Pallet Tape for Screen Printing

Step 1: Buy the Right Platen Tape

Before you ever begin putting pallet tape to the press, you should be sure that you buy the correct product. Be sure to check the size of your plate to make sure it matches the product you are looking at. Also, if you have used platen paper before, make sure that you have enough to go around so that you don’t run out in the middle of your project.

The important factors to consider when you purchase pallet tape is the tackiness, the dimensions, and the quality. If the tape is too sticky, it will not remove easily from the press. If it is not sticky enough, it could come loose and not be flush, altering your prints. If the paper is too narrow for your screen printing press, it will not cover the entire platen. This would leave a portion of your press exposed, staining it or making it harder to clean. Finally, the quality of the platen paper matters; poor quality tape can rip or let color seep through, so it is important to invest in proven tape that will get the job done.

Step 2: Measure and Cut the Tape

Now that you have your pallet tape, you need to measure it out to fit your press. Roll out your tape until it is longer than the press, then lightly place it on the platen plate. It should be on enough to keep it in place, but loose enough to be easily removed. In this position, use an exacto blade or another paper cutting knife to make a clean cut between the roll and the press, leaving a little bit of extra tape hanging off of each side.

Step 3: Position and Trim the Pallet Tape

Now that the piece of pallet tape is cut, the next step is refining the position and size of the paper. Smooth the paper down on the press so that it is flush with the platen so there are no bubbles or wrinkles.

Once it is as flat as you can make it, run your blade around the edge of the plate, cutting the platen tape to the exact size of the press. Smooth the edges of the paper around the edge of the plate, pressing it down to wrap around the side of the plate. Now you should have a perfectly flat piece of paper cut exactly to size.

Step 4: Use the Press

Since the paper is in place and won’t move, you don’t have to worry about it during the printing process! If you need any sort of guidance lines, you can draw those directly onto the paper, but other than that, there is nothing to worry about if you invested in quality pallet tape.Properly placed platen mask will protect the plate while the press does its work. Once you are done printing, you can simply take off the dirty platen tape for a new sheet.

Step 5: Remove the Pallet Tape

Taking off the platen tape is easy, just peel it off. The tape should remove cleanly and easily, leaving you with an unsoiled surface to put the next sheet of tape onto. Pallet tape makes clean-up that could be messy an extremely easy process.

Take your time and remove the tape slowly so that the ink does not get on anything. To further eliminate the risk of ink getting on something in your studio, clump up the used sheet of platen tape into a ball with the ink on the inside.

Knowing when to change out your paper is also important. You’ll want your pallet tape to last as long as possible so you get the best bang for your buck, but the longer it stays on the press, the harder it might be to remove it. Only through trial and error will you truly understand how your press works with the tape and how often you should change it.

Step 6: Repeat

After you have mastered the process of changing out your sheets of pallet tape, you can switch them out whenever you need to. Simply follow the steps to keep your press refreshed!