In screen printing, there’s quite a bit to do before your products get to the press. We call this pre-press, and by definition, it is described as everything that happens before production and is critically important.
The pre-press process involves preparing the artwork, screens, ink, and product you will use before the printing. Pre-press necessities include but are not limited to starting in the art department, a computer with design software, and an output device to create film. Moving on to screen making, you will, of course, need screens, a coating trough, exposure unit with vacuum frame, developing sink, pressure washer, drying racks, and a reclaim sink.
Finally, the last pre-press department is ink. You’ll need a scale and a color-matching system. These are all minimal requirements. Today’s pre-press departments look much different from years past. Newer pre-press departments often feature automatic coating, automatic computer-to-screen output with onboard exposure, automatic developing with pre-registration fixturing for ease of set up, and even automatic reclaim. Automation of this area will minimize labor.
