Screen Printing Tools for our variables
Screen Printing Scale why it is important
As explained here in the topic on important screen printing tools, the digital Screen printing scale is the basis for consistency in screen print colour preparation as we prepare our colour recipes with the screen printing scale.
We work mostly with the Pantone colour chart, and most screen printing inks supplier will give you the mixing recipe for most Pantone colours.
This is very helpful for you, as Pantone himself approves this colour mixing systems. But not only when you prepare Pantone colours. And so any colour you prepare for your clients. You need to measure exactly what colour you added to the ink.
So that at anytime, you can reproduce the colour recipe.
A precise screen-printer scale, please ignore the fact, that this place is dirty.
Accordingly, This works only with a precise screen-printer scale, which measures even under 1 gram.
This type of scale is not expensive anymore. It starts at 20 USD, but when it goes higher, means so much more weight it can take, so more expensive they are.
Be aware that you don’t get a scale, which will jump every 5g, no you need something more accurate.
Screen printing scale why it is important
As an example, water-based inks, we have small amounts of pigments that we add to it. Even drops only and this the screen printing scale needs to record.
Therefore please have in mind, each time you prepare a colour, measure it. To reproduce a colour later will be done in minutes and you are sure, the colour is right!
Here is a short video, why it is important. Ignore the dirty image of this scale, because it been shot in a process to do color preparation. The ink department should always be as clean as possible.
Since you know the printer scale, have a look at the Pantone Capture helps a lot with this critical color matching process.