Images_Digital_Edition_January_2020

TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com JANUARY 2020 images 103 CTS has made a significant impact on today’s garment decorator. The term broadly describes the process of imaging screens directly, removing the requirement for carrier film entirely. CTS systems There are three basic types of CTS, all using direct-to-screen imaging techniques: ■ Inkjet This process uses a high- quality inkjet print head to directly image onto an emulsion-coated screen using a UV-blocking water-based ink. ■ Wax printer This process uses a phase-change print head to take a solid block of ink (wax) and pass it through a print head. ■ Direct laser exposure This process uses a high-resolution laser to expose and image the screen in one process. All these processes are more efficient than using a film carrier for your image as they remove at least one step from the imaging process. A major advantage of all CTS systems is the elimination of the ‘human’ element in the positioning process. All units use a set of co-ordinates inside a pre-set page size to determine where the image is produced. This is invaluable when using a positioning system such as a pin system or tri-lock system to hold screens in the press. When you image the screen in the same position as you hold the screen in the press, you can virtually eliminate the need for registration. Inkjet systems These have greatly improved and, with the use of extra opaque UV- blocking ink, can produce consistent results, although a small amount of dot gain can occur as the wet ink is fired onto the emulsion surface of the screen. They can typically image a full size T-shirt screen in under a minute. The combinatio n of removing the han dling process, no longer having to tape films on to a screen and the process of T he Spyder III from Exile Technologies EXILE TECHNOLOGIES LTD F3 Bramingham Business Park Enterprise Way Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 4BU England sales@exiletech.co.uk P: +44 (0)1582 573980 WWW. E X I L E T ECH . CO. UK SPYDER III INTRODUCING THE NEXT GENERATION COMPUTER-TO-SCREEN FASTER... UP TO 2 SQ FT PER MINUTE SHARPER... 1200x1200 DPI 4x RESOLUTION OF SPYDER II The new SPYDER III prints at 4x the resolution of the previous SPYDER I & II models. At up to 1200dpi, it produces sharper detail, finer half-tones and smoother gradients at even faster print speeds than before. Incorporating the latest XEROX print- head technology, the SPYDER III has over three times the number of jets of previous models. The dots are 25% of the size of other phase-change systems - to support smaller font sizes, better reverses, and more detailed graphics. The SPYDER III is suitable for even the most precise Industrial Screen printing applications. Remove film, eliminate labour costs and improve print quality, whilst boosting job turnaround times.