1. How to stretch the screen?

1. Get the screen frame and flip it to the bottom face. Release all the wrenches.

2. Get the coated screen with the side of the corrugated board facing down. Fit it into the frame and make sure the four corners are all in place and the screen is centered in the frame.

Get the four tensioning strips. Fit one into a side groove and tighten the related wrenches. Move on to the rest of the strips until all four sides of the screen are stretched.

Note: Pull the screen to tension it while fitting the rest of the three strips into the groove.

Careful: Do NOT put all four strips into the groove and then tighten the wrenches all at once.

3. Now flip the screen frame back to its printing face. Tear off the corrugated board. If the tensioning strips come off, repeat the previous step.

2. How to install the screen frame to the base?

To make sure you install the frame fixing piece in S1 correctly, see this guide.

1. Hold the screen frame with its bottom side facing up.

2. Insert it into the frame connector on the base of the printer as shown below:

3. Do I need origin calibration for S1 before using it with the screen printer?

4. Do I need to leave a distance between the design and the four sides?

In screen printing, it's advisable not to design patterns too densely. Specifically speaking, leave a certain distance on all sides to provide enough elasticity to the screen surface for optimal printing results.

Note: In the screen printing mode of XCS, built-in parameters already include a safe distance of 1 inch (25.4mm) for the top and the bottom and 0.4 inches (10mm) for the left and the right.

5. Why can't I get a perfect engraving on the coated screen with the 2W laser module?

Currently all the xTool laser modules compatible with the machine can engrave on the screen. However, the outcome may vary due to the wavelengths. According to our lab test, the 2W 1064nm laser module may not yield optimal results, possibly due to the impact caused by the 1064nm laser to the stainless steel screen mesh. Therefore, it's not recommend to use the 2W 1064nm laser module for screen printing.

6. What image formats in XCS are recommended for engraving the coated screen?

It's recommended to use vector images for screen printing. For bitmaps, use image processing software to remove colors and grayscale and apply halftone processing. Otherwise, the coated screen may be incomplete after the engraving.

7. How do I test the processing params before engraving on the screen mesh?

When engraving screen printing mesh with XCS, the recommended parameters aim to remove the coating without damaging the steel mesh. However, factors like laser power attenuation and machine differences can affect these parameters.

 

To ensure optimal results, we strongly recommend a small-range test using a test mesh before starting the actual engraving process. This will help determine the most suitable parameters for your specific machine.

 

 

1. Import the test picture file into XCS:

2. Select the element, choose engrave, and adjust the line density to fit your engarver.

Engraver Specs		Line Density
Model	Laser Module
S1	10w	200
	20w	200
	40w	200
D1 Pro	5w	180
	10w	200
	20w	160
	40w	220

 

3. Click on the "Array" icon and choose the "Material test array".

 

4. Set the params for the array. You can refer to the table below.

Engraver		Test Array Power Params				Test Array Speed Params
Model	Laser Module	Max（%）	Min（%）	Columns	Spacing	Max（mm/s）	Min（mm/s）	Rows	Spacing
S1	10w	100	80	5	3	160	140	5	3
	20w	65	45			170	150
	40w	60	40			295	275
D1 Pro	5w	90	70	5	3	90	70	5	3
	10w	90	70			120	100
	20w	80	60			190	170
	40w	45	25			200	180

 

After processing, choose the parameters for the grid with clean coating removal and no wire breakage as your machine's screen printing parameters. 

You can observe the engraved screen against the light or take pictures with a 5-10x macro zoom on your phone or camera.