Buyer's Guide: Manual Presses

We know that your presses are the backbone of your print shop. Whether you're just getting started or looking to expand your current operation, making sure to have a quality press will bring stability in your growth and scalability. Why? Durable parts lead to longer product life, advanced features lead to future scalability in function, and modular designs allow expandability. These are some of the cornerstones when selecting a press for your shop, delivering long term efficiency and smooth operation that you can optimize for scale. Why would someone want a manual press over automatic? The short answer is cost, but manual units are also great for building foundational skills of the screen printing process.

Knowing Your Scope of Work

It is important to understand what your requirements and range of print capabilities are. Details such as quantity of print jobs, size of print, amount of operators, etc. are all factors to be cognizant of when selecting a press. This is where you should map out what your best workflow is, and begin to understand the production constraints you might run in to. Manual presses require a lot of work from operators, so it is important to keep in mind for both operability and wear & tear on the body. Therefore, it is also in your best interest to make sure your press is never in a place that makes it difficult or cumbersome to operate.

Some key elements to look for in selecting a press:

Micro-registration -Precise micro-registration not only allows easier & quicker setup, but more control over the finite detail of your prints.

Pallet Compatibility- Being able to work with multiple pallet options, and if those pallets have any interchangeability with automatic presses are important features to consider in scalability.

All-Heads-Down Functionality- This is the setting where the press can be operated with all print heads down. It opens up the capability for multiple people to be operating the press at the same time.

Spring Assist/Spring Lift - Having finely balanced springs on each screen holder help minimize the effort required to raise & lower screens.

Clamps - Although not required, having adjustable side clamps helps stabilize the screen and improves registration.

Types of Presses

Selecting the type of press for your setup has a lot of varying factors. Everything from ease of use, to scalability, durability, and compatibility has to go into your decision making process. There are different configurations and capabilities of the various types of presses, so let's look further into them:

Single Station, Single Color Press

This is as simple of a design as it gets, perfect for hobbyists, small runs, or specialty applications. Usage is very straightforward and they are very convenient for tight spaces. Here we can see the Sidewinder Solo, M&R's low cost modular system. This unit can be uniquely used as a tabletop unit or with a stand. If you're in the early stages, this is perfect for you to begin with.

Multi Station, Multi Color Press

As the name suggests, multi station presses give you the flexibility to do simultaneous printing with different colors. They come in various forms, such as the M&R Kruzer & Chameleon. They're pivotal in scaling your workload, especially if you want to retain the same workflow and process.

M&R Kruzer

The M&R Kruzer is one of M&R's best models, having won an award as "product of the year" for manual presses, and often looked at as "The world's best entry level press". Why did it win these awards? Build durability, usability, and affordability. The Kruzer is a highly effective unit with great build quality for its price. Screen printers looking for their first manual workhorse often choose the Kruzer. It is still an entry level machine (relative to what you can scale up to), but has the performance capability to scale your operation long before another upgrade is necessary.

M&R Chameleon

Manual presses can also get as intricate as the M&R Chameleon. It has a revolutionary two tier design offers for expandability that no other machine can. You can expand to ten and fourteen color stations without needing to expand the footprint. As far as manual presses go, there isn't a better product in the market than the Chameleon. It allows you full expandability in a compact space, giving you the same hands on control that a manual press would have, that can also pivot into an automatic press.

Alternatively, if you are looking for an in-between solution, there is also the M&R Sidewinder. With its three point pallet-leveling system, side clamps, multiple-bearing upper and lower carousel plates, among other features - the Sidewinder is an excellent mid-level choice. One thing to note, the Sidewinder is considerably heavier than the Kruzer, due to steel welded components for reinforced durability.

Why M&R?

Simply put, M&R is the best option in the short run, and long run. Looking back at the beginning of our guide, we mentioned that finding a durable, high quality machine is a very important factor in selecting a manual press for your shop. These machines are meant to be workhorses - it will serve as your backbone for growth, as you will inevitably push it to its capabilities. From ease of use to shelf life, M&R has consistently proven to be the best product for screen printers of all capacities. If you're aiming for professional level results, you want professional level equipment. It will get you there with greater consistency in workflow, lead times, and output. Here are some of the quality of life benefits you get with an M&R machine that you normally don't see on other manual presses.

Build Quality - M&R units are heralded as best in the industry for their durability (among other things). With so many moving parts in a system, the likelihood of smaller components running into wear and tear issues skyrockets. This is where the few extra dollars in investing in your build quality will pay dividends for your shop in the long run.

Pallet Compatibility- All M&R pallets can be used on automatic & manual presses, allowing you to scale both within your current vision of manual presses, and potential future automatic presses.

Modular Design - An extremely flexible feature that comes with M&R presses that you won't see from competitors, especially at the entry level.

Professional Features - Even for their entry level manual presses, M&R offers professional features such as a micro-registration system, tool-free adjustments, side clamps, a heavy-duty bearing system, and more. Another overlooked value you get from purchasing M&R equipment.

Concluding Thoughts

Looking to expand your shop? Or maybe you're just starting to get your foundation together? Whatever the case may be, we have the knowledge to guide you down the path that's most effective for you. Growing your operation takes planning, strategy, and collaboration. At Screen Printers Resource, we provide that personal level of care you won't see with other distributors. We are here to guide you down the river to long term success, and help you navigate the obstacles along the way. We've helped business start from the early stages, and scale at enterprise levels. No matter where you are in your screen printing journey, you can rest assured we have seen it, and more importantly - we're ready to help. Contact us directly at 888-435-2468.