What is Off-Contact?
Technical definition, shop floor implications, and pricing strategies for commercial apparel decorators.
The deliberate vertical gap (typically 1/16" to 1/8") set between the bottom of the screen mesh and the top surface of the garment resting on the press platen.
Deep Dive & Practical Application
Proper off-contact distance allows the mesh to snap cleanly away from the garment immediately behind the trailing edge of the squeegee stroke (known as mesh peel).
If off-contact is set to zero (the screen rests flat on the shirt), wet ink clings to both the mesh and the fabric, causing ink buildup, smeared edges, and a rough, textured surface.
If off-contact is too high, the squeegee must bend excessively to contact the shirt, causing image distortion, screen tension loss, and premature mesh tearing along the frame glue border.
Shop Floor & Profitability Impact
Uniform off-contact across all press print heads ensures consistent print opacity and prevents costly misprints during high-speed automatic production runs.
The Print Life Screen Printing Operating System
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