Silkscreening

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:18 pm

I once used a speedball kit to make a silkscreen to make some tshirts and it worked fabulously. However, it is not cheep. I am trying to find the actual fabric to make these, and am having trouble. There arent really any blueprint shops around me where I could go to. I have heard it called polyester silk, polyester bolting cloth, and polyester mesh. Does anyone know of a good source for this? Or a fabric that can be substituted?

Thanks

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:39 pm

I'm not sure exactly what you need, but this guy sells fabrics for silk screening. http://www.noahlamport.com/screenprinting.htm

JK

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:47 pm

I want to just be able to go and pick it up at a store (if possible) or go to a website that doesn't require me to ask 100 questions though email and finally make a decision.

thanks though

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:52 pm

Well if you're looking for a store you can walk into, you might do better if you post the city you are in.

JK

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:00 pm

San Ramon, Golden State

littleflower · Post by **littleflower** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:05 pm

i know, it's a website ... but i have always had good luck with them... and i don't remember ever seeing the fabric in a store. good luck!

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/scr ... ngfabrics/

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:14 am

littleflower wrote:i know, it's a website ... but i have always had good luck with them... and i don't remember ever seeing the fabric in a store. good luck!

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/scr ... ngfabrics/

.... I went on dick blick. This is always my first stop. Lol, thanks for finding what I missed.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:43 am

Also look in the phone book/online for local screenprinting shops like banner makers. They tend to have crazybig rolls of screen fabric and might even cut you off a yard for showing interest. While you're there ask what they do with their scrap banner fabric- I worked for an outfit here in 'Kazoo for a while, (Kalamazoo Banner Works, a division of Consort Corporation, which is a RIDICULOUS name if you ask me) and they threw HUNDREDS of pounds of perfectly usable fabric away every month. Oooops! Cut it an inch too short! THROW IT AWAY!! Ooops! Slight screenprinting defect! THROW IT AWAY!!
(I'd love to give you an armload of lovely, durable, heavy marine acrylic in any of several nice colors, although I would NOT love to pay shipping on it.)

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:33 pm

Screen Printing Products in Benicia, CA. I used to work for them, mixing inks and stretching screens. They sell the fabric itself, or you can have it stretched to a frame pretty cheap. They have all mesh counts, depending on what kind of job your doing. Think 125-135 is the typical mesh count used for T-shirts.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:46 pm

Silk screen kits at art shoppes *are* cheap. That's why they're called "kits".

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:54 pm

Bob wrote:Silk screen kits at art shoppes *are* cheap. That's why they're called "kits".

Silk screen kits at art shops *arent* cheap in the least.

15 bucks for stapled 2x4's? Its about 2 dollar in materials. I can make 4 frames for about 12 bucks. Plus the diazo stuff is outrageous expensive. You can make that out of gelatin and ammonium dichromate.

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:57 pm

Success!! So I tried out the recipe for a homemade emulsion out of gelatin and ammonium dichromate. I had the dichromate lying around already, so I didn't have to buy any. The only thing I had to do was get some acetate sheets for the stencil. I already had a silk screen left over from an old project a few years ago. I tried getting out the old emulsifier with lacquer thinner. No dice. Then I soaked it in ajax. No dice, however this loosened it up a little. The only thing that was really successful at getting off the old goo was a power washer. Took the bad boy outside, and sprayed it down with the power washer until there weren't any blocked holes and nothing but a faint reminder of what used to be there.

Instructions, for anyone interested, can be found here: http://personal.riverusers.com/~jdf/tod ... r/pss.html

I plan on making an instructable of this eventually.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:27 am

Heh...that reminds me of the dark, dank cave at Consort where they powerwashed their screens after exposure. Fun-KY!

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:44 am

So, the design worked pretty good. However, there are two things I need to work on. 1. The design size. It is 6" tall, larger you think? 2. I need to do a better job cleaning the screen. Not all of the holes were cleaned out, so I think I am going to clean out the old gelatin and re-expose the beast. Here is a photo for consumption:

I had forgotten how hard you needed to press with the squeegee, so the first attempt was pretty light, then the second one came out better but I didn't center it properly. Finally, on the third try I was able to see how it would turn out when pressed correctly. I am not a huge fan. First, the color of the shirt sucks, it was just an old tee that could be wasted. Second, I think the design should be taller.

Feedback is wanted!

SonOfUgly · Post by **SonOfUgly** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:50 am

1 and 2 look goo together like that

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:31 am

Looks great - gives it that old faded look.

Clean screens shouldnt need a ton of pressure - firm, but not wrist shaking.

I have never thought of making my own emulsion

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:37 pm

SonOfUgly wrote:1 and 2 look goo together like that

no way I could replicate that, was a total accident. hah.

What do you guys think about the size? Larger?

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:16 pm

)*( size is good for sleeve or over left breast, larger size would be good for back of t-shirt. You could use small image on handkerchiefs/ bandanas.

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:22 pm

Oldguy wrote:)*( size is good for sleeve or over left breast, larger size would be good for back of t-shirt. You could use small image on handkerchiefs/ bandanas.

I like the handkerchief idea. And the sleeve idea. I might try try that out on a couple!

I was thinking more like a 10 inch for the back of shirt, or maybe 12 if I can fit it.

timbudtwo · Post by **timbudtwo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:06 pm

I put it on both arms. They are slightly offset because its hard to make it perfect, but hard to notice.