Cart

Screen Printing Blog

FRANMAR AWARDED “IT’S SUSTAINABLY SOY” CERTIFICATION
January 31, 2024 | Posted by Karen Apfelbaum

FRANMAR AWARDED “IT’S SUSTAINABLY SOY” CERTIFICATION BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Franmar, Inc. has been awarded the “It’s Sustainably Soy” certification from the Illinois Soybean Association in Bloomington. The certification recognizes businesses and organizations for their development and use of products with soybeans, a safer, renewable resource that’s better for people and the planet. “The It’s Sustainably Soy certification recognizes organizations committed to environmentally friendly investments by utilizing products based on soybeans, …

Remembering Franmar Founder Frank Sliney
December 16, 2021

Frank H. Sliney Nov. 15, 1935 - Dec. 8, 2021 BLOOMINGTON - Frank H. Sliney, 86, founder and co-owner of local Franmar, Inc. passed away Wednesday morning, December 8, 2021, surrounded by family and beloved pups: Elphie, Beau, and Carson, at his home in Bloomington. His visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021, at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, where food and soft drinks will …

Supply chain disruptions won’t affect Franmar’s commitment to customer service
October 12, 2021

When the Coronavirus pandemic first took hold early last year, Americans who were used to an abundance of everything 24/7 suddenly saw shortages of paper towels, toilet paper and cleaning supplies, as well as lots of empty grocery shelves. People stocked up and supplies dwindled. Fast forward to today. Shelves are fuller, and paper products and cleaning supplies are easier to come by, but the global supply chain remains in …

Franmar Welcomes New General Manager
October 5, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, IL -- A veteran manager experienced in many facets of business has been hired as the general manager for Franmar, Inc. Tim Whitlock of Normal will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Bloomington, Ill.-based manufacturer, which produces the BLUE BEAR® retail and industrial lines, and a complete line of screen-printing products. He assumes many of the responsibilities held by Vice President Dan Brown, who will remain with the company …

COVID Can't Keep Us Down!
October 27, 2020 | Posted by Dan Brown, General Manager

Before coming to Franmar 20 years ago, I served a 21-year stint in the U.S. Air Force and also 12 years pastoring a church. Yes, I’m an old guy, and like the fellow from that TV insurance ad “I’ve seen a lot!” But I’ve never seen anything like what we’re living in now. The whole world is in the grips of this COVID-19 pandemic, and every person on the planet …

New Dip Tank & Combo Kits
February 15, 2019 | Posted by Lexie Bragg

Dip tanks are designed to make the reclaiming of multiple screens faster, easier, and more cost-efficient. A dip tank is a plastic container which holds a mixture of cleaning chemicals that will help soften emulsion and ink, making removal with a pressurized hose in a washout booth easier and faster. Using a dip tank in the reclamation process is simple; begin by carding, or removing, the majority of your ink …

Shop Feature: Half Hazard Press
September 17, 2018 | Posted by Lexie

Halfhazard Press, located in Down Town Bloomington Illinois, is a screen printing shop, art gallery, clothing store, and more. Self described "Gentlemen & Scoundrels of the Arts," Half Hazard Press is run by Joel Hunt and Christopher Gray. H.H.P. Specializes in hand illustrated advertisements and showcases an impressive repertoire of clients and portfolio. Half Hazard Press was kind enough to take some time to speak with us about their art, …

Shop Feature: Meltdown Creative Works
April 19, 2018 | Posted by Lexie Bragg

Here at Franmar, our customers and the work they do are very important to us. As a special thank you to our valued clients, we wanted to take the time to see the fantastic projects that Franmar is helping them create. We are starting with Meltdown Creative Works, located in Bloomington Illinois. Visiting their shop gave us the opportunity to see the printers in action and learn more about …

Burning a Great Screen Part 4
September 12, 2017 | Posted by Franmar

Continuing our discussion of how to get great screen images, we should be moving away from “Why doesn’t my screen image come out right?” With the last post in this series, hopefully we are all arriving at “My screens are great every time!” Determining Optimum Burn Time: The best way to figure out your ideal burn time is with a step test. There are companies that sell a kit that …

Burning a Great Screen Part 3
September 12, 2017 | Posted by Franmar

Emulsions & Screens: The last factor in the burn time equation is the screen and emulsion combo. Each emulsion and screen combo is going to have a slightly different burn time. I’m not going to say that one screen is better than another or this emulsion is better than that emulsion. All the variations in emulsions and screens are too extensive to cover in this article, but with some reference …