Squeegee Guide
Pick the blade hardness, edge profile, and stroke angle that suits your ink and mesh count, so your print stroke lays down a clean, even, repeatable deposit.
Recommended squeegee setup
A medium-duro blade is the standard, all-round choice for plastisol on low-to-mid mesh counts.
Matching the blade to the job
The squeegee does the actual work of forcing ink through the screen, so its hardness and edge shape change how much ink transfers and how clean the edges come out. Soft, round-edge blades at a steep angle are built for volume — puff additive and glitter that need a thick deposit to look right. Firm, sharp-edge blades at a flatter angle shear a thin, precise deposit through tight mesh without flooding fine detail.
Ink chemistry pulls in the same direction as mesh count: thinner water-based and discharge inks generally want a firmer blade than plastisol to force enough ink through without over-thinning the print, especially once the mesh gets fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does squeegee durometer mean?
Durometer measures the hardness of the squeegee blade's rubber on the Shore A scale — roughly 40 (soft, like a pencil eraser) to 90+ (firm, like a skateboard wheel). Softer blades flex more and lay down a thicker deposit; firmer blades flex less and shear a thinner, cleaner one.
Why does the recommendation change with mesh count?
A fine, high mesh count already restricts how much ink passes through, so a firm blade at a low, flat angle shears just enough ink through without flooding the tight weave. On open, low mesh counts there's less risk of flooding, so blade choice depends more on the ink itself.
What's the difference between a sharp and a round squeegee edge?
A sharp, square edge shears ink cleanly and is the standard choice for most printing, giving crisp edges and controlled deposit thickness. A round edge lets more ink through per stroke, which is useful for heavy deposits like puff ink where you want volume more than crisp edges.
How does the angle I hold the squeegee at matter?
A steeper angle (closer to vertical) pushes more ink through for a thicker deposit; a flatter, lower angle shears more and deposits less. Printers adjust angle stroke-to-stroke as a fine-tuning tool on top of the blade hardness and mesh count.
Educational guide only, based on commonly cited screen-printing starting points — not a physical calculation. Dial in your exact angle and pressure with a test print.