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Equipment tiers · 1 of 9 · 1 min read

Where to start

  • The press puts ink on the shirt. The curing method decides whether the print survives the wash.
  • Most beginner money goes into the press, but undercured prints are the defect that comes back to haunt you. See Curing.
  • Budget for curing and testing from day one. If you start with a flash instead of a conveyor dryer, expect a slow, careful process.
Sources for this guide (17)
  1. ScreenPrinting.com Help, What do I need to start a shop?
  2. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do I pick the right press?
  3. ScreenPrinting.com, Which screen printing press is right for me?
  4. Lawson Screen & Digital, Curing plastisol inks
  5. International Coatings, Curing ink with a heat gun
  6. ScreenPrinting.com, 4 curing methods
  7. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do you cure plastisol with a flash dryer?
  8. Avient, Mapping your conveyor dryer (PDF)
  9. Ink Kitchen, Buying used screen printing equipment (July 2026)
  10. Ink Kitchen, Why out of register? Let me count the ways
  11. Signs101 forum, Where to find used equipment
  12. Signs101 forum, Looking for a new or used conveyor dryer
  13. Screen Printing Magazine, Stencilmaking in the age of CTS
  14. ScreenPrinting.com, Compression vs. vacuum exposure units
  15. OSHA, Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)
  16. NIOSH, Health hazard evaluation 2007-0053-3092 (PDF)
  17. Cedar City, UT, Screen printers best management practices

Where sources disagree, the page says so.