Hi again Guys,
This one is for the U.K members on this forum as importing from the States is a little pricey
My main concern at this time is where I can source Spray Adhesive or Spray Tac, where in the U.K can I get this stuff. What are you using to hold your shirts down on the platten and what are you paying for it ?
And while we are on the subject can any of you guy's suggest U.K suppliers for all other consumables, Inks, Screens, Emulsions, Screen-wash etc.
Thanks essentialdj, funny thing I am waiting for a large start up order to arrive from Wicked Printing Stuff today And amazingly they are in Kent like me ! Didn't see Spray Adhesive when I placed my order, will have to look at their site again.
I am new to this like you, in fact, I am yet to print a shirt. I have ordered sample tees from: polo-shirts.co.uk, expensive buying singles for samples but prices go down the more you buy So far I have bought Fruit of the Loom Heavy, Guildan Premium and JHK, the JHK has the best feel so far
You have only been printing two weeks, what early problems have you faced ?
It was also wicked printing stuff i got my kit from......
I have had quite a feww issues to start with..... It aint quite as easy as you first think... I am a graphic designer to trade and used to design for screen printing company so a slight advantage.....
Fully clean your screens once you get them and always allow them to fully dry before your ocat them with emulsion, a small fan heater helps dry it in about ten minutes...... Coating your screens is a tricky and painstaking process until you get the hang of it..... Still trying to prefect that one the now...... The real thing here is to make sure your emulsion is fully dry before you try and expose it...... My advice is coat the screen the day before you want to expose it, it needs to dry in a dark place, keep the cardboard that the screens come in and when you have coated them i would advise you to gently put them in an airing cupboard (dark and warm) and leave them for 24hrs, possibly 48 if you have time.......
I had to play about the height of the jig that golds the screem to the printing bed as it wasnt level when i put a t shirt on and layed down a screen.... You will need a few spanners about ten minutes to get this level.... Its a must or else you will uneven prints.....
So far i have found that having the screen sitting directly ontop of the t-shirt with only a tiny gap works best for print....Next time i will be trying it directly on the tshirt.....
Also the counter balance tin on the back of the press could be bigger, i struggeled to get enough material in the tin to counter balance the screen weight.... I ended up using old sockets and bolts and taping them together and ontop of the tin to get enought weight.....
So theres a few of my teething issues......
I have a bebo page to sell my clothing range through....
Check it out, im keeping a blog on there as well to keep up to date on my progression... Craig Smith <Flat3kitewear>
Thanks essentialdj for your early teething troubles From reading this forum I think everybody gets them.
I am chomping at the bit to get started but unfortunately cannot start until we have moved shops, which now looks delayed until 24/25 February Pointless setting up all the kit just to move it in a few weeks. What I will be getting on with though is artwork and designs. I am also in the process of making decisions on the website side of things. So i'm not sitting around doing nothing !
Hi Phil,
I spent alot of time checking out various suppliers and found polo-shirt.co.uk to be pretty expensive......
Im going to be looking at more suppliers this afternoon, so i will let you know how i get on...... Are you planning on doing just t shirts or you going or you going for hoodies etc as well?
What kind of shop you running out of interest?
Did you have any luck sourcing other suppliers of emulsions etc?
Hi Phil,
I spent alot of time checking out various suppliers and found polo-shirt.co.uk to be pretty expensive......
Im going to be looking at more suppliers this afternoon, so i will let you know how i get on...... Are you planning on doing just t shirts or you going or you going for hoodies etc as well?
What kind of shop you running out of interest?
Did you have any luck sourcing other suppliers of emulsions etc?
Craig,
If you find polo-shirt.co.uk expensive, i'm all ears for a cheaper option.
We are looking at tees to start then maybe caps. We will re-evaluate this after the summer to see if we are going to touch hoodies etc
We have been running a ladies clothes shop for the last 18 months but competition is fierce. Started selling a range of printed tees on the markets in October. We bought these in from contacts we had made in London and they are selling very well !
We have been closing down the ladies clothes shop since 19/11/07 and now that the stock has dwindled down in the shop we have started selling tees in the shop January and they are still selling, amazing !
When we do move shop we will be phasing out the bought in designs and replacing them with our own designs, can't wait !
And regarding your last question, I have sent Apollo an email enquiry
Sounds like you have the future planned well.. Nice one.......
What kind of designs have you been selling?
Im finding the quality of t shirts im getting to be the biggest issue atthe moment..... Dont want to put my hard worked designs onto crap t shirts... Will get there in the end........
Goign to go and take a couple of photos of the t shirts i got done last week and ill get it up on my bebo......
I have been told of a place for clothing from a guy onthe forum here so i am checking itout this afternoon, if i have any joy i will be more than happy to let you know...... Check out Gildan London - Tee Shirts, Sweatshirts, Polo Shirts for basic t shirts just now.... Ill get a list of others iv found for you as soon as i can
Another one here who started with Wicked Printing!
Wasn't overly impressed with their delivery times (you'll end up waiting a looonngg time, even for things like ink) I now use e-coatings.co.uk they deliver next day! Wicked could do with taking note!
Many UK people on here made a start with Wicked stuff - not many stayed with them.
The off contact on their presses is non-existent (at least on the one they supplied me), the best modification to make is 4 10 pence pieces sellotaped to the bottom of the screen - perfect off contact!
Another one here who started with Wicked Printing!
Wasn't overly impressed with their delivery times (you'll end up waiting a looonngg time, even for things like ink) I now use e-coatings.co.uk they deliver next day! Wicked could do with taking note!
Many UK people on here made a start with Wicked stuff - not many stayed with them.
The off contact on their presses is non-existent (at least on the one they supplied me), the best modification to make is 4 10 pence pieces sellotaped to the bottom of the screen - perfect off contact!
Good luck!
Mark
Mark,
You are not wrong ! Wicked let me down on delivery also, their estimate for delivery was a long way off, I was then given a promise on actual delivery date, and it actually turned up a day after this !
Glad I never bought my carousel from them I got it elsewhere and it looks like 'off-contact' adjustment is good.
Thanks for the 'heads-up' on e-coatings I will have a look now.
U.K Suppliers. 
And amazingly they are in Kent like me ! Didn't see Spray Adhesive when I placed my order, will have to look at their site again.
Apollo have a distribution depot in Ramsgate, my own town
. Best get on the phone.
From reading this forum I think everybody gets them.
January and they are still selling, amazing !
Re: U.K Suppliers. 
