[skitten]

*i thought i submitted a post and waiting approval. So far nothing in 2 weeks so i am posting again*

I have been lurking the forums for about 6 weeks taking notes, checking sites, video tutorials, etc. My experience is in ladies cut & sewn, but I can not afford a manufacture so I will be starting off with screen printing for at least 2-3 years (if all goes well). I’m generally using light colored, 100% cotton to 80/20 type poly/cotton blend tops. My designs are very simple, mostly words and pharses.

I am starting off simple with the Ryonet Starter Press Kit Screen Printing Starter Kit | Silk Screening Supplies . It's water based but will get plastisol for dark colors.
I’d love to get a flash dryer, but do not have enough money for one right now. I’ve read a heat gun does not properly cure ink so I’ll check tutorials on how to properly use one.

-I am assuming I do not need to buy an exposure unit since it has the 500 watt halogen bulb, so is there anything I can do to give it the best burn? If not I will look into an exposure unit.

SCREENS
-Will wood frames become damaged from the water? If so, is there a way to treat it so it can repel some water and last a bit longer? Or consider aluminum. I saw some cheaper than wood online

-How long can a screen stay burned w/o damaging the mesh? Like if I kept it in a dark, dry, dust free place?
- Is a pressure washer the ONLY method to clean/reclaim or can I use an attachment with my garden hose?

PLATENS AND ACTIVE AREA
I want to print on plus size shirts, but this hobby Kit came with 14x14 platen and a 16x20 screen. Is the platen smaller because the best area to screen print on a 16x20 is only 10x14 roughly?

The max screen the press can take is 20x24. I have to buy a larger platen, but how accurate is the suggested print area for screens? Screen Printing Screens & Frames | Silk Screening Supplies

After I verify the exact size of my designs, I will buy the extra screens, squeegee and platen. I hope my questions will be helpful to other’s just starting out who didn't think to ask them.

Thank you for any assistance.

 

[PatWibble]

It seems a bit pointless buying the hobby kit if everything about it is too small! Why not look for a used silver press or similar online? You may get lucky and get a 2 colour press and flash drier for the cost of the starter kit. If not then get a larger platen for the starter press, if you think it will fit ok.
A 20 x 24 screen will be (just) suitable for an A3 size image (12 x 16 max),hence the platen size of the hobby kit. If you want an outsize print then you may need 23 x 31. Wooden screens are ok but they can warp. Aluminium are better.
Many of us leave screens burned for years for repeat customers. You don't need to store them in the dark. In my experience the age of the emulsion has little relation to how easily it comes out of the screen. I have had some that were burnt yesterday that have been right [email protected] to reclaim. If you are starting on a budget then don't bother storing screens-its far more cost effective to store your transparencies in a dry place and re-burn when needed. A quart of emulsion is cheaper than a screen.
You won't need a pressure washer to clean the screens but you will to reclaim them.
A 500w halogen is fine, if slower and you can pick one up for next to nothing at a hardware store. As a single point light source it can be better than a unit with several tubes. Also there is no drop of in performance with a halogen bulb. Remove the glass as it will filter out some of the uv light, some even come with uv blocking glass.
There are too many people in this industry wanting to charge you thousands for what amounts to a light bulb in a box. They do have their place but unless you need to burn many screens a day hold of buying an exposure unit as long as possible. There is an evolution in technology happening in regards to light source at the moment. Wait until uv led exposure units tumble in price. They surely will as the bulbs cost pennies.

 

[iSukGolf]

My wooden screens did warp ... I like the aluminum 20x24 ... However, unless you get a wider printer ... You sort of bound to the width that you can print on transparency ... I bought the Epson 1430 so I could print 13x19

 

[sledzeppelin]

Good questions! I printed my first shirt in January and I'm having a great time with it. I'm doing plastisol for now, but most of this still applies. It would help to know how many shirts you're planning on making - both how many unique designs, and how many of each at a time.

First of all, the size of your designs is going to determine a lot of what you'll need, and as your designs get larger, things seem to get exponentially more expensive. For instance, if you want a design on a shirt that's 16" wide, then you're going to need 23x31 frames, which means you'll also need a 19" scoop coater, and a 18" squeegee, and also some way of printing large film. Most people use a tabloid size inkjet printer which can print 13x19 (or whatever length) films. You can print sideways on it, but then you're limited to about 12.5" inches high (the width of the screen). For my purposes, and probably most purposes, I find about 10.5 - 11" wide is as wide as I'd want to go. It can seem maybe a little small on plus size shirts, but it's not too bad. If you keep it to that size, then you can use 20x24 screens and a 14" platen. My kit came with 16x20 screens and I found it hard to print even a 8.5" wide image with that. As you get close to the frame on the sides, the screen will not push down as far as it does in the middle, so the outer edges of my design tended to get a bit thick. Once I moved up to 20x24, it became MUCH easier to get a good print.

You absolutely do not need a special exposure unit for printing words. A halogen work light will be just fine. You may need a piece of glass to lay on top to keep your film down on the screen, and you'll have to take a little care to make sure it's down flat on the emulsion. I made a combination stand and drying rack for my light out of PVC.

As for a flash dryer, like I said, I'm using plastisol and not water based, but I cannot imagine flashing and curing with only a heat gun. For plastisol, you're looking at minutes per shirt to cure that way, and very tedious minutes at that, plus you run the risk of not getting a good cure. Also, a laser thermometer is pretty much essential. You can get them for about $30 at Harbor Freight. I got my flash dryer for like $275 from ebay. It's not infrared and I don't really like it, but it does get the job done. For water based, I know you can use an iron so maybe some of this doesn't apply.

Aluminum screens are like 20% more to buy (from Ryonet), which is a no-brainer. Wood screens are coated with varnish and will last a while if you take care of them, but aluminum is much much better. Also, if you're not going to have a pressure washer, then your wood screens are going to have to be exposed to a lot more water. Pressure washers get the job done fast and without a lot of water. If you buy 6 or more screens from Ryonet at a time, they're $4.50 cheaper each, so it's like getting one free for buying 5.

You can leave your screens burned indefinitely. Extra exposure to light once you have it burned won't hurt anything.

A pressure washer is not essential, but it's close. If you do a really good exposure and have very opaque ink on your film, you'll probably be able to wash out the image with a garden sprayer, but a pressure washer just makes it so much easier and faster and with less water, which both preserves your wood frames, but also limits the chances of blowing out the image (removing emulsion you don't want to remove) or just weakening the emulsion you want to stay on the screen. Also with reclaiming, you MAY be able to do it with a garden hose, but it'll be a LOT easier with a pressure washer. I got a 1300 psi one for under $75 shipped on ebay: NIB McCulloch Pressure Washer Jet 1300 PSI MS1300 S3X4 | eBay

I started out using a large plastic tote for my washout tub, and a shower sprayer, and it was a real pain. Now I have that pressure washer and I made a washout booth with a light in it and it's a pleasure to do it now.

A 14x14 platen is pretty darn small, but should work for you. It may make it slightly harder to get larger shirts on it straight.

What are you going to use to print your film?

 

[sledzeppelin]

BTW, you can probably get by with any old inkjet printer, though without special drivers and maybe special ink, you may have to print two films and stack them for exposure to make it opaque enough.

 

[20vK]

You don't need special big printers to print big designs.

Simply tile the design and stick the positives together with tape.

I used to have to double up my positives to get the opaqueness and lining them up perfectly with some double-sided tape was easy, so lining up for tiling shouldn't present too many issues.

 

[PatWibble]

Regarding inkjet printers, you need to have one that uses dye based ink rather than pigment based. If your are using an epson it needs to use Claria ink. Buy a good film that is designed for film possitives that dries quick, rather than ohp slides. They will give you the more opaque image that you need.
Tiling images is an essential knack to master but requires precision.
If you can get hold of an Epson 1400 or similar then grab it with both hands. It is A3+ (13" wide) and prints an excellant dark image when used with quality ink and transparency. In the past I too have had to use two layers of film, but they don't always store well as they tend to sweat, making the image bleed. I have never needed to use two layers of film since I bought the 1400 printer.

Don't try to use an HP printer. Although they are good printers they tend to use 'thermal' print heads that can cause the transparencies to distort.

You should use a squeegee about one inch wider than your image. This will reduce stencil drag-which can cause the print to loose registration. Get a selection of different sizes.

A flash drier is almost essential when printing multi colours, but NEVER try to fully cure the garment on the platen. The heat will cause the platen to warp rendering it useless . Better to flash, remove the shirt from the press and drape it over an ironing board to finish curing.
As you only have a one colour press a good alternative would be a heat press - you could then have the option of a cheap vinyl cutter as well. If you are really on a tight budget then and you have an electric oven then put the t-shirt under the radiant grill element (this is what most budget flash units are based on). Don't burn the house down!

Screen printing is a relatively easy skill to learn, but the only way to master it is through trial and error. Ask for advice but make your own mistakes and figure out what works for you!
Unless you intend to reach an industrial scale beware of 'gurus' and dealers trying to over complicate things (boys and their toys!).
There is space in the marketplace for 'artisan' hand printed garments.

 

[sledzeppelin]

I use an Epson 1100 with the stock ink and since I started using the Gutenprint driver and set it up properly, my films are dark enough. They wash out beautifully. I'm sure dye based is better, but it is possible to do it without.

 

[skitten]

It seems a bit pointless buying the hobby kit if everything about it is too small! Why not look for a used silver press or similar online? You may get lucky and get a 2 colour press and flash drier for the cost of the starter kit. If not then get a larger platen for the starter press, if you think it will fit ok.
A 20 x 24 screen will be (just) suitable for an A3 size image (12 x 16 max),hence the platen size of the hobby kit. If you want an outsize print then you may need 23 x 31. Wooden screens are ok but they can warp. Aluminium are better.
Many of us leave screens burned for years for repeat customers. You don't need to store them in the dark. In my experience the age of the emulsion has little relation to how easily it comes out of the screen. I have had some that were burnt yesterday that have been right [email protected] to reclaim. If you are starting on a budget then don't bother storing screens-its far more cost effective to store your transparencies in a dry place and re-burn when needed. A quart of emulsion is cheaper than a screen.
You won't need a pressure washer to clean the screens but you will to reclaim them.
A 500w halogen is fine, if slower and you can pick one up for next to nothing at a hardware store. As a single point light source it can be better than a unit with several tubes. Also there is no drop of in performance with a halogen bulb. Remove the glass as it will filter out some of the uv light, some even come with uv blocking glass.
There are too many people in this industry wanting to charge you thousands for what amounts to a light bulb in a box. They do have their place but unless you need to burn many screens a day hold of buying an exposure unit as long as possible. There is an evolution in technology happening in regards to light source at the moment. Wait until uv led exposure units tumble in price. They surely will as the bulbs cost pennies.

THANK YOU for your feedback!!
Buying that particular hobby kit WAS a mistake. I was excited it was on sale for $200 and jumped the gun. The press alone is $150, but I didn’t know anything about platens as i was still researching, stupid me! I guess I can sale the platen later, but don’t really see a 14x14 being very popular. I am averaging 14x10 right now for mid-size designs on ladies tee’s and that’s just not gonna cut it. 14x14 is great for practice on my smaller designs so no real loss right now.

My goal is cut & sew in 2 years so I do not want to make screen printing stressful. Bigger designs means more money spent on supplies. Based on various quotes I’ve seen here and locally, I can still make a decent profit on shirts by hiring a printer for larger, detailed work, however the risk of that is making sure I have money when I need it.

 

[skitten]

My wooden screens did warp ... I like the aluminum 20x24 ... However, unless you get a wider printer ... You sort of bound to the width that you can print on transparency ... I bought the Epson 1430 so I could print 13x19

I found aluminum screens at a good price(maybe??) and so far from what I've read on the forums, this company is good: GM Graphics

I'm researching wide-print Epson's. I really want a basic one that is 13x19. No 3-in-1 crap. Only ones really in my budget are only 11x17. 1430 and 7510 are on the list. I'm hoping to wait on a good sale. I got atleast 4 weeks before I need to try to print.
I guess I could get a smaller one and rotate the design but that'll only get me so far. I haven't gone through a full tutorial, but i think the screen can be printed on width-ways?? i'll be posting my Epson/transparency questions later on if I don't find the answers.

 

[PatWibble]

The Epson 1400 is pretty damn good, and I guess that translates to the rest of the 1400 series. It has been replaced by the 1500 which I have heard similar good reports on. They are lower end professional/top end domestic photo printers. The print quality is a serious step up from cheap home printers, and are as good as you will need. As I said before use good transparency film. You shouldn't then need to use an 'all black' ink system (shame to ruin a good printer).

The screens certainly can be turned width-ways, but you need a minimum of 4-5inch inkwell above and below the image. If not you will have ink up to your elbows, especially when starting out. On a 16 x20 screen that will only leave a maximum image height of about 5 inches.

The extra money spent on supplies are only a one off cost. Ink cost is next to nothing.

Practice with your ladies images until you are sure you want to proceed. The 14 x 14 platen may be too wide for smaller ladies tops. I tend to use 12 x 20 for ladies and 16 X 20 for mens. Both are a convenient shape for loading the garment correctly (straight!). If you have a local hardware store that cuts wood to size get them to cut them for you. Use 18mm (3/4inch) thick marine ply or if not available, mdf. Ask them to cut the top corners (shoulders) off at a 45 degree angle at about 4" in.

Ryonet have some good tutorial videos on You tube, as do Catspit Productions.

Go and do some printing.

 

[skitten]

Good questions! I printed my first shirt in January and I'm having a great time with it. I'm doing plastisol for now, but most of this still applies. It would help to know how many shirts you're planning on making - both how many unique designs, and how many of each at a time.

First of all, the size of your designs is going to determine a lot of what you'll need, and as your designs get larger, things seem to get exponentially more expensive. For instance, if you want a design on a shirt that's 16" wide, then you're going to need 23x31 frames, which means you'll also need a 19" scoop coater, and a 18" squeegee, and also some way of printing large film. Most people use a tabloid size inkjet printer which can print 13x19 (or whatever length) films. You can print sideways on it, but then you're limited to about 12.5" inches high (the width of the screen). For my purposes, and probably most purposes, I find about 10.5 - 11" wide is as wide as I'd want to go. It can seem maybe a little small on plus size shirts, but it's not too bad. If you keep it to that size, then you can use 20x24 screens and a 14" platen. My kit came with 16x20 screens and I found it hard to print even a 8.5" wide image with that. As you get close to the frame on the sides, the screen will not push down as far as it does in the middle, so the outer edges of my design tended to get a bit thick. Once I moved up to 20x24, it became MUCH easier to get a good print.

You absolutely do not need a special exposure unit for printing words. A halogen work light will be just fine. You may need a piece of glass to lay on top to keep your film down on the screen, and you'll have to take a little care to make sure it's down flat on the emulsion. I made a combination stand and drying rack for my light out of PVC.

As for a flash dryer, like I said, I'm using plastisol and not water based, but I cannot imagine flashing and curing with only a heat gun. For plastisol, you're looking at minutes per shirt to cure that way, and very tedious minutes at that, plus you run the risk of not getting a good cure. Also, a laser thermometer is pretty much essential. You can get them for about $30 at Harbor Freight. I got my flash dryer for like $275 from ebay. It's not infrared and I don't really like it, but it does get the job done. For water based, I know you can use an iron so maybe some of this doesn't apply.

Aluminum screens are like 20% more to buy (from Ryonet), which is a no-brainer. Wood screens are coated with varnish and will last a while if you take care of them, but aluminum is much much better. Also, if you're not going to have a pressure washer, then your wood screens are going to have to be exposed to a lot more water. Pressure washers get the job done fast and without a lot of water. If you buy 6 or more screens from Ryonet at a time, they're $4.50 cheaper each, so it's like getting one free for buying 5.

You can leave your screens burned indefinitely. Extra exposure to light once you have it burned won't hurt anything.

A pressure washer is not essential, but it's close. If you do a really good exposure and have very opaque ink on your film, you'll probably be able to wash out the image with a garden sprayer, but a pressure washer just makes it so much easier and faster and with less water, which both preserves your wood frames, but also limits the chances of blowing out the image (removing emulsion you don't want to remove) or just weakening the emulsion you want to stay on the screen. Also with reclaiming, you MAY be able to do it with a garden hose, but it'll be a LOT easier with a pressure washer. I got a 1300 psi one for under $75 shipped on ebay: NIB McCulloch Pressure Washer Jet 1300 PSI MS1300 S3X4 | eBay

I started out using a large plastic tote for my washout tub, and a shower sprayer, and it was a real pain. Now I have that pressure washer and I made a washout booth with a light in it and it's a pleasure to do it now.

A 14x14 platen is pretty darn small, but should work for you. It may make it slightly harder to get larger shirts on it straight.

What are you going to use to print your film?

Thank you for your help! I’ll be printing all this stuff off for easier reference.

I don’t know an exact number of shirts I physically will print, since I am still developing customers. My potential customer-friends are about 40% L-2 XL. So the big issue is formatting my designs in about 3 sizes. I won’t buy anything until I know the max size design I will use and the number of screens. So far this company has decent prices https://www.rhinotoughgraphics.com/catalog/login.php (free shipping at $75) But if I can get a better deal with Ryonet I’ll do that. With the designs I’ve counted, I’ll be needing 10 screens. Also, it’s best to just reclaim the screen and re-burn since the emulsion has about a 3 month shelf life?? I’ll have to print as many shirts as I can with the single design prior to reclaiming. I will need at least 5 dedicated screens for company promo tees.
But honestly, if the larger prints are hard for me to do I’m contacting a pro. I am not stressing out on something I only plan to do for about 2-3 years. Not that I do not love the thought of printing. It’s just hard to dedicate to it since I will still sew clothes and well I have toddler who thinks this is “colors” time and won’t always be with a sitter when I print.

I’ll check craft stores for the glass. I think my boyfriend uses Harbor Freight for his big-rig. The kit said I could use an iron. Is it better b/c the heat sits directly onto it? I’ll test it first since they gave me paper sheets for it. Can the flash dryer be used to cure too?? I have NO money for those belt dryers. They look awesome but I’m working from my house. My b/f pretty much owns the garage, and despite my backyard being fairly large, I’m in Las Vegas and it’s nearly summer. Also I read there are issues with the watts and socket matching up with flash and belt dryers?

I’ll test out this hose attachment. Gonna have to get a stop watch or something and see how effective it’ll be compared to other printers. Wasting water in Las Vegas, especially in the summer, is a huge no-no. I am still looking for a cheap wash-booth set up. I have a great area in my back yard right next to the “water spout”. Love a back-light set-up but I am no fan of water and electricity. I don’t 110% trust my b/f to make me one.

I will buy plastisol for dark shirts once I can handle the basics of printing. I am still a bit confused about the underbase with water-based inks. But that’s only b/c I have not gone through a complete tutorial. I am still looking for a printer. Frys has 7510 on sale. Are these good prices for film? I will buy the 100 pack: GM Graphics It’s cheaper than silkscreensupplies.com. My Canon Pixma MX330 inkjet is about 4 years old, only 8.5x11 & 2 ink cartridges. I will do a test print on it prior to buying an Epson, but I highly doubt it will be effective. I’ll be posting my printer/ink questions a lil later if I do not find the answers in the next few days.

Thank you again for your advice. Sorry it's long, but I tried to keep my response short.

 

[PatWibble]

I'll try to keep this brief.
Probably best to print one size per design-if it fits on the platen it will fit on the shirt.
Emulsion is cheaper than screens so re burning makes sense if you are on a budget. Cleaning th screens does use water tho and puts more [email protected] into the water system. Your choice.
For the glass start of with a cheap picture frame from a discount store. Buy one several inches bigger than your screen. Tape the glass in well. The frame should help protect the glass, as will the backboard when storing it.
The iron should be fine, but if using thick plastisol keep it moving as you don't want an iron shaped indent ion your design.
Flash dryers can be used to cure, I already said that-pay attention woman!! But not on the platen as it will warp it.
Domestic electric sockets will be 'single phase' so buy a single phase flash unit suitable for your ampage.
If you can't find a washout you will probably find a plastc storage box to fit your screens. If not see if a local plumber can sell you an old bath tub for scrap value. He may even give you one for free if it saves him scraping it.
You can re-use water several times, so a days printing will only use so much water. When washing out newly expossed screens wet each side and leave for a few minutes for the image to soften. Unless you have overexposed the screen you should only need a few gallons of water. After printing scrape the ink from the screen, wipe with a rag and screenwash and rinse. Tip the water into a water butt or plastic barrel and run your hose off of a water butt pump. You can buy jet washers that run directly from a water butt. Check if there are any filtering requirements in your area. If there are tip it down a neighbors drain.
If buying an epson get one with Claria ink, NOT Durabrite or Ultrachrome for the reasons I said before.

 

[skitten]

Regarding inkjet printers, you need to have one that uses dye based ink rather than pigment based. If your are using an epson it needs to use Claria ink. Buy a good film that is designed for film possitives that dries quick, rather than ohp slides. They will give you the more opaque image that you need.
Tiling images is an essential knack to master but requires precision.
If you can get hold of an Epson 1400 or similar then grab it with both hands. It is A3+ (13" wide) and prints an excellant dark image when used with quality ink and transparency. In the past I too have had to use two layers of film, but they don't always store well as they tend to sweat, making the image bleed. I have never needed to use two layers of film since I bought the 1400 printer.

Don't try to use an HP printer. Although they are good printers they tend to use 'thermal' print heads that can cause the transparencies to distort.

You should use a squeegee about one inch wider than your image. This will reduce stencil drag-which can cause the print to loose registration. Get a selection of different sizes.

A flash drier is almost essential when printing multi colours, but NEVER try to fully cure the garment on the platen. The heat will cause the platen to warp rendering it useless. Better to flash, remove the shirt from the press and drape it over an ironing board to finish curing.
As you only have a one colour press a good alternative would be a heat press - you could then have the option of a cheap vinyl cutter as well. If you are really on a tight budget then and you have an electric oven then put the t-shirt under the radiant grill element (this is what most budget flash units are based on). Don't burn the house down!

Screen printing is a relatively easy skill to learn, but the only way to master it is through trial and error. Ask for advice but make your own mistakes and figure out what works for you!
Unless you intend to reach an industrial scale beware of 'gurus' and dealers trying to over complicate things (boys and their toys!).
There is space in the marketplace for 'artisan' hand printed garments.

Thank you for the extra info Pat!

Everyone seems to recommend dye and inkjet. Epson 1400 and 7510 are on my list with a few others. I don’t know if this is a good film. I know GM graphics has a good standing in the forum, but I assume silkscreeningsupplies.com sales their films(Rite Film) higher b/c it’s quality: GM Graphics

Use a heat press instead of screen printing or use it to cure the ink?
I will do multi-colors, no more than 3 in the future (like 8-12 months from now). I know it’s not smart printing more than 1 color using a 1 station press, but If I can manage it until I’ve made enough sales to upgrade, then I’ll test it out. Only thing I am unsure of right now (b/c I’m still doing research) is how quickly I can change out the screen and how long the ink can sit wet w/o totally screwing things up. Horrible idea I know with no micro registration (I think that’s the word). I will need my boyfriend’s help with that. I have not put my press together yet so I don’t know physically how it works so just a thought for now. Also I have a gas oven

I do want to consider other ink options. I know different inks require a different screen mesh so I am trying to buy enough variety. Complicated designs needing new equipment will go to pro’s- metallic, shimmer, puff, heat press/vinyl, etc. I’ve been looking at my own shirts in my closet and trying to figure out what methods they are. My BIG issue is I want to print on nylon, spandex and mesh/semi-sheer fabrics. I REALLY want to do swimsuits and maybe a few lingerie pieces. I know those materials are heat sensitive and harder to print on. And my boyfriend will ultimately demand I make him Chicago Bears stuff :|

 

[PatWibble]

Heat press to cure, but with the addition of a cheap cutter yo have two strings to your bow.
Plastisol will sit in the screen for a long time if you back flood ( see you tube), other inks dry quickly.
You may be able to print extra colours but it will require screens made very accuratlely so the image is in the exact same place on each one. You can then put marks on your frame edge so that you can align the frame in the clamp. Not very accurate tho, but may work for very simple designs.

Gas oven will work but naked flame and fabric not a good idea.

Other fabrics can be difficult and require special inks/additives . Very specialist printing but give it a go! Try it out on your old garments first!

 

[skitten]

You don't need special big printers to print big designs.

Simply tile the design and stick the positives together with tape.

I used to have to double up my positives to get the opaqueness and lining them up perfectly with some double-sided tape was easy, so lining up for tiling shouldn't present too many issues.

I read on here a lot of folks did that. I'll look into. A few of my designs will be pretty big and if i can save more by getting the smaller film i'll try that method. thanks.

 

[skitten]

I'll try to keep this brief.
Probably best to print one size per design-if it fits on the platen it will fit on the shirt.
Emulsion is cheaper than screens so re burning makes sense if you are on a budget. Cleaning th screens does use water tho and puts more [email protected] into the water system. Your choice.
For the glass start of with a cheap picture frame from a discount store. Buy one several inches bigger than your screen. Tape the glass in well. The frame should help protect the glass, as will the backboard when storing it.
The iron should be fine, but if using thick plastisol keep it moving as you don't want an iron shaped indent ion your design.
Flash dryers can be used to cure, I already said that-pay attention woman!! But not on the platen as it will warp it.
Domestic electric sockets will be 'single phase' so buy a single phase flash unit suitable for your ampage.
If you can't find a washout you will probably find a plastc storage box to fit your screens. If not see if a local plumber can sell you an old bath tub for scrap value. He may even give you one for free if it saves him scraping it.
You can re-use water several times, so a days printing will only use so much water. When washing out newly expossed screens wet each side and leave for a few minutes for the image to soften. Unless you have overexposed the screen you should only need a few gallons of water. After printing scrape the ink from the screen, wipe with a rag and screenwash and rinse. Tip the water into a water butt or plastic barrel and run your hose off of a water butt pump. You can buy jet washers that run directly from a water butt. Check if there are any filtering requirements in your area. If there are tip it down a neighbors drain.
If buying an epson get one with Claria ink, NOT Durabrite or Ultrachrome for the reasons I said before.

LOL. I'm sorry. Ok. No heat on the platen. I knew I should have waited to buy this kit. Oh well. I'll test the platen out on my shirts. I have an old desk I can use for curing and old book-shelf partivle board or w/e in the garage. i'm sure warping is very possible.
The picture frame is supposed to be slightly bigger than the design when exposing right? You lost me at the storing part, lol. It's ok though. I havent gotten to Ryonet's tutorial.

Access to neighbors backyards is nearly impossible in Vegas (not that i would ever do such a thing!) lol. My boyfriend is helping me find a jet washer. His job has one but it's for big-rigs. I'm sure over 2000 psi which i read is too strong. I did read about scrap tubs and even fridges for washout booths. I have a nice lil spot in my backyard I can place it.

I'm tempted to buy Epson 7510 b/c of the price- $180.

Heat press to cure, but with the addition of a cheap cutter yo have two strings to your bow.
Plastisol will sit in the screen for a long time if you back flood ( see you tube), other inks dry quickly.
You may be able to print extra colours but it will require screens made very accuratlely so the image is in the exact same place on each one. You can then put marks on your frame edge so that you can align the frame in the clamp. Not very accurate tho, but may work for very simple designs.

Gas oven will work but naked flame and fabric not a good idea.

Other fabrics can be difficult and require special inks/additives . Very specialist printing but give it a go! Try it out on your old garments first!

That's a great idea! I actually know a bit about marks and matching. Sewing has helped in that area. Definitely something i can try once I am comfortable with 1 color.

The heat press idea is interesting. Sorry for more questions: How accurate would you say curing is with the press?
Would i still need a temp gun?
Heat pressing looks easier than screen printing. Searched the forums. It looks really cool, but it seems like it has it's limits in terms of color and possibly detail? I have money left over for press and cutter and a small number of supplies, but I had hoped to save it for a rainy day. Also, my boyfriend will NOT trust me to put clothes in the oven, lol. I'm sure he'll put up the extra cash for a flash dryer if I ask him.

THANK YOU for awesome info! Gotta finish measuring my designs. I had more than I thought. I need to cut down to at least 6 choices for now. I'll also visit a screen print shop that offers a variety of print methods. i'm a touch/feel person. Pictures are not cuttin it.

 

[PatWibble]

Heat press better than Iron, but you will still need to put the paper on top of design. Can give your designs a nice smooth finish if using plastisol ink. You will not need heat gun, but you really are going to need a flash dryer.
Cutting is limited but great for text and less complicated designs. Also good for 'one off' prints, you will be suprissed how many freinds will want a garment printed. Some interesting vinyls and flock finishes available. Can be added to a screen printed design.

Good luck. Go and print.

 

[skitten]

Heat press better than Iron, but you will still need to put the paper on top of design. Can give your designs a nice smooth finish if using plastisol ink. You will not need heat gun, but you really are going to need a flash dryer.
Cutting is limited but great for text and less complicated designs. Also good for 'one off' prints, you will be suprissed how many freinds will want a garment printed. Some interesting vinyls and flock finishes available. Can be added to a screen printed design.

Good luck. Go and print.

OK I will buy a flash dryer!! Yes I have about 8 requests already, lol. THANK YOU again! I'll be setting up the press this weekend.