Okay all. I am TOTALLY doing this for the fun of it and to learn a new hobby. I'm a graphic designer by trade and always interested in tshirt printing.
Here's my problem.
First (very first) test print was on an old tshirt of mine. It turned out SO sharp. I was honestly surprised! I did it just as the kit and other sources suggested. One lighter stroke then one harder to put the ink through the screen. I actually did one more soft one just for luck since this was the FIRST time I'd done this! Like I said it turned out great!
THEN....
Since test run worked so great I decided to print on the shirt I bought. Terrible mistake! Just awful! It was like the screen clogged up in the few minutes between the test run and second run.
??????...
It was NOT clogged for first run so I don't think it was an issue with the art. Could it be that the ink just dries that fast? Do I need to lift the screen and "flood" it so that it has a nice amount of ink over the art. But if I do that then what keeps it from just blobbing up on bottom and then ruin the shirt when I place it over the shirt?
Any suggestions for a first timer would be VERY helpful and appreciated!
Thanks
Jenny
Last edited by Solmu; May 26th, 2007 at 05:28 AM.
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Yes you should flood the screen between prints, it will help retard the drying process. The ink is viscous so it won't drip through the screen. If you're in a particularly hot environment, or had fans going, etc. it's possible the screen dried out relatively rapidly.
If waterbased and you must walk away for a bit, wet a towel and lay over the screen. This should help a bit. Also you may have very low humidity in your area causing faster drying times. may need to help with a humidifier.
You use a flash cure unit to cure the surface of the ink on the substrate. This is called P,F,P or print flash print. You place the substrate (T-Shirt) while still on the platen under the Flash cure unit for around 8-10 seconds (place your palm lightly on the ink if the ink sticks to your palm you need to cure it some more.) You then print over it again. This works best on multistation presses but can be done on single station press, the problem is heat build up on the single platen which can end up causing screen clogging.
Solmu,
I kind thought it might be the screen clogging up because of it drying out. Since I'm TOTAL new to this it took me a long time to set up for the next print. I basically had no ink on the screen area where I couldn't get it ink to later push through. So drying...probably the cause!
sbiman5,
I am using ink that came with the kit - Opaque Fabric Screen Ink water-base. So I'm guessing it's waterbase. Since I'm just doing this as a hobby, for fun, I don't have a "flash" unit. I'm just using a heat gun.
The screen printing kit is great for just playing around. But I can already tell I'm going to need to get a proper squeege. The one that came with it is hard to use and I don't think I can get the right grip to pull the ink correctly.
The other thing that is REALLY hard is to pull the ink with both hands and not have the screen move around on me. So I guess I'll have to figure some way of locking down the screen.
I posted a crude visual of a registration fork that you can make to help with this issue. Depending on your press you may need to modify the fork. You should get it when you see the visual.
The other thing that is REALLY hard is to pull the ink with both hands and not have the screen move around on me.
It gets easier with time. Once you get more confident it feels like you've grown an extra set of arms Having the right equipment (e.g. the better squeegee, something to lock the screen down) will certainly make things a lot easier.
Thanks for replying. A few updates. #1 I built a little thing to help hold my screens to the shirts. #2 I started flooding the screen between prints.
Both have helped A LOT.
However.... I have another question...
I'm still getting some clogging (I guess) of the screen. I bought a bunch of tshirt material just to practice on. I get about 5 decent prints before the screen starts to plug up on me again.
Do you think this might just be that I'm new and haven't yet figured out a good technique yet? Or maybe it's just the nature of the "starter kit" I bought...ie not meant for more than a few prints at a time?
You also need to check the relative humidity in your shop. If it is hot and dry in there you will continue to have problems with water based inks, I did when I started. They are a little finicky but you can do some amazing things with them such as discharge.. I can't imagine that is the problem but it is not unheard of. Hawaii, I think, would not be hot and dry say like... Arizona.
Hawaii, what a place to print tee shirts. Golden beaches, lush vegetation, swaying palm trees and lots of pretty girls.
Last edited by sbiman5@aol.com; June 3rd, 2007 at 05:44 AM.
I just went back and re-read your post on the squeege. If you do not have, say around a 70 durometer squeegee you are not getting a good "FLOOD" down in the screen mesh thus causing rapid drying of the ink in the mesh. The harder the squeegee the less ink.
I know you started with water base ink but you can easily solve your problem by getting you a quart of plastisol ink. It is much more forgiving, you will virtually eliminate the screen plugging problem. Most expierenced screen printers in our area reserve water based ink as an advanced technique,using it only after using plastisol for years.
Last edited by sbiman5@aol.com; June 3rd, 2007 at 06:00 AM.
Good to know. I'm about to purchase a few more colors of ink I'll be sure to get the Plastisol kind. How is it with clean up? I don't have an area that I use for this...so I just go outside and use the hose and a large tub.
It is not water soluble. You will need something with lemonene in it (it smells like oranges). I'm sure you can find a suitable product. I get it in a product called 8198 from ICC (Intercontinental Chemical Corporation, Cincinatti,Ohio) The grocery stores sell all kinds of household cleaners with this stuff in it.
Otherwise. go to the hardware storeand get a gallon of mineral spirits (paint thinner). It stinks and you will need to wear some gloves as this stuff takes the oil out of your skin.
ALL
Clogged Mesh After First Pull 
Having the right equipment (e.g. the better squeegee, something to lock the screen down) will certainly make things a lot easier.
down in the screen mesh thus causing rapid drying of the ink in the mesh. The harder the squeegee the less ink.
