Laser to Screen FTW!

If someone told me we’d be imaging screens with lasers when I started screen printing close to 30 years ago, I would’ve laughed. The concept still might seem futuristic to many, but that “next gen” technology is here and its awesome. Since SAATI introduced the first LTS system in 2017, we have installed more than 350 units in North America. At this point it is not new technology, it is a proven system that is making lives in the screen room easier all over the world.

Workflow

Traditional screen making is a cumbersome process with many steps. It starts with creating the artwork and doing seps. Then printing out your films, making any touch ups to those films and registering each. At this point you’re finally ready to expose your screens. You wait for the vacuum to draw down, expose the screen, and then wash it out. Not only do you lose a little quality each step of the way, but each step is another opportunity to make a mistake.

When inkjet and waxjet direct to screen systems arrived, it eliminated multiple steps from that traditional process. Quality and efficiency went up and by eliminating steps it eliminated a few more opportunities to make mistakes.

We’ve seen this same jump in quality and efficiency with the introduction of the Laser to Screen systems. By combining the imaging and exposure it means less handling and better image quality.

Image Resolution

Resolution is huge benefit to laser to screen. On most DTS systems 660 dpi is the max resolution. On LTS we typically image at 1270 dpi but can go even higher to 2540 dpi if necessary. That’s almost four times higher than with DTS! What that means is you can achieve cleaner/sharper dots and finer lines and spaces.

As we talk about resolution differences, another factor is the environment the system is run in. DTS systems are more influenced by the environment they are operating in compared to LTS. This is especially true when we talk about inkjet technology. If the environment is too dry the print quality suffers because the heads choke. If the environment is too humid it can cause the ink to spread in many cases, leading to dot gain and poor quality. From internal testing we have found the ideal screen room environment is 69-75°F and 30-60% RH for operating an inkjet DTS. If you’ve ever run a shop in Florida in the summer or Minnesota in the winter, you know controlling that environment can be awfully difficult.

The photos below demonstrate the differences in image quality based on humidity. That fluctuation throughout the year can lead to unwanted variation from job to job. Just think about if this was a repeat job done at two different times of the year!

20% Humidity

80% Humidity

Operating Costs

Regardless of whether your DTS is inkjet or waxjet technology, you’re continuously paying for consumables. Aside from the standard ink/wax usage during imaging, to keep your heads working properly you need to purge ink/wax daily. This is time-consuming and expensive. Another consumable most don’t think about is the print head itself. It should also be considered a consumable on DTS systems. Some shops need to replace their head once a year, leading to downtime and adding more costs. Obviously, the frequency heads are replaced depends on the level of maintenance that is put into the DTS and the environment that it’s run in. LTS uses no consumables, and the lasers are rated for 10,000 hours at 100% power, so should easily last over 15 years on average with normal exposure settings. Not to mention, DTS systems require more power and need to be paired with an exposure unit as well. LTS uses extremely low power like charging an iphone.

As you consider the LTS vs DTS please keep these differences in mind and reach out to shop owners who have these systems or even better yet, who have had both types, like Dylan at Upstate. Hearing other’s experiences can put your mind at ease about making the investment and upgrading your screen room!