Presses & setup · 2 of 6 · 1 min read
Off-contact
Start here: 1/16–1/8 inch on a manual press for T-shirts, then raise it until the screen snaps away cleanly behind the squeegee.
Off-contact is the small gap between the screen and the shirt, so the mesh snaps away right behind the squeegee. Sources disagree on the number:
| Source | Off-contact for T-shirts |
|---|---|
| ScreenPrinting.com help center | 1/16–1/8 in, more for hoodies |
| Lawson (off-contact article) | ~1/16 in, toward 1/8 in |
| Lawson plastisol FAQ | ~1/4 in |
Start low and raise it until the screen snaps away cleanly. Too little off-contact causes smearing, double images and mesh marks. Too much needs extra squeegee pressure, can distort registration and adds ink build-up. Needing a lot of off-contact is a sign of low tension (ScreenPrinting.com).
Sources for this guide (17)
- Printavo, Screen printing pricing
- Lawson Screen & Digital, Understanding off-contact printing
- ScreenPrinting.com, Functional off-contact
- ScreenPrinting.com, Sizing strategies for large shirt runs
- ScreenPrinting.com, Squeegee durometer and angle
- Chromaline, Understanding squeegee durometer
- ScreenPrinting.com, Everything about squeegee durometer
- ScreenPrintingNow, Guide to choosing a squeegee
- Screen Printing Magazine, Squeegee consciousness
- dot B, Low printing pressure: what is zero point?
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, How much off-contact do I need?
- Lawson Screen & Digital, Plastisol ink FAQ
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, What pallet adhesive should I use?
- Impressions, Troubleshooting screen printing (2018)
- Ink Kitchen, Why out of register? Let me count the ways
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Should I push or pull a squeegee?
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Squeegee blade durometer
Where sources disagree, the page says so.