surfwear

I am looking to buy a screen printing starter kit for the clothing company I am looking to start. I want to just mess around with screen printing and get some ideas and see how my logo looks, etc. It has to come with a screen, frame and some material I can make stencil out of.

I also found this Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Tool Kit - BLICK art materials

It says it comes with

• 10" × 14" frame
• fabric squeegee
• screen filler, 4 oz
• drawing fluid, 4 oz
• Diazo photo emulsion, 4 oz
• ½ g sensitizer
• paint brush
• screen printing instruction book

Now what is the photo emulsion ?

I was looking for a material that has 2 layers and you use a model knife to cut out your design and peel off the bottom layer and the top layer is sticky and it sticks to the screen and now you have your stencil. That is the only experience I have with screen printing.

If anyone has a relatively cheap kit that they know of please let me know and it has to be simple. I also would like someone to explain what photo emulsion is.

Thank you !

 

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n.signia

you could check out www.screenprintingsupplies.com

they have some good packages available and will come with everyting you'll need.

Screens are "burned" using photo sensitive emulsion. you coat both sides of the screen using a scoop coater (which should come with the package depending on which one you choose) you then let the screen dry (this all must be done in a light safe environment lilke a darkroom.

you print your image onto a transaparency paper using black ink. This can be done with a standard inkjet or a laser printer. *note if you use an inkjet you may need to print two sheets and stack them to get a more opaque image.

now you would tape the printed image to your screen and expose your screen using an exposure unit or a 500watt halogen worklight. this will harden the emulsion except where your black printed image is. after the appropriate amount of time (varies with what kind of exposure unit you use) you would wash out the screen, the emulsion that was not hardened behind your image will fall out, leaving you with your image "burned" into the screen. let it dry and you are ready to print with this screen.

There are alot of online how-to videos on the web and you tube.

Hope ths helps!

 

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surfwear

Ok I am going to check the photo emulsion process but in the mean time what is the difference with screen mesh. I am looking to buy a screen at Screen Printing Supplies - Screen Printing Superstore - 20 X 24 Aluminum Screens (Frame & Mesh)
and there is a bunch of different mesh screens. I want to print a logo onto a shirt, which mesh is right for me. And I will be doing it manually.

 

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pwapparel

usually 110 mesh will work just fine

read around on the site, make sure you know what you are getting into

speedball = hobby
screenprintingsupplies.com = business

 

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