What Size should I make my screen?

This will depend on your primary market. Most of my customers are adults, therefore I need at least an 8”x8” print area.

My screen sizes are:

Homemade: 9.5” x 7.5”, 11.5” x 9”, 16” x 9”,

Speedball: 13.5” x 9.5”

What Silk fabric should I use?

Mesh is measured in Threads Per Inch (TPI). The higher the TPI, the more threads there are per inch, slowing the flow of ink through the fabric. The lower the number, the more space there is for ink to flow.

• Standard printing mesh is 110 to 156.
• Glitter and shimmer inks are best used with an 86 TPI mesh.
• Higher mesh screens (200 TPI and above) are used for finer detailed images.
• TPI mesh of 305 is great for half-tone printing, fine lines and fine detail. 

Tite Stretch cord or Spline?

I prefer .210 spline as it is easier to keep in place. I always had the stretch cord pop out with my screens. 

MDF or Melamine?

I started out with MDF, but over time, the board became very textured with the buildup of glue and ink. I think the MDF could work great with the removable platen tape from Ryonet. I did switch my platen heads to Melamine, which made a huge difference, allowing me to clean the platen and make a smooth surface again without buildup. The flash dryer does not seem to mess up the melamine (I've only been using it for a year.)