 Re: Photo Color Screen Printing - how many screens?
I made a typo up there. When talking about pressure you generally don't need to adjust for different weights of shirts, I was talking like going from shirts to hoodies. I usually adjust a touch for that, but my press is cheap and backs off every once in a while so I'm always fiddling with it.
Anyway, yeah the press is the most expensive part. I didn't shop for too long or do heavy research but I ended up with a new swing-arm press for around $300. This would be a "hobby" press for light production with minimal features and at best, a 1 year warranty. This is as cheap as you can get.
I think a decent 15X15 goes for around $600? Check out Hix.
From there if your business demands it, you can move up. I think the next price range is like $600 - $1000 there. I'll be picking up a decent press ASAP after doing some research. I bought the cheapest to learn on, try out my designs on different shirts, wash 'em, and sell a few to even out the costs.
As far as ink. I've not used anything other than Durabrite (Epson OEM) because it came with my printer, I could buy them anywhere for refill, and after doing research I found that a lot of people achieved good results. I printed some shirts about a year ago and have washed them a million times and the image still looks great. The shirt I used actually seems worse for wear than the transfer. The only problem I had was one of them cracked in the middle because I didn't stretch it after pressing and my placement was a little off.
I'd suggest trying Durabrite first since they come with the printer and then maybe grab a cartridge of Magic Mix to compare, or go full-bore bulk/continuous system. I'd also ask for some sample packs of different papers and try them. TLM Supply sells Transjet II paper and Magic Mix inks. |