Why Is My Screen Print Bleeding or Fuzzy? First Things to Check

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Chris BreazealeOwner, Buckets of Ink · Tempe, AZ
Short answer

Most of the time it's off-contact. Shops set it too high and don't use enough pressure, so ink builds up on the back of the screen and double-images. Wipe the back clean with Easiway 842, set off-contact to about a stack of one or two quarters, and check your squeegee blade and pressure.

Bleeding and fuzzy edges have a lot to do with off-contact. Most customers set their off-contact too high and don't use enough pressure. When the screen releases, they're still holding the mesh down close to the garment, and the ink double-images on the back of the screen. That ink outside the print area on the back of the screen is what causes the blurry image.

Clean the back of the screen

When that happens, wipe off the back of the screen with Easiway PlastiSolv 842. Get it nice and clean, make sure it's dry, then go back to printing.

Set off-contact to one or two quarters

The rule of thumb: set your off-contact about the height of a stack of one to two quarters above the garment. A U.S. quarter is about 1.75 mm thick, so that's roughly 1/16" to 1/8".

What else plays a part

  • Squeegee blade. If your blade is very rounded and not sharp, it changes how ink is pushed through the screen and can cause that blurred image on the back. Keep a sharp edge and a good angle.
  • Pressure. Too much pressure can cause the same problem.
  • Ink. Different inks release through the mesh differently, based on their thickness and viscosity. Wilflex inks have a very smooth viscosity and release smoothly through the screen.
  • Mesh and emulsion. These matter less here.

Products mentioned

Frequently asked questions

What causes screen prints to bleed?

Usually off-contact set too high with not enough pressure. Ink double-images on the back of the screen and blurs the next print. A rounded squeegee blade and too much pressure can do it too.

How high should off-contact be?

About the height of a stack of one to two quarters above the garment, roughly 1/16" to 1/8".

How do I clean ink off the back of the screen?

Wipe it with Easiway PlastiSolv 842 until it is clean, let it dry, then keep printing.

Do mesh count and emulsion cause bleeding?

They play a smaller part than off-contact, squeegee and pressure. Ink viscosity matters more.

Related: How to screen print · Screen printing squeegees · Mesh count chart · Easiway · Wilflex ink

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