hi im looking into screenprinting what packages are available in the uk? is it a hard process to learn and what would i be better off going for waterbased ink or the other one lol i forgot the name begins with a p
I'm not going to answer that. Someone else might. Try reading through the forums a bit first - there's already a lot of information posted here to digest.
Some say it's an easy process, but I would disagree. For a screen printing veteran, sure it's easy. For somebody new to screen printing, it's not easy. It's like asking Barry Bonds if it's easy to hit a curve ball. Sure it's easy for him. But you'd probably swing and miss the first 10 pitches, at least. It would not be easy for someone that doesn't play baseball.
If screen printing was easy, you would not see this forum full of questions and problems that printers have experienced. It's a very complicated process that will take you a lot of time and effort to master. If you purchase a lot of equipment expecting it to be easy, and expecting to print professional quality shirts right way, you will be very disappointed.
The actually printing process itself is one of the easiest aspects of printing. Making good screens is the biggest challenge. Knowing what mesh to use, knowing how to prepare the ink, knowing what order to print the colors, knowing how to prepare the artwork, all takes a lot of experience to be able to do well.
If screen printing was easy, you would not see this forum full of questions and problems that printers have experienced.
There are mostly so many questions because people either can't or won't get a teacher. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with asking questions - but a lot of them would never have come up in the first place if someone had spent even a day introducing the new printer to how it's done. Anything can be difficult if you're trying to teach yourself to do it.
I agree that actually mastering screenprinting is difficult (I haven't managed it ), but speaking as someone who didn't start printing all that long ago... it's not hard to master the basics (spot colour placement prints for example).
In other words, learning enough to do something useful is easy, it's only bettering yourself from there that is difficult. But that's okay, because in the meanwhile there's basic printing to occupy the time.
When Daniel asked if it's hard to learn, I assumed he meant producing professional quality prints. Sure, pretty much anybody can produce a low quality print. If he was just referring to getting ink on a shirt in somewhat of a recognizable shape, then I would agree, Yes, it's easy :-). But if you want to consistently produce professional quality prints for resale, it's not easy. It will take a lot of time and effort to get it right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Solmu
There are mostly so many questions because people either can't or won't get a teacher.
Not everybody has a teacher available to them. I didn't when I started. I learned from books, the internet, and then found this forum. I'm pretty sure if Daniel had a teacher available to him, he would not be asking this question on these forums, and I'm sure that's the case for most people who ask questions on here.
When Daniel asked if it's hard to learn, I assumed he meant producing professional quality prints.
No need to get passive aggressive on me
Clearly I'm talking about professional quality - just not complicated processes. If your design style forces you to start out at the deep end, then yes, it's going to be hard. But there's a reason screenprinting is popular with art classes, youth groups, etc. - it's not a difficult process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty
Not everybody has a teacher available to them.
Hence "can't or won't".
Although the fact is a lot more people have teachers available to them than realise it. Personally I think it should be a higher priority to find one when starting out - if people did they wouldn't have the weeks (or even months) of trial and error that lead them to label even the basic process as difficult. If someone who knows what they're doing shows it to you, it isn't. If you found it difficult it's not because it is difficult, it's because you weren't given the opportunity to make it easier on yourself.
I'm yet to see anyone who isn't self-taught describe screenprinting as hard.
Most cities have courses, so there shouldn't be any reason someone can't find a teacher. For those few who don't have something available locally travelling is probably going to cost less than the screw ups are going to cost anyway.
Clearly I'm talking about professional quality - just not complicated processes. If your design style forces you to start out at the deep end, then yes, it's going to be hard. But there's a reason screenprinting is popular with art classes, youth groups, etc. - it's not a difficult process.
Shirts that are printed by art classes and youth groups are not professional quality prints. But if that's what you mean by "professional quality", the yes I agree, putting ink on a shirt is an easy process.
For every cool job, there is a role model, place, person that does what is cool.
You go to the radio station, skate board contest, rock band, movie studio and get an entry level job.
You could start with a job at a supplier.
You read every thing you can get your hands on.
You stalk the role model and eventually you get the better job.
You get to Gloucester and prowl around the GLOSCAT campus.
You make friends with Cathy Hobson of Images Magazine by washing her car without permission and she gives you a free subscription to read in jail.
You go to all the Printwear and Promotions shows at the NEC.
You make lists of all the cool places that print in the UK.
You Google every supplier near and far in the UK.
You carry a sketch pad and collection of your top twenty designs.
You hitchhike to Elephant & Castle in London and stalk John Stephens one of the Deans at the London College of Printing. When you are there you find out he wrote a book on screen printing. You buy it at the school bookstore and read it cover to cover.
Every screen printing shop will have old copies of Screen Process, Images and Printwear and Promotion magazines. A kindly old man will let you have some to read after you sweep out the shop.
You find out you can subscribe on line to FESPA magazine.
You move to Oxford and get a job at Autotype.
You start a secret notebook of definitions of words like plastisol and colloid after studying screen printing books and magazines at the library.
__________________
How are you measuring? retired Ulano Technical Support Screen printing since 1979 - SGIA Academy Member
Last edited by RichardGreaves; October 27th, 2007 at 11:26 PM.
Is it worth it? 
), but speaking as someone who didn't start printing all that long ago... it's not hard to master the basics (spot colour placement prints for example).
