ImagesMagUK_July_2021

www.images-magazine.com KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES JULY 2021 images 27 www.mrprint.com Michelle Moxley, innovation director at The M&R Companies, explains how this colourful and tactile puff print was created in honour of Autism Awareness month in the US Anatomy of a print First, a digital discharge was printed to create a white underbase (200 mesh, 55lpi halftone). This was followed by a black high-solid water-based ink (again, 200 mesh, 55lpi halftone), which created a clean print surface for the puff ink to stick to and clear the screen evenly. The white tie coat was a wet layer printed through a 180 mesh to accept the Digital Squeegee ink. The water-based puff was printed cleanly and evenly with a square edge, using 196 mesh with 20% EOM [emulsion over mesh], followed by a light flash. Blue glow-in-the-dark ink, using blue luminescent powder in a carrier base, was then screen printed to create the ‘blue light’ glow pattern (180 mesh). Next in the process was the Digital Squeegee CMYK hybrid print application. The digital ink was then flashed until dry. After a final flash and cool, a clear top coat was applied using a 200 mesh for durability when washing. The press was an M&R 18-colour, 22-station Stryker oval, and it was used in combination with the M&R Digital Squeegee 4000. T his hybrid print has puff under the thin line details as well as a glow-in-the-dark application to represent the ‘blue light’ often associated with autism awareness. The particular challenge for screen printers when creating this print is the number of colours that are required combined with the special effect. This is why I opted to use the M&R Digital Squeegee hybrid printing system. The print was cured for 2 1/2 minutes at 160°C in a Sprint Dryer. The design was printed on a 100% cotton Gildan Softstyle T-shirt.