All publications listed below may be downloaded by SGIA Members. If you are not an SGIA Member and wish to order one or more publications, please call 703.385.1417.

Note: To view these publications, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free from www.adobe.com.

You are invited to download a free copy of SPTF's Rapid Tensioning of Polyester Screen Fabrics

	Effects of Drying Temperature on Screen Tension Part 2 NEW! SPTF second study on the effects of temperature on screen tension extends the first by including tension measurement during and after printing and after reclaiming. Several interesting explanations are detailed, and an overview of effective methods for drying screens efficiently explained.
	Testing Exposure Light Distribution SPTF conducted testing to demonstrate how radiometers can be used to measure exposure light distribution, and show the effects certain variables have on that distribution.

Effects of Water Pressure and Chemical Treatment Combinations on Screen Reclaiming The Screen Printing Technical Foundation conducted an investigation that closely examined some common variables in the reclaiming process. The objective of the study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of stencil reclamation when using various combinations of cleaning/reclamation chemicals at three water pressure settings.

Effects of Drying Temperature on Screen Tension The experiment used four popular mesh counts, each processed using three different drying temperatures. Tension measurements were taken at each step of the screen making process to identify the effects drying temperature has on screen tension. Results showed that screen tension decreases when screens are dried at higher temperatures.

How to Optimize Print Quality Through Stencil Testing See the dramatic print differences resulting from various emulsion coating techniques...and learn how to test for the optimum stencil in your shop with "How To Optimize Print Quality Through Stencil Testing."

Rapid Tensioning of Polyester Screen Fabrics... proves that a five-minute tensioning technique is superior to the common industry practice of staged tensioning.

Color Matching: Controlling Ink Deposit For Accurate Matches... lets you you learn which ink sampling techniques work - and which don't. This publication also tells you how to relate the ink lab to your production.

Estimating Ink Deposit in Screen Printing: Improving Your Accuracy Discover SPTF's method of estimating wet ink deposit from various meshes with "Estimating Ink Deposit in Screen Printing." This method has proven to be much more accurate than other, currently used formulas.

Four Color Process and Fine Line Printing: Do You Really Know What Your Mesh Count Is? Learn how much your mesh count can change...and what you can do about it by reading "Four-color Process and Fine Line Printing: Do You Really Know What Your Mesh Count Is?"

Using Electronic Coating Thickness Gauges Effectively in the Screen Printing Process... helps you find important techniques on how to use electronic thickness gauges to measure fabric thickness, stencil thickness, dry ink deposit and substrate thickness.

Physical Changes in Polyester Mesh During Tensioning SPTF's ground-breaking study on how mesh changes during the tensioning process is detailed in "Physical Changes in Polyester Mesh During Tensioning." The results will surprise you!

Polyester Mesh Capability Study with UV Inks See research proving the UV shrinks, polyester mesh produces uniform and repeatable deposits, and higher mesh counts do not necessarily give you less ink deposit in "Polyester Mesh Capability Study with UV Inks."

Guideline to Uniform Ink Sample Preparation and Opacity Measurement Learn about the critical characteristics an ink sample must possess to accurately represent the process, and what kind of laboratory conditions are needed in ink sampling in "Guideline to Uniform Ink Sample Preparation."

A Guideline to Wet and Dry Ink Deposit Measurement Methods:      Part I      Part 2      Part 3 ...find out what instruments accurately measure wet and dry ink deposit...and which ones don't.