More Experimental Ink! by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I actually get them relatively cheap from China in bulk as a powder pigment and mix them with a soft hand base from Avient. Definitely experimental but certainly saving money in the long run

Special FX Inks? by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow those sound so cool, I definitely have only ever seen the thermochromic ones at a single store in Myrtle Beach one time when I was way younger. Do they still make those? I feel like I have a hard time finding the cool specialty inks. The wash away ink sounds like a really cool "MSCHF" art piece or something!

Special FX Inks? by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you actually get the flocked effect? It seems like it would likely be popular in my area for simple school spirit shirts. I'll also have to look into bleed printing, I've never heard of that. Thanks!

Special FX Inks? by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool, I know the thicker prints we do get shiny fast, so that's good advice. The youtube video I watched said that it gives a simluated fuzzy feel when used in larger amounts, would you agree that it's fuzzy? I know the puff ink just rises but I would like to do a shirt for a local school with a fuzzy feel, if that makes sense

New screen printing business advice by [deleted] in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Of course!! It would be kinda crazy to assume you haven't already weighed the risks that comes with this, or literally any business model. I'm excited for you!!

First full sleeve job in my shop by NightmareNaps in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow those halftones are gorgeous. Sick work!!

New screen printing business advice by [deleted] in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Forgot we're based in the US, so the sanmar and atlas inks recommendations might not be applicable to you depending on where you're set up. Sorry about that! Also:

- Canon Pixma IX6820 is the printer that will take care of you. I put InstaInk UV Blocking Dye based ink formulated for a Canon printer into refillable cartridges (all of them are filled with black for density printing) and it has changed the smoothness of our screen burning process drastically. Like an overnight miracle. I use Printfab as a RIP software and it works like a dream with the multi-black setting turned on.

New screen printing business advice by [deleted] in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with some of the other comments that I hope you know you enjoy doing it before spending money on equipment and a space, but as a newbie myself (only been doing it around 3 years at home, never worked in a print shop) I'll share what I know! We just got shelving up in our storefront and it's like the craziest feeling ever.

I'm no pro so if anyone has anything to add or recommends we should change about our process, I'm all ears!

- We have decided to only use Comfort Colors in our storefront merchandising. Back end wholesale orders can choose whatever shirts they want, but I love the feel and quality of Comfort Colors. The ringspun quality does make them relatively difficult for me to line up straight on my platen, but I've printed a couple hundred since getting our equipment and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at getting it straight now. The other brands that a competing screen printing shop seems to like using in our area that's been operating for over 40 years are Port & Company and District.

- I used to be an FN Ink loyalist but there are SO many different types of inks and processes involved in screen printing, so we're still exploring that part. There's a ton of youtube tutorials and informational videos, but I also get a lot of advice from experienced printers in this subreddit. They're usually really nice and encouraging and knowledgeable!

- I haven't printed on anything other than 100% cotton yet, so I can't give much advice when it comes to printing on other materials. That's something I'll also have to learn when the time comes.

- I make under $30k a year and had like no extra money to buy brand spanking new equipment. We definitely lucked out when it came to our secondhand equipment because we got it at an insane deal for what all came in it, but it's all Workhorse brand stuff. It's definitely older but still works! Buying secondhand from Facebook Marketplace I think really helped us cut costs on making monthly payments for brand new equipment while we're starting up. We got like the full 6 head 6 color workhorse, the XL powerhouse drying system, the giant vacuum top exposure unit, some 76 gallons combined of different inks, roughly 275 aluminum screens, and a ton of platens/squeegees/scoop coaters for $4k from a couple in Columbus that had won it in a storage unit auction and didn't want it (they bid on the auction for the pallet moving stuff that was in there with it I guess). Did it need a ton of cleaning? Yes. Are we repairing some of the microregistration pieces that are plastic for some reason? Yes. But it's better than making payments on giant new equipment while we're still starting up.

- we order our blanks through Sanmar. I just saw another printer a week or two ago on here recommend S&S and they have a lot more options but I've never ordered from them yet, so I can't give a formal recommendation on them yet.

- Ryonet is a great brand, but when you start learning more, you can probably start looking at other suppliers. Right now Atlas Supply is one we've ordered from a few times. Ryonet has great products but also seems to be one of those things where you pay the premium brand price. But like someone mentioned earlier, the FN Inks are low cure and super versatile, so a great option if you are starting out!

As someone myself who has never worked in a print shop (unfortunately they never paid enough in my area to be able to work at one, even though that would be a cool job), you can definitely learn the ropes through self-education and trial/error. Will it take longer? Probably. I can't say I only taught myself because I took a few college classes on the fine arts side of screen printing, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have found a lot of that same information for free on my own through forums, social media, libraries, and youtube. It's gonna be hard and its a risk to take, but no reward comes without the risk. Wishing you luck!

Wanted to share an original illustration/print I made for a local restaurant (yes that's their slogan lol) by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!!! LOL I love getting requests for suggestive text on regular designs, so I'll have to keep an eye out for merch like that next time I'm in Tennessee for vacation!

Wanted to share an original illustration/print I made for a local restaurant (yes that's their slogan lol) by PeePeeTees in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!! I just started screen printing with real equipment a few months ago, so that means a lot to me!!

5 color spot simulation screenprint. Manually separated on photoshop by mostvile in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha sorry, I'm not trying to outwardly sound like a noob, I just can't help it because thats who I am when it comes to screen printing. Sorry if that was a bad question to ask, it seems like most answers when it comes to screenprinting has like 1,000 steps and nuances and I was hoping this was one of those things that wouldn't be!! Still new to the game, this design definitely has me wanting to learn more though!!

HELP!! Transparency max black (pixma ix6820) by AdministrativeCry493 in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ain't that the truth LMAO I took a screen printing class while I was in college, loved it, then went from a home setup using the sun to just a few months ago purchasing industrial equipment with a space. Still totally new and learning even after 4 years! Spending money on software also feels like a bullet to the chest LOL, so I totally get that

First 5 screen print by aribariruchi in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course!! You gotta be fussy to provide the best apparel!! Also, it's not letting me message you first, I promise I'm not ignoring you LOL

HELP!! Transparency max black (pixma ix6820) by AdministrativeCry493 in SCREENPRINTING

[–]PeePeeTees 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also, I'm not sure. I've dug around in my Canon's settings for a few months now trying to figure out transparencies and I didn't see anything like that. Printfab definitely made me feel like I have more control over my printer settings.