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Squeegee Basic Facts and Use by C. Drew
The squeegee is a hard rubber like blade
attached along one edge to a (most often wooden)
handle. The even edge of the blade is used to drag
across the open image of the screen pulling the ink
with it and pressing the ink in the open areas of
the screen - through the screen to be deposited
on the t-shirt of your size so you can wear the art.
The stiffness of the blade, the shape of the
blade edge, the angle of the pull (angle of the
squeegee to the screen), the pressure paced on the
squeegee during the pull and even the speed of the
pull all effect the amount of ink pushed through
the screen an onto or into the cotton t-shirt
beneath the screen.
Sharp edged squeegees are used for fine lines
and sharp detail or to print less in to capture
fine details (un-inked areas) in areas of heavy ink.
A Rounded edged squeegee is used for large solid areas
of ink that need to be thick in order not to be, too
often, salt speckled with thinly printed areas.
A t-shirt is a course surface of woven cotton fibers. It
sucks up ink compared to paper. Each surface in screen
printing and each ink type are different and require printing
adjustments according to their nature. Plastic and nylon
(a type of plastic) require harsh solvents for a base and give
these solvents off into the atmosphere when dried and cure. They
require accurate driers that suck up electricity and require
ventilation systems to operate. The ink takes a very long time
to dry in the screen. Water based inks dry fast. The printer
must work fast and solve problems fast. Breaks must be
short - very short! Most print runs must be to completion
before a break or with complete clean-up of all screens.
Screen printing in the hands of an artist is not just a technical skill - it is an art.
Thanks for visiting my web site segment. - C. Drew
