Add drops of table adhesive to steady fabric for screen printing.
Passing a screen printing squeegee several times across the silk screen frame often causes the fabric to shift, resulting in printed smudges, irregular artwork or severely blurred images. Table adhesive made for screen printing projects is generally readily available at screen printing supply stores. The tacky adhesive is intended to be spread onto the printing area on the table surface, preventing the fabric from unwanted movement or shifting during the screen printing process. Though adding table adhesive is not a required screen printing step, the extra effort significantly reduces screen printing errors.
Instructions
1. Drop a few drops of table adhesive directly onto the screen printing table surface. Though brands vary, it is generally available in liquid form and is a temporary adhesive. Aim the drops onto the center of the printing area. The screen printing area size dictates the number of drops required to cover the surface. Refer to your brand's recommended amount.
2. Spread the drops from the center out until the area is completely covered. Use an old squeegee or piece of cardboard scrap to spread the liquid. Do not use the same squeegee to dip into screen printing ink.
3. Let the adhesive dry your brand's recommended time or until the surface becomes tacky. Keep in mind this is a pressure sensitive and temporary adhesive. It does not adhere to the fabric fibers. If the surface is wet, you have added too much table adhesive.
4. Position the fabric over the tacky surface. Do not stretch the fabric, which will distort the image once the screened paint dries.
5. Re-apply the table adhesive if the fabric starts to shift after several screen printing passes.
6. Wipe excess table adhesive from the screen printing area with a damp rag. Keep in mind this adhesive type is a glue and may continue to spread.
7. Remove excess table adhesive with a loose fiber cloth by patting the wet area. Repeat until the excess is completely removed. Skip this step if Step 6 cleaned the excess adhesive.
