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elevatornumber5 · July 11th, 2007

I have been making shirts as a hobby, gifts for friends, and for fun to wear to work for a almost a year now. The method that I have always used to make my screens (and might cause some of you to cringe) was a pencil, polyester, an embroidery hoop and some modge-podge.

I am trying the photo-emulsion method now (so that I can do designs with words and more detail), but I am running into hiccups while making my positives. I had taken my design to a copy shop that rhymes with Shmishminkos in the past, and had them print out two copies on transparency films that I then taped together and used for my positive. This method has worked for me.

My problem is that I have since moved to a smaller city/town. I have gone to the two copy shops here, and they both charge $1.25-$2.00 for printing to the transparency sheets. Yet each time they do this, the consistency is poor/not dark enough.

I am not looking to start a business, so buying a bunch of equipment would be a direction I would try to stay away from. Are there terms I should be using at the copy shop other than "darkest, thickest toner?" I can get an hp laserjet 6 from a surplus store for $30, would this and laserjet transparency paper solve my problem?

Any advice, suggestions and or ideas are welcomed.

thanks,
-a

captainzoli · July 11th, 2007

You might try one of the less expensive epson injet type models, like the r380. It is around $100.00 or less and would most likely be sufficient for your needs.

mreicher · July 11th, 2007

I've read on other forums that some are using an HP inkjet that's got postscript and they claim they have no problems with transparencies. It's a low end model in the $100 range.