FlyRobot

Hi. I love the forum...

We've just invested in a 6/4 press and a dryer. We're goiing to start by launching our own range of alternative fashion, then may explore other avenues after that.

We're working on designs right now, and have selected our blank garments, but we're still not sure on what inks and screens to use. We've already spent a lot of money, and don't want to throw money away on bad quality ink. On the other hand, money is so tight, we don't want to spend a fortune on top of the rangne inks if the budget inks will do a closely comparable job.

So far, have been looking at sericol and union inks... but finding WPS and e-coatings ink prices difficult to resist.

The same is true with the frames/meshes and accessories. We've been looking at Wicked Screen Prints 20x24" aluminium frames which are selling at £180 for 10, which sounds great, but will the meshes be correctly tensioned? will they maintain their tension.... or again, should I invest in the really expensive frames?

Basically we're being really careful where we spend the pennies... quality is paramount for our designs and i want to spend money in the right places, but also save money where we can. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

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Saltire Designs

Hi Andy & Mike,

Sorry I can't be of help be, I'm in the same boat as you guys....trying to buy once & buy right!

Here's a couple of links to trade mags here in th UK that might help you out some way:
Screen Process & Digital Imaging
Printwear & Promotion ? garment decoration and promotional clothing/merchandise news & information

What supplier are you using for your garment blanks?

neil

 

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FlyRobot

Hi Neil, thanks for that.

It looks like we'll be using continental clothing blanks for our range, but are thinking elms and elms for fotl/gildan cheap blanks for custom/low budget runs.

 

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Saltire Designs

I would recommend u check out BTC, online ordering, next day delivery for £7.50 or free if over £250 & they probabally offer the best prices out there without having to buy cartons

Also Pencarrie & Prestige are worth looking at but you need to buy bulk to get the best price.

 

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bobbob1982

Hi Andy and mike if you are looking at getting good screen supplies especially screens then I would stay away from wps the screens are a joke don't get me wrong the aluminium frames are good value for money but the tension in the screens are ridiculous they tell me they are stretched on a pneumatic bench to 25newtons trust me you could probably stretch them tighter at home plus they don't glue there mesh to the frames properly after about 2 washes the glue starts peeling of I bought about 10 frames from them they were pretty useless I had to take them to a local company to have them rest retched just 2weeks after they were delivered the company told me that they have frames that were stretched 2years ago that were tighter than my 2week old frames. Your best bet is to call a local graphic screen printers up allot of them stretch their screens in house if you supplied the frames they probably wouldn't charge you much to get them stretched and at least you would get a good tight screen at the end of it. I would like to see you waste £180 on something that won't do the job. This site has loads of reviews on wps trust me your best staying away from them.

 

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alan802

I've tried many suppliers here in the states with aluminum screens, and not a single one of them have provided me with consistent highly tensioned screens. I have a few that are 20 newtons, but the majority, 95% of them are 10-15. That is terrible quality and I wouldn't be as upset if all of them were bad, but knowing that I have a few that are tight makes it worse, because it is possible to get them tight, but they don't do a good enough job in doing so. I know newmans are expensive, as are the other alternatives that hold high tension, but you'll be chasing your tail if you choose to use static aluminum screens from bad suppliers. We are currently converting our shop to shurloc ez frames and they are a cross between newman rollers and static aluminums.

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Trutech69

Quote: Originally Posted by FlyRobot Hi. I love the forum... We've just invested in a 6/4 press and a dryer. We're goiing to start by launching our own range of alternative fashion, then may explore other avenues after that. We're working on designs right now, and have selected our blank garments, but we're still not sure on what inks and screens to use. We've already spent a lot of money, and don't want to throw money away on bad quality ink. On the other hand, money is so tight, we don't want to spend a fortune on top of the rangne inks if the budget inks will do a closely comparable job. So far, have been looking at sericol and union inks... but finding WPS and e-coatings ink prices difficult to resist. The same is true with the frames/meshes and accessories. We've been looking at Wicked Screen Prints 20x24" aluminium frames which are selling at £180 for 10, which sounds great, but will the meshes be correctly tensioned? will they maintain their tension.... or again, should I invest in the really expensive frames? Basically we're being really careful where we spend the pennies... quality is paramount for our designs and i want to spend money in the right places, but also save money where we can. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Hi Guys,

Basically you have invested in you machinery, as good as this maybe you cant go cheap on screens, the stencils are as important as anything else 'poor tension is poor quality'. Of course i do sell screen whether ther be standard alluminium frames or high tension versions, also cheap ink is a bad idea also.

 

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