Proper Off Contact in Screen Printing

"Did you check your off-contact?" It's the go-to answer for so many problems in screen printing! Matt Marcotte tells us: "This is a massive thing that is frequently overlooked. Once you control it, you can really make the prints do what you want to do."
If you don't have proper off contact, the screen will not get its proper peel. You'll see prints that look like a stucco ceiling or cement - small dots, pockmarks, protrusions, and generally undesirable texture.
So, what is off contact? It's a small gap between your screen and whatever garment you're printing on. Matt tells us that a nickel's worth (right around 2 millimeters) is a great start - but you'll need to adjust it according to the thickness of your garments. Hoodies will need more off contact than a t-shirt since they're thicker.
Why does off contact matter so much? Basically, when your off contact is off target, the screen sticks to the ink. With proper off contact, the screen "peels away" from the wet ink instantly, leaving no undesirable textures in the print.
NOTE: There ARE reasons for on contact printing (such as certain water-based inks and various substrates). But for simple plastisol screen prints, off contact is a must-have.
The magic trick here? Maintain constant screen tension. You really want your screens to be at the same tension for a job - don't run 22 N screens next to 18 N screens. This is where an affordable screen tension meter can really improve the quality of your prints and help you gain control over an important variable in screen printing.
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Matt Marcotte ran a high-volume contract print shop in Chicago for clients like Target and Threadless. Now he sells for T&J Print Supply, teaches screen printing classes and consults with print shops. His focus on refining processes, saving time and looking for ways to continuously improve has helped shops across the midwest boost their efficiency.
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