Screen Printing Glossary

A workflow step where the customer receives a link to review and approve their mockup artwork before the job moves into production. Prevents costly reprints due to missed changes.

A status stage in the Kontrol™ pipeline that automatically triggers an approval email with a public review link when the job is moved to this status.

A trigger-action pair that fires automatically when a job reaches a specific status. For example: when a job moves to SHIPPED, send a customer email with tracking info.

Artwork that extends slightly beyond the intended print boundary. Used to prevent visible white edges if the print registers slightly off. Typically 1/8" on each side.

A shared chat room in Kontrol's team messaging system (e.g. #general, #production, #sales). Chat admins can create channels and control who has access.

Four-color printing using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black halftone dots layered to simulate full-color photographs. Requires precise registration and works best on white or light garments.

The number of individual ink colors in a design. Directly affects setup cost — each color requires a separate screen. An underbase counts as an additional color.

The final step where printed garments pass through a conveyor dryer at 320°F+ to permanently bond plastisol ink to the fabric. Under-cured ink will crack and wash out.

A public, no-login webpage unique to each customer. Customers can view active job statuses, download invoices, and pay online without needing a Kontrol™ account.

The production technique assigned to a print location on a job. Options include Screen Print, Embroidery, DTG (Direct-to-Garment), Heat Transfer, and Sublimation.

A private one-on-one chat conversation between two team members in Kontrol™. Only the two participants can see DM messages.

A water-based ink that chemically bleaches out the garment's dye and replaces it with pigment. Results in an extremely soft, breathable print with no ink buildup on the surface.

The resolution of a raster image. Print-ready artwork requires at least 300 DPI at the actual print size. Low-resolution artwork looks sharp on screen but blurry and jagged when printed.

A printing method that injects water-based ink directly into fabric using an inkjet-style printer. No screens required. Best for short runs with full-color artwork on 100% cotton.

A light-sensitive chemical coating applied to a screen mesh. When exposed to UV light through a film positive, it hardens to form the stencil. Unexposed emulsion washes away with water.

The UV light process that hardens emulsion not covered by the film positive, creating the print stencil. Exposure time varies based on emulsion type, mesh count, and light source intensity.

A printed or laser-cut transparency showing the design in solid black on clear film. Used to block UV light during screen exposure, leaving unexposed (ink-open) areas wherever the design is black.

A quick burst of infrared heat between colors that gels (but does not fully cure) the previous ink layer. Prevents colors from mixing on press. Required when printing on dark garments over an underbase.

A production checkpoint on a job indicating that a flash cure is required at that step before the next color is printed. Tracked per print location in Kontrol™.

A process where the garment is dyed after construction, resulting in a softer, vintage look with natural color variation. Can affect ink adhesion — test cure times before a full run.

A pattern of dots of varying sizes and spacing that simulate gradients and mid-tones using a single ink color. Smaller dots = lighter tone. Essential for simulated-process and photorealistic printing.

The tactile texture of a printed design. Plastisol sits on top of fabric and feels thick. Water-based and discharge inks absorb into the fabric for a much softer hand feel.

Priority flags on jobs in Kontrol™. HOT_RUSH jobs appear at the very top of the production queue with a red indicator. RUSH jobs appear next in priority, above normal jobs.

When ink spreads beyond the intended print area, softening crisp edges. Common causes: too much squeegee pressure, low mesh count, or too-thin emulsion. Increase mesh count or reduce flood pressure to fix.

The core unit in Kontrol™. A job represents a complete customer order from initial quote through production and delivery. Each job has a unique job number, a status, line items, print locations, mockups, and files.

An individual product or service on an invoice. For example: "48× S/S Gildan 64000 White — $7.50 each" is one line item. Line items roll up into the invoice total.

The number of threads per linear inch woven into a screen. Lower mesh (110–160) deposits more ink — good for bold graphics and specialty inks. Higher mesh (200–305) holds finer detail but deposits less ink. Match mesh to your design and ink type.

A digital preview image showing the print design placed on a garment photo. Created in the Kontrol™ mockup editor and sent to customers for art approval before production begins.

The small gap (typically 1/8"–1/4") between the bottom of the screen and the surface of the garment during printing. Allows the screen to snap away cleanly after the squeegee pass, preventing smearing.

A Kontrol™-generated document listing all items in a completed order, organized by size and color. Included in outgoing shipments so the customer can verify contents on receipt.

Pantone Matching System — a standardized color library used to specify exact ink colors. PMS numbers ensure consistent color across print runs, shops, and suppliers. E.g., PMS 186 C is a specific shade of red.

A quality check for cured prints: apply tape to the design immediately after curing, press firmly, then pull sharply. If ink comes off, the garment is under-cured. Increase conveyor temperature or slow belt speed.

PVC-based ink that sits on top of the fabric and does not dry until heat-cured at 320°F+. Industry standard for durability and opacity. Does not wash out if properly cured. Cannot be flushed down drains.

A specific area on a garment where a design will be printed. Common locations: Front Left Chest, Full Back, Left Sleeve, Right Sleeve. Each location is a separate record in Kontrol™ with its own color count, artwork size, and production status.

Artwork that meets all technical requirements for production: 300 DPI minimum, correct color mode (spot colors or CMYK), proper dimensions, with text converted to outlines and no missing fonts.

The Kanban-style board in Kontrol™ showing all active jobs organized by production stage: Art Approved → Films → Screen Burned → In Production → Bagging. Auto-refreshes every 30 seconds.

A plastisol ink additive that causes the print to expand ("puff up") when heat-cured, creating a raised three-dimensional texture. Works best on bold, simple designs with 110 or 160 mesh screens.

Each job in Kontrol™ gets a unique QR code printed on its work order and packing list. Scanning the QR code takes production staff directly to the job, or shows customers a public status card.

Pixel-based image formats (PNG, JPG, PSD, TIFF). Resolution is fixed at creation — enlarging a raster file degrades quality. Always get vector source files when possible; use raster only at 300 DPI+.

The intake stage in Kontrol™ where incoming blank garments are counted and checked against the purchase order before moving to production. Discrepancies are flagged as holds.

The precise alignment of multiple print screens so each color lands in exactly the correct position relative to the others. Poor registration results in blurry outlines and color fringing.

Crosshair or target symbols placed outside the print area on every color separation. Used to align film positives on the light table and to set up screens on press consistently.

The permission level assigned to each team member. Roles control what pages and actions a user can access. Available roles: Owner, Admin, Manager, Art, Production, Sales, Viewer.

Cleaning a used screen by removing ink, then applying emulsion remover (reclaimer) to strip the hardened stencil, restoring the blank mesh for reuse on a new job.

A per-job charge that covers the cost of burning screens, mixing ink, and registering the job on press. Typically charged once per design, regardless of quantity. Setup fees make short runs less economical per unit.

A placeholder like {{customer_name}} or {{job_number}} used in email and SMS templates. Kontrol™ replaces shortcodes with real data when the message is sent.

A printing method that uses halftone dots and multiple spot colors to simulate the look of a full-color CMYK print on dark garments. Typically 6–8 colors. Produces photographic results without expensive CMYK separation.

A solid, opaque ink color mixed to a specific Pantone formula and printed through its own dedicated screen. Produces clean, consistent color without halftone dots. The standard for most screen printing work.

The rubber-bladed tool used to push ink across and through the screen mesh onto the substrate. Blade hardness (durometer), angle, and pressure all affect ink deposit and print quality.

The hardness rating of a squeegee blade, measured on the Shore A scale. Soft (60–65A) deposits more ink and is good for specialty inks. Hard (75–80A+) gives sharper edges and is better for fine detail.

The ordered sequence of stages a job moves through from creation to delivery. Each stage is customizable in Settings → Statuses. Moving a job forward can trigger automation rules automatically.

A printing method using heat to transfer dye directly into polyester fibers. Produces permanent, full-color prints with no surface buildup. Only works on white or light-colored polyester (100%+ content).

A fabric blend typically made of 50% polyester, 25% cotton, and 25% rayon. Soft and lightweight with a vintage look. Requires lower cure temperatures (280–300°F) to prevent polyester dye migration.

A white (or off-white) ink layer printed first on dark garments and flash-cured before printing subsequent colors. Creates an opaque foundation so colors read true rather than mixing with the dark fabric.

Artwork built from mathematical paths rather than pixels (SVG, AI, EPS, PDF). Scales to any size without any loss of quality. Ideal for screen printing because it separates cleanly into individual color layers.

Eco-friendly ink that uses water as a carrier instead of PVC. Absorbs into fabric fibers for a soft hand feel. Requires more careful screen maintenance (screens dry out faster) and specific cure temperatures.

An HTTP callback that sends real-time job data to an external system (like Zapier, Slack, or a custom app) whenever a specified event occurs in Kontrol™ — for example, when a job status changes.

Printing multiple ink colors in sequence without flash curing between colors. Faster than flashing between every color, but requires careful ink selection and mesh count management to prevent trapping issues.

A Kontrol™-generated document printed for the production floor. Includes job number, QR code, customer name, garment specs, print locations with sizes, ink colors, and special instructions.