I've been successfully screen printing smaller one color designs for a couple weeks now. They have all been under 8.5x11in, I've been printing the film positives on my little Epson printer, but I'm ready to step it up. I want a design that's around 13x15. I'm sure some of you print this size (and larger), what do you do? Will somewhere like kinko's be a bad choice? What kind of transparency should I buy? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks
i've been screening for awhile and originally wanted the larger printer. now i've adapted and i do prints larger than 8 1/2 by 11. the film i use is 8 1/2 by 14 and basically i use every available space for printing. ( i do give some room around the images) i place registration marks and match up the individual films to make a larger image if needed. i have had no problems. i used to use an hp printer but almost always had to double print the films to try and be as opaque as possible. when that printer went down (it was pretty old) bought an epson r380 and have been using it since. i want an epson r800 but am waiting for a good buy. hope this helps you out.
We use 13 x 19 and an Epson 3000...we buy then for around 400.00 off of Ebay...the films we get from US Screen....once you get used to it you'll laugh at your old stuff...LOL
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The beatings will continue until morale improves!
Like ronny mentions the epson wil work real well for you. Using the inks and films form U.S. Screen Print and Inkjet Technology will help trememdously. I purachsed the epson 1800 package for a back up printer. Xlnt quality plates.
That's what I did. I ordered an Epson R1800 package deal from US Screen last week and it arrives here today. They have a package deal with the printer, rip software, 100 sheets of their waterproof film (13" x 18" I think) and some starter dye based ink.
Before ordering this, I checked with a local litho place that does film output for local print shops. It just so happened that they had a screen printing operation they had just added on. The guy there said they'd output my film for me. I think they said it was around $20 per 14" x 19" sheet. Wow, so I'd spend $60 with them to output film on a 3 color design, and then I'd have to drive an hour and a half to pick it up, or wait a couple of days and pay to have it shipped.... and if I mess up, it costs me more money and time.... With the R1800, I figure my cost to output 1 full sized film would be under $5 and I have it instantly. But having the RIP software should also allow you do to proper halftones. If you go to their website, they have a video that's pretty good at explaining and demonstrating the whole thing.
You know...A large format printer should be a high priority on any screen printers start up list....dont make the mistake of throwing good money after bad.....and if you think the films are expensive just up your set up charge or calculate it into your pricing...make the customer pay....the hardest thing to get past when we started was making THEM apy for our supplies...you just cant afford to be nice all the time....mark it up then down and they still think they are gettin a deal...LOL
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The beatings will continue until morale improves!
this process always frustrates me more than anything else. if i want to print larger that 8.5x11 i have to print out half the image on one transparency and then the bottom half on another and tape them together. its not as effecient as i'd like so i went to kinkos to see if they could print 11x14 positives but apparently they 'cant' do that because they only have letter sized positives.
so im still stuck on my **** method and desperatly need to find another way to do this.
Yeah ive been taping 8.5x11's together, and looking for something else, but this thread gave me an idea, I dont print many screens/colours BUT just call up your local screen printing companies and say hey guys im new to screen printing and having trouble with getting the plate right can I pay you guys 15$ to print it out for me really qucik etc.
youll get some no's but eventually youll get a yes!!!
Welcome to OYO Instruments, LP has a film output service. Pay per square feet. You send the seps they print to your specs. The link is on the main oyo page.
this process always frustrates me more than anything else. if i want to print larger that 8.5x11 i have to print out half the image on one transparency and then the bottom half on another and tape them together. its not as effecient as i'd like so i went to kinkos to see if they could print 11x14 positives but apparently they 'cant' do that because they only have letter sized positives.
so im still stuck on my **** method and desperatly need to find another way to do this.
I know the feeling byeline, is what I've been having to do. Hopefully one day we will get a larger printer. All I want to do is print HUGE designs ! haha
I know a lot of copy centers will not print on the media you supply. I have know Kinkos to be a little more lenient in that respect, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Has anybody tried a hp 5000 laser for film positives. I use one for 11 x 17 laser plates for offset and it works great. It will do up to 12.5 x 18.It says I,m printing a 141 line screen.Joe
8.5x11 just isn't cutting it 
