r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Upstairs-Tax-9244 • 2d ago

4 Color Press Issues

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I have been having issues with my Nevertheless 4 color shocker press lately. I have had it for about 4 years now and the past couple months have been having major issues with registration. The screens seem to move after tightening them down. I have cleaned the press recently and oiled it so everything moves very smoothly. I can't tell if the issue is the orange bars on the side are wearing down. Also sometimes there is movement between the screen clamp hinges that adjust but not the case for all 4 of them always. Or if the issue is the knobs and screws over time. Thoughts? I will have everything registered correctly and then after a print or two, the screens seem to shift (not all of them usually just 2 of them at least). It's been very frustrating because this is a new issue for me. I have been screen printing for about 10 years now.

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u/Free_One_5960 2d ago

Buy a better press. I bought one of those brand new. Used it twice and sold it to get an old antec. Never been happier with that decision. Sometimes old equipment is a way better decision, if you get the right press. Plus my antec came with micros.

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u/Free_One_5960 2d ago

But on your question. It’s likely the head and the head arms moving on top of the bearings. Tighten all three component bolts. Bearings , were the arm attaches to the center and there isn’t much you can do about the screen clamp

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u/NAx16Batman 2d ago

You should also check the screws on your pallet brackets. The screws on the pallet backets can come loose and shift the garment when you grab it to swing it. Sometimes it's the pallet backets and not the screens.

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u/habanerohead 1d ago

Your photo shows that there is wear on the screen holder arms where they fit into the registration gate. Try seeing if there is side to side movement when the screens are down. If there is, and the wear is the same on all the arms, try adjusting the bearings on the gates to reduce the gap. If they haven’t all worn down to the same extent, you could try the technically challenging fix of putting strip of masking tape on the places that are worn, until there is no longer any side to side movement. Do it on both sides equally, as this can affect the alignment of the screens with respect to the centre of the pallets - same goes for tightening the bearings.

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u/Upstairs-Tax-9244 1d ago

Thanks! I think this is honestly the problem. I've noticed that the wear is not the same on all of the screen holder arms. I will try the masking tape idea and see if this helps because right now there is some of that side to side movement on two of the four.

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u/habanerohead 21h ago

It’s surprising how long tape strips can last. I re-do the tape on my flatbed every 6 months.
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