I've been watching different You Tube videos about screen printing, but my question is: They all use a transparency, now is this transparency printable with a regular ink jet printer or are special inks needed to print the transparency or even a special printer?
Ink jet is fine as long as you have ink jet transparencies. If you get the kind for laser printers or copiers, it's going to come out as a puddle of black ink.
Hey Desert Hobo, you mentioned "when I first started" so can I assume you've been doing screenprinting for a while? Do you prefer it over heat pressing?
I have a cafepress shop, I do okay, maybe every other month I get a check which fills up my car with gas once.
I am an artist. I can draw very well, cartoons, caricatures, stuff like that. I was considering an airbrush for painting shirts, but I decided against it. They look too 70's-ish.
So now I'm down to either screen printing or heat pressing, but heat pressing won't do black shirts without plastisol, and those transfers are pricey. Let's face it, people buy far more dark colored shirts than they do white shirts.
But anyway, as always I'm getting long winded. Thanks for your answer.
I've been using my basic Epson C88 with Ryonet Waterproff R-Film from silkscreensupplies.com (forum sponsor) and get great films with no need to double them up.
Mark, Try pressing vinyl to your black shirts, there are members here on the list that cut vinyl for us, that dont have cutters, and very reasonable.
Post it in classifieds, It looks awesome.
Sandy jo
I watched a video about screen printing. Ryonet, I believe? Anyway, this guy had a pressure washer, a special spray booth, a special rack for drying, a special machine for exposing the screen. Geeez, that's expensive!
Am I just over-reacting, or is there an easier way? I mean at some point I would like to sell what I print, so I don't want to make shortcuts I'll be sorry for later.
MarkMan, maybe I can give you some good advice. I started my screen printing adventure last year around September, and opened up for business in February of this year. I have been printing small orders of 50-100 shirts in my apartment.
I have dropped almost $5000 in the business so far, which includes a two color table press, flash curer for drying and flashing (hoping to buy a heater when I move out), liscensing, squeegees, startup inks and chemicals, and so on.
I have found there is a world of good information out there on the web on how to screen print so do lots of research. I built my own dry box, I built my own exposure unit, and other items needed for screen printing.
My advice is don't take short cuts. This business does cost some money (not sure about transfers, I haven't experimented with that yet, but presses, materials, and printers aren't cheap) and will take some time to learn. But it is very fun and the rewards are plentiful, especially getting to be your own boss.
Just keep in mind. If you are printing for fun, it's a hobby. If you are printing for profit, it's a business. Hope some of this helps you see what's ahead~
I watched a video about screen printing. Ryonet, I believe? Anyway, this guy had a pressure washer, a special spray booth, a special rack for drying, a special machine for exposing the screen. Geeez, that's expensive!
I think you are over-reacting just a little bit. Ryonet sells all those things so of course they are going to show them all and how they work etc. I know people who got into it for less than $2500, and it just depends on how much work you are planning to do right away. You could build your own press if you wanted to. This is not an ad, but from people I have talked to reading the How to Print Book from U.S. Screen really helped them get started and it has plans for building your own press, and exposure unit and more.
It is good that you are researching and being cautious to not over invest and get into something you are not ready for. There are many small screeners who have their niche and do just fine for themselves, and I am sure you could too if that is what you really want to do. Good Luck!
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Aaron Montgomery - Sales Manager - U.S. Screen Print & Inkjet Technology www.screenprinters.netwww.MyT-Jet.com - T-Jet is a registered trademark
Transparency printing question... 
Re: Transparency printing question... 
