Nice little video showing the basics for printing t-shirts.  Some of these basics include:

• Choosing a silk screen and where to get it
• How to apply light sensitive emulsion
• Light sources to burn the screen.  (They show an exposure unit like the one I built) CLICK HERE
• How to burn the screen
• Washing out the screen
• How to print the image on the t-shirt

As a bonus, the video will show you how to add LED lights and sounds to your t-shirt.

Check it out…

I have never been to a vastex class and cannot vouch for the training but I do use their equipment and have been happy with the company.  I am thinking about maybe attending a class and thought I would pass along this information.

Steve

Some information below from Vastex:

“If you are a graphics professional or heavily involved in the art-to-positive graphics process, this full day art production workshop was designed for you.”
-Douglas Grigar

Class Outline…

- Reviewing vector drawing and Photoshop programs
- Basic positive and stencil needs
- Choosing the right positives and printer for your needs
- Understanding, Preparing, and printing color separations
- Printing positives and positives overview
- Dots and “halftones”
- Matching art to mesh and stencil
- Dealing with customer provided or outside art
- Screen printing limitations on graphics
- Art-to-print concepts and terminology (choke, trap, butt, what they are and when and how to use them)
- The effects of garment color on printed graphics and how to use that to your advantage
- Under-base or underlay colors
- Overview of four color process
- Overview of spot colors and “spot process/simulated process”
- Design tips for graphics on garments
- Effects of mesh and emulsion on printed graphics
- Open forum to answer session specific to art production

Want more info or need to register?
Call 1-800-4-VASTEX or Email Us

Price $195 per person
April 10 or August 21
9am-5pm (approx)
Location: Vastex Factory
1032 N. Irving St. Allentown, PA 18109
Laptops are welcome but not required.

Prerequisite: A basic working knowledge of  vector drawing and photo- manipulation programs is necessary. I.E. Corel or Illustrator. With your own knowledge base to build upon, this workshop will help you understand the specific graphic needs for screen printing.
Need more details?…

We are hosting this class in response to the overwhelming demand we have received over the years for an advanced, technical class covering the process and demands of graphics production specific to the needs in the screen printing industry.

This graphics course goes into much greater detail than time can allow for in our full three-day screen printing class on art subjects.  Douglas’ full day screen printing art production workshop expands upon the art needs information from our full three-day course by offering specific detail about art production for screen printing.

This workshop is a very casual round-table type of conversation on your needs with a projected computer screen review of specific issues and direct action to question review of steps and tips for art production. Students are encouraged to ask Douglas detailed, technical questions. Feel free to bring your art questions to the class in order to take full advantage of this workshop. This subject requires open dialogue between the students and instructor and any questions enhance the entire classroom experience.

Over the last decade Vastex has hosted screen printing education expert and technical authority, Douglas Grigar. Douglas’ career in art production started well over 25 years ago and he has combined his art production experience with his screen printing production experience to become the most trusted and popular printer’s advocate in the industry.

The cheap way to do a test wedge.  Take construction paper and do 4-5 different exposures.  Move the paper to expose more of the image each time.  At the end you will have 4-5 different exposure times.  Just pick the one that washes out the best and there ya go.

Screen printing, Silk screening or serigraphy is a printmaking technique that creates a sharp edged image using a stencil. It is commonly used to print t-shirts, hats, tote bags, cd/dvd’s, posters, bumper stickers and a lot more. There are many materials and shapes that can be screen printed including ceramics, wood, plastics, glass, metals and paper.

The materials used in screen printing are very affordable and most of the equipment used can be built at home for very low cost.

The minimum items needed to screen print are:

• Screens
• Squeegees
• Scoop Coater
• Exposure light source
• Light sensitive emulsion
• Ink

Screens

Screen printing screens are wood or metal frames that are covered with a stretched fabric mesh attached to the frame. The mesh has holes in it that allow ink to flow through the screen. Mesh is rated in how many and what size the holes are. This will determine how much ink passes through the screen and onto the substrate or the material being printed.

Screens can be made or bought with the mesh pre-stretched and attached. Purchasing the pre-stretched screens are the best way to start.

Squeegees

Squeegees are used to push the ink through the screen and onto the substrate. The squeegee also sheers or cuts the ink so you end up with a sharp image. They come in many different sizes and durometers. Durometer is the unit of measure for the hardness of the rubber portion of the squeegee. They also come in square or rounded with metal or wood handles.

In my opinion, the best squeegee to start with would be a 70 durometer square blade. That will give good flexibility and the square edge will shear the ink.

Exposure light source

An exposure light source is any light that gives off ultra violet light (UV). Most light sources give off UV but some give off more than others. The more UV the light source gives off the faster you will expose the screen. Examples of light sources you can use are:

- The sun
- Unfiltered Black Lights
- Halogen Work Lights
- Mercury Vapor
- Metal Halide

The sun is the most inexpensive source but is hard to control exposure times. Many people start out with an $8 halogen work light from the local home improvement store.

Light Sensitive Emulsion

Emulsion is applied to the screen mesh and blocks all the holes except where the image is. The emulsion is sensitive to UV light and will harden or cure in the areas exposed by the UV. The art is printed on a clear or frosted sheet of plastic and then placed on a screen coated with emulsion. The light is blocked in the area of the art and remains uncured. The uncured emulsion can be washed out and the remaining cured emulsion will block the ink.

Ink

Ink comes in many different types depending on the material being printed on. The most common for t-shirt printing is Plastisol.   Plastisol isn’t ink at all. It is a liquid plastic that will harden or cure when exposed to heat of at least 320 degrees. Once the plastisol is cure the shirt can be worn. The other type of ink is water based that needs time to air dry. Water based inks will dry in the screen if you don’t keep the screen flooded where plastisol will never cure until exposed to heat. For frequent prints, some printers will leave plastisol in screens for months.

Scoop Coater

The scoop coater is used to apply the liquid emulsion to the screens

Part 2 coming soon