Screen Printing Equipment

What to look for when buying silkscreen machines

By Jenni Simcoe, Writer

Screen printing services aren't limited to souvenir T-shirt shops. Other businesses that produce signs and textiles use screen printing equipment as their main production tool. Screen printing works by adhering ink colors in succession, thus building an image with multiple colors by pushing the ink through a pre-cut stencil made from silkscreens. Its application works on a variety of surfaces that traditional offset printing doesn't allow.

To find the right screen printing equipment for your business, you will need to determine:

1. Your production capacity-how many silkscreens you will need to do each day.
2. The amount of space you can dedicate to your silkscreen equipment.
3. If you need additional electricity for your screen printing equipment. (Many conveyor dryers require more power than a standard 110 outlet.)
4. The type of silkscreen machines you'll use. Manual presses are much cheaper than automated presses, but they require more labor and skill.

High-capacity screen printing equipment

If your needs are to produce a large amount of screen printed items, you'll need to invest in screen printing equipment that is fast, efficient and automated.
Try: Printa Systems manufactures large format, multi-color, full-service screen printing machines. M & R makes the highest-volume textile printers in the world.

Small manual silkscreen machines

Small screen printing shops, or shops that only use silkscreen equipment on occasion don't need to invest in large or expensive equipment. You'll only want to buy a press that accommodates your needs.
Try: SilkScreeningSupplies.com makes affordable tabletop screen printing machines in a variety of options for color capabilities and sizes. SilkScreenBiz offers starter kits and packages for businesses with smaller budgets.

Dryers for your screen printing machines

Screen printing requires a way to dry or cure the image that you've placed on a textile between colors and for the finished product. There are several types of dryers that accomplish this task in the process. Flash dryers are best for small productions as they take up little space and they cost considerable less than conveyor dryers. Conveyors allow you to dry larger quantities of textiles in a short amount of time, but cost considerably more than flash dryers.
Try: Logos Screenprinting Equipment & Supply offers a freestanding flash dryer with a 2000 watt heating element. Equipment Zone has a variety of new and used tabletop and freestanding high production conveyor dryers.

Producing images for silkscreen equipment

Before you start applying ink to your textiles, you'll need to decide what method and equipment you'll use to produce your image or stencil. Exposure units use photographic methods to make a negative image and create silkscreens. Newer technology also allows regular inkjet and laser printers to use specialized paper to in effect "print" your silkscreens.
Try: Pro-light 1 series of screen exposing units use UV light to make your silkscreen. Ryan Screen Supply offers a large variety of exposure units ranging in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Buy vellum film for outputting silkscreens on an inkjet or laser printer at Dimensional Products Corporation.

Supplies and accessories for screen printing equipment

If you reuse your screens, you'll need dip tanks to remove old stencils. Other supplies you'll need to use with your silkscreen equipment include ink, squeegees, emulsion and screens.
Try: SPSI carries virtually all screen printing supplies including emulsion, screens, squeegees and ink. Lawson Screen & Digital Products carries a variety of dip tanks. Nazdar supplies inks, emulsions and cleaners for screen printing. Nazdar SourceOne offers accessories for virtually any screen printing shop including frames, screens, inks and equipment.

When you are deciding which screen printing machines to buy, you'll want to consider how many colors you plan to use. Hobby screen printers and small organizations that only have a two-color logo don't need a six-color set-up.
Flash dryers for silkscreens can be used as more than just a flash dry between colors. They can also perform a full cure if you leave the textile on for up to a minute.
Temperature control and weight are two things to consider when choosing a flash dryer for screen printing needs. You should be able to control the temperature setting, much like you can on a household iron, and you'll want to make sure the dryer is not top-heavy. If it is, don't purchase it. It can be a safety hazard if it is liable to fall over.
Make sure your ventilation system in the room where your screen printing equipment is suitable for the equipment you've purchased. Some conveyor dryers come with vents, but you'll also need to make sure that lint and fumes do not overwhelm the room.