Zach Achorn
FounderSelf Made DesignsB04 Automation 101 – Scaling Screen Printing Right, from Manual to My First Auto
Why Someone Should ComeMoving from manual printing to an automatic press is one of the biggest decisions a screen printing shop can make. Automation c…Why Someone Should ComeMoving from manual printing to an automatic press is one of the biggest decisions a screen printing shop can make. Automation can increase capacity, improve consistency, and open the door to larger jobs, but it also requires a …Why Someone Should ComeMoving from manual printing to an automatic press is one of the biggest decisions a screen printing shop can make. Automation can increase capacity, improve consistency, and open the door to larger jobs, but it also requires a different mindset around screens, setup, workflow, labor, maintenance, and production standards. This session helps attendees understand what changes when a shop moves from manual printing to its firs…Why Someone Should ComeMoving from manual printing to an automatic press is one of the biggest decisions a screen printing shop can make. Automation can increase capacity, improve consistency, and open the door to larger jobs, but it also requires a different mindset around screens, setup, workflow, labor, maintenance, and production standards. This session helps attendees understand what changes when a shop moves from manual printing to its first auto and how to scale in a way that supports productivity instead of creating new bottlenecks. Who Should ComeThis session is ideal for manual screen print shops that are thinking about automation, business startups that want to get into screen printing in a serious way, and new automatic press operators who need a practical introduction to automated production. It is also valuable for shop owners and production leaders who want to understand what skills, systems, and expectations need to be in place before adding or fully utilizing an automatic press. What They Will Learn Manual to Auto Mindset: Understand how the move from manual printing to automatic production changes setup, labor, workflow, and production expectations. Automatic Press Fundamentals: Learn the core skills and best practices needed to operate an automatic screen printing press with confidence. Darkroom Readiness: Discover why screen quality, exposure, mesh selection, registration, and reclaim discipline become even more important when printing on an auto. Setup Efficiency: Learn how to reduce downtime through better job staging, screen preparation, registration habits, ink setup, and press organization. Hands-On Production Concepts: Explore practical automatic printing applications, including projects such as fleece and simulated process work, so attendees understand how different jobs behave on press. Scaling the Right Way: Learn how to evaluate when automation makes sense, what to prepare before the press arrives, and how to avoid common first-auto mistakes.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
B08 Automation 102 – Standard Operating Procedures
Why Someone Should ComeAutomation works best when the shop has repeatable systems behind it. A press can only print as efficiently as the process that…Why Someone Should ComeAutomation works best when the shop has repeatable systems behind it. A press can only print as efficiently as the process that feeds it, and many shops lose time because each operator handles setup, screens, approvals, ink, ga…Why Someone Should ComeAutomation works best when the shop has repeatable systems behind it. A press can only print as efficiently as the process that feeds it, and many shops lose time because each operator handles setup, screens, approvals, ink, garments, maintenance, and cleanup differently. This session focuses on the standard operating procedures that help shops create consistency, train employees, reduce errors, and turn automatic printing …Why Someone Should ComeAutomation works best when the shop has repeatable systems behind it. A press can only print as efficiently as the process that feeds it, and many shops lose time because each operator handles setup, screens, approvals, ink, garments, maintenance, and cleanup differently. This session focuses on the standard operating procedures that help shops create consistency, train employees, reduce errors, and turn automatic printing into a repeatable production system instead of a daily guessing game. Who Should ComeThis session is designed for shop owners, production managers, automatic press operators, lead printers, and teams preparing to scale. It is especially useful for shops adding their first automatic press, training new operators, trying to reduce production mistakes, or looking to document best practices so the business can grow beyond one person’s knowledge. What They Will Learn SOP Foundations: Learn what standard operating procedures are, why they matter, and how they create consistency across art, darkroom, setup, production, quality control, and cleanup. Press Setup Standards: Understand how to document repeatable procedures for loading screens, registering jobs, setting squeegees and flood bars, staging inks, and preparing garments. Darkroom and Screen-Making Procedures: Learn how consistent coating, exposure, washout, drying, labeling, and screen storage help the press run more efficiently. Training and Accountability: Discover how written procedures make it easier to train new employees, set expectations, evaluate performance, and reduce reliance on tribal knowledge. Quality Control Systems: Learn how checklists, approvals, test prints, production samples, and job notes prevent mistakes before they become full-run problems. Continuous Improvement: Understand how to use SOPs as living documents that evolve with better equipment, stronger habits, and lessons learned from real production.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More