Set up and Register a Multi-Color Silk Screen Printing Job on Press || How To

How to Set up and Register a Multi-Color Silk Screen Printing Job on Press In-Depth Tutorial

First we need to align our film to the pallet.
We always load our shirt with the collar at the top edge of the pallet this method makes it easy to place our graphic at the proper distance. This art will print 2.5 inches down from the collar to the top of the art.

We pre draw standard measurement lines on our palettes. 1 2.5 3.5 and five inches for quick easy reference. Position the film so that the top of the art touches the line at 2.5 inches.

While holding the film
Place t t square against the edge of the pallet under the film and slide the square up until its close to the registration marks. Now without bumping the t square make the necessary adjustments to the film getting it centered and level just like this.

Now tape the bottom edge of the film like this. (close up of me tapeing the film to the palate.) creating a hing.

You may have to cut the excess film to be able to tape the top of the film.

This is a pro tip.
place a strip of white paper under the reg marks. This trick makes it 100 times easier to see your marks through the screen.
tape the top of the film. Have a coke and a smile, your ¼ of the way done.



Each press has it’s own personality but for maximum efficiency and accuracy do these steps in order.
First Zero out the print head
Then Load and clamp the screen
Now Level the screen to the palate. this is a serious buzz kill on the antec, maybe your press is easier. On our press I find that you need to raise the head high up then twist the print head stopper up or down to achieve a level screen.
After the screen is level i can set the off contact.
I tend to run about the width of a quarter for 110 and 160 mesh screens, however if you have a high mesh job, you will probably run closer to the palate to prevent any image warp. Off contact is tits lets move on to the real stuff.

Registration. I will start by acknowledging the fact that all presses are different. For instance some of the heads on this press move the screen up and to the left when you tighten the head down. And other heads move to the right, still others stay right where you set them. The point is you have to get to know each press before you can register efficiently on it. Under stand??? Moving on.

Most presses have three knobs that will move the head all over the damn place. I like to start by getting the horizontal line on the reg marks lined up.
Most y axis adjustment also adjust the angle of the screen allowing you to raise one side of the screen higher and lower the other side. After the is lined up i will move the screen vertically with thex axis micro to get close on the vertical lines of the reg marks.

I tighten the head clamp and watch where the screen moves I then loosen the head. Make a small adjustment and clamp the head back down. Repeat this until the marks are perfectly lined up…. like this.

Do the above stated process for all the screens. Keep and eye on the print order for efficient press operation. You will see a lot of crappy set up guys won't pay attention to the print order on set up and it make for an irritating printer in production.

All the screen are registered. Let's sling some ink!!!

Not it’s time to print our sample. Make sure you palate has a good tack, preheat the palate, and load the shirt,
Print your base white.
Flash and print the remaining colors. Even if we are doing wet on wet I flash every color on the sample incase I need to make some adjustments.

Print the rest of the colors and make your adjustments as they come up.

Here is a couple of production tips
when you are starting production make sure to preheat all of your pallets. Most adhesive is heat activated. If you don't preheat you may find you ruined the first 6 or so do to garment lift.
If you notice a or two garment are out of registration but other are in check that your pallets aren't moving before you get all bent on adjusting the screens.

Well I can't think of anything more to teach you about this at the moment. Tune in next time and I'll show you how to separate art in adobe illustrator.

Throw me a like, share the vid on your facebook feed, subscribe and ding the bell so you're notified when I upload. Later on Print fam.

How to Set up and Register a Multi-Color Silk Screen Print Job on Press In-Depth Tutorial

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Camera: the Lumix G7
Small Camera: Canon G7X
NLE: Adobe Premier CC
Mic: Saramonic Lav, Takstar sgc-598

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