Choose a Squeegee

When you are ready to select a squeegee, you have four considerations:

Blade Material: Squeegees are usually made from one of three of materials: Rubber (least expensive), Neoprene, or Polyurethane (most expensive). Often, the more expensive the squeegee, the better chemical and abrasion resistance. I use a rubber squeegee.

Durometer: The durometer is the value that reflects the physical hardness of the squeegee material. The Squeegee durometer values range from 50A to 95A. The higher the number, the harder the squeegee. The blade needs to be rigid enough to shear the ink, and transfer it through the screen, yet needs to be soft enough to allow you to flex a bit as you put pressure on it. I use a 70 blade.

Profile: Squeegees with a square edge are the most common, and mainly used on manual presses. Rounded Squeegees are generally limited to the textile industry, and are used when a very heavy deposit is required. Beveled Blades are typically used for printing where fine definition is required. Double sided beveled blades allow you to use it in both directions (do not buy this one). I use a flat blade for all printing.

Width: You should try to buy a blade about two inches more narrow than the inside dimensions of your screen. For an 18" x 20" screen, I use a 14" squeegee.

An ideal squeegee can be found on the Shopping List (Online Art Supplies) here.

Note: You can sharpen the edge of your squeegee by gluing a sheet of new fine grit sandpaper to a piece of plywood with some spray mount. Then, hold the squeegee vertically and carefully rub the blade back and forth to create a new edge.