jayhawk

hello. im looking to get into silkscreening or heat transfers as a kind of 2nd job/hobby, and have some questions. i coach alot of youth teams in my area and we have trouble getting shirts made. i live in west virginia and we dont have alot of silkscreen options in the mountains, lol. ive done some research on the web, looking at equipment, shirts, and i just found this message board this evening, so if im asking questions that have already been answered or are just dumb questions, please have patience.

1) im thinking of getting this package http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/site/799934/product/1008

what do you guys think of this setup? is this a good website to buy supplies from? is there better equipment to buy than this for about the same price? thats about how much im looking to spend on equipment, not counting shirts, ect. if i do buy this package is there anything else i would need?


2) do i need to get a nice color printer for my computer? if so laser or inkjet? what brand would be a good one?

3) do i need any art/photoshop software? programs like corel draw or photoshop? im not very artistic, but i have friends that are and could draw designs for me. i would need software to design anything i wanted to draw. what is some good software?

4) what is stenciling? again, i had never heard of this until i found this message board.

5) i figure i would be making about 200 shirts a month, with anywhere from 2 to 4 colors, in all sizes. what would be best heat transfer or screenprinting?

my only experience with any kind of custom shirt making ever, has been with a hanes type software program about 10 years ago. the designs looked really cool on the screen, but ironing them was a real pain and they didnt last very long after a couple washes.

im trying to learn all i can about the whole aspect of creating custom t-shirts. im on the board of all the local sports and churches in the area, so i dont think finding cutomers will be difficult, just learning how will be the challenge. so to anyone who could answer my questions, offer any suggestions/advice it would be greatly appreciated. thanks alot.

kert

 

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morr

I am planning to purchase a Riley Hopkins press from Ryonet (silkscreeningsupplies.com) in February. I attended the SGIA conference in Orlando back in October and was so impressed with this press. Not to mention that Ryan Moor, the president, took the time to screen a shirt with me. I really felt that he believes in his product and takes time for the "little people". Not to say that the other vendors at the conference were not helpful, they were. I just got a good feeling from Ryan.

 

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BSApparel

I bought just about all of my supplies from them - I'm highly impressed by their company and their service - I sent them an email with a quick question on a Friday expecting to hear back on monday, and Ryan actually responded that Sunday afternoon, which I was surprised by.

To the questions:

1) I bought the package one up from this one, which comes with a 4-color, 2 station press instead of the 1 station. I'd rather have the 2 station press so that I can always be flashing a shirt and printing at the same time, as opposed to having to wait for the flash to print my next color. That kit comes with just about everything you need - you might want to get more ink than that though, maybe additional colors.

2. You only need a printer to print the film positives used to expose the screens, so you really only need black - but make sure it prints opaque, with no lines.

3. You need software to make your designs. I use Corel Painter but you can use photoshop, draw, etc...if you're doing multiple colors you need multiple layers. I'd highly recommend buying the CD that Ryonet sells (I think it comes with the kit anyway), he goes over just about everything from design to production. Might not be a bad idea to buy the CD first so you know what you're getting into.

4. dunno :/

5) I'd say screenprinting.

 

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GreaseRags

We bought our package from the ryonet corp. And its great! The customer service is good, The supplies are top nocth, and our press is awsome. Still trying to get off the ground and get really familiar with the equipment but overall we are very satisfide.

 

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stunn

Quote: Originally Posted by GreaseRags We bought our package from the ryonet corp. And its great! The customer service is good, The supplies are top nocth, and our press is awsome. Still trying to get off the ground and get really familiar with the equipment but overall we are very satisfide.

what press did you get?

 

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mrtshirtmaker

Jayhawk,

I just bought the SPHO set-up from that same company (thats one step up from the one you are looking at). I am learning to use it as we speak, so I'll keep you posted on my results.

The advantage over the one you are looking at is it has 2 stations, so you can print a bunch more. And the Flash dryer is much better. . .

Keep intouch and maybe we can help each other out. . .

mrtshirtmaker

 

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jwcollect

If you're looking for a good press with all the other equipment needed check out Vastex.com. We've been using them for a couple of years and we love it. It's a serious manual press.

 

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GreaseRags

Quote: Originally Posted by stunn what press did you get?

Its a riley hopkins 6 color 4 station press.

 

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