Most start up screen printers get a manual screen printing press when they first start their business, while some beginner printers know that they want to automate from the start. Every type of screen printer should understand the benefits of automatic screen printing and consider their options. In this article, we discuss some considerations for determining whether an automatic screen printing press is the right choice for your shop.
Automatic v. Manual Screen Printing Machines
Automatic screen printing presses include automated carousels where the t-shirt platens move from one station to the next and an automatic squeegee so all the operator does is load and unload the shirts. This makes screen printing incredibly easy, as the machine does the hard part of “pulling” the squeegee to push ink through the mesh and onto the shirt.
In contrast, a manual machine requires the screen printer to do the labor, including loading t-shirts and pulling a squeegee, for every job.
Reasons to Get an Automatic Screen Printing Press
- Speed. Automatic screen printing is built for speed, producing orders much more rapidly than manual printing. Production moves more quickly and easily. While requiring less physical work and time, an automatic machine allows you to scale up your business and pass on the cost savings to your customers.
- Reduce Labor Needs. Automatic machines require less labor compared to manual presses. You need fewer (or even no) employees for a quicker output, giving you the independence to continue taking on orders even when hiring good employees is difficult. This will give you more time to build out your business and find new customers while continuing to provide excellent support to your existing customers.
- Protect Yourself. Screen printers will also be thrilled to save their bodies from the ongoing physical wear and tear of manual printing. Talk to any manual printer and they’ll tell you the toll it takes on their shoulders, elbows and hands over the years. An automatic machine does all the labor for you.
- Consistency. The consistency of automated machine printing also reduces human error. With no adjustment needed, the machine automatically prints the right colors in the right spot every time. No matter how good a printer is, they start to get tired as the day goes on and not be as consistent with squeegee pressure, flash times and more.
- Flexibility. An automated machine provides the flexibility to offer more high-color options and a diversity of jobs, including large orders.
- Long-Term Needs. As business needs grow, equipment needs change. While automatic screen printing machines are more expensive than manual machines, you will see the returns of your investment quickly. If you plan to stay in the business for years, an automatic machine will quickly pay for itself.
Lawson Makes It Simple to Go Automatic
Lawson Screen & Digital Products offers a variety of different automated presses for every size screen printing business and type of printing, along with custom design and configuration options.
You’ll need to consider the size of your shop in determining which machine is right for you. Lawson offers smaller-sized presses if you have space constraints. Lawson offers multiple small footprint automatic screen printing machines that can fit in a basement or garage.
You will need to make sure you have adequate power and infrastructure in your shop before purchasing your automatic machine. Automatic screen printing presses require some combination of electricity and compressed air. Lawson offers different automatic presses, some only needing a standard 120-volt power and 8 cfm of compressed air, while more sophisticated presses like the Express-EX require 220 volts.
A semi-automatic press can also be a good choice for a business that’s interested in exploring automatic printing further but has space or cost constraints. Lawson’s offerings include both fully-automatic and semi-automatic presses, depending on your needs.
