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Screen Printers Name the Most Innovative Technologies They Saw in 2021

Digital advances are getting your peers’ attention.

Published

2 years ago

December 2, 2021

Screen Printing Staff Screen Printing December 2021 Issue

Screen Printers Name the Most Innovative Technologies They Saw in 2021

What is the most innovative screen printing technology you’ve witnessed, purchased, or heard about this year?

At the [Impressions] tradeshow in Dallas, seeing a laser exposure unit and learning about how it worked was mind-blowing. — Gavin StGeorges, Proud TShirts, Miami, Florida
Digital transfers. — John Wilhemsen, Distinct Impressions, Tucson, Arizona
We got a new dryer (Aeolus), which not only looks great but doubled our production. A close second is a new flash with footswitch on our manual press. — Andy MacDougall, MacDougall Screen Printing, Royston, British Columbia, Canada
Digital is coming in a major way. — Eric Solomon, Night Owls, Houston, Texas
I have not seen anything too new and exciting this year. I have been looking into DTG quite a bit though, and I would like to see some input on the varying technology in that field. — Shamus Barrett, 7 Corners Printing, St. Paul, Minnesota

The laser computer to screen technology from Grunig and Signtronic looks amazing.” — Shannon McKinnon, St. Peters – New South Wales, Sydney
The emulsion-free screen making system that you print your screens with a thermal printer was pretty interesting at Impressions Expo in Ft. Worth. — Joe Ortinau, Ortinau Art, Pemberville, Ohio
New transfer material. — Kristin Deutsch, Hair of the Dog Graphics, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
I like the laser lineup that Stahls has created. Not new, but new to us. — Jim Heiser, Bullseye Active Wear, Brunswick, Ohio
I’ve been experimenting with simulated embroidery out of a screen press. It’s looking pretty good so far. — Joshua Rogers, Grunt Style, Carol Stream, Illinois
M&R Digital Squeegee. — Steve Knight, Dynagraphic Screen Printing, Holly Springs, North Carolina
Hybrid digital and screen printing. But this technology didn’t come out this year; it’s just getting more popular as shops see the significant changes they can make to their workflow by adopting this technology. — Marshall Atkinson, Atkinson Consulting, Mesa, Arizona
I haven’t upgraded or advanced anything… LED lighting? Hahaha! Advances in discharge inks are pretty cool. — Eric Carnell, Independence Printage Corp, Bellevue, Washington

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Let’s Talk About It

Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Screen Printing Industry

LET’S TALK About It: Part 3 discusses how four screen printers have employed people with disabilities, why you should consider doing the same, the resources that are available, and more. Watch the live webinar, held August 16, moderated by Adrienne Palmer, editor-in-chief, Screen Printing magazine, with panelists Ali Banholzer, Amber Massey, Ryan Moor, and Jed Seifert. The multi-part series is hosted exclusively by ROQ.US and U.N.I.T.E Together. Let’s Talk About It: Part 1 focused on Black, female screen printers and can be watched here; Part 2 focused on the LGBTQ+ community and can be watched here.