Gregsdad

Hi Guys,

My 14 year old son came home from middle school in June with a design that he was proud of. My son being somewhat artistic, and me being so challenged that I can't draw a straight line with a pencil and ruler, I wanted to encourage him along those lines, so I asked him whether he'd like to put the design on a T-shirt.

Long story short, I picked up a copy of Scott Fresener's book and read all about the many competing technologies for putting designs on fabric, something I did 30 years ago as a hobby using much simpler technologies, with very modest results. The state of the art has changed a little. We printed a few T-shirts with my son's design in different color combinations, on everything from black to white shirts, and he started wearing his creations to school this fall.

So now my son is getting orders from about half the school and he's really thrilled to see that something he designed and has made with his hands is suddenly so popular. He got another 8 orders this afternoon.

But that presents Gregsdad (that would be me) with a problem:

1. We're using water-soluble Speedball fabric ink, which I found at the local art store, along with screens and squeegies, diazo emulsion and stuff. It seems to survive multiple trips through the washing machine surprisingly well. But I keep reading that Plastisol is what I should be using.

2. I've explained heat transfers to my son, and he says he really doesn't want to go there. He wants his shirts to be unique, even if imperfect, and says that a lot of the appeal of the shirts among his customers/friends is that they're hand-made, each is different, even though there are minor imperfections. Does that sound like an artist or what? I think maybe he has a point, though.

3. I'm scoop-coating his screens with Diazo emulsion, drying in a dark closet overnight, then exposing using a mylar positive to the sun for 40 seconds, which I've found to be the sweet spot for this emulsion. It works well, but I keep reading that I need an exposure box. I live in coastal southern California where we have plenty of sun with lots of UVs. My dermatologist knows me well. Am I missing out on something by not using an exposure box?

3. The water soluble inks are easy to dry using my daughter's blow dryer, and then a hot iron through a dishcloth. And they leave the shirt with a nice hand. But everything I read here and in Fresener's book recommends Plastisol as the ink of choice for fabric screenprinting. So if I use Plastisol, I expect I'm going to have to invest in a flash dryer. There's several hundred dollars that I can't really justify for what might end up being only a teen's passing hobby. Can I use a heat gun to flash and then cure Plastisol so long as I make sure I hit 320 degrees? I can measure the surface temperature of the ink using an IR thermometer or a thermocouple probe beneath the garment.

4. So far we're still making shirts on the kitchen counter, one screen at a time. My son's designs so far have required 3 screens each. It's time consuming and registration is by eye.

I really don't know where this is going to go. I know ultimately if my son wants to make this into a real business I'll have to get serious about equipment. I don't want to let my Scotch tendencies squelch my son's chances for making this venture grow, but at this time I don't want to throw a bunch of money into something that might go nowhere.

Ok, so there's my dirty laundry. It's not even a garage operation. I'd appreciate any advice you might offer as regards ink brands to use, equipment, etc.

Thank you,

Greg's Dad

 

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Solmu

First off, we get the (very) occasional "I'm an involved father, how can I help?" posts like this here, and they always make me smile. It's difficult to find the balance between both helping to make something possible, and not taking over and smothering it, and it sounds like you're making that effort. So I just wanted to say well done to that.

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad It seems to survive multiple trips through the washing machine surprisingly well. But I keep reading that Plastisol is what I should be using.

Properly cured waterbased ink is just as long lasting as properly cured plastisol ink (and easier to cure for that matter). Plastisol will give you different, rather than better, results. If you're printing on a lot of dark fabrics you'll find plastisol easier to use. It also doesn't dry, eliminating screen dry out. It's also a little harder to use in a home based setup (but not impossible).

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad I've explained heat transfers to my son, and he says he really doesn't want to go there. He wants his shirts to be unique, even if imperfect, and says that a lot of the appeal of the shirts among his customers/friends is that they're hand-made, each is different, even though there are minor imperfections. Does that sound like an artist or what? I think maybe he has a point, though.

He does. I definitely like this kid

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad Am I missing out on something by not using an exposure box?

Mostly only what would already be obvious to you: being able to burn screens when the sun isn't shining (even if that's only at night ). You need UV to expose your screens, and if you're getting a properly exposed screen it doesn't really matter where it's coming from. A proper exposure setup is easier to control, which makes it easier to get good results, but if you're getting good results without one you're getting good results without one.

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad So if I use Plastisol, I expect I'm going to have to invest in a flash dryer.

It would be best.

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad Can I use a heat gun to flash and then cure Plastisol so long as I make sure I hit 320 degrees?

Yes. The biggest problem with that is that it's hard to be sure you've evenly heated every part of the ink layer to the required temperature (ironing waterbased ink presents the same problem, but it's a little more forgiving).

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad So far we're still making shirts on the kitchen counter, one screen at a time. My son's designs so far have required 3 screens each. It's time consuming and registration is by eye.

Yeah, that doesn't sound fun. I'd definitely look into getting a secondhand t-shirt carousel and buying one as soon as the orders can justify it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad I don't want to let my Scotch tendencies squelch my son's chances for making this venture grow, but at this time I don't want to throw a bunch of money into something that might go nowhere.

That's fair. Just keep an open mind about it and keep being even handed like you're doing. Equipment can be bought secondhand, and it can be sold secondhand if you guys lose interest. I think you probably do want to get up to "garage operation" status as soon as possible and free up your kitchen But that totally depends on how much money the shirt sales are bringing in, what you can afford, etc.

Like you said, rushing in isn't sensible, but nor is holding back too much. I would recommend (if you haven't already) working out exactly what your costs (and therefore profits) are: how much does the emulsion cost you on a per shirt basis, how much are you spending on tape, ink, etc.? Calculate every little thing. After that if you look at the profits and you look at the cost of equipment, I think you'll be able to make the right decisions pretty easily.

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Gregsdad

Thanks, Lewis, for your kind response. I'm trying to do this on the cheap right now until I get an idea of where this project is going.

Do you have any recommendations on which manufacturers of water-based inks to try? Again, the Speedball inks have worked fine up to now, but I'd rather use something that is more commonly used in by the screenprinting community.

And if anyone knows of a supplier in the southern California (Orange county) area, I'd appreciate a lead or three.

Thank you!

 

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Solmu

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad I'm trying to do this on the cheap right now until I get an idea of where this project is going.

Fortunately screenprinting is something that can be done well on the cheap (manually lining up screens and using the sun to expose like you are for example), it just takes more effort that way (the product is still good).

Quote: Originally Posted by Gregsdad Do you have any recommendations on which manufacturers of water-based inks to try?

Since I'm in Australia most of the brands are different. One popular brand on the forums is Matsui. There have been a couple of threads on waterbased ink brand recommendations and sources, so with any luck a forum search should turn up some useful information for you.

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