Thinking about silk screen

[lablover 218]

I'm thinking about doing some silk screen.  I've gotten orders for some shirts that I assume would of been lots easier doing it silk screen.  Any advice for a starter 4 color press.  Was looking at the DIY system at screenprinting.com I've also turned down some orders that are 3-4 color and would of been murder HTV.  Sublimation is OK but looking to expand color of shirts..LOL  Tried that special Sublimation paper for cotton but worried about wear factor.

 

Looking for all suggestions 

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

Did you look into having them done vs you paying out for the equipment? I use to silk screen before my mom got into the business. I did it for a hobby but still charged people. The space silk screening takes if your going to go full throttle on it even with a 4 color press even if its the bench kind. You still need a drying rack, and I didnt look at the kit but does it have a decent exposure unit for the screens? Plus a 4 color press is almost too little when you consider you might have a white underbase plus 4 colors.  You should look into a 6 color press.

[Go-C Graphics 856]

Hint Hint wink wink

 

Contact Jaybird and oursource

[Sue2 920]

Hint Hint wink wink

 

Contact Jaybird and oursource

 

Good Advice!

Jay does a great job.

Sue2

[mark-s 1,126]

If I was going to get into it, nothing less than a 6 color press.

 

mark-s

[Sue2 920]

Why not test the market with Jay before committing to equipment that

takes up the whole garage....gives you time to check out what's

available.

 

Sue2

[xpaperman 719]

I guess I missed that Jay was doing it.... I have something coming up pretty quick that I need to out source...... guess I gotta contact Jay!

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

I dont remember how many colors jay can do though. maybe he will chime in soon.

[knucklehead 530]

I have found, you screenprint, and let the others, do the other stuff, or do the other stuff, and get someone else to do your screen printing.

[ghost1 12]

I downloaded the plans from screenprinting.com and with a few mods made a four color four station press for next to nothing. I will post the pics here if you want. it was easy to build. even for a dummy like me...basic carpentry skills here, I'm not a pro at all. I say go for it! the plans are free and if you have a bunch of scraps of wood laying around even better.

[djque 246]

let me help you out. screen printing is a whole different ball game and the equipment is expensive. I do 4 colors and sub out anything over that. Its a learning curve that you wont be doing 4 colors in a week or a month. you should start with a 1 color cheap press cause when you get into 2 and 3 and 4 color that's when registration comes into play. making 4 different screens and 4 different films. then your going to need RIP software for halftones and gradients. then comes the separation studio. now lets get on the ink. you need to make sure your hand are clean when you print a tshirt cuz if you touch the ink and touch the shirt you will stain it.

 

plastisol ink is the most common used but also is the most dirtiest. you will need all types of cleaning solution for cleanup. and trust me your garage or work space will be dirty. but this is also what make plastisol transfers. plastisol also have a hand feel to it like vinyl since its in a liquid form.

 

next is waterbase (which I personally use) it has the best cleanup available. I only have Simple Green Gallons I use for cleanup. but with waterbase there is no hand and the ink soaks into the fiber of the garment.

 

im trying to make this short cause its to much to talk about. here is a short video but its more to it.

 

[djque 246]

here is another video.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Dang I thought I just read an ad for Jay's Place lol. To start with I know 1 person who built 1 of those presses and with having to flash colors it held up exactly 1 job before it warped beyond use BUT that 1 job paid for his new press. I have 4 color but will be upgrading to 6 eventually and in a year and a half I've only once needed to do halftone in a job so realistically you can get by without RIP software. 90-95% of what I do is 2 color or less if that gives you an idea where my money is but I just bid a 4 color 600 shirt job so they are out there. I avoid waterbase ink for 2 reasons first being the drying time and second most of my customers are old school and actually loof for the feel of a screenprinted shirt to distinguish it from a dtg print which have a bad reputation for fading fast around here. Unlike Knucklehead (which in most cases he is right) I personally do screen print, sublimation, Jpss and 3G transfers as well as selling premade shirt transfers and not to be left out HTV but it can be very overwhelming at times. When I get this place sold I will probably reduce what I offer at my next store.

[pshawny 410]

I bought the 4-color semi-pro package from Ryonet several years ago and made a few shirts. It's definitely takes up some space and is more complicated than one might think. There is a fair amount of prep work and cleaning involved. I ended up deciding that it wasn't what I wanted to do and sold the equipment for about half of what it cost me. Some things are easier to just sub out.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Also I used a 500 watt halogen light to burn screens up to about a month ago when I stumbled upon a vacuum exposure unit for $200. I do love that new unit but the halogen worked OK and got the job done.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

If you're serious about 4 color look for a press with micro registration. I promise you when I upgrade again it will have micro registration or I won't buy it.

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

I got out of it because of all the extra stuff laying around. Prefer DTG its quiker and easier.

[lablover 218]

WOW

 

Lots to absorb.........Gonna do some thinking on this one

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Dtg is quicker with lots of colors. 1 or 2 color screen wins hands down

[ghost1 12]

@ lablover - sorry man, I didn't read the op well enough...did not realize that you were thinking about building a press to take on work. in that case what dj said is spot on. It's a learning curve for sure and even though I had my screens made for me at first, I've since learned all of those things he spoke of and now do everything myself. It's work, but I do it for myself mostly so it's worth it for me. if you're serious about screening shirts there's money in it, but practice first because you will make mistakes.

 

*EDIT* here are the pics of my "homegrown" silkscreen press. anyone can make one...

 

so I started with this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_762265.png

 

and this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_7947.png

 

and this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_847445.png

 

We wound up with this...this pic is just before I finished it. I sanded and painted it completely with a good oil based stain (overkill??? it works...)

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_1074558.png

 

had to learn how to make these...it was a PROCESS  

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_34626.png

 

Here's the finished product...water based ink that we let air dry and then tossed into the dryer (inside out) for about a half an hour.

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_544616.png

 

Like I said...we make tees over here strictly for funsies. I have seen REAL presses and they are built to last for commercial use. IMHO this is geared more towards the hobbyist, but as another wiser member pointed out - build one of these on the cheap, do a few jobs for friends who aren't gonna bust your stones about bein' perrrrrrfect...and before you know it you'll have enough to buy a good one for production.

[lablover 218]

@ lablover - sorry man, I didn't read the op well enough...did not realize that you were thinking about building a press to take on work. in that case what dj said is spot on. It's a learning curve for sure and even though I had my screens made for me at first, I've since learned all of those things he spoke of and now do everything myself. It's work, but I do it for myself mostly so it's worth it for me. if you're serious about screening shirts there's money in it, but practice first because you will make mistakes.

 

*EDIT* here are the pics of my "homegrown" silkscreen press. anyone can make one...

 

so I started with this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_762265.png

 

and this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_7947.png

 

and this:

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_847445.png

 

We wound up with this...this pic is just before I finished it. I sanded and painted it completely with a good oil based stain (overkill??? it works...)

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_1074558.png

 

had to learn how to make these...it was a PROCESS  

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_34626.png

 

Here's the finished product...water based ink that we let air dry and then tossed into the dryer (inside out) for about a half an hour.

http://forum.uscutter.com/uploads/gallery/album_261/gallery_94932_261_544616.png

 

Like I said...we make tees over here strictly for funsies. I have seen REAL presses and they are built to last for commercial use. IMHO this is geared more towards the hobbyist, but as another wiser member pointed out - build one of these on the cheap, do a few jobs for friends who aren't gonna bust your stones about bein' perrrrrrfect...and before you know it you'll have enough to buy a good one for production.

Seems I need a good project here soon...LOL

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I salute you and the screen printers - I got so far as collecting all the equipment and looked at how much room it was taking along with the mess - sold it all and ordered plastisol transfers.   for those that do it I applaud them.

[lablover 218]

So let me ask this then...What other options does one have besides Silk Screen.  I know there is a process that I could use my heat press (not HTV) but not real familiar with it.  Jetpro?  Guess I could look it up and see if it's worth the effort.  HTV is fine for one off's but is a pain for several..or more.  I guess I could mess with that Itrans paper and sublimation...I just wasn't real fond of trimming around the design so close that you could not see the backer film it leaves

 

When you contract out, is there any profits to be made?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

jpss and 3 g opague for inkjet transfers (or use a solvent printer       I order plastisol transfers where they screen print on a sheet, add a power to it while wet before partially curing, then when I get them I just put it on the shirt and press. comes out just like a screen printed directly and I chose each shirt size as I need it so I don't end up with a dozen extra small shirts that will never sell that take all the savings out of screen printing them.   I have used the transfers 2 years later with great results when stored properly - heck I pressed one for myself last month that I had done about 4-5 years ago and it was still good

[mark-s 1,126]

When ever you sub a job out the profit isn`t that much.

I only do it help my customer (a good one).

 

mark-s