Screen printing starter kit????
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i got the ryonet one lol so i cant suggest any but have you tried craigslist they got good deals some times
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I have the one color one station kit from ryonet it's real nice a good starting point. I then purchased a used Richardson 4 color real cheap, I am very happy with Ryonets tech support. The only things I would suggest if you are getting a multiple head press get one with micro adjustments, and get a good flash drier. I can't say enough about Ryonet they are very helpful I even took their training class it was worth it, but I have only been doing this for 7 months so I am a newbie
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I have tried craigslist but there is not much in my area. Seems like a lot of people go with the ryonet and love it!
What is the website you purchased your kit from? Thanks!
As a starter it would be best to experience and know the basics of screen printing and how to make or use the materials being used before upgrading or using experts materials or machines.
Things I did at first were the following:
• Research on the internet or ask from the experts that you know the types of techniques on making stencils of silk screen printing. Since I do screen print on fabrics or t-shirts (cotton or silk & etc.) The technique I tried first was how to use "Green Film" which is the old school type of screen printing. wherein you will cut your desired design on the green film and stick it on the silk screen using "thinner". The disadvantage of using green film is that it is time consuming and needs craftsmanship or drawing skills.
Once I know how to use the green film I then shifted to photo emulsion technique that is very popular now a days.
Materials were the following:
• Silkscreen (120 mesh) with frame (which can be bought in Stores of Educational supply )
• Emulsion and sensitizers (which is sold separetely)
• light box (which I made) or you can use 150 - 200 bulbs or sunlight
• your desired design printed in accetate plastice or plastic film (which can bought also in educational supplier store)
• squeegee (which can bought also in educational supplies store)
• scop coater - is used in applying the emulsion to the silk screen (you make this or buy in educational supplier store)
Process:
Process on how to use the following just visit this URL: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_8IMx0uMo[/media]
How to mix the Emulsion and sensitizers: see this URL: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A4jXxQqm8o[/media]
As a beginner you should be patient and be optimistic for you would definitely experience trial and error stage before you got the whole process and create the output that you DESIRE. If you have more questions just PM me.
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve." ~Napoleon Hill
Things I did at first were the following:
• Research on the internet or ask from the experts that you know the types of techniques on making stencils of silk screen printing. Since I do screen print on fabrics or t-shirts (cotton or silk & etc.) The technique I tried first was how to use "Green Film" which is the old school type of screen printing. wherein you will cut your desired design on the green film and stick it on the silk screen using "thinner". The disadvantage of using green film is that it is time consuming and needs craftsmanship or drawing skills.
Once I know how to use the green film I then shifted to photo emulsion technique that is very popular now a days.
Materials were the following:
• Silkscreen (120 mesh) with frame (which can be bought in Stores of Educational supply )
• Emulsion and sensitizers (which is sold separetely)
• light box (which I made) or you can use 150 - 200 bulbs or sunlight
• your desired design printed in accetate plastice or plastic film (which can bought also in educational supplier store)
• squeegee (which can bought also in educational supplies store)
• scop coater - is used in applying the emulsion to the silk screen (you make this or buy in educational supplier store)
Process:
Process on how to use the following just visit this URL: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_8IMx0uMo[/media]
How to mix the Emulsion and sensitizers: see this URL: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A4jXxQqm8o[/media]
As a beginner you should be patient and be optimistic for you would definitely experience trial and error stage before you got the whole process and create the output that you DESIRE. If you have more questions just PM me.
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve." ~Napoleon Hill
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Ryonet's kits are good and complete. If I had it to do over i might have got the one I agonized over. Not because I didn't get a great press for peanuts because I really did get a great deal but because finding all of the other little things like chemicals, scoop coaters, squeegees, instructional dvds and so on and so forth drove me crazy and I just ended up buying all that crap from ryonet anyway so at the very least one of their kits would have saved me some headaches and lost hairs.
Ryonet has great equipment, but if you are looking for an alternative there is a slightly more hobbyist level screen printing starter kit at Hobstr.
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If your looking for the "free" part, check out catspitproductionsllc.com and his youtube channel. Hes a great teacher and goes from step one to step 100 with screen printing.
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Thats the same exact kit Ryonet sells, accept with the addition of "Print Liberation" handbook but minus a press.
Indeed, Print Liberation is a great book and while the press is nice for larger runs and more precise work, it's not really necessary for the first time hobbyist. You did forget to mention there are forums so people can ask each other questions, like here, but are all starting from the same place. There is also a profile page where you can journal your progress and share your creations. We are also working on an e-commerce offering, probably in the form of Etsy integration.
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There should be links on this forum that show you how to build one color and 4 color press. Also how to build an exposure unit. The major items that you will need are,
Chems- emulsion, mineral spirits or presswash, emulsion remover,
Screens, and a scoop coater and squeegees
A cpu and Some kind of printer that can print transparencies or vellum.
A reliable lightsource, cheap options are 500w halogen painters light.
A press is nice but a good set of hinge clamps and some wood and you can have yourself a pretty reliable one color press
A heat source. You can get away with air drying some waterbased inks but heat sets all textile inks better. A flash dryer is a great startoff, but if you do go for a 18x18 model. It really allows you to move a bit quicker, but I've heard of some people drying in their home ovens.
A darkroom area and a place to wash and reclaim screens.. like a slopsink.
Lastly and most importantly, a good book like how to make tshirts for fun and profit and all the YouTube videos you can watch in screenprinting.
I must really stress the book. It has tons of info and blueprints on building your own press and lightbox.
Chems- emulsion, mineral spirits or presswash, emulsion remover,
Screens, and a scoop coater and squeegees
A cpu and Some kind of printer that can print transparencies or vellum.
A reliable lightsource, cheap options are 500w halogen painters light.
A press is nice but a good set of hinge clamps and some wood and you can have yourself a pretty reliable one color press
A heat source. You can get away with air drying some waterbased inks but heat sets all textile inks better. A flash dryer is a great startoff, but if you do go for a 18x18 model. It really allows you to move a bit quicker, but I've heard of some people drying in their home ovens.
A darkroom area and a place to wash and reclaim screens.. like a slopsink.
Lastly and most importantly, a good book like how to make tshirts for fun and profit and all the YouTube videos you can watch in screenprinting.
I must really stress the book. It has tons of info and blueprints on building your own press and lightbox.
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If you have done your homework and are truly ready to do it, then ryonet is a great place to get you started. Any kit you buy from them will allow you to print almost "out of the box", that said, you may find that you like other equipment and supplies better once you get rolling, but you will at least have a great idea of what you need.
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Right on. I have found that I don't like many of their supplies personally. I had issues with their emulsions, cleaners, inks. I went to franmar for some cleaners and removers, Saati for emulsions, other places for inks and was BLOWN AWAY by the difference. I almost thought that some of the Ryonet stuff was watered down. Other stuff like their emulsion scoops, I have 2 and they just lose their end caps so you have to tape them down or permatex them on. I got an AWT pro 2 with the dual edge. WOW! another massive difference.
My 2 cents. You can get comparable supplies such as chemicals and inks that are in these kits, for the same price elsewhere, sometimes lower. And in my experience they are better. And by better, I mean they work well and save you time. Time is money.
I have the silver press, and am learning it is what it is. A cheap press that is "OK". I am just hoping I can make it work for what I need it to until I can move on from it. I have the micros as well and they are ok. They make the registration easier. A bit.
If I were to do it all over I would:
1) Avoid starter kits. On the surface they appear to be deals. I'm thinking they're not so much.
2) Buy my supplies elsewhere. That means emulsions, chemicals, inks, scoop coaters, screens, tapes, maybe squeegees. For instance their ergo squeegees can be had elsewhere cheaper. Regular wood handle squeegees I have a few from different places and they seem to be comparable. Saati ships for free and their emulsions and chemicals are great. I use their Grafic HU and it is a night and day difference to Ryonet's Dual Cure emulsion, which was just weird. I once got an emulsion container from Ryonet that was empty. they replaced of course. While I do like Saati's chemicals and cleaners, I find Franmar to be the best. They are green and maybe a BIT more expensive, but they go further and have cut my time cleaning and such by about 60%.
Why I am still using a dual cure emulsion I do not know yet? I keep thinking that maybe I will use water based ink on a poster or something one day?
3) Bought a different press. While the silver is OK. it's not that great IMHO. I have issues with it. Partly due to user error, partly because IT IS a cheap press. Let's be honest. A 4/1 tabeltop press from anywhere else is more. Sometimes much more. There is a reason why. Once you add 4 micros you are up to around $800 or $900, which could get you a bit better entry press like a Vastex V1000 if you hold out and save up another $400. But I still would have went further and gotten a Vastex V-2000 tabletop in a 4/1 which is 3X the price. BUT it is modular meaning you can built it out over time to a full on 10/10 free standing press. I am working on getting the V2000 as we speak.
4) If you still want to get a silver press, get the press and then get your supplies elsewhere. If you go to Ryonet's eBay page they will take a best offer on a bunch of their stuff. I saved about $20 on my 4/1 silver. For some odd reason, they offer BETTER warranties on eBay on other things like Flash units, etc. Weird...
I'm not bad mouthing Ryonet. Customer service is great. I just am learning the hard way. And the positive thing is I have learned. Some of it was very frustrating, but I still learned. I just think in hindsight, FOR MYSELF, I would have been better served holding out and getting a better press and supplies from the start and I would be further along. It also depends on your goals. Then again, a $2700 tabletop press seems like a lot of dough to cough up for a new guy. Maybe it pays to dabble in cheaper pressed to see if you've got what it takes to go forward? Cut your losses kind of thing if you don't like it. YMMV.
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The thing about ryonet is that they offer a starting point. Solid equip and chems but more important they add some instructions that if followed will get you results until you sift through all the good and bad advice out there. All of this for a slightly higher price. You will find other sources as you go but you won't find the same level of documentation and tech support. I paid for my 4/2 silver on my third job and still haven't learned enough to push it beyond its capabilities. Micros are nice but once you learn to adjust a four color print the hard way you will understands what you are doing with micros. I guess I could have taken out equipment loans and found what all the "pros" are using and then battled a sick learning curve but I think I have learned a lot by learning the absolute basics first so that when I take the next step I will be much more competent then the guy who is learning print from the tech who is installing his auto and assembling his newmans for him. He may have all the top end gear at his disposal but is starting out with incomplete knowledge.
If you are mechanically inclined then go the DIY route. There are solid plans out there, do your research to find them. If you are not patient enough to do it with high tolerances your results will never reach more then mediocrity. Avoid anyone that is telling you that you will be making cash hand over foot in a couple months. There are people pitching thAt and their kits and they are qvc scams. Take some time, experiment, trial and error, and document results are the way to go.
Ryonet has their crap together and look and preform as a solid supplier. They hold themselves highly accountable to their customers and it shows.
If you are mechanically inclined then go the DIY route. There are solid plans out there, do your research to find them. If you are not patient enough to do it with high tolerances your results will never reach more then mediocrity. Avoid anyone that is telling you that you will be making cash hand over foot in a couple months. There are people pitching thAt and their kits and they are qvc scams. Take some time, experiment, trial and error, and document results are the way to go.
Ryonet has their crap together and look and preform as a solid supplier. They hold themselves highly accountable to their customers and it shows.
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I also have the Ryonet 4/1 silver press and have never had an issue with it. I got their semi-pro kit and it did come with everything needed. Mikel is right. You need to master the basics before you spend money on the higher end equipment. One must learn to crawl before one learns to run.
If you want to go the starter kit route, I reccomend you get a basic one color one station press. It is conveinent to get all the stuff in a box to hopefully print something.
There is so much to learn, simplify the press and colors and learn the entire rest of the process, then if you want to go foward, get a vastex or workhorse press, and start looking for vendors for the supplies.
We use our ryonet one statiion as a clamp while we clean or tape up a screen, then it goes to our presses. If you get the 1/1 to learn on, you will probably never need to get rid of it or be unhappy you spent the money. I think a lot of people overeach and end up with stuff they don't want, didn't give them the results they thought they could get, and sour on the process.
There is so much to learn, simplify the press and colors and learn the entire rest of the process, then if you want to go foward, get a vastex or workhorse press, and start looking for vendors for the supplies.
We use our ryonet one statiion as a clamp while we clean or tape up a screen, then it goes to our presses. If you get the 1/1 to learn on, you will probably never need to get rid of it or be unhappy you spent the money. I think a lot of people overeach and end up with stuff they don't want, didn't give them the results they thought they could get, and sour on the process.
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Indeed I started with a Ryonet 1 color press. Indeed they are also a starting point. The question is of your goals and expectations. You spend $400-$900 on a silver press with or without micros, you outgrow or you just don't like it. then what? What is the resale value? You spend a little extra and get a better press. You have the tools and less frustration. For a couple hundred more you could simply have a better multi-color if that is your intention that holds a resale value if you outgrow or maybe don't dig screen printing.
How many newbs get frustrated because the cheap 4/1 or 6/2 confuses them? No matter how many people claim that the cheap press will work wonders and is God's gift to the world, there will be others that say the opposite. Everybody does learn differently.
I can only speak from my experience. While they DO give you a starting point, if you have the ability and drive to move on, you will move on quickly. This is MY experience. I have a Vastex V-2000 4/2 free standing press on the way as we speak. They made me feel great about dealing with them and it will hold greater value and be able to be built out to a 10/10 if I should ever need to. Fancy press? Maybe. But it SHOULD be the last manual press I ever need to buy.
The question isn't a black and white issue of either or. You either buy a silver press or full auto isn't accurate. Some people can function with limitations, even thrive on them. Others cannot. Some people need the right tool from the start. Decide which works for you.
How many newbs get frustrated because the cheap 4/1 or 6/2 confuses them? No matter how many people claim that the cheap press will work wonders and is God's gift to the world, there will be others that say the opposite. Everybody does learn differently.
I can only speak from my experience. While they DO give you a starting point, if you have the ability and drive to move on, you will move on quickly. This is MY experience. I have a Vastex V-2000 4/2 free standing press on the way as we speak. They made me feel great about dealing with them and it will hold greater value and be able to be built out to a 10/10 if I should ever need to. Fancy press? Maybe. But it SHOULD be the last manual press I ever need to buy.
The question isn't a black and white issue of either or. You either buy a silver press or full auto isn't accurate. Some people can function with limitations, even thrive on them. Others cannot. Some people need the right tool from the start. Decide which works for you.
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I started with a speedball kit and jiffy clamps. A 500 watt halogen set up for exposure and one screen... After spending a few days of ripping my hair out and trying to expose a screen I succeeded and printed my first shirts! I was so happy, and after a few more screens and practice I went ahead and bought a ryonet package shop. I got a riley Hopkins package from ryonet. It was great. I started printing right away. I still love my riley, however I still use my halogen for halftones, because I diddnt get a vaccum top. I went and bought a dip tank so i could reclaim easier. I wasn't a fan of the inks, so I had to switch, my flash was only a 16x16 so I had to upgrade that seeing that I diddnt have a conveyor dryer yet. I guess what I'm saying is, a kit is a fine starting point, but if you want to spend x amount of money and start screenprinting, make sure you get everything your going to need. The last thing your going to want to do is have to resell something because you want to upgrade it. I like ryonet, however I wouldn't get a silver press. I would buy a used press, preferably a vastex, m&r or Hopkins. A decent wide format printer if you can afford a rip great. A good art program, A nice exposure unit with a vaccum top, and a good flash. 18x18 or bigger. everything else is pretty standard throughout the suppliers. Ask ink companies for some samples before you buy a full set of ink. Try to go ecofriendly with Chems from the start. Get a heatpress... They come in handy, so do powerwashers and air compressors.
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That's a great post from someone much further along than I am. There is gold in that advice.
I can speak personally about having a 16x16 flash and already regretting not getting an 18x18. Some stuff does take time to acquire.
I got my Workforce 1100 as a refurb from Epson for $100. Cobra Ink refillable cartridge system and off to the races. I tried a CISS but didn't like having the tubes and ink exposed with the chance of spillage. I've got a wife and 7 dogs I didn't like my chances on a huge mess. Anyway, that mutha prints BLACK!
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