Art and Design

If you've ever watched an experienced press operator, you'll notice something right away—they don't seem to move much. They're not rushing around the press. They're not constantly walking to grab tape, ink, squeegees, or screens. Everything they need is within arm's reach.

Every screen printing shop wants smoother production, fewer surprises, and more time spent printing instead of scrambling. One of the biggest factors that determines whether your shop runs proactively or reactively starts in a place that doesn't always get the attention it deserves—the screen room.

This year, MADE Laboratory opened its doors in Fort Worth, Texas, for a full day dedicated to education, collaboration, and helping print shops improve what they do every day. Instead of walking through rows of trade show booths, attendees got to experience equipment in a real production environment, ask questions directly to industry experts, and see new ideas put into action.

You're halfway through a production run when ink starts drying in the mesh. The image begins plugging up, prints start looking rough, and production slows to a crawl. Someone grabs a can of screen opener, gives the screen a quick spray, and suddenly everything is back to normal.

If you’ve spent any time dialing in screen printing setups, you already know that mesh selection can make a huge difference in print quality. One mesh that’s been standing out lately is SAATI’s Hi-Dro mesh — and after running some real-world testing with it, the results were hard to ignore.

Artificial intelligence is transforming workflows. Automation is eliminating repetitive tasks. New equipment is dramatically reducing labor costs. And the print shops that embrace these changes will build a major competitive advantage over the next decade.