INK!!! I hate it!! ITS EVERYWHERE!!

3234 Views 15 Replies 14 Participants Last post by nromano1212, Nov 2, 2008

INEEDPARTZ

Discussion Starter · Oct 29, 2008

So i tried my first run and it went horrible..i got ink everywhere!!..on the carpet on my face..basically everywhere..**** pissing me off..i did a couple test runs the was okay but not perfect..so i try to make my protype with my $18 AA shirt and guess what happens..a line of ink comes up on the side..im mad as hell..cuz i could have swole i taped everything..so i rinse out the screens with water...and waiting for them to dry..but i still see pieces on black paint on certain parts of the screen..idk if i will be able to use the screen again even though i rinsed it out an tried to use ink removal..its weird..its like if u dont do ur run of shirts the first time u run ink through ur doom..like idk what im doing wrong..i probably need to tape the parts emulsion not covering but this **** making me mad..cause this ink is everywhere on me..there has to an easier and cleaner way to print shirts after i than got the screen burned..this **** pissing me off!!!!

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

marcelolopez

· #2 · Oct 29, 2008 (Edited)

Calm down.. that's part of the screen printing experience

.
Are you using water based ink?
Did you use an old t-shirt to test? I use to do several test print, and check for pinholes, etc.
What can I say, just keep trying.
Good luck

martinwoods

· #3 · Oct 29, 2008

Just as he said
take it easy, it will get better, Everyone has bad days, some worse than others.
We use test squares or old shirts but don't use a $18 shirt unless the print looks GOOD before putting on a real shirt.
If the test prints are just ok they are not going to be any better on the expensive shirt

Not sure what type of ink you are using but it should wash off fine. It will get better. It may be messy at first but not as messy the next few times

Keep your chin up, things will work out

HelpRunMyShop

· #4 · Oct 30, 2008

HeHe i remember my first shirt Good luck

lben

· #5 · Oct 30, 2008

Today I ruined a lab coat that a customer had given to me to print on. At least you ruined your own shirt. Luckily the error (a word printed upside-down) was acceptable to the customer because it was part of a halloween costume. I think next time I'll ask the customer to supply me with 10 of them. Nine to screw up and one to print on.

Messy ink is one reason I didn't go into screen printing. I do sublimation.

out da box

· #6 · Oct 30, 2008

It's a real dirty job, if Mike Rowe comes to my shop, he'll have an oscar award winning show. Ink can be your friend or your enemy. First time I did my own shirts, I bought a case of white and a case of black tees. I messed up over 30 of the first case. Live and learn. DO NOT GET INK ON YOUR HANDS OR CLOTHING. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOUR HANDS ARE CLEAN. WATCH WHERE YOUR HANDS AND BODY PARTS ARE AT ALL TIMES. BE CAREFUL WHERE THE SQUEEGE GOES. DO NOT OVERFILL THE SCREEN WITH INK.

2 iLL Clothing

· #7 · Oct 30, 2008

atleast you didnt burn a 70$ jersey like i did a few months back!

marcelolopez

· #8 · Oct 30, 2008

My first "big" job were 35 white t-shirts, with black text on them.
A mysterious black spot appeared on at least 6 or 8 of them.
Even when I made sure my hand were clean, when I was handling them.
The sad part is I discovered it when I started printing the second side of them

.
The positive side: I am using those t-shirts as my test t-shirts.

EIPC

· #9 · Oct 30, 2008

Welcome to the wonderful world of screen printing.

drivernumberone

· #10 · Oct 30, 2008

The best advice i can give you is keep your area organized. having a specified area to keep your inks and is a good idea. Go to an art store and buy a pad of wax paper for painting pallets. This way you have somewhere to put your dirty sqeegee/ ink container. Buy rubber gloves. I got a box of one size fits all at home depot in the paint department. If you are printing something important always, ALWAYS do test prints. You can buy cotton sheets to test print on if you don't have shirts test print on. When printing, where clothes that you don't mind getting dirty-or shoes for that matter. I can't tell you how many times i have smudged a shirt or a pair of pants while printing. It comes with the priviledge of calling yourself a screen printer.

Another thing i suggest is having a good washout area/ set-up. If you can't afford a wash-out booth (which i can't) use a bath tub or old sink that no one uses... I personally use the guest bathroom tub/shower. I have hooked up a hose to the sink and got a nossle with different settings. This sped up my ink wash and reclaiming time immensely and it only cost my around 45 bucks for everything. Go to home depot or something similar and ask for a hose attachment for your bathroom sink. You might want to unscrew the filter on the faucet head and take it with you so they can determine a size. Then all you need is a hose and the pressure head if you want one.

hope that helps out! You have officially been baptized by the ink gods!

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treadhead

· #11 · Oct 30, 2008

LOL....

Sorry..not laughing at your situation...but I can totally relate!

This is one of the things I am currently struggling with. I need to work on keeping my area much cleaner and more organized.

I always seem to have ink in my hands from something and realized that my area has many different sources of ink that can get on my hands.

TshirtGuru

· #12 · Oct 30, 2008

Welcome to the world of screen printing. It happens to all of us. No matter how clean you try to be, when you get home you seem to find a spot of ink somewhere on your body or clothes. I have normal clothes, but when I get to the shop, I have a pair of worn out jeans and a tshirt or long sleeve, I change again before I go home.

Wait until you get ink on your neck, legs, and head. lol I even found ink on toes at the end of the day once (i was wearing slippers).

INEEDPARTZ

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 30, 2008

Thanks everyone..lol..now i know im not alone..haha

macmiller

· #14 · Nov 1, 2008

i call it "stepping in dog poop". the stuff gets everywhere. I've gotten cleaner over the years, but i still get dirty, you've just got to watch what you're doing, and be handy w/ a spot gun!

i also say if you're not dirty your not working!

madaradio

· #15 · Nov 2, 2008

I print out of my basement and one time after a job I went up stairs for some relaxing on the couch. Well, you guessed it, I must have had some black in on my shorts and when I got up I looked down to see a nice big black ink mark on the cushion... Well, lets just say the wife wasn't too pleased.

nromano1212

· #16 · Nov 2, 2008

I think we have all been there. I messed up a few shirts when i first started out too. Now I have my own little system and it seems to be working fine. I still screw up a few here and there...

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