. One
to protect fabric from
direct impact of staple
pin; second whenever
you wish to remove
the pins most of the pins can easily be removed
by pulling the staple tape. |
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Staple Remover
Staple pins can be
easily removed with
this special tool. The
pins normally come
out along with the
staple tape. But some pins which are hard to
remove can be easily picked up by this picked
up by this tool.
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Tension Meter
It is a spring mounted
measuring probe
supported on two rods.
this tool is required by
those screen printers
who wish to maintain
printing quality to the
maximum. This meter
is used on Screen to measure tension. The meter
tell you Tension on the fabric. Tension is
measured in each direction independently.
Uneven mesh tension affects registration and
printing quality particularly during
mulrticolour work. |
Off-Contact Gauge
Measurement of Off Contact Distance is done by
this gauge. After you load the screen on table /
machine the distance between bed and the frame
should be same at all points. Place this gauge at
the corners of the screen as well as at the center
of the screen and take readings.
QUALITY CONTROL RELATED
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Lenses
Magnification always
tell you something
more than naked eye.
Use of this product
opens your mind as to where do you stand in
sharpness, stretching, printing, exposing etc. You
can choose lense power from 8X to 100X as per
your budget. But it is a must product for every
one.
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Mesh Counter
Mesh we use for screen
printing are of different
fineness. According to
the job we select the correct mesh. All mesh
manufacturers mark the number on it. The pieces
which remain after stretching are kept aside with
no mark on it. To recognise the count of the fabric
simply put mesh counter on it and you will get
reading.
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Halftone Counter
It is a similar tool which
counts halftone. |
Test Positive
The positive has many technically designed
figures, half tones, Straight lines of various
thickness. Printers should use this positive for
exposing Then they should check the results so
that quality & suitability of emulsion can be
determined.
INKROOM RELATED TOOLS
Lab Balances
Accurately mix colour pigments, metallic
powders, sensitizers and important ingradiants by
weight.
Ink Stirrer
Many times small ink shops require inks to mix & get particular shade. Always remember that
ink mixing is not a simple process. The ink should
be mixed in mixers or on the glass slab. Ink
stirrers which are available in the market are of
different types. Manual type, electric drill
machine mounting type, etc. Select as per your
requirement.
Pentone Colour Guide
Pentone Colour Guide is the primarily printing
ink colour guide for the graphic art industry
worldwide. It is most required for selecting,
specifying ink shade that printers should match.
In this global world this investment is worth for
medium scale printer.
SAFETY CLOTHING RELATED
Hand Cleaning Paste
Hands are mostly cleaned by solvents which are
ment for cleaning ink from screens. This products
removes carbon, matt, PVC inks. It is available
in tube as well as in small containers. Better
product but costly.
Aprons
Aprons should be made from Cotton cloth,
comfortable to wear & should protect our
valuable cloths while we work. This practice is
more popular in large scale printing shops but
everybody should made it a habit of wearing. It
not only protects your valuable clothing but
makes good impression on your clients also.
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Hand Gloves / Fingures
You should protect your
hands from chromate
solutions, harsh
solvents, other
chemicals. Market
offers thin/thick disposable gloves. Also you can
buy only sleeves which protects your fingures.
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The most important thing is to keep emergency
medicines handy. Always remember to check the
expiry dates of the medicines kept & to keep the
box clean. It is adviced to stick telephone/contact
numbers of nearest Doctor and hospital on
medical box so that any person can call in case
of emergency. Those printers who use
Ammonium Bicromate as sensitiser should take
care to wash hands thoroughly before eating.
It is responsibility of all chemical, solvent,
emulsion, manufacturers to print adequate safety
data sheets on products, so that printers can take
necessary steps before Doctors arrive.
Printers should always look for better & new
products in the market so that they can implement
them inside their works. It is important for a
screen printer to display professional items used
in his shop to customers. This not only impresses
customer but builds confidence in you. It can be
described as; “To move along with the time
making your working simpler”.
