posted
Hi folks, Listen, I'm about as green as it gets in this industry...too much to learn, Soo many questions to ask. I need a one way valve in the ole noggin.But, I digress. Where can I find some info on screen printing techniques. Is it a dark secret? Can anyone help PLEASE.
"You want it WHEN?"
-------------------- Lee Attewell Graffic Jam Auto Unit 3, 1731 Albany Highway, Kenwick Western Australia 6108
Posts: 102 | From: PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA | Registered: Oct 2001
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I have a question for you regarding screenprinting. How do you clean out and reclaim your screens?
After building all of my equipment (4 color press, exposure unit) I thought, if anything, I'd have problems with my stuff being homemade. Come to find out the thing I'm having a problem with is the cleaning and reclaiming part.
I use pre-stretched wood frames. But I waste more time (time is money) trying to clean and reclaim then if I just throw them away after each use!
I bought the Franmar products (Bean-e-doo and Strip-e-doo). The Strip-e-doo seems to work good, but I fight like crazy trying to get the ink out of the screen. I can get it eventually, but it seems to take forever.
Any tips that help you?
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY
Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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I use ChemSource Ink Degradent. I just scoop out the excess ink, squirt in a little degradent, work it in with a scrub pad, and wash it down the sink (meets California standards) with a pressure washer (low pressure settting). I use the Strip-E-Doo to remove the emulsion. And, I use ChemSource's Haze Paste to de-haze the screen when necessary. All of these products have a 1/1/0 rating.
I do not use any lacquer thinner unless absolutely necessary (which is a rare occurance).
I spend maybe 5 to 10 minutes at most to clean a screen.
[ November 28, 2001: Message edited by: Glenn Taylor ]
posted
I'm interested in both signs and t shirts. What grade of mesh should I use for each. Do the inks air dry. What size screens should I carry. should I cut the mask with my plotter????? Open my head please and spill in a little knowledge ( it'll be lonely in there)
should I cut the mask
-------------------- Lee Attewell Graffic Jam Auto Unit 3, 1731 Albany Highway, Kenwick Western Australia 6108
Posts: 102 | From: PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Well, Lee, just speaking from the little knowledge I have so far, I would strongly advise you to buy the book "How To Print T-Shirts for Fun and Profit". You absolutely can not beat that book for starting out. $29.95 at DickBlick.com.
It answers every question you have posted. And the answers to your questions are not necessarily clear cut answers. There are a lot of variables involved. And the book explains it all.
I can tell you that I bought the book with little knowledge about screenprinting. After I bought the book, I followed the plans to build a 4-color press, exposure unit, and registration guide. I already had a heat press to use to cure the ink.
After following the guidance of "the book", I delivered my first screenprint order yesterday. 1 dozen yellow shirts with black print and 1 dozen black shirts with yellow print. Full back print. Left Chest print and Right Chest Name Drop. Complicated enough for my first order, but honestly, everything went as planned and I'm anxious to start some more. My only problems were (as stated in an earlier post) cleaning and reclaiming the screen.
And Glenn, thanks for your input, I think I need more pressure during clean up. My brother has a pressure washer sitting in the cellar that he is not using right now. I think I'll go grab that and give it a try.
Thanks again Glenn, and good luck Lee!
Randy
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY
Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
You're right Randy. I have the same problems with clean-up. What's worse is I have a septic tank and can't go dows the drain with wastewater. I'm building a filter for the solids and have beend researching chemicals.
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Lee, You really need to do some in depth reading on this subject. you might contact ths SGIA and see what they have or at the very least find a copy or three of Screenprinting mag.
Some quick answers for you. We use amber cut on our plotter or film positives printed on our Edge and coat our screen with direct emulsion, Dirasol Rapid, at the moment. You will need a dark room for this. We built our own exposure table out of a sheet of patio door glass and a vaccuum pump. You'll need an exposure lamp also. Some get away with a bank of blacklight flourecents but a single source UV lamp is much preferred. You'll need a different type of ink for different substrates. Vinyl, coro, aluminum blanks and t-shirts all take different inks. You'll need a vaccuum table top to hold down you substrates. You'll need different screens for t-shirts and graphics. Around 200 mesh for graphics and maybe 110 for T-shirts. You can air dry most flatstock inks but you'll probably need an IR dryer for shirts. You'll need a power washer to strip screens with. Household bleach will strip most emulsions but the commercial products work much faster. In short, there isn't a quick paragraph or two here that will get you pulling quality prints. Spring for a book or two at least. Visiting another shop would be a good idea also. I don't want to dissuade you but this is a big step with a large learning curve. Do your homework before you step off the cliff. Good Luck!
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net
Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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What is it that you can't wash down the drain? The Plastisol ink? Or the chemicals?
The Franmar products are supposed to be "safe", "biodegradeable", etc. made from soybeans.
Couldn't you use something like that? Just curious as to what is not supposed to go into septics.
[ November 29, 2001: Message edited by: Randy W. Robarge ]
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Randy, I'm concentrating on the solids from the washout of the emulsions, washout chemicals and plastisols. Again I have a septic tank so my situation may be different.
Bill is right in all he said, ESPECIALLY that no short paprgraph here will say it all. I bought a sign business that was strictly a screen printing shop. I worked for the guy for 2 years before buying it. I still had many questions for him after buying it. His 20 years experience was the main componant of the business I could not purchase. I have become a vinyl & edge print based shop. I agree that visiting another shop could be very beneficial. Maybe a few towns over could keep fear of competition from limiting the amount of advice flowing your way. I think experienced t-shirt printers are a dime-a-dozen compared to printers experienced in the variety of substrates you will want to learn about. But if you could hire an experienced sign printer that would be a great way to break yourself into the field. Check out the awning companies in your area as to who is printing on their awnings. I found this work to be very profitable & not vary competitive.
Shipping to Australia would be prohibitive but I am selling my Halux 5000 metal halide exposure lamp, 4' x 5' glass exposure vaccuum frame, steel 3' x 4' air drying rack, 42" x 54" vaccuum printing table, 20 squeegees, 100 screens, and a large assortment of enamel inks, vinyl inks, all purpose inks, PX series flock adhesive inks, as well as 100 sheets each of clear & white 20" x 27" decal stock. Consulting, & training available too as well as subbing out the work that comes my way, so if anyone wants to relocate to Maui, lets do business. I'd even consider subleasing a portion of my shop.
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Thanks everyone for the info.I spoke to the guys at my suppliers yesterday, and they suggested I get a local bloke to set the screens for me and I supply the finished mask, and do the printing myself. Good idea there. I'm off to the library this morning to see what's there. About going to another shop to look...Perth is SUCH a small place, total population for the state is about 200,0000. Have a look at the atlas to see the size of this state. I think it is such a small town with a small town mentality. I don't think I'll have any luck there. That's why I was shocked when I found this site at the openess of everyone here I haven't found that here at all. Everyone is thinking about people ripping them off. Anyway enough of a ramble for 6 am time to go to work...
-------------------- Lee Attewell Graffic Jam Auto Unit 3, 1731 Albany Highway, Kenwick Western Australia 6108 Posts: 102 | From: PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA | Registered: Oct 2001
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Our screens are always clean before reclamation so no ink ever goes down the drain (well maybe a little reside) Tip- after setting up the screen, line the frame with masking (the paper stuff you use on vinyl) then after printing scrape out ink with card, tear off the masking and you only have to clean the imprint area. (I hate cleaning the corners)
I'll also recomend ScreenPrinting magazine (I'll get subscription info at work tomorrow)
Have been using this new product lately for making excelent small positives with my cheesy epson inkjet http://www.chromaline.com/prepress.html I love this stuff ... I haven't been in my dark room in months.
Doug, I'm on my way. --------------------------- awwww wife wont let me hahaha
[ November 29, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Matyjakowski ]
-------------------- Compulsive, Neurotic, Anti-social and Paranoid ... but basically Happy Posts: 2677 | From: Rochester, NY, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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