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Paul
27-10-2009, 04:02 PM
Hi! Is here any one who is screen printing?? I wish to start doing that so would be nice to have some advice from more experienced user :)

this is my gear I bought of wicked printing stuff (http://wickedprintingstuff.com/KIT_RANGE-Kits_1_Colour/SCREEN_PRINTING_1_COLOUR_PLASTISOL_KIT.html)

http://wickedprintingstuff.com/images/images_big/1colkit2.jpg

Used few times and had differend results... some good ones and some bad ones... :)


Paul

AJLA
28-10-2009, 09:29 AM
I would love to hear about it too!

I didn't realise that you could buy a peice if kit that was designed sort of smaller volume type of thing.

How difficult is it paul to create a design. I mean what does the process involve ?

Also where did you get the equipment?

Vinyls great and I use it on all my t shirts but I would rather use screen printing for my regular selling shirts and use the vinyl for the hen parties and events etc if it is at all viable.

bms
28-10-2009, 12:53 PM
There's a home video on YouTube showing how to screen print. Can't remember the exact link, but if you search for screen printing - there's a couple of lads showing the whole process from start to finish.

AJLA
28-10-2009, 03:10 PM
oh great thanks!

Paul
28-10-2009, 03:21 PM
I would love to hear about it too!

I didn't realise that you could buy a peice if kit that was designed sort of smaller volume type of thing.

How difficult is it paul to create a design. I mean what does the process involve ?

Also where did you get the equipment?

Vinyls great and I use it on all my t shirts but I would rather use screen printing for my regular selling shirts and use the vinyl for the hen parties and events etc if it is at all viable.
Yes you can :) I only got 1 color set as this is what I need realy...
you can buy everything at http://wickedprintingstuff.com/

this video will show you basics :)
[flash=425,350:389bul2o]http://www.youtube.com/v/Ee_8IMx0uMo[/flash:389bul2o]

I bought this kit coz there is no way I cut 100 logos :) screen printing is quicker :)

bms
28-10-2009, 03:28 PM
That's the YouTube video I was thinking of!

Paul
28-10-2009, 03:37 PM
:) there is loads of them most preety good. youtube is the way I learn things :)
god bless youtube ;)

AJLA
28-10-2009, 03:49 PM
Haven't had a look yet but I will do shortly, what do you find is a viable run doing it this way then? 5, 10,50 100?

I would only need it to print in white, can this be done also?

What I usually do is press so many of each design mid summer say 10 of each the less popular sizes and maybe 20 of each more popular sizes. Towards Xmas I only top up as required.

My concern is... at the moment if I run short of only one design of course the beauty is you just do the odd one. I don't want to have my Cornish t shirts as some vinyl and some screen printed. But I would much rather them be screen printed.

What do you think?

Paul
28-10-2009, 03:53 PM
I would start doing that from 50 and more as its time counsuming doing screens etc... but couple of weeks ago I have done 5 :) for my mates for punk gig :)
you can print whatever color you like :) no problem :)

AJLA
28-10-2009, 04:08 PM
Heck !! Watched the video now i'm going to as some daft questions.... when you make a screen up, let it dry then use it for printing can you save that screen for later use?
Do you have different screens for each design or are they disposable (is that the same question?)

What about the exposure to light how have you got this set up?
I appears it could be quite messy, I print my tees on another level with no sink or water, however downstairs in the shop we have the perfect sink for the job. Would it be crazy to be running up and down the stairs with these things?

Is it much cheaper to be done this way?

Paul
28-10-2009, 04:38 PM
AJLA! ther is no daft questions! only daft answarws lol :)
Yes you can use this screen again and again. but if you have regular customer with this same designe you dont want to mess with screens more then once :) so you keep it on the shelf :)

this is how to reclaim the screen:

[flash=425,350:11ivb770]http://www.youtube.com/v/KM9uxI2bkPQ[/flash:11ivb770]


my exposure unit is simillar to that. (not this same but hallogen light same as her 1000w)

http://wickedprintingstuff.com/images/images_big/exposure%20unit%201.jpg

and well... this could bee quite messy but only on the begining... after you get it it's easy and stright forward...
your sink or bath down stairs is fine. I do that in my bathroom :) (dont tell my wife:)


and last answare is yes! its much cheaper. if you do let say 50 tees it will cost you about 50p per print + tee. this is only gess but its not far off... ink is cheep. tube of white ink will cost you about £13 per 1L!!! and belive me this is plenty :)

forgot to add that customer will pay set up fee... well its up to you but coat the screen will cost you about £10 but it depence how much you time will cost :)

AJLA
28-10-2009, 05:45 PM
Wow looks like hard work!

How long will a screen last if I re use it?

Paul
28-10-2009, 05:48 PM
hmmm :) its dificult to say a sI still got my... but I read somwhere that it can last years or LOADS of jobs! sometimes if you your screen had it all You di is just restrech new mesh on it.

Justin
28-10-2009, 06:49 PM
My first job in the printing industry was managing a screen making department at a big screen printers in Leicestershire. I had no experience whatsoever but needed a job. My Brother-in-law was well in at the company so 'bluffed' me into the job! I had a couple of hours training in his garage and started the following day. Baptism of fire.

Whilst I was only responsbile for making the screen up/cleaning off etc. I learned a fair bit in a short space of time. This was many years ago but I've often thought about getting one of these single colour set-ups and having a play.

A friend runs a printers in Nottingham who I sometimes contract small jobs to and I remember discussing this with him. It's a big learning curve getting into screen printing but very rewarding and challenging. His advice was to leave it to the folk that already do it and give us all a share of the pie. Decent advice but I still hunger to learn!

Justin

Justin

AJLA
29-10-2009, 08:48 AM
single colour printing?

Justin
29-10-2009, 07:38 PM
Single station rather than single colour. Obv. you can put different screens in to change colours but these are ideally suited to single colour.

Justin

Paul
29-10-2009, 08:04 PM
i do single color as well... that what i need on this moment. but hope to upgared soon :)

John G
15-11-2009, 10:04 PM
Hi, I run a screen printing co and have been in the trade for 26 years so if anyone need any advice - ask away.

Cheers John

Justin
15-11-2009, 10:15 PM
Nice one John, you may regret telling us that! lol.

Justin :-)

Paul
15-11-2009, 10:32 PM
ok John :) thats one for you. my print is quite nice and sharp edges but is not smooth. is sort of like sand paper feeling. some one told me is that off contact fault. can you tell me how to set it up corretly please?


Paul

GoldRapt
15-11-2009, 10:45 PM
How much did all that kit cost you please Paul?

Paul
15-11-2009, 10:48 PM
£210 ;)

John G
15-11-2009, 10:57 PM
Hi Paul, Can you tell me what your printing onto and what kind of ink and stencil your using.

John

Paul
15-11-2009, 11:00 PM
I am printing on Gildan black t-shirts. I use opaqe white plastisol ink. my screen is T43. I dont know who manufactore my emulsiaon but i dont know if that is any important...


thanx
Paul

Justin
15-11-2009, 11:05 PM
Is T43 quite a course screen?
Justin

Paul
15-11-2009, 11:07 PM
what you mean by quite a course? :) I dont know that term. sorry :oops:

Justin
15-11-2009, 11:08 PM
Wide gaps in the mesh to allow more ink through?

John G
15-11-2009, 11:27 PM
Hi Paul, 43 mesh is very coarse (as in large hole count), i use 60's for t'shirts, sometimes 90's, and for vinyl I use 120's. The reason I asked about the ink and stencil was I wanted to see if your ink was affecting the stencil and making it stick to whatever you were printing.

For t shirts I've never used any snap or off contact - plastisol is fine wet on wet printing (2 colour printing) and doesn't need any gap (snap) between screen and shirt. If your using Sericol inks you can thin it slightly with flow thinner, not runny thin but just to make it more manageable, you can even use white spirits. Make sure you flood the screen (coat the screen with ink ready for printing) and print with a smooth action. Also make sure your platen is covered with spraymount or whatever your using to keep the t'shirt in place.

Cheers John

Paul
15-11-2009, 11:37 PM
I use adeshive sparay told my tee in place. So you think my screen is not good?

John G
15-11-2009, 11:42 PM
Horses for coarses - depends what your printing. If it text or simple designs then yes, its no good. If you need a load of white to go down for large solids then its OK. I only own 1 x 43 screen - probably have 30 or 40 x 60's, 90's and 120's.

Cheers John

Paul
15-11-2009, 11:49 PM
Well. It look like i need to buy few more screens :)

John G
16-11-2009, 12:03 AM
Try thinning your ink a little, if no good try a different squeegie and if still no joy go and get a 62T screen - give it a go. You might have a good screen supplier but I use Colenso for my screens (wood frames).

Cheers John

Paul
16-11-2009, 12:32 AM
I use aluminium ones. Can you post some links to good supliers? What emulsion do you use and how long it takes to expose it? What price etc... :) i am realy looking forward to start ne hobby. Fantastic add on to sublimation.

Also we have members to members ofers so you ,ay want to post some discounts to dorum members. :)

John G
16-11-2009, 04:54 PM
Hi Paul, Colenso do metal frames too but there's bound to be a screen stretcher near you which would save the delivery charges - try yellow pages.

I use colenso for squeegies, screens and emulsion "Fotecoat 1072"
Sericol for all my inks - there are other suppliers but you do get what you pay for!
Litho Supplies for latex gloves, scalpel blades/knives and MEK - a fast drying blanket wash normally used in litho printing but brillaint for cleaning a stencil which will be used again or squeegies.

Exposure time will vary depending on the darkness of possie, thickness of emulsion and the distance between light source and glass. My screens take 4.5 minutes but I have used exposure units that can do it inbetween 1 and 3 minutes.

Cheers John

Paul
16-11-2009, 04:55 PM
also I forgot to ask you John what squeegee should I use? I own V shape but i know there is other shapes too.


thanx


Paul

Paul
16-11-2009, 04:57 PM
My screens take 4.5 minutes but I have used exposure units that can do it inbetween 1 and 3 minutes.



lol. my expose time is about 25min under 1000w light :)

John G
16-11-2009, 05:28 PM
Here's a link to colenso - if links are not allowed please delete:

http://www.colenso.co.uk/squeegee-blade.htm

I use the square type G1 but haven't ordered any blades for ages as I kind of had large stocks from previous employment. :lol:

25mins exposure - time to get a new bulb :D
John

Paul
16-11-2009, 05:43 PM
bulb is brand new mate :) this is supplier i have my emulsion from: http://wickedprintingstuff.com/EMULSION/

so you say square one is beter then V shape?


i am lost now ;(

John G
16-11-2009, 05:54 PM
I suppose its what you get used to - when I first started in printing all you could get were square squeegee's so that what I use. Stuck in my ways old F&rt. :lol:

Basically its all trial and error and practice makes perfect.

Paul
16-11-2009, 06:02 PM
right :)
ok I will stick all that you said in to my head and I am going to print somethink on weekend.

I cant wait as I want to try print with out any off contact.

valentine rhodes
20-01-2010, 02:23 PM
val rhodes
if you want to keep stock screens, what you do is when you have developed your screen, you put it in front of the lamp, and cure it again.This will make the screen permanent, and it lasts. In my last job, we had 2000 screens that had all our catalouge signs on, and it saved us a lot of rework in broken down screens.And time is money. Hope this helps.

Tom Wiliams
10-09-2010, 10:13 AM
Thanks for great post, I got lot of ideas with this, and i will bookmark this post. Do you have a rss feed that I can add? Have a fantastic day!!!

GoldRapt
17-09-2012, 12:33 PM
Despite being three years old this is still a good thread.
A shame that the You Tube lnks Paul originally posted no longer exist but that's youtube for you.
I am sure that similar video's exist ir the same one's as Paul's but in a different location.
If anyone has them could they reup please so we (ie me) can have a look at them please?
regards
Tony