The Newb’s Guide to Screen Printing That I didn’t Have

As a business owner, I like getting stuff for free. I’m proud to be cheap. I’m so cheap in fact that, even though I can afford it, I still drive a 92 Toyota Corolla - 35 MPG thank you. It’s that mindset which has prompted me to write a post to build a list of free software and products which I use to run this business. Check back often, as this will be a growing list of free resources for screen printers, and shoe string budgeteers. Continue reading →

Let’s face it. There are a lot of jokers out there calling themselves web developers. (You know at least on joker calling himself a screen printer!). You know me by now if you’ve spent any time on the site. I’m cheap. Really cheap. However, I would never sacrifice quality for the sake of saving a few dollars. That would defeat the purpose. The problem is that a truly “professional” web site is pretty darned expensive, and yet a professional, modern appearance on the web is not just a good idea - these days it is vital – especially to us, the small time screen printer.

So, you might be asking “how do I bridge the gap between quality and price?” Continue reading →

Not for the Faint of Heart. Not for the Start-Up, Newbie Screen Printer.

This is the first and only screen printing press I have ever owned. I have grown to love it, in spite of it’s many flaws. If I had it to do over again this is probably not the press I would have bought, nevertheless, since I invested deep, deep, deep into this particular machine, it became incumbent upon me to learn it’s many nuances, and flaws, and then workaround them.

Most of them, I eventually discovered, came from many of my own shortcomings, along with a few flawed misconceptions on my part. Some of the problems however, reside solely in the heart of this machine, which in my opinion while mechanically sound, could have undergone a few more years of R&D before it was sold with such hype, Continue reading →

You’ll want the inkless side of your film touching the emulsion when you burn your image. So, depending on the position from which your light source exposes your screen, i.e. from above or below, you may have to reverse the image before printing. This is because when the ink on your film heats up it tends to stick to the emulsion. It washes off in the rinse process, but it ruins your film.

Time to Print

In the print dialog don’t do anything fancy. Continue reading →

What You’ll Need for No-RIP screen printing Film

You’re gonna need some supplies and equipment to do this. But it must meet the criteria of being cheap, effective, and simple. Continue reading →