Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Hi all,
I'm just about to start buying all my screen equiptment. What are peoples thoughts on the wicked printing stuff (gundelfinger840 on ebay )?
I 've emailed screenstretch=no reply
had a look at steve woods but no prices so need to look into this.
I'm going to go for new alu screens any help would be appreciated.
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Have you purchased your equipment yet? I have a complete 6 color setup for sale (7k). Complete with a dryer, flash, screens, inks, exposure unit, basin, everything.
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
hey lou i just bought the 2 print waterbased setup from wickedscreen print just before xmas- the same as on ebay but the price has now gone up 70 quid. it took 6 weeks instead of the promised four weeks little or no communication and i didnt recieve 4 used screens-and no instructions for setting up the kit. apart from that i got all what i paid for. if you are just getting into screen printing it is worth it they sell a 1 piece setup-2 piece setup a 4 and i think a 6 piece setup. i also have plans for a small 4 print station which is quite easy to make which i plan to build in the new year so if you want a copy let me know.
i did my first print about 5 days of getting the kit but it was'nt without a few problems.
i am near m/c airport by the way just down the road from you. enjoy and have fun derek
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Hi Derek,
Thanks for your input sounds like service isn't thier strongpoint!
I'll get onto the other suppliers when i'm more sure of what I need,still waiting on my tshirt printing book and i'll probably use bits from the different suppliers, i'd like to geta carousel defo probably only need a 2 colour for now.
Thanks again, and happy new year!
I'll take you up on your plans please presume you can email/link? I have some some they may be the same i'll have a look but it would be god to have some for if I decide to get a 4 colour at some point, thankyou.
Lou
Last edited by uklou; January 1st, 2009 at 12:11 AM.
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Hi there, apart from hubby offering to let me make him some promo gear fro his pc business...how kind ;-) i'd be doing my own artwork and should any prom stuff crop up i'd consider it. Well that's the theory anyway!
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Hello,
I hate to poor cold water over everything but I feel I must say something before you make a mistake.
I was fortunate and did not get burnt when I first started out, I did a hell of alot of research.
Customercarousels, steve holmes, little devil, whatever name he trades under is not quality print equipment. The presses are made out of angle iron, it will hold registration for a handfull of prints and after that will be worth more in scrap. His flash curers remind me of glorfied oven grills, with uneven heat distribution. I know this because I had a large embroidery firm aproach me recently back and ask if I would screenprint in-house for them with this equipment they has just purchased. Turned out to be a 5 colour carousel from Mr Holmes and I took one look at that thing and ran a mile. I dont wiish to sound nasty its just the way things are, you get good and bad in every aspect of life.
Wickedscreenprinting is a subsidery of another company, theres like 3 firms that I think all have different names but are essentially the same business. This sends alarm bells ringing in my head instantly. They have recently started to stock good quality UV emulsion and now carry Union inks so if you cant find another supplier of these then they are worth purchasing, but as for their presses, again these things are flimsy. They have this table top unit, and you know instantly as soon as you try to pass a viscous ink through a high mesh count or apply any pressure for that matter this thing will topple over.
If you want to buy from this firm I would say stick wiith their single colour print stations or make your own to get a grasp for the mechanics of screen printing and find out if you really like it.
But dont go spending £1000ish on one of their carousels because if you find this is the career path for you then that money will go along way towards saving for a decent press, something like an M&R Sidewinder represents true value for money for a beginner wishing to take the next step.
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Hi Anthony,
I have to say reading what I have about custom carousels I was going to avoid, I was seriously thinking about wickeds carousel though just the 2 colour to get me started or was pondering on building my own. (Whether that will actaually happen when i'm full time mum an 18mth old, due agin in a few weeks and have my other business is another thing!)
I havent heard of the other brand you mentioned so will have a look into those aswell nearer the time, I have heard good things about steve york figured I would get my consumables from him defo.
Thanks again, guess its like anything you pay your dues and take you chances....
re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
I have to agree with the quality of machinery here in the UK. I looked around but finally decided to import a hopkins 6/4 from America. Superb press with rock solid registration,best equipment descision I have ever made.
Re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Thats exactly what I did, got the Hopkins BWM 6 colour 4 station convertible and have since upgraded to 8 colours with it. I also have a Workhorse 6 colour 6 station which also provides the surgical precision required to print certain designs- both presses are based upon the same design pretty much ever since Hopkins International split.
M&R was simply a suggestion because I was comparing 2 extremes, they are the best and hence the most expensive presses on the market, but have a good UK distributor and I believe they are manufactured in Europe.
Its entirely up to you, if you are looking for hobby results and can comfortably part with a grand on this 'wicked' printing equipment and not worry about the fact in a years time you'll be looking at it in dismay taking up valuable breathing space by all means venture forward. I just dont like to see people getting stung on this. I do believe even Steve Holmes of Custom Carousels produces equipment that atleast has the intention of producing better results than these wicked presses.
Screenprinting is a hell of alot of fun and I would never discourage anybody from joining in on the party but on a professional level if you want to make a business out of it I would save hard, and research different avenues beyond the first search results in google. I made my first press about 3 years ago, was designed to be 4 colour, could just about hold the registration on my complicated 2 colour designs. It enabled me to understand the complexities of most aspect of printing from off contact issues to screen registration and pressure limitations. I attached mine to the base of an old potters wheel which was very sturdy, and I had a local blacksmith build the clamps from 2 pieces of welded angle iron and fire door hinges of my own design. Engineering something yourself allows you to identify the weaknesses in the press you are thinking of buying. Its also incredibly satisfying, I manged to save enough to afford my first Hopkins press from it.
There are 2 firms I would look at in the UK for print equipment. Kippax and Adelco.
Re: Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Thanks guys, I'll certainly think hard before choosing a carousel or deciding to make one. I will check out the companies mentioned and take what you say on board, I dont want to spend a fortune initially one one as I want to see if I can actually sell any of my work first before investing in better stuff.
Thanks again for everyones help, much appreciated
Last edited by uklou; January 15th, 2009 at 03:11 PM.
Reccommended screen suppliers in the United Kingdom? 
on ebay )? 
