How many pulls do you do?

[BigmanJames]

Hello.
Was wondering how many times everyone here pushes and pulls before going on to the next poster? I used to get real vivid colors after just one time but lately for whatever reason have been doing 3-4 pushes/pulls before going onto the next poster. The single pull just isnt cutting it anymore. Maybe the ink quality is going down, hard to tell. Anyone else running into this?

[El Roacho]

i usually pull about 45- 60 times before i finish, then i go on about my day.

[edwardo_machino]

I asked a similar question a few weeks ago. double pull: bad form? But it seems you have a variable that has changed over time, starting when more pulls became necessary.

Did you modify or change inks, mesh counts, stencil thickness, or squeegees since one pull was enough? Pushing lays down more ink - did you start off pushing the squeegee and recently start pulling? Is your screen cooked enough so that shit won't fall off as you print and block the mesh openings?

Recently I double pulled with Nazdar 9500 blue textile ink over a silver gelatin print because 9500 is very transparent on paper and I wanted that look - but it requires at least two pulls to eliminate orange peeling and get a nice, solid transparent blue through a 280 mesh for me.

Maybe I could have coated the screen with more emulsion to lay more ink down or used a softer/rounder squeegee, but I wanted to print at that moment with what I had and a double pull worked.

The reason I asked if it was considered bad form is because in some ways it seems like a coarse remedy to reduced ink flow if one could increase it in other, more targeted ways like increased stencil height, bigger mesh holes, a rounder squeegee etc. (although last two would not be so applicable if extreme resolution is required), without basically doubling the amount of work you must do over a print run and adding another printing event for things to go wrong.

A second pull can also introduce blurring to the image if the screen comes down even slightly away from the first hit due to play in the hinges or frame flex if wood. Since I've started using 2x4's clamped to the print table edges for the frame to fall into when lowered, I've had a lot fewer issues fucking up prints with second pulls. But even if this is controlled, other things can lead to blur like pulling first then pushing or vice versa, or really inconsistent pressure and/or angle between pulls.

But yeah, something for you has changed over time if you started to require more pulls.

I think a premium membership would look great on you, especially with all of these fun May colors floating around. Premium Gigposters memberships are Spring-chic.

[Brad]

[perkins]

Depends on whether I'm pulling to a pic of Megan Fox or Whoopie Goldberg.

[BigmanJames]

I asked a similar question a few weeks ago. double pull: bad form? But it seems you have a variable that has changed over time, starting when more pulls became necessary.

Did you modify or change inks, mesh counts, stencil thickness, or squeegees since one pull was enough? Pushing lays down more ink - did you start off pushing the squeegee and recently start pulling? Is your screen cooked enough so that shit won't fall off as you print and block the mesh openings?

Recently I double pulled with Nazdar 9500 blue textile ink over a silver gelatin print because 9500 is very transparent on paper and I wanted that look - but it requires at least two pulls to eliminate orange peeling and get a nice, solid transparent blue through a 280 mesh for me.

Maybe I could have coated the screen with more emulsion to lay more ink down or used a softer/rounder squeegee, but I wanted to print at that moment with what I had and a double pull worked.

The reason I asked if it was considered bad form is because in some ways it seems like a coarse remedy to reduced ink flow if one could increase it in other, more targeted ways like increased stencil height, bigger mesh holes, a rounder squeegee etc. (although last two would not be so applicable if extreme resolution is required), without basically doubling the amount of work you must do over a print run and adding another printing event for things to go wrong.

A second pull can also introduce blurring to the image if the screen comes down even slightly away from the first hit due to play in the hinges or frame flex if wood. Since I've started using 2x4's clamped to the print table edges for the frame to fall into when lowered, I've had a lot fewer issues fucking up prints with second pulls. But even if this is controlled, other things can lead to blur like pulling first then pushing or vice versa, or really inconsistent pressure and/or angle between pulls.

But yeah, something for you has changed over time if you started to require more pulls.

I think a premium membership would look great on you, especially with all of these fun May colors floating around. Premium Gigposters memberships are Spring-chic.

I use the dreaded Matsui 301. I like the ink, but others hate it.

Actually we triple and even 4 pulled today. I opened up a new container of ink, stirred it. As long as it doesnt blur, everything should be dandy. Just dont like laying down several coats of the stuff, because just one takes a day or two to try. After going through this might switch over to TW. Wish Speedball offered Pantone system, it would make shit a whole lot easier.

[BigmanJames]

Wow, someone jerks to Whoopie?

Cue Armageddon.

[lil_tuffy]

One. If it takes more than that you're doing something wrong.

[JustinHelton]

I use the dreaded Matsui 301. I like the ink, but others hate it.

Actually we triple and even 4 pulled today. I opened up a new container of ink, stirred it. As long as it doesnt blur, everything should be dandy. Just dont like laying down several coats of the stuff, because just one takes a day or two to try. After going through this might switch over to TW. Wish Speedball offered Pantone system, it would make shit a whole lot easier.

You cant mix inks? I use Speedball CMYK and mix everything...works fine for me.

[strawberryluna]

One. If it takes more than that you're doing something wrong.

.