M Matt Marcotte

Published Work & Featured Writing

Over the years I've written extensively for the screen-printing industry — most of it for Printavo, plus contributions to Printwear and Printer magazines and a keynote at the PrintHustlers Conference. Here's a running index of that work. For my own writing, see the blog.

Screen printing — technique & how-to

Printavo
How to Screen Print With White Ink
Why white on dark garments trips up new printers — and how to lay down a base that's bright and opaque instead of dull and patchy.
Printavo
Screen Mesh Guide (With Downloadable Cheat Sheet)
How to match mesh count to your art and ink so detail, opacity, and ink deposit all land where you want them — with a cheat sheet for the press floor.
Printavo
Screen Printing Ink: Types, Brands & Where to Buy
A plain-English breakdown of plastisol, water-based, and specialty inks — the brands worth knowing and where to actually source them.
Printavo
6 Benefits of Screen Printing With Water-Based Inks
Why water-based inks are worth the learning curve, and the upside most plastisol-only shops are leaving on the table.
Printavo
Print Variables: How to Make Better Screen Prints
The dozens of variables that quietly decide print quality — and how to control them instead of chasing ghosts on every job.
Printavo
How to Build a Screen Room on a Budget
Setting up a proper screen and darkroom for coating and exposing — without spending thousands to do it right.
Printavo
Should You Buy a DTG Printer?
An honest look at direct-to-garment — where it pays off, where it doesn't, and what to weigh before you write the check.

Shop operations & management

Printavo
5 Expensive Mistakes Screen Printing Shops Make (And How to Fix Them)
Printavo
8 Strategies to Stop Burnout Before It Hurts Your Print Shop
How operator distraction and burnout quietly cost shops money — and the systems that keep your best people from running on empty.
Printavo · Series
Managing Screen Printers, Part 1: Accountability
Part 1 of my management series — building real accountability into a print team so quality doesn't depend on who's watching.
Printavo · Series
Managing Screen Printers, Part 2: Standard Procedures
Part 2 — turning how you do things into written standards the whole team can actually follow.
Printavo · Series
Managing Screen Printers, Part 3: Checks & Approvals
Part 3 — the quality checks and approval steps that keep bad shirts off the truck and out of a customer's hands.
Printavo
Creating a Culture of Accountability
The mindset behind accountability — and why it has to be built long before anything goes wrong on the floor.

Also: contributor to Printwear and Printer magazines, and 2018 keynote speaker at the PrintHustlers Conference (recap here). Want to talk shop or have me write/speak? Get in touch →