Formkitheader.jpg (17180 bytes)
Strike-Off Specifications Sheet

Purpose: Help attain consistency in repeating orders.

File Name: STRIKOFF

Format: Single Page, 1 Part

When a customer likes the way you printed a job, he is likely to re-order the job from you. But that happiness will be short-lived if the second time you print a job does not look just like the first. To make sure that the second, third and all subsequent runs of a job look just like the first, you'll need to duplicate all the conditions of the original run. Especially if half-tones, process color or any other special techniques are involved, you'll have to duplicate all the conditions of the original job exactly, right down to the flood speed and squeegee durometer. If a re-order does not look just like the first order, you haven't done your job to satisfy the customer. The Strike-Off sheet is used to record all relevant data for re-creating screen printed jobs.

Each time a new job is undertaken, a strike-off sheet is created for the new job. On the header of this sheet, the date and press used are entered, along with the customer's name, job / order number, and the screen design's name or number. For each screen in the design, a row in the midsection of the form is filled. Once a satisfactory print has been produced and approved,  the operator denotes all information about each screen used to create the design. In the "Ink" section, the operator notes the brand, stock number, and any formula number associated with the modification of the ink for this design.

In the "Screen" section of this form, the operator notes information as to the brand of mesh, mesh size, weave (Plain or twill), and thread diameter, as well as the average tension of the screen and stencil thickness used. There is an area to note the measurement of off-contact and flood speed that the press was set to use as well. In the "Squeegee" section, the operator will want to include information as to the print speed and pressure of the squeegee, as well as the durometer of squeegee used, as failure to repeat any of these specifications will make many two different instances of a print job appear different from one another.

Finally, spaces are provided to record the number of print strokes used on each color, as well as any flash time and temperature.  For presses that use flood bars, the type can be specified, and for tracking curing, it is important to record the dryer temperature / time utilized for this design.

When finished with a job, the strike-off sheet should be filed along with a strike-off sample of the design to aid the press operator in duplicating this job in the future.

Manual Presses: While manual presses can be more versatile than automatic presses, they cannot be as consistent. However, a diminished consistency does not mean that consistency cannot be improved by using strike-off sheets. Some portions of this sheet will not have relevance for a manual press operator, but most still are, and can greatly help keep jobs consistent and customers happy.

Return to Forms Kit Manual