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screen printing -messy but should be profitable!
Hey Up everybody,
I have just decided to enter the murky world of screen printing, ’cause I heard about a screen printing firm in Gibralter going bust or something, so I bought their equipment. Now I’ve got loads of my sign customers wanting stuff screen printed, so it’s inky fingers time.
Does anyone out there know of a web site or person that can offer me some advice on a few points – such as:
When I’m printing with solvent based inks onto lighters, pens etc, the screen breaks down after about 30 prints. Is is because the screen is underexposed, or should I be using a special emulsion, or what?
When I’m printing light colours onto darker coloured shirts (Yellow on Dark Green for example) the print doesn’t seem to be bright or dense enough. Should I be using special ink for this rather than the Framacryl that I’ve got?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated before a six station carousel ends up as a kids’ roundabout in the park!
Luv
Leethesign (in un-sunny Spain)
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18 Replies
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the emulsion shouldn’t be breaking down that quick, try giving it a post washout exposure
You will always get the problem of light colours onto dark substrates not showing so good. I’ve hot heard of the ink your using, is it plastisol based? if not you could try getting some opac plastisol ink.
The other option is to put a white base down first and then print your colour over the top as is done with Process printing -
i had the same problem, just after buying my business.
Screens ok when printing with plastisol.
But soon became sticky and broke through, when printing decals (differant ink)I was using a 2 part emultion, swapped over to a differant brand, solved problem.
best talk to your supplier, as you might not be able to get the brands we get.
Are you spot drying the first coat of ink, on your dark garments? Depending upon the colour, you might need 3 coats to get a good opaque coverage. There are differant plastisol inks, some for white garments (soft feel) and some for maximun coverage.
It could also be down to screen mesh, dark garments need 30-43T or there abouts, any thing higher and you are putting down less ink. Although it does depend upon the design.
One of the best investments you can buy, is a book called ” how to print teeshirts for fun & profit” a down to earth guide to the business.
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The USScreenprinting Institute – Scott Fresner- hasd a great forum & advice & hint sheets etc, plus a fantastic book- “How to print T-shirts for fun & profit”
The forums will email you daily all comments & replies if you want them to.http://www.usscreen.com I think, from memory.
http://boards.screenprinters.net
http://www.rjennings.com is also helpful.
You have a big learning curve ahead!
You sometimes need hi opacity inks for dark shirts, especially for an underbase. For halftones, it’s different.
A dual-cure emulsion will be resistant to both water-based & also lacquer-based inks. Your screen shouldn’t break down if you use that.
good luck & best wishes! -
This thread is a bit of an eye-opener.
We sub out any screen printing we need and I always thought our printer was just the bloke who whacked out sticky labels using stone age technology.
It looks like I’m going to have to revise my opinion and view him in a new light.
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John, screening corflute signs, and vinyl stickers can be extremely profitable, (with a capital ‘E’) (or a capital ‘P’)- even for short runs. It beats throwing away stacks of vinyl weeded out from in between big letters at times, and beats weeding out hundreds of small letter centres on repetitive small vinyl jobs.
That is of course after the learning curve has flattened. I had a customer ordering about 100 vinyl names a month, 3/4 inch high & smaller, all the same, for machinery he manufactured. Pulling out centres of zeros and As was a pain even though the money was ok. I started screening them on clear 3m 5270 series cast vinyl, and could print 200 in 20 mins, including cleaning up, and cahrged him half what he paid for plotter letters, and made half as much more per hour than I usually charge.
On corflute, once set up, I’m happy to screen an order as small as 10-12 signs the same, rather than use vinyl, and profit from it- far less material is used, and it’s quick, and making the screens is another enjoyable aspect (to me).
I’m nowhere near being an expert- still very amateurish- but it’s just another avenue of signage….
Good luck! -
Yahooooooooooooooo,
It seems I may have stumbled on something ‘ere.
Thanks all for your replies to my original question, and I’ve taken the suggestions on board and so far, post exposing seems to have helped with my screen problems.
The more I look into the possibilities for screen printed stuff, I think I’ll enjoy finding out more about this inky stuff and add to the services we can offer.
If it all works out I might be able to afford some of life’s little luxuries like food and stuff.
Thanks again, and if it don’t bore you lot too much, I’ll let you know how I get on
Luv
Leethesign(andscreen)99 By the by, the sun’s come out once more, so all’s well in Spain again.
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Glad the post washout exposure has helped, I always do it with my screens, really helps with the pinholes
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Lorraine,
Oops….seems I spoke too quickly. The screen I’m using now has broken down again after doing only 20 lighters….Oh bugger it -I’m going home. I’ll try again in a couple of years.
Leethe(fed up)sign99
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got be be the type of emulsion you are using. Ask your rep what he recomends for the type of ink you`re printing with.
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Yep definately the emulsion, the solvents in the inks must be attacking it.
What type of emulsion are you using??
What inks are you using??I use a diazo duel cure for graphics printing, which is a purple/brown colour (sometimes it can be blue)
I use a different emlulsion for textile printing, which is green
if that helps
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Lorraine, Becky et all
Re your last messages………..der……..am I fick or wot? I’ve just translated the label on the emulsion container into English and it says something like “only a prat would use this emulsion for other than water-based inks & Plastisols” So there we are – you’re right.
Gosh. I wish I was clever. Mind you if I was I’d have gotten a proper job ages ago.I’m going to get back inside my red wine bottle for the weekend and I’m not coming out until this week’s well & truly out of the way!!!!
Have a good weekend and thanks to all for your help (again) all
Luv
Lee(that’sbetter)thesign99
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looks like all that sun`s cooked your brain.
COME BACK TO THE UK….
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look for ‘sericol’ in your phone book, they are everywhere worldwide, they will advise on inks for different substrates, emulsions, films & the rep will normally call on you & show you different techniques. they are really v.g.
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can`t remember the name of the emulsion I use, I`ll post the name later on today.
But I use it for both plastilsol and solvent inks. Its pehaps not the correct one to use for decals, but it works… biggest run of decals was 7K and it didn`t break through.If you can manage with just 1 emulsion for the jobs you do, then you`ll save some money.
You have to be careful of using certain brands/grades as they can have a shelf life of only 3 months. So if you only burn a couple of screens a day, it`ll become out of date half way through the tub. That was happening to me when I first started out.
just ask the questions when you place an order with the supplier.
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We use Kiwocol Ployplus S-Rx which is a dual-cure one, resistant to water & solvent inks, but also use the autocut amber for some non-halftone solvent prints.
Good luck -
You’ll need deep pockets for sericol inks!
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quote becky:You have to be careful of using certain brands/grades as they can have a shelf life of only 3 months. So if you only burn a couple of screens a day, it`ll become out of date half way through the tub. That was happening to me when I first started out.I think everyone who starts out in screen printing soon realizes how quickly some of the coatings can quickly deteriorate, and eventually become useless.
When using a diazo type emulsion, you would normally have to add the activator to the emulsion, so you start with two separate containers and mix them together. Having done so, the clock is ticking, and every day the quality of this photo emulsion is deteriorating, and as the temperature of the area you store it rises, the process is accelerated (more later)
How many of us have half empty 1 litre pots filling their shelf, well I did for one, but now i use every last bit, and there are two ways to achieve this.
1.
Divide the the 2 parts (the emulsion & activator) into say ten equal parts ( by weight works best, so you will need a good electronic scale that can go down to 1 gram, but then you will probably have one anyway to mix your inks), and mix only enough for the amount you will probably use within the next 3 months.2
Refrigeration – get your self a fridge (don’t use the the one in your kitchen, her indoors won’t thank you for contaminating the food etc. with poisonous chemicals). This i found would extend the life of mixed emulsion up to 1 year. Can’t say if it lasts longer, as I have never had any longer than that before it’s all used.There’s nothing worse than washing out the screen, only to see it dissolving and running down the plug hole, and having to wait for some more to be delivered, especially if you mixed up 5 liters, as this stuff is not cheep.
Hope this helps …………
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Most emulsions today are very good, i would think its more to do with your UV light source.
If your not using a 3-5 kw bulb then the exposure time must be increased.
All depends on the power of your UV light, the more powerful the better.
We run a 3kw bulb and expose for around 3 and half Min’s, 800 watt bulb should be around 10 Min’s.
Hope this has helped, please don’t say you spray mount your posi onto the screen and the expose it in the sun, some people do this and then complain when it rains.
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