Selecting the Right Squeegee

Selecting the Right Squeegee

When selecting the right squeegee for your project, there are a few important items to take into consideration:

 

Durometer

The measurement of the hardness or softness of the squeegee blade surface which is usually made of polyurethane. Together with the size and shape, the durometer determines bending, flexing and compression characteristics of the blade. Squeegee blades are available in single durometer or in multi-durometer combinations.

Multi-durometer or triple-durometer blades have a hard layer in the center which minimizes the flex or bending of the squeegee blade.

An important advantage of the triple-durometer blade is that it will not bend or flex as much as a single-durometer blade. While this may not seem as important in the first prints, it will be noticeable on longer runs as it leads to loss of details or dot gain issues when printing halftones. A triple durometer squeegee resists “roll-over” during printing so less pressure is needed allowing for a longer squeegee life due to less wear to the print edge.

 

Profile

The actual shape of the squeegee blade. The most common profile in textile screen printing is a square or rectangular profile with a sharp edge.

 

Blade Edge Sharpness

This establishes the amount of ink deposited onto the substrate. The amount of ink going through the screen affects the image resolution. When less ink is deposited, the printed image is sharper and holds more detail with halftones and fine lines.

 

Squeegee Care & Storage

Squeegee storage and care is just as important as selecting the correct squeegee. Follow these steps for proper care:

  • Assembled squeegees should never rest on the blade or have the blade make contact with anything during storage.

  • Squeegees should be sharpened prior to first use.

  • Make sure the squeegees are clean, dry and solvent free during storage. Do not leave squeegees soaking in solvents, this causes temporary swelling of the blade.

  • Squeegee blades should be rotated during long production runs to avoid permanent blade deformation.