1. I have a good quality inkjet printer, what would be the best type of transparancy to use to print my designs on? I have used xerox premium transparencies with good results. if you are using a wide format printer test out different injet clear films.
2. When building a screen what type of material should I use? I hear sheer curtains, nylon, silk fabric, etc...
3. Should my squeegee and screen coater be the same width? only use screenprinting poly material. no substitutions!!!
4. Should I make my screen the same width as the screen coater and squeegee to eliminate gaps on each side?
you must leave gaps on all sides. at least 1-2 inches per side.
5. What is a good quality user friendly emulsion?
ulano 925 wr
6. What type of ink works the best? Plastisol? Water Based?
if you have no flash dryer or conveyor dryer you should use waterbase
7. Do you have to flash dry? do you mean cure? or flash? final curing is required on plastisol inks. flashing the print is required if you want good quality dark garment printing
8. Does the emulsion and/or inks have a strong odor? not like solvents
Thanks for the reply. I don't have a wide format printer, it's a Lexmark X7500. I'm going to check to see if walmart has any type of transparancies I can use. Where can I get the screenprinting poly material and ulano 925 wr emulsion that you mentioned? Any good screenprinting supply stores that you can recommend? I don't have a flash or conveyor dryer so waterbase might be the best for me. How quickly do you have to clean out the screens after printing to keep them from clogging up? Also I read that emulsion doesn't hold up well against water based ink. Is this true? I don't want to have to make a new screen every day. So the emulsion you mentioned and the water based inks don't have a bad odor? I'm planning on doing this in my house. I just don't want there to be strong fumes or anything. Have you used the water based ink? Do you have to prep the ink in any way? Thinning, thickening, anything like that? Thanks again
Q. I have a good quality inkjet printer, what would be the best type of transparancy to use to print my designs on? I have used xerox premium transparencies with good results. if you are using a wide format printer test out different injet clear films.
A. What model of inkjet printer do you have? I have the R1800 and I use fastink, waterproof film, and fastrip from usscreen and never had a problem works perfect.
Q. When building a screen what type of material should I use? I hear sheer curtains, nylon, silk fabric, etc...
A. Just save the time and trouble and just buy some wooden frames
Q. Should my squeegee and screen coater be the same width?
A. It all depends on your graphic. What matters is your squeegee should be wider than your artwork at least 1in on each side and so should your screen coater. So if im printing a 13in graphic I would use a 15in squeege with a 16in coater.
Q. Should I make my screen the same width as the screen coater and squeegee to eliminate gaps on each side?
A. You can always tape off the gaps on the screen sides where you can't coat.
Q. What is a good quality user friendly emulsion?
A. First emulsion I ever bought was Ulano QTX. First time I exposed a screen was with Ulano QTX. First time and everything came out good.
Q. What type of ink works the best? Plastisol? Water Based?
A. I would use Plastisol which is the standard screen printing ink.
Q. Do you have to flash dry?
A. If you don't have a commercial dryer. You can use a flash dryer. If you don't have a flash dryer use a Heat Gun.
Q. Does the emulsion and/or inks have a strong odor?
A. No I can't smell them. The only thing that do have strong odor are the cleaners and spray adhesive for palletes. Or you can use a waterbased adhesive which does not have odor.
Thanks for the links. This might sound like a really stupid question considering this stuff is ink but what kind of mess can I expect from doing this type of work? I have a basement, would it be better to do it down there? When rinsing out the screens, is it going to stain my driveway, sink, lawn, etc...
For screen printing supply stores you can always buy online. Where are you located? You can leave ink on the screen and they could clog but you can use screen opener to unclog them. Fast and easy.
Thanks for the help. I live in Northern KY by the way. See I can't decide whether I should start out with the plastisol or waterbased. Considering what I have available right now, the waterbased seems like a better choice for me. Then again I hear you don't waste as much using plastisol and that it's easier to work with. I guess right now my main concern is the odor and/or fumes considering I will be working on this in my home.
Really? That's suprising. Not sure on how similar the properties are but I used to work in a paint store and the solvents were rediculous compared to the waterbased paints. Well that's good to know.
"This might sound like a really stupid question considering this stuff is ink but what kind of mess can I expect from doing this type of work? I have a basement, would it be better to do it down there? When rinsing out the screens, is it going to stain my driveway, sink, lawn, etc..."
get some cleaners from franmar they are environment friendly. I remember the first time i degreased a screen. I bought some no name degreaser and degreased my screen on my lawn and the next day a big patch of grass was dead lol. And the degreased had a strong smell to it too.
I have some basic questions 
