DIY Screen-printing vacuum table

It’s almost like a super flat-box table, with many rows of pinholes on the surface top and hollow on the inside, connected to a vacuum pump. The suction created will hold paper down to the table. It’s useful to prevent paper from sticking to the screen after a print stroke, when you want to change paper for another print. Inks are sticky when they are still wet, so if there is a thick  layer of ink down, it will most probably stick to the screen.

I have attached a pdf file. It contains building plans for a vacuum table and also a one-colour t-shirt printing jig. You can make your own adjustments to it. There are also millions of screen-printing forums you can visit to find out more about building your own equipment. Most of the time, I visit http://www.gigposters.com/, you can find plans for almost anything screen-printing in their archives. It is also actually a site dedicated to music posters, so you get lots of information about the best music and design. There are lots of artists sharing their art-making experiences in there too. You may get to meet all the maestros of rock music art, Frank Kozik, Jermaine Rogers, Seripop, Jay Ryan, Print Mafia, Aesthetic Apparatus…

Also check out youtube, it’s helpful because it’s very visual.

Vacuum table/t-shirt jig building plans .pdf file

This plan is courtesy of Andy Mac from Squeegeeville.

Originally from a book he wrote, he is generous to share it.

Here are images of my press:

http://unfinishedadventures.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/hello-world/