registration technique???

[1066Propaganda]

Hey I'm fairly new to screen printing, and so far this has been the best resource for things I can't seem to figure out on my own... So here goes again.... I'm having a hell of a time registering my screens for anything over 2 colors... Is there any technique for this? right now I'm just lining it up the best I can, and when I get one that's close to right I put down tape marks on the board so I can line up the rest. It works ok as long as my designs aren't too complicated, but I feel like there should be a better way. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Robby

[nemotron]

heres 2 tips... big traps and registration pins and mylar...
punch holes the same place on every sheet of paper. make sure theres at least 2 holes. tape a sheet of mylar down then screen your image on it. then get your sheet of paper and line it up how you want under the mylar. then tape the pins down and then line the prints up the same way every time.... now that ive typed it, it sounds kinda confusing. if you like, i can get my digital camera and make a little tutorial for ya. i think its the best way to register hand screened stuff.

[Finch]

I'd be interested in any photo tutorials as well...

[JGex]

prop, your paper may be stretching or warping between colors by soaking up the water from the ink or humidity from the air. Gives many a printer severe headaches.

Try visiting the boards on the following 2 sites for technical advice on printing:

http://www.screenprinters.net/
http://www.screenweb.com/

[gun sho]

before i print a color i tape down a piece of acetate, print on it, and use it to register. i line things up, make a guide with tape for placement and flip the acetate over on each print to double check the registration. i know a few other people who do the same thing and it works fine for them too. i don't have a vaccum table and don't do huge runs. i'm not sure for huge runs, this method's very useful. I haven't had many problems with the paper warping from the ink (yet). i made a little instructional thing for how i do it. maybe it can help you, maybe not. it's just a method i find handy.

[1066Propaganda]

yeah that makes a lot more sense after seeing the image.... thanks! that sounds way easier than the way I was doing it.

[seripop]

we do it the same way as gun but we have a homade vacum table
the best thing i've used to keep resgistration is dymo lablemaker tape
it's really thick and doesn't move like duct or masking tape.

[Dan Apparatus]

We get pretty good registration by cutting inch thick slices out of the paper we're printing on and taping them down on the side and bottom against a sheet that's lined up to the screen. All you do then is just slide the paper in and you have a whole edge to line it up to. They will tend to get a little innacurate after three colors of taping them down and pulling them back up again but they're pretty consistent.

If you have warped frames that could be the problem too.

[gun sho]

dan, can you make an anal illustration like i did to explain that visually?
–thanks

[b_turner]

if you try the acetate method that gunsho and chloe suggested, you might want to consider picking up a pack of Bienfang Wet Media 500 workable transparency sheets.

They come in pads of 12 (I think) and the sizes are 9x12, 14x17, and 20x24.

The price for a pad seems high, but you can use one sheet over and over again, especially if you wipe it down after every color run; so you can get a lot of life out of these durable sheets. I clean mine up with just water and a towel and for fairly small runs (30-50 posters), the ink rubs right off, and you can even keep the clear sheet taped down in the same place for the whole run - just flip it over and leave it there until you need to check reg. again or print another color onto it.